$100,000 in Scholarships Open to All Michiganders

For the 14th straight year the Community Choice Foundation is offering $100,000 in scholarships to help college bound-seniors, others pursuing continuing education, and those seeking skilled trades education or vocational training.

Since 2009, the Community Choice Foundation has awarded 270 scholarships and invested $1.3 million toward supporting education in Michigan. This year, the credit union is once again offering a total of 25 scholarships. They are open to any Michigan resident; you do not have to be a member of the credit union.

• 15 graduating high school scholarships; $5,000 each.
• 6 continuing education scholarships covering a broad range of topics, from a teaching certificate, annual certificates/licensing, or programs beyond a bachelor's degree. If you are looking to add to your skillset, apply for one of these $2,500 scholarships.
• 4 skilled trade/vocational training scholarships. The work our skilled trades professionals do has never been more important to Michigan's workforce than it is today. This $2,500 scholarship will help offset the cost of completing a skilled trade program. Today, unique careers or specialty fields like graphic design and culinary arts also qualify under this category.

For applications and scholarship requirements, go to www.MichiganScholarship.com. The deadline for applications is February 28, 2022.

No initial paperwork is required for completing this online application. However, there is a small essay component that students will want to prepare before going on to complete the application. The question is featured on the application landing page. The end-of-February deadline still leaves plenty of time to complete and submit the application.

One of the unique aspects of Community Choice scholarships is that applicants are asked to give examples of their volunteerism or public service in the hopes of finding candidates that share the credit union's philosophy of, "People helping people." It is the credit union's hope that students will choose to invest in themselves now through education so that they are ready to face whatever challenges life presents in the future. Another core value is that scholarship winners commit to keeping their talents here in the state of Michigan.

"Regardless of what's going on around us, we know and believe that education will pay off in the long run," said Jeremy Cybulski, Community Engagement Manager at Community Choice. "We see the connection between education, future success, and overall well-being. We want to make sure students and life-long learners use education as a way to create a sense of stability during a time when those two things are rare."

Community Choice is a huge community partner all across metro Detroit, with locations stretching to Jackson, Holland and Muskegon too.