Your Path to Higher Education Starts Here

At The Summit Foundation, we believe every student deserves the chance to pursue their dreams—whether that means college, career training, or a fresh start—no matter their financial background, academic path, or personal story.

Our Commitment
We’re here to:

  • Remove barriers to postsecondary education.
  • Celebrate potential in all its forms—academic, vocational, artistic, and personal.
  • Honor stories of resilience, persistence, and service to community.
  • Build a future-ready Summit County by investing in the dreams of local students.

Scholarships That Make a Difference
The Summit Foundation is committed to making higher education more accessible for Summit County students. Whether you're planning to attend a four-year college, community college, or career training program, we encourage high school seniors to apply.

Eligibility is based on a combination of academic achievement, financial need, and community involvement or leadership. In addition to our general scholarships, we manage 33 named scholarship funds established by generous individuals, families, and businesses—offering awards that range from one to four years. Thanks to the growing support of our Bright Futures Fund, we’re proud to offer more four-year scholarships than ever before.

One Application. Dozens of Opportunities.
Our online scholarship platform makes applying easy. With a single application, students can be considered for a wide range of awards—including those from other local organizations. Just be sure to select The Summit Foundation Scholarship Application to access our full set of opportunities.

Students from Neighboring Communities
A limited number of scholarships are also available for students who live outside Summit County, but who have a parent living or working here. These students use the same application process as Summit High School students.

Key Dates to Remember
The online application opens on December 1, 2026, and close on January 23, 2026. Don’t miss out—start planning your future today!

Read about the 2026 scholarships here!

SUMMIT COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS APPLY HERE 

Scholarship FAQs 

Submitting a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is required for consideration of Federal financial aid assistance for students who want a postsecondary education. The FAFSA for the 2024-2025 year will be available to students by December 31, 2023. The following resource has more information on financial aid, and the new FAFSA. The Better FAFSA: Student & Family Engagement Toolkit will answer a lot of questions for students and families as they navigate the financial aid process.

Yes, the Federal Student Aid Estimator is a helpful tool for estimating financial aid and calculating your Student Aid Index (SAI).

Yes. If you received a renewable scholarship, you are required to submit an online follow-up application each year to make certain you still qualify to receive the scholarship.

Yes. We prefer an official transcript but realize at some schools an unofficial one is more easily available.

The scholarship award is sent directly to the college or university along with a student’s name and identification number. If a recipient completes the required follow-up form on time, scholarship checks are mailed out in July.

Yes. If you don’t know which school you’re going to attend, you can still apply for Summit Foundation and other local scholarships. The application includes questions about what schools you are interested in.

No. Each scholarship has specific eligibility requirements defined by the donor when the scholarship was established. Be sure to read the requirements of each scholarship carefully as some of them require additional information such as essays or proof of residency.

Yes! Scholarships are available for students planning to attend a technical school, trade school, or participate in an apprenticeship.

Mountain Scholars

Mountain Scholars is dedicated to empowering first-generation and academically driven students in their pursuit of a four-year college degree or postsecondary certificate. They offer scholarships and comprehensive support to students throughout their college journey, helping them achieve their educational aspirations. Services include personalized mentoring, career planning, scholarship assistance, and more. To learn more, visit our website. Click HERE