Scholarship FAQS

The Permanent Endowment awards scholarships each spring to Island residents seeking to further their education. Each of the scholarship funds administered by the Endowment has its own specific guidelines and eligibility requirements. To determine if any may be right for you, please review the information for each of our scholarship funds.  Please apply to only those Funds for which you qualify.  Although students are welcome to apply for as many scholarships as are appropriate, generally only one scholarship will be awarded to a student. If you qualify, the Endowment may consider you for a scholarship you have not selected from the checklist as well. The Permanent Endowment’s application checklist includes the requirements for applying for support from all of the Endowment’s funds, and must be included with your application.

All scholarship applicants must submit an application and the required supporting materials to the Endowment by the posted deadline. There are separate applications for high school seniors and for students already enrolled in a college program.

Any resident of Martha’s Vineyard who will be graduating from an accredited secondary school or an Island high school is eligible to apply for a scholarship from the Permanent Endowment.  In addition, residents who already are enrolled in college may apply.  Please note that some scholarships are only available to MVRHS graduates.  The first question on the application will guide you to the funds available to you.  Additionally you may find details within the description of each fund.

Although students are welcome to apply for as many scholarships as are appropriate, generally only one scholarship will be awarded to a student. If you qualify, the Endowment may consider you for a scholarship you have not selected from the checklist as well.  The Permanent Endowment’s application checklist includes the requirements for applying for support from all of the Endowment’s funds and must be included with your application materials.  Please apply for only those scholarships for which you qualify.  

Yes. Please indicate your preferences on the checklist you submit with your application. The information you provide will help guide the Endowment’s Board and staff in determining which fund or funds are most appropriate for you. All of the Permanent Endowment’s scholarships are awarded from individual funds with their own criteria.

Scholarships generally range in size from $500 to $5,000 a year, depending upon a student’s need and the availability of funds.

Yes. In fact, students are encouraged to seek support from other sources, both public and private, to fund their college expenses.

Yes.  Students who receive a scholarship upon graduation from high school are encouraged to apply for continuing support for the remainder of their college experience.  The Endowment does require that a new application be submitted for each year you wish to be considered for a scholarship.

A useful step when applying for scholarships or financial aid is to file an application for federal student aid that is available through the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid.  Information is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.   The Permanent Endowment requests the Expected Family Contribution figure from that filing, when available.