Who is eligible to apply for a Cape Cod Association scholarship?

The main qualifying criteria for a Cape Cod Association scholarship is that you must have been born on and currently reside on Cape Cod or the Islands.  The applications of students who do not meet this criteria will not be evaluated. 

The Board of Directors awards scholarships to students attending two or four year colleges, technical schools, or community colleges anywhere in the United States. The following four aspects of an application are weighted heavily when making award decisions:  Cape Cod heritage; academic excellence; extracurricular activities; and financial need.

If you were not born on Cape Cod, but live here currently and are pursuing an undergraduate education, you may be eligible for scholarships through The Cape Cod Foundation, of which the Cape Cod Association is a supporting organization.  Please visit www.capecodfoundation.org for more information about possible scholarship opportunities.

I had to be born in a hospital off-Cape for medical reasons, but my family was living on the Cape when I was born.  Am I still eligible?

We understand that sometimes further medical care than that which can be offered locally is required.  Thus, applications will still be reviewed in this case, as long as your family was residing on Cape Cod at the time of your birth and they are still residing on Cape Cod. 

What does the Board consider Cape Cod?

Cape Cod is defined as Barnstable, Nantucket, and Dukes Counties. If your town is not within one of these counties, you are not eligible for this scholarship.

I received a scholarship from the Cape Cod Association last year.  Do I need to re-apply, and does it mean I will automatically get one again this year?

Even if you are a past recipient, you must reapply each year for another scholarship, using the same application as everyone else. As of right now, past recipients are not guaranteed an award. 

What is the application deadline?

All applications must be postmarked by April 1 in order to be considered.  The Board will not consider late applications!

How do I obtain an application?  How early can I apply?

You can download the 2-page application in PDF format (you must have Adobe Acrobat to do this-there is a link to the free download at the bottom of the Application page.)  You may also call or email to have an application mailed to you or you can stop by our office and pick one up.  There are modifications made to the application each year. The new application is usually available around the new year. Old versions of the application will NOT be accepted.

Are there different applications for high school students and college students?

No, there is only one application that can be used for both high school and college students.

What information do I need to send with my application?

There is a checklist on the back of the application that specifies what information you need to submit with your application.  Please note that your application is considered incomplete if any of the information is missing, and thus, will not be considered unless all materials are received by the April 1^st deadline. If you are sending a Family Tree, please clearly mark relatives born on Cape Cod and include the town in which they were born.  If you are a high school student and you did not take the SAT’s, rather than leaving that section blank, please specify that you did not take them.  

Do you provide scholarships for graduate studies?

At this time, the Association only offers scholarships to students for undergraduate studies.

I am going to be entering my fifth year of college. Am I eligible for a scholarship?

While we understand that sometimes double majors, joint degrees, etc. may potentially take longer than four years, the Association only offers scholarships for students in their first four years of undergraduate education.

I am going to do a postgraduate year between high school and college.  Am I eligible to apply for a scholarship?

The Association only offers post-secondary scholarships for students pursuing a college education. You may apply for a scholarship for our April deadline in your postgraduate year, assuming you will be starting college that fall. 

Will you contact me and let me know if my application is missing information?

If your application is received in the office well before the April 1^st deadline, we will make every effort to contact you in regards to missing information.  However, we receive over 500 applications each year for this one scholarship and cannot ensure that this will happen. It is up to you to make sure that your application is complete! Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

When will I receive notification of whether or not I received a scholarship?

Award notification letters are usually sent out by the end of May.  Due to the volume of applications that we receive, unfortunately, we are currently not able to send letters to non-recipients.  If you have not received an award letter by June 15^th, then it is probable that you did not receive an award.  However, please feel free to call the office to verify this decision after June 15^th. 

What do I need to do if I receive a scholarship?

If you receive a scholarship, you will receive an award letter announcing the purpose and amount of the scholarship.  You must complete, sign, and return one copy of this letter (keep one copy for your records) and notify your school of your award.  Towards the middle/end of July, we will issue a scholarship check, made payable to the college/university you will be attending for that fall semester, directly to the Bursar’s office at that college/university.  The scholarship will be credited to your account and should show up on your fall tuition bill as a private scholarship. Please check with your college/university on their specific policy for handling outside scholarship awards.

What is the Dollars for Scholars Program and what does it mean for me if I get a scholarship from the Cape Cod Association? 

As a supporting organization of The Cape Cod Foundation, the Cape Cod Association is affiliated with New England Dollars for Scholars (DFS).  This affiliation means that more of the scholarship dollars awarded will be used to directly offset student’s self-help need, instead of reducing institutional grants.  DFS recruits “collegiate partners”, colleges and universities that agree to use DFS awards to first offset unmet student need (including work-study and student loans) before reducing any institutional grants.  Many of these collegiate partners have also signed on to become Matching Partners, agreeing to match all or some of a student’s award.  For more information on DFS, visit their website at www.dollarsforscholarsne.org.  You can also speak with the financial aid office at your college/university to discuss how they handle outside scholarships.

I did not receive a scholarship.  Can you tell me why?  Can I re-apply next year?

Each year, the Association receives well over 500 applications, and, although we would like to be able to, unfortunately, we are not able to make awards to many intelligent, hard-working students.  Please be assured that you did nothing "wrong".  The Board of Directors establishes a scoring system each year and reviews every applicant with that system. Thus, you are compared to all of the other applicants, and it is very difficult to determine what that pool will look like from year to year.  As of now, our current policy states that all past recipients must re-apply each year and are not necessarily ensured priority.  We welcome and encourage you to re-apply next year.