Aspire Scholarships

    ELLSWORTH — Applications are currently being accepted for the Aspire Scholarship Fund at the Maine Community Foundation. The scholarship supports residents of Presque Isle and Washburn pursuing post-secondary education.
    The Aspire scholarships are open to students who have successfully completed an alternative education program, or who are alternative learners who would have benefited from such a program had one been available to them.
    The application deadline for the Aspire Scholarship is May 15. Please note that there is no longer a December deadline for this scholarship, and the May 15 deadline is the only chance to apply.
    Applications are available at www.mainecf.org.
    This renewable scholarship is meant to encourage teenagers and young adults to set goals for post-secondary education and make them happen. College or technical school, graduate school or a less-traditional education, such as an apprenticeship, are possible avenues. Academic excellence is not required, but students must have demonstrated personal growth and a will to succeed in their pursuit of a post-secondary education.
    In 2008, seven students won Aspire Scholarships. They used the awards to attend Northern Maine Community College, the University of Maine at Presque Isle and Husson University’s Presque Isle education center.
    A statewide organization with offices in Ellsworth, Augusta and Portland, the Maine Community Foundation has worked with donors and educators since 1983 to provide Maine students with access to educational opportunities.