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Our Scholarships
College Now has two types of scholarships: Traditional scholarships, for high school students served in schools by College Now advisors enrolling in college for the first time, and Adult Learner scholarships, for students age 19 and older who have discontinued their studies for more than one year and are interested in pursuing a first associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or trade certificate.
College Now raises scholarship dollars from a variety of funders that are directed either to Traditional or Adult Learner scholarships, based on the donor’s request. College Now staff then matches students to all of the scholarships for which they could be eligible, and individual selections for scholarships awarded are made based on the goal of selecting as many qualified students as possible. To ensure that we can fund as many students as possible, selected students receive one College Now scholarship out of the ones for which they qualified.
College Now offsets the high cost of college tuition by awarding renewable, need-based scholarships to students across Northeast Ohio. Over the last few years, College Now’s scholarship recipients have experienced declining income and resources while postsecondary costs have risen, leaving a wide gap.
College Now seeks to fill the gap:
- College Now awards $3 million in scholarships every year
- 1,400 students and adult learners receive a College Now scholarship each year
- Our scholarships are renewable, should students continue to meet grade and enrollment requirements
Apply for a College Now Scholarship
Click Below for More Information & Eligibility Requirements
High School Seniors
In order to apply for the College Now Traditional Scholarship, students must:
-Attend a College Now-served high school
-Have a cumulative weighted GPA of at least a 2.5
-Have a minimum ACT composite score of 18 or combined verbal and math SAT score of 960
-File the 2025-2026 FAFSA
-Qualify for the Federal Pell Grant
Application deadline: March 7, 2025
Adult Learners
College Now offers a scholarship opportunity to adult students age 19 and above who have taken off one year or more after high school. Eligible adult learners are Pell-eligible and must be pursuing a first bachelor’s degree, an associate’s degree or a non-degree certificate or license in a vocational or technical program.
Applicants must complete the application and meet the scholarship criteria for academic performance and financial need. Scholarships are renewable.
Adults from Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull or Wayne County may apply. Students taking only online classes at a school outside of these counties are also eligible to apply.
Application deadline: April 16, 2025
The College Club of Cleveland Foundation Scholarship Fund
Founded in 1898, The College Club of Cleveland was established to promote the social, philanthropic and literary interest of Cleveland’s college educated women. From the Club’s inception, members collected donations for women seeking to pursue higher education. Since 1990, the College Club Foundation has awarded over 120 scholarships to male and female students in Northeast Ohio. The College Club of Cleveland Foundation (CCCF) Scholarship fund was created with a grant from the College Club of Cleveland Foundation Fund of the Cleveland Foundation.
Application deadline: April 1, 2025
Congresswoman Shontel Brown Cross the Finish Line Scholarship
The Congresswoman Shontel Brown Cross the Finish Line Scholarship was established in 2023 to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of United States Representatives Louis Stokes, Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and Marcia Fudge, while providing support to African-American residents of Ohio’s 11th US Congressional District who are on their way to achieving their postsecondary educational degrees. To be eligible, applicants must be African-American residents in Ohio’s 11th US Congressional District, aged 19 or older, and pursuing an associate’s or first bachelor’s degree. Additionally, they must have interrupted their education for at least two semesters and qualify for or demonstrate eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant. Three scholarships will be granted.
Application closed.
2023/2024 College Now Greater Cleveland Manufacturing Scholarship
College Now provides scholarship opportunities to high school graduates who are interested in a training program in the field of manufacturing with the result leading to a license/certification or degree. This one-time manufacturing scholarship offers high school graduates and GED holders the chance to pursue a training program in manufacturing, leading to a license, certification or degree. Scholarship awards, which are based on available funds and submitted tuition bills, will not exceed $2,000.
Managed Scholarships
In addition, College Now manages scholarship programs for outside organizations and corporations to make scholarship administration easier and more affordable.
For Students
Cleveland Foundation Scholarships
The Cleveland Foundation, in partnership with College Now Greater Cleveland, offers over 60 scholarships to students from Greater Cleveland, Northeast Ohio, and beyond. These scholarships vary in criteria and scope, and there is something for nearly everyone. By completing just one application, students can be considered for dozens of scholarships.
Application deadline: March 12, 2025 @ 7 p.m.
Jane Edna Hunter Scholarship
The Jane Edna Hunter Scholarship has been established to provide need-based financial assistance for full-time undergraduate women under the age of 30, who are residents of Ohio or South Carolina.
Application deadline: April 25, 2025 @ 10 p.m.
Resettled Refugee Visible Voice Scholarship for High School Seniors
Applicants must be a resettle refugee living in Cuyahoga County, be a graduating high school senior
in spring 2025, intend to enroll full-time at an accredited public or private not-for-profit institution,
and demonstrate a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Scholarship is renewable for up to 4 years.
Application deadline: April 2, 2025 @ 7 p.m.
Resettled Refugee Visible Voice Scholarship for Adults
Applicants must be a resettled refugee living in Cuyahoga County, be age 19 or older as of April 2025, and intend to enroll at least part–time at a trade/technical school or community college in Cuyahoga County. This is a one–time award. Students
may reapply again in future years to continue to receive funding
Application deadline: April 2, 2025 @ 7 p.m.
Marcia LaRiche Scholarship
The Marcia LaRiche Scholarship was established to assist dependent children of parents who have been diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and who live in Northeast Ohio.
Application deadline: May 14, 2025 @ 7 p.m.
Ratner, Miller, Shafran Foundation Scholarship
This scholarship was created to assist students who have maintained a good scholastic record and have financial need who want to continue their post–secondary education. Applicants must have graduated from a high school in Northeast Ohio, intend to enroll full–time at an accredited public or private not–for–profit post–secondary institution and demonstrate a 2.0 cumulative GPA. Scholarship is renewable for up to 4 years.
Application deadline: May 7, 2025 @ 7 p.m.
Resettled Refugee Visible Voice Scholarship for Social Work
Applicants must be a resettled refugee living in Cuyahoga County, intend to enroll at an accredited public or private not–for–profit post–secondary institution in Cuyahoga County, and major in social work or a related field.
Application deadline: April 2, 2025 @ 7 p.m.
For Business
College Now works with organizations to customize programs that best suit their needs, including scholarships for employees’ dependents or students participating in the corporations’ cooperative program. For more information, please contact Robert Durham, at [email protected] or call 216.635.0450.
Outside Scholarships
Paying for college is a challenge that many students face. In addition to the scholarships offered by College Now, there are many outside scholarships available to help offset the rising costs of college. We have compiled a database of many of these scholarships to make it easier for students to identify opportunities available to them. These scholarships have been researched and vetted by our scholarship team to help discern their value and legitimacy.
Please click the button below to begin your search.
Scholarship Funders
Almost 800 traditional students and over 180 adult learners received nearly $2.25 million in renewable scholarships during the 2022-2023 academic year, thanks to these generous donors listed below. To establish a scholarship to support a graduating high school senior or adult learner in our community, please contact Kittie Warshawsky, at [email protected] or call 216.635.0155.
