Scholarships

Adults with a bachelor’s degree earned, on average, at least $25,000 more annually than a high school graduate, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report.  A two-year associate’s degree can add, on average, $8,500 to the earnings of a high school graduate.

College is clearly worth the cost – intellectually as well as financially – but the price tag is increasing.  During the 2008-09 school year, it cost nearly $3,000 to attend a community college in Connecticut, $18,842 to attend the University of Connecticut, and an average of $45,686 to attend private college in the United States.  

The scholarship funds at the Hartford Foundation were created by people and organizations to help students meet those expenses.

During 2008, the Foundation awarded over $1.1 million in scholarships to over 580 students, including traditional-aged students, adult learners, and graduate students, who attended community colleges and two and four-year colleges.

The Hartford Foundation provides scholarships in four ways:

• The General Scholarship Endowment Fund pools donors’ contributions and awards $3,000 scholarships, which are renewable for up to four years.  In 2008, 180 scholarships were awarded to high school graduates attending four-year colleges and universities. 
• Donors have established individual scholarship funds at the Foundation, which allows them to work with the Foundation in establishing selection criteria and awarding amounts.  In 2008, 186 students – from traditional-aged to graduate students – received scholarships from these funds.  The average award was $1,700.
• The Foundation provides grants to community colleges for scholarships. During 2008, the Foundation awarded $210,000 for block grants to Asnuntuck Community College, Capital Community College, Tunxis Community College, Charter Oak State College, Goodwin College, and Manchester Community College for 173 students.  The average award was $1,200.
• The Foundation makes it easier for community college students to transfer to a four-year college.  During 2008, the Foundation awarded $75,000 in block grants for 40 scholarship awards to students transferring from local community colleges to University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus, University of Hartford and Central Connecticut State University.  The average award was $1,700.

Recipients of Hartford Foundation scholarships come from all of the towns in the Greater Hartford region, with the highest number of recipients from Hartford, East Hartford, Glastonbury, West Hartford, and Manchester.  During 2008, 57 percent of recipients attended college in Connecticut; almost half attended private colleges in the United States. 

Scholarship funds at the Hartford Foundation were created by people and organizations of all types and from throughout Greater Hartford.  Their situations vary greatly, but they all share one motivation – to help students from this community afford a college education.  There are currently 84 funds at the Foundation devoted specifically to scholarships, including four created during 2008.  And many donors have supported the Foundation’s General Scholarship Endowment Fund throughout the years with all level of contributions.

Many individuals also contribute their time by serving on the Foundation’s scholarship committees.  They interview scholarship applicants, attend college fairs, and assist with the selection of recipients.

In addition, each year, the Foundation publishes a directory of scholarships available to area students from the Foundation and other sources. It is available in searchable format at www.hfpg.org/scholarships.