The Henry Sibley Dollars for Scholars Community Scholarship Program has gone digital this year, making it easier for students to apply for scholarships and for community members to donate.
The Henry Sibley program is one of 1,100 Dollars for Scholars chapters across the country, and it is among the first 50 chapters to pilot the organization’s online application and donation capabilities.
“Each chapter is unique to the community that it serves,” said Janine Fugate, of Scholarship America, Dollars for Scholars’ parent organization. “It’s hyperlocal.”
Student applicants now fill out a Dollars for Scholars user profile, which the scholarship selection committee can sort and review.
Community members can donate to Dollars for Scholars online. Donations of over $400 can be named and designated as unique scholarships.
The website also allows applicants to be matched with both regional and national scholarships, and provides students with volunteer and internship opportunities and college preparation resources.
’s pre-existing community scholarship program established a partnership with Dollars for Scholars in 2003, because several colleges will match scholarship money when it is given by Dollars for Scholars chapters.
Most Graduates Qualify, Half Apply
The majority of graduating seniors qualify to apply. However, of the approximately 350 students who graduate each year, only half typically do. The scholarship recipients are chosen by a faculty selection committee.
Approximately 90 percent of students who apply for Dollars for Scholars receive scholarship money.
On the other end of the process, the Henry Sibley program annually solicits Sibley parents and alumni, area residents, businesses and charities for scholarship donations.
These donations total approximately $70,000 per year. Most are sourced from within Mendota Heights and almost all come from somewhere in Dakota County.
Those who receive scholarships this year will be recognized at Sibley’s Senior Awards Night, May 23 at the .
“It gives them a real vote of confidence,” said Jan Hensel, chair of the steering committee of Sibley’s Dollars for Scholars program.
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