Scholarships for Students Under 24 Years of Age

Traditional Scholarship

Completing our Traditional Scholarship application will allow our scholarship committee to consider you for more than 70 different scholarship opportunities (now including the SCBA Booker Law Academy Scholarship, the Destinations Florida Scholarship, and the Performing Arts Scholarship, among others). Applicants must be a resident of Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, or Charlotte counties or be a graduating high school senior or graduate of a high school located within one of these four counties. Students must be pursuing or planning to pursue further education at an accredited university, community college, technical school, or certification program.

Now accepting applications! The application has been extended due to technical issues. The new application deadline is Feb. 16, 2023. 

Scholarship Renewal 

This year, eligible renewal students will receive an email from scholarships@cfsarasota.org inviting them to complete the Renewal Application. If you are an eligible renewal student but have not received an email invitation by May 2023, please contact scholarships@cfsarasota.org for more information.

Special Note: Please read your notification letter carefully as it will detail whether or not your scholarship is renewable. Students who were not awarded a renewable scholarship during a prior year, will not be considered through this application. Please apply through our Traditional Scholarship application to be considered for a new scholarship award.

Andrew Monroe Memorial Scholarship

The Andrew Monroe Memorial Scholarship Fund awards two $1,000 scholarships annually to graduating high school senior soccer players in Sarasota County. 

Application Closed as of March 21, 2022

Andrew Vincent Messina Scholarship and Elsie Bird Davies Memorial Scholarship

The charitable purposes of the Andrew Vincent Messina Fund for Music Education and the Elsie Bird Davies Memorial Fund for Piano Students is to provide music lessons and instruments to children with financial need who otherwise would be unable to participate in music education. Applicants must be residents of Sarasota or Manatee County who are taking lessons from a teacher who is a member of the Piano Teachers Association in either Sarasota or Manatee County.  

Application closed. 

Father Connie Dougherty Memorial Scholarship

The Father Connie Dougherty Scholarship Fund may be used to further education at a college, university or institution of higher learning, including vocational training. All Sarasota County high school seniors and graduates of Sarasota County public and private high schools may apply. 

Now accepting applications! Deadline: March 7, 2023. 

Destinations Florida Dave Warren Scholarship

Destinations Florida, through the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, is pleased to offer the Dave Warren Scholarship. This scholarship opportunity is available to college juniors who plan to make a career in the hospitality industry within the State of Florida. Selection criteria includes the personal goals of the student, financial need and community involvement. 

Now accepting applications! Deadline: March 15, 2023. 

General Education Diploma (GED) Scholarship

The purpose of this scholarship is to provide students with financial assistance to pursue their General Education Diploma (GED). Applicants must be residents of Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, or Charlotte counties.

The application deadline for the GED scholarship is July 7, 2023.

If you have any questions about this scholarship opportunity, please send us an email at scholarships@cfsarasota.org. 

Performing Arts Scholarship

This scholarship is for students who are residents of Sarasota and Manatee counties and are pursuing or planning to pursue professional careers in a field related to the performing arts including musical theatre, dance, singing, acting, music, musical instruments, scenery/ costume design, etc. Click here for a listing of all our performing arts-related scholarship funds. This scholarship is now awarded through our Traditional Scholarship Application.

Application closes Feb. 16, 2023.

Sarasota County Bar Association Booker Law Academy Scholarship

The purpose of the scholarship is to provide a graduating senior of the Booker High School Law Academy of underrepresented, minority background (e.g. race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, or physical disability) with scholastic financial support for attendance at a college or university. This scholarship is now awarded through our Traditional Scholarship Application.

Application closes Feb. 16, 2023.

Sarasota County Bar Association Richard R. Garland Diversity Scholarship

This scholarship is intended to provide an opportunity for incoming second year law students of under-represented minority backgrounds (e.g. race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, physical disability, or socioeconomic background), who have an interest in practicing law in Sarasota County. Scholarship awardees will complete a summer internship with a law firm in the local area after their second year and receive a scholarship for their third year of law school.

Application Closed. 

Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition BSN Scholarship

This scholarship provides financial support for current BSN candidates in the Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition (SNAC) Region (Sarasota, Charlotte, Manatee, & Desoto counties). The goal is to increase the number of bachelor’s prepared nurses who are working within the SNAC region.

Application closes March 1, 2023. 

Suncoast Nursing Action Coalition Doctorate in Nursing Scholarship

Application closes March 1, 2023.

Youth Expanded Studies Scholarship

This application is for students who are permanent residents of Sarasota County who plan to participate in a distinct educational program, opportunity, or event, beyond the typical school setting.  Middle school and high school students under the age of 18 are eligible to apply.

Application Opens on Jan. 1, 2023. Deadline: Feb. 1, 2023.

2Gen Parent Scholarship

The 2Gen Scholarship connects low-income parents with children attending Alta Vista, Emma E. Booker, Gocio, and Tuttle Elementary Schools with educational pathways to build their skills and lead to family-sustaining wages. Applicants must be referred by the Parent Education Navigator, be 18 years of age or older as of December 31st of the year in which they apply and be residents of Sarasota or Manatee counties for a minimum of 1 year.

Deadline: Rolling Application