The Oregon Trail Community Foundation is pleased to announce that three new scholarships are available for the 2024-25 school year. These scholarships have been established to provide educational resources for students that meet specific criteria. Detailed information about each of our scholarships can be found on the Foundation’s website at otcf.org.
Autumn H. Elsen Memorial Scholarship for Education or Fine Arts Majors: Autumn Hope Elsen was a Gering High School graduate who was pursuing a degree in elementary education at Chadron State College.
The Autumn H. Elsen Scholarship is available to high school seniors pursuing a career in Education or Fine Arts. The scholarship is available throughout the Nebraska panhandle. Two $1,000 scholarships will be awarded annually.
M Joan Cromer Memorial Scholarship: Joan Cromer’s scholarship was established by her family as part of her final wishes. It was her strong desire to provide scholarship opportunities to help underserved youth formerly from the Head Start program pursue a college education.
The M Joan Cromer Memorial Scholarship offers one scholarship of $4,000 annually to a low-income graduating senior who attended Head Start as a child. This scholarship is available to students in Scotts Bluff County.
A Hand Up Scholarship: is for single mothers or birth mothers who have placed their child in an open adoption who wish to further themselves and/or provide for their families by seeking higher education.
A Hand Up Scholarship provides two scholarships per year. Qualifying students may be full or part-time students pursuing a two-year, four-year or trade school degree, or any kind of medical or veterinary certification required for employment (CNA, Vet Tech, LPN, Paramedic license, etc.).
NEW! Shane Siegfried Memorial Scholarship Available to Bayard High School graduates: The Shane Siegfried Memorial Scholarship is available to Bayard High School graduates.
Shane’s family and friends have established this scholarship to support students who reflect the generosity and school and community spirit that Shane exemplified. This scholarship provides a one-year scholarship to a 2-year or 4-year college.
To apply for these or any of the OTCF scholarships, please visit otcf.org. All scholarships are now digital, and easy to apply for. Please note that hard copies of scholarship applications are no longer available or accepted.
Application deadline is April 1st.
