The Island Institute has announced that it will award at least $60,000 worth of Maine Island Higher Education postsecondary scholarships for the 2007-2008 school year. These scholarships offer financial assistance to residents of Maine’s 14 unbridged island communities. The Institute will offer awards ranging from $250 to $5,000 to support individuals pursuing postsecondary education at two- and four-year colleges, universities or vocational/technical institutions. Award decisions will be made by a panel of island community members and Island Institute staff members, who will score each applicant based on academic achievement, employment and extracurricular activities, a personal statement and consideration of special circumstances. The scholarships being offered for 2007-08 are:
Maine Island Higher Education Scholarship: This scholarship fund is available to any and all residents of Maine’s 14 unbridged island communities attending postsecondary education institutions. In addition, a limited number of scholarships are available to students whose island communities do not have a high school and who must attend boarding schools on the mainland. Scholarships range from $250 to $3,000. There is no limit on the number of scholarships that will be given.
Academic and Community Leadership Scholarship (previously known as the Island Partners Scholarship): One $5,000 scholarship will be given to one graduating high school senior to be applied to his or her first year of college tuition. The winner of the scholarship will be a graduate who exemplifies a combination of academic excellence and community leadership.
Otter Island Fund: Any year-round island resident who attends one of the following schools is eligible to receive this special scholarship, which is renewable for each year that the student attends one of the eligible schools: Pomfret, Groton, St. Georges, Northfield-Mt. Hermon, Connecticut College, Vanderbilt, Colorado College, TCU, Duke University, University of Utah, or Harvard Business School.
Shaw Fund for Mariners’ Children: This fund is available to all year-round island residents who are mariners’ children attending post-secondary education. There is no limit on the number of scholarships that will be given.
Seth Jordan Memorial Fund: An additional award of $500 will be given to supplement the scholarship received by the graduating high school senior residing in Casco Bay who has the highest GPA.
Applicants need only submit one application per year to be considered for all of the above scholarships. Application forms will be available in January on the Island Institute website,
www.islandinstitute.org, or by contacting the Institute’s Education Outreach Officer, Ruth Kermish-Allen, at 594-9209, ext. 117 or rallen@islandinstitute.org.
All application forms must be complete and submitted by March 15, 2007.