A new partnership will make it easier for Plainwell students to apply for scholarships.
A new partnership between Allegan County Community Foundation (ACCF) and Plainwell Community Schools (PCS) is expected to make it easier for high school students to apply for scholarships.
ACCF will be administering all scholarships offered by PCS and other participating community partners. The foundation already administers over $300,000 worth of scholarships across Allegan County from almost 50 scholarship funds, including the Jack and Phyllis Streidl Scholarship available to Plainwell athletes.
Scholarship services from ACCF make it easy for students to access scholarship money for two-year, four-year, and vocational higher education experiences. Students can be easily overwhelmed by the application process — countless hours searching for and individually applying for scholarships, says Stephanie Calhoun, ACCF’s executive director.
Online application system
That is why ACCF uses an online application system that is easy for students to use, with a focused experience that limits tasks, shows progress, and allows students to take breaks and seamlessly pick up where they left off.
After answering a few simple questions, students see every PCS, ACCF, and participating community scholarship for which they are qualified — and need to complete only final tasks, like writing essays specific to those scholarships,
“We know that school staff is already spread thin. ACCF has a full-time staff member to offer technical assistance to students throughout the application process. ACCF compiles all the required documentation to present to scholarship committees for the selection process,” says Calhoun. “After the selection process, we track all scholarship recipients and arrange payments to educational institutions. We even allow and process scholarship deferrals — helping students best use their scholarship dollars.”
An easy-to-use process
The partnership will free school staff to do what they do best — educate and support students, adds Jeremy Wright, principal of Plainwell High School.
“We are excited to partner with ACCF to make our scholarships available to all PHS students and do it in a seamless, easy-to-use manner for the student,” says Wright.
In addition to administering these scholarships, ACCF will help promote and grow these and other scholarship opportunities for Plainwell students.
The Allegan County Community Foundation was established in 1965 with a mission to positively impact Allegan County through financial stewardship, education, and community partnerships.
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