Isabella County Collaborative Scholarship Fund

The Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation launches a new Collaborative Scholarship Fund that allows community members to support local students through shared funds while expanding access for those pursuing higher education or skilled trades. 

The new endowed Isabella County Collaborative Fund provides scholarships to Isabella County graduates seeking to further their post-secondary education. Eligible applicants must be a graduate of an Isabella County high school with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher, be planning to enroll at an accredited college, university or trade school and demonstrate financial need. Preference is given to current college students, those in good academic standing, and those pursuing a two- to four-year degree program. 

At a lesser cost than establishing an individual scholarship fund, donors are still able to provide meaningful financial support to students through this collaborative fund. Community members may establish a named endowment within the Collaborative Scholarship Fund with a minimum gift of $10,000 or contribute any amount to help the fund grow and increase future scholarship awards. Contributions to scholarship endowments are carefully invested, allowing the funds to grow over time while a portion of the earnings is used to award scholarships annually. 

“While the Foundation has always been committed to post-secondary success, we've put an emphasis on a more substantial approach,” says Foundation Scholarship Cabinet chair Joe Fleming. “The Collaborative Scholarship gives anyone the opportunity to invest in a local student’s future.”   

For nearly 35 years, the Foundation has invested in local students by providing scholarships that help strengthen the next generation. Collaborative scholarship endowments create lasting opportunities for Isabella County students by combining the generosity of many donors to support educational success. 

Mission and Goals 

For more than 35 years, the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation (MPACF) has been supporting Isabella County through scholarships. Collaborative scholarship endowments provide financial support to Isabella County students as they pursue post-secondary education and/or skilled trades. Contributions to scholarship endowments are carefully invested to grow over time while using a portion of the endowment earnings each year to offer scholarship awards. 

How Do Collaborative Scholarships Work? 

Available dollars from the individual named endowments are pooled to make a collaborative scholarship award. By awarding available dollars from multiple endowments collaboratively, students can receive meaningful financial support over multiple years. 

Eligibility Criteria: Eligible applicants must be a graduate of an Isabella County high school with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher, plan to enroll at an accredited college, university, or trade school, and demonstrate financial need. Preference is given to current college students, those in good academic standing, and those pursuing a two- to four-year degree program. 

Applicant Selection Criteria: Isabella County applicants will be evaluated based on demonstrated academic achievement and potential for success in post-secondary learning or skilled trades with a focus on students with financial need. 

Financial Need: Priority levels for Financial Need are defined as substantial need, significant need, moderate need, and lowest need. Financial Need is determined using an applicant’s Student Aid Index number. 

Personal Statement: Applicants will provide a short personal statement addressing their preparation, goals, motivation, habits for success, and extracurricular involvement. Extracurricular activities may include involvement in school-sponsored activities, community service, and work experience. 

Application & Evaluation: Applicants must complete the Eligibility Application through the Scholarship Portal to learn about scholarships they can apply for. Evaluation is completed by appointed and trained community reviewers. Scholarship recipient selection is confirmed by the MPACF Scholarship Cabinet and approved by the Board of Trustees. 

Communication: Promotion of scholarship opportunities is provided by MPACF to students, schools, counselors, and on social media platforms. MPACF staff will provide notification of the awards to the recipients. Additionally, MPACF will announce all scholarship recipients in a press release on social media platforms. 

Award Amount: The award amount is determined annually by the MPACF spending policy. MPACF maintains flexibility and final determination on how to ensure a meaningful award is made to applicant(s). 

After Awarding: Recipients must complete the scholarship acceptance form and the scholarship payment form. For multi-year scholarships, recipients will also be required to maintain eligibility by providing their most recent transcript (unofficial transcripts are acceptable). Deferrals are allowed, but recipients must contact MPACF staff to complete the scholarship deferral form.