CollegeReady offers financial assistance to high school graduates in pursuit of an undergraduate degree. Students must attend a fully-accredited 2-year/technical college, traditional college or university in the United States and carry full-time student status with a course load of 12 credits or more per semester. All of our scholarships and Partner Scholarships are applicable to a student’s first year in college, and some awards may be renewable.
Scroll down on this page to learn about our eligibility, application process, and helpful FAQ’s & tutorials.
You can find more detail about the specific scholarships we award on our Scholarship Opportunities page.
Interested applicants can use this guide to learn if their intended college/university is eligible for our funding.
Students complete JUST ONE online application to be considered for a number of scholarship opportunities.
Applicants who are headed for a 2-year/technical college or a 4-year college/university complete the same application.
Ready to apply? Watch this helpful instruction video to learn how to get started!
Class of 2023 high school seniors
Application Opens: 01/01/23 | Deadline: 03/28/23 at 3:00pm
Eligible college students
Application Opens: 05/15/23 | Deadline: 08/03/23 at 3:00pm
CollegeReady offers financial assistance to graduating high school seniors who are pursuing an undergraduate degree from a fully-accredited 2-year/technical college or 4-year/traditional college/university in the United States. Students must attend college on a full-time basis (enrolled in 12 credits or more per semester).
All of our scholarships are applicable to a student’s first year in college, and some awards may be renewable.
Review this document to find out if your intended college/university is approved for our funding.
Eligible high schools:
Brown County High Schools: Ashwaubenon, Bay Port, Denmark, De Pere, Green Bay East, Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Green Bay West, N.E.W. Lutheran, Notre Dame Academy, Pulaski, West De Pere, and Wrightstown.
Door County High Schools: Gibraltar, Sevastopol, Southern Door, Sturgeon Bay, and Washington Island.
We have two Partner scholarships that serve students in other schools throughout the New North region, too. Click each scholarship to view the list of eligible schools for that award: Rhoades Sanford Foundation Scholarship and Skyline Technologies Scholarship.
Recipients are selected on the basis of:
Many of our scholarships can be renewed for a student’s second, third or fourth year in college.
Students learn if they are eligible for a renewal award when they receive their initial scholarship award letter and award Terms & Conditions. Those who can reapply must continue to meet all eligibility criteria for their award(s) and submit a Renewal Application.
Candidates for a renewal award will receive an email reminder in mid-May to signal the opening of our Renewal Application process, which opens on May 15 and closes in early August each year.
CollegeReady awards scholarships through two separate processes each year – students graduating from high school in the current year complete the process for Graduating High School Seniors, while students who are already in college complete the process for Current College Students.
Each year starting in January and ending in March, high school seniors complete just one application to be considered for many scholarship opportunities.
Step 1: In our online scholarship portal, applicants complete their General Application. Based on those answers, students who are eligible for one or more of our scholarships will be immediately invited to complete the second step in our process, the application for Graduating High School Seniors.
Step 2: After the March deadline, our team of volunteers evaluate and score each completed scholarship application.
Step 3: Once applications are reviewed, we select and notify our Semi-Finalists. These candidates complete a Semi-Finalist Questionnaire to be further considered for an award.
Step 4: After the Semi-Finalist deadline in early June, all applications go through one final round of evaluation, then our scholarship recipients are selected. Recipients receive a letter and invitation to our Lamp of Knowledge Celebration in July, where they are recognized in front of friends, family and community members, and receive their scholarship award letter.
Students currently in college have from mid-May through early August to complete their application.
Those who are eligible to apply for another year of funding will be notified of that fact when they receive their scholarship award letter and award Terms & Conditions as high school seniors. Please know that the vast majority of our scholarships for current college students are only for students who received a scholarship from us the previous year. There are just a few opportunities for students who do not meet that criteria – click here for a list.
Eligible college students who wish to be considered for a renewal scholarship must complete a General Application and Renewal Application in our online application portal.
You can learn about the scholarships we award and our application process here.
When our application period is open, you’ll find a link to our online application system right here.
I’m not a Wisconsin student. Am I eligible to apply for your scholarships?: Regrettably, no. Our scholarships are only for students attending high school in Northeast Wisconsin. Learn all about who is eligible to apply for our scholarships by clicking on the ‘Eligibility’ tab above.
Are your scholarships available for graduate studies?: No. CollegeReady scholarships are for full-time undergraduate students taking a minimum of 12 credits each semester at a fully-accredited college/university in the United States. But you may find a scholarship that’s a fit for you on this list of other resources – click here.
Does your application require essays?: Yes, applicants must write two essays to be considered for our process. Download our essays here: CollegeReady Essays for 2023
Do I have to pay to apply for your scholarships: Absolutely not! You should NEVER pay to apply for scholarships or FAFSA. If you ever have concerns about the validity of a scholarship or other financial aid, ask your school counselor!
How do I get started filing my FAFSA?: FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is a required part of our scholarship application process, so you’ll need to complete yours before you can begin a CollegeReady scholarship application. You can’t apply if you choose not to complete a FAFSA!
Learn all about it and file yours here: fafsa.ed.gov
Talk to your school counselor if you have specific questions on completing your FAFSA, or if you are not eligible to submit a FAFSA.
I don’t have a resume yet, where do I begin?: There are lots of free resources online that can help you write a great resume. We suggest downloading one of Google’s easy-to-use resume Google Docs templates. Find the template style that you like, download it, and fill in your personalized information. Here’s an article with instructions to get you started! https://resumegenius.com/resume-templates/google-docs-resume-templates
Your CollegeReady resume should include these key sections:
I filled out the General Application, and am not eligible for any of your scholarships. What now?: We’ve compiled a list of other resources that can aid you in your scholarship search. Don’t forget to inquire with your high school counselor/student services office (they probably have a list of available scholarship opportunities), and check with your intended college/university’s financial aid office (they have scholarships just for students attending your school!). And click here to check out our big list of scholarships & resources offered by other organizations.
How can I make sure my application is submitted correctly?: Here is a quick checklist for your CollegeReady application: