Navigating the Manchester Scholarship Foundation: Eligibility and Opportunities

For students aspiring to pursue higher education at CT State Manchester, the Manchester Scholarship Foundation (MSF) offers a vital avenue for financial assistance. Recognizing that the desire to learn is often coupled with financial constraints, the MSF provides scholarships to help students meet their educational obligations. CT State Manchester embraces a policy of open admission, welcoming students of all ages who seek higher education.

Understanding Scholarships

A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students to help cover the costs associated with their education. Unlike loans, scholarships do not require repayment. These awards are typically categorized as need-based, merit-based, or a combination of both. Need-based scholarships consider a student's financial situation, while merit-based scholarships recognize academic achievements or special talents. Most scholarships require applicants to submit an application.

General Eligibility Requirements for MCC Foundation Scholarships

To be considered for an MCC Foundation scholarship, students must meet specific eligibility criteria:

FAFSA Completion: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the current academic year, if eligible. If you're unable to complete the FAFSA, contact the Manchester campus Financial Aid office for guidance.
Course Registration: Be registered for credit classes at the Manchester campus. The MCC Foundation exclusively supports scholarships for courses offered through the Manchester campus, so be mindful when selecting your classes.
Enrollment in a Program: Be enrolled in a degree or certificate program and be homed at the Manchester campus. The MCC Foundation does not extend scholarships to students enrolled in programs at other campuses.
GPA Requirement: Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0. Note that merit scholarships require a higher minimum GPA of 3.0.

Scholarship Awards: Factors and Range

Scholarships are awarded based on a combination of factors, which may include:

Academic achievement
Financial need
Service to the college and community
Credit load

Both financial need and academic merit scholarships are available. Awards typically range from $150 to over $3,000 and are offered for the fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters. Most scholarship awards range from $250 to $3,200.

Specific Scholarship Opportunities

Beyond the general scholarship application, the MSF provides specialized scholarships with specific eligibility requirements. Here are a couple of examples:

Robert and Lena Welensky Endowed Scholarship for English as Second Language Learners

This scholarship supports English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) students who are homed at the Manchester campus and enrolled in credit or credit-free classes at the Manchester campus. The scholarship can be used for tuition, fees, textbooks, personal technology, academic program resources, educational supplies, and other needs that facilitate academic success at CT State Manchester.

Eligibility: Credit and non-credit students enrolled full-time or part-time and homed at the CT State Manchester campus may apply. Classes must be held at the Manchester campus or affiliated with Manchester if held online. Applicants must be identified as ESOL students with financial need.

CW5 (RET) Tom Bothur Grant for Manchester Campus Students Who Are Veterans

This grant provides a one-time award of $500 to support Veteran students enrolled in a degree or certificate program at the Manchester campus of CT State Community College. The grant is intended to help cover expenses not typically included in standard Veteran benefits, such as textbooks, educational supplies, transportation, personal necessities, and living costs. Recipients must demonstrate financial need as determined by the Campus.

The Application Process

The Foundation utilizes a single, online application for all scholarship awards. When you complete and submit the general application our system will automatically attempt to match you with scholarship opportunities you may qualify for. Students are automatically matched with all scholarship opportunities for which they qualify.

Key Dates

Applications for scholarships are accepted from January through March for the following academic year (beginning in September).

Read also: Programs at UNH Manchester

*The Scholarship Application Cycle for Winter and Spring 2026 is open through December 22, 2025.

Required Documents

Some scholarships may require uploading supporting documents. If you need assistance with uploading these documents into the scholarship application, please seek guidance.

Need Help?

Staff at the Academic Support Center can assist students with completing their scholarship application at no cost.

Factors Considered in the Review Process

Scholarship submissions are initially reviewed for completeness and to ensure all required information has been provided. Submissions are then entered into a "blind application" review process. Information taken into consideration includes:

Financial need
School and community activities
Academic achievement
Writing ability

Applications chosen by the Committee are sent to a Financial Analyst for independent review of each applicant’s need.

Financial Need and FAFSA

All scholarship applicants are reviewed by financial aid to determine eligibility for a scholarship based on your FAFSA and demonstration of need.

Candidates are required to submit a copy of the FAFSA Submission Summary which is the result of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which determines what a particular family can reasonably afford for education or the student aid index (SAI).

If you receive the Mary Ann Handley Grant (i.e., MAH) or partial financial aid, the financial aid office will calculate the amount of scholarship you can receive. Federal financial and/or institutional aid (i.e. MAH, Pell, etc.) is applied first, if applicable.

Scholarship Disbursement

The bursar will place a memo on your student account at the time you are selected to receive the scholarship. Scholarship funds are generally posted to student accounts within two weeks after financial aid census occurs. However, the bursar’s office is notified when a student is receiving a scholarship and an internal memo is placed on your account with a notification of the scholarship.

The Bursar’s office provides the date when they would like the scholarship checks sent to them.

Dropping one or more classes or changing classes from the Manchester campus to another campus may affect the amount of your scholarship.

Important Considerations

Campus Enrollment: MCC Foundation scholarships support students who are enrolled in a degree or certificate program at the Manchester Campus (home campus is Manchester) and only for classes taken at the Manchester campus. The Foundation does not provide financial assistance for classes taken at another campus or for students homed at other campuses.
Prior Balances: If you have a balance on your account from a prior semester, please contact the Manchester campus financial aid office for assistance.
MAH Grant: Students who receive the MAH grant are not eligible to receive an MCC Foundation scholarship towards tuition and fees. However, students may be eligible for a scholarship that covers unmet direct needs not covered by MAH funding.
Unused Funds: Unused funds are returned to MCC Foundation.
Other CT State Campuses: If your home school is a different CT State campus, or a different college/university you are not eligible for an MCC Foundation scholarship. MCC Foundation scholarships only support students who are enrolled in a degree/certificate program at CT State Manchester and the classes taken at CT State Manchester. Each CT State Community College campus has their own affiliated Foundation that awards scholarships.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Students may want to apply for scholarship opportunities offered by other organizations who support community college students.

MSF Traditional Scholarship

This Part A application is designed for the traditional student who resides in Manchester Connecticut six (6) months prior to submitting the application AND will graduate from high school in either January 2026 or June 2026. Applicants must be accepted into a post-secondary school beginning in fall 2026 to be eligible for this award. There is a Part B (financial) of this application that is to be sent to a different address and will be evaluated separately. Please review the MSF Traditional Scholarship webpage for further details.

A successful applicant will need to demonstrate scholarship (GPA >=2.8), community engagement by participating in extra-curricular activities, complete an essay, and a Part B financial declaration application. These standards set forth are minimal standards for us to consider you for a scholarship. Meeting these standards does not guarantee a scholarship. Please note that all criteria must be met to receive full consideration. Notification of the post-secondary school attending is the responsibility of the applicant and must be confirmed by June 1.

Application Instructions

Applications have two parts: Part A and Part B. All applicants are responsible for the submission of Part A by the deadline - March 1. MSF reserves the right not to process an application found to be incomplete by the deadline stated.

Part A - Academic Accomplishments is an online application.

Confidentiality

MSF does not discriminate against applicants on the bases of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, disability, sexual orientation, or source of income. MSF preserves and promotes the confidentiality of all information received on this application and will release it only on a need to know basis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who sees my application data and is it confidential?

The Manchester Scholarship Foundation uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) form. FASFA data is sent to a third-party (an accountant) and is NEVER reviewed by the Manchester Scholarship Foundation board. Information is destroyed by the third party within a year after awards are made.

There is an exception with the Adult Learner Scholarships which do not require FAFSA. Therefore, to demonstrate financial need, applicants submit a W-2 form with their application for the Adult Learner Committee to review. The W-2 form is destroyed immediately after the committee makes the Adult Learner selections.

What is the average amount awarded to a student?

The Manchester Scholarship disburses over one million dollars in scholarships each year. Students may be eligible for one or more scholarships. The Traditional Scholarship for high school senior awards may vary depending on the number of applicants. Scholarships are evenly divided across the first two years of college and have ranged from $2,000 to $15,000 in recent years.

Recipients of the Jarvis Scholarship receive $7,000 a year through the student's junior and senior years, as long as they maintain at least a 3.5 GPA.

Recipients of the Arthur Goodman Strong Scholarship receive a scholarship based on the number of recipients each year and financial need. This is a one-year scholarship but may be awarded multiple years. Applicants must reapply each year.

Recipients of the Damato Adult Learner Scholarship receive $2,000 a semester if they take two or more classes. There is no GPA requirement, but students must pass their classes. The Adult Learner funds are awarded until the student completes their course of study within a 5-year limit.

We did not receive aid from our child's college.

If you are enrolled in a degree or certificate program at CT State Manchester, you are encouraged to complete the FAFSA and apply for a scholarship through MCC Foundation, regardless of your previous educational achievements.

Merit Scholarships

If you have a full Pell Grant, you will want to consider applying for an academic merit-based scholarship. Merit scholarships require a minimum GPA of 3.0 and a letter of recommendation from a professor or staff member.

For merit scholarships, a scholarship committee reviews merit applications, which are scored based on GPA (min. 3.0 is required), personal statement, community involvement and letter of recommendation (required).

A limited number of Academic Merit scholarships are available.

Academic excellence is not a factor in selecting candidates for awards; however, we do expect students to demonstrate reasonable achievement and a commitment to their chosen field of study.

International Students

International students enrolled in a degree or certificate program at CT State Manchester are typically eligible and encouraged to apply for scholarships as long as they have been at CT State for at least one full semester. The Campus Student Affairs office can help determine your eligibility.

Covering Expenses

The MSF does its best to cover as much of a student’s outstanding balance as possible, including tuition, fees, textbooks, and educational supplies. The financial aid office determines the award amounts.

The application asks what you need help with. Be sure to indicate if you need help with expenses such as textbooks, class supplies, art supplies, etc. The Bursar’s office allocates some funds for a book voucher that can be used at the Manchester campus bookstore.

Graduate Studies

The Foundation funds very few students pursuing graduate studies. Our priority is to fund undergraduate education, so this program is very competitive.

Master's, Ph.D. Deadline: For students of any age enrolling in a master’s, Ph.D.

Students are selected to receive awards based on financial need, academic merit and other non-academic factors such as community service, school activities and work experience.

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