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The application program will be available again in December. Please return then to view the updated Eligibility and Awards for the upcoming academic year! If you are an applicant who would like to discover more scholarship opportunities you might qualify for, please continue to the Scholarship America Hub and sign up!

Karl J. Schwartz Rotary Award Fund Scholarship Program
Application status: Closed

Bristol Rotary Scholarship Fund, Inc. has established a scholarship program to assist high school seniors from select Connecticut towns who plan to pursue full-time postsecondary study at an accredited four-year institution of the student’s choice.

This program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Applicants to the Karl J. Schwartz Rotary Award Fund Scholarship Program must:

  • Be graduating high school seniors who reside and attend public or private high schools in one of the following towns in Connecticut: Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington, or Terryville.
  • Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited four-year college or university for the entire upcoming academic year.
  • Submit an essay describing their personal experiences as they relate to the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self”.

Awards

Up to seven (7) awards will be granted. If selected as a recipient, the student will receive an initial award of $8,000. Awards may be renewed for up to three (3) additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal awards of up to $8,000 per year are subject to the performance of the Karl J. Schwartz Rotary award fund. Renewal awards are also contingent on the student maintaining a 3.0 GPA (on a scale of 4.0) and continuing to demonstrate financial need. Renewal students will be required to submit financial information to Scholarship America each year. If financial need is not demonstrated in subsequent years, the award will be forfeited.

Awards are for undergraduate study only.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:

  • Academic record
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • A statement of career and educational goals and objectives
  • Unusual personal or family circumstances
  • An online recommendation
  • An essay
  • Financial need

Recipients will be selected from a pool of qualified applicants with consideration given to those who demonstrate the greatest financial need.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or board member of Bristol Rotary Scholarship Fund, Inc. play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

Notification

Applicants will be notified in late April. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Bristol Rotary Scholarship Fund, Inc. Checks are mailed to the student in early August.

As part of your application, you must upload the following:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
    • Student name
    • School name
    • Grades
    • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than March 21, 2025 3:00 pm Central Time.

Your application is not complete unless all required documents are submitted electronically.

Bristol Rotary Scholarship Fund, Inc. has partnered with Scholarship America. Selecting the button below will redirect you the Scholarship America Student Hub!

Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address provided below in the footer as safe senders in your email contact list.