The Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges Scholarships

The Foundation for New Hampshire Community Colleges administers donor-funded scholarships for students at the state’s seven community colleges. It reports more than 100 funds covering different circumstances: financial need, academic merit, field of study, or residence in a particular town. In the latest academic year reported, it distributed more than $1.2 million. That figure describes the program total, not an individual award or guarantee.

The Foundation encourages applications regardless of major, GPA, financial need, or part-time versus full-time status, but individual funds can still restrict eligibility. Students must be enrolled in classes before submitting the general AwardSpring application. The system matches answers to potential funds and may request additional essays, references, or documents. Checking the dashboard after submission is therefore as important as completing the initial application.

For Spring 2027, deadlines vary by campus: Great Bay and Manchester list December 7, 2026; NHTI, December 20; Lakes Region, Nashua, and River Valley, January 29; and White Mountains, January 31. The Foundation-wide deadline is December 27. Students must apply each semester. Compare your campus deadline with your enrollment calendar and ask for help if AwardSpring shows outstanding requirements.

Before applying, confirm that the cycle and academic program match your circumstances and that the window is still open. Start at the administrator’s link, save the rules, and prepare transcripts, FAFSA information, essays, and recommendations in the requested format. Track the application and reference deadlines separately: some portals close different components on different days. After submitting, monitor email and your dashboard until the file is marked complete. Ask your campus financial-aid office how the award will coordinate with FAFSA, other scholarships, and benefits, and request a written estimate of remaining charges. Do not budget funds that have not been awarded.

To compare this benefit with other options, ask financial aid for an estimate separating tuition, fees, housing, and excluded expenses. Confirm whether it renews annually, what GPA or course load it requires, and whom to contact if the student account does not show the payment. Keep award letters and receipts until the school confirms disbursement.

Official program information and application