Bucks County Foundation offers nearly $400,000 in higher education scholarships

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Bucks County Foundation is accepting applications for more than 60 scholarships available to high school seniors planning to attend college or trade schools.

“We’re part of recognizing such a range of students in Bucks County for the true talent that they are, and supporting their future endeavors,” said Mandy Mundy, executive director of Bucks County Foundation, a community foundation and public charity that has been providing grants and scholarships since its founding in 1979.

Students can fill out an application online to be considered for the different scholarships. Most of the scholarships are restricted to Bucks County private, public or home-schooled students,  but a few are designated for graduates in neighboring school districts outside the county.

“We always suggest anybody who is in the Bucks County or surrounding area, look at our website for the scholarship opportunities so that the students or family doesn’t miss out on financial aid that may be available for them,” Mundy said.

The annual scholarships take into account more than just a student’s’ grades and/or financial need. Some donors have created funds to support accomplishments in choir, band, theater and sports, Mundy said. Other funds support a student’s career interests in fields such as  aeronautical engineering, architecture or medicine.

“Each opportunity is unique, but there’s a wide variety of criteria for students to look at what may be applicable for them,” she said.

Donors have created many of the scholarships to honor loved ones.

“Some of the scholarships have been developed in memory of individuals who have passed away, families who have lost their children or other family members, sisters or brothers or husbands,” she said. “Some of the scholarships are in honor of individuals who have contributed in great ways to our county, and we went to memorialize and honor that with this honorific. So the scholarships are really just a fantastic opportunity for Bucks County to get to know the Community Foundation and for students to get help with their future college careers.”

Mundy said the scholarships play an important role in Bucks County Foundation’s overall mission to improve quality of life in Bucks.

“[The] scholarships … help make sure students from Bucks County are prepared for the future, receive a quality education by reducing the financial burden and hoping that in the long term, that students return to Bucks County to continue to contribute to the community,” she said.

Anyone interested in donating to create a scholarship fund should reach out to the foundation, Mundy said.

Eligible students have until midnight on April 6 to apply.