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The Suffolk Foundation announced on Monday that its fall scholarship application cycle is now open. The foundation will award over $140,000 in scholarships to high school seniors and college students from Suffolk, Franklin, Smithfield, Isle of Wight County, Southampton County, Sussex County, Surrey County, and Gates County in North Carolina. The application can be found online and closes on Friday, March 21. 

Individual awards range from $1,000 to $10,000 and are intended to pay for the educational costs of a student who plans to attend a college, university, or trade school in the fall.

Applicants can be considered for up to 17 scholarships through one application. Both financial- and merit-based scholarships are available. Some target specific fields such as art, nursing, engineering, and education. Others take into consideration leadership experience, community involvement, athletic participation, or learning differences. 

Obici Healthcare Foundation partnered with the Suffolk Foundation to provide this year’s largest scholarship: $10,000 a year for up to four undergraduate years for a local student planning to pursue a career in healthcare and who will commit to returning to Western Tidewater to do so. Recipients will be invited to apply for additional postgraduate scholarships.

The foundation is also introducing a new scholarship this year in partnership with AMADAS Industries. It is open to students planning to study an engineering, agricultural technology, or manufacturing-related skilled trade.

Priority may be given to students who have previously interned at AMADAS, but the scholarship is open to any local high school or college student.

The foundation will also be awarding a $1,000 “Just Because” scholarship to a random applicant who was not awarded any other scholarship.

In addition to the Suffolk Foundation’s 17 scholarships, two more will be offered exclusively to Paul D. Camp Community College students. Paul D. Camp manages these scholarships, and interested students should contact its financial aid office.

For any local families, businesses, and other groups interested in starting their own scholarship, contact the Suffolk Foundation.