The hunt for college cash just got a little easier for Cambridge residents, with the City of Cambridge now accepting applications for its 2024 scholarship program, applicants eager to secure a slice of the financial aid pie can skip the post office queues and hop online to apply, a first in the scholarship's history, the details are available on the city's official website.
Cambridge has a track record of putting its money where its mouth is; in 2023, the city dished out 84 scholarships worth $3,000 each, clocking in at a hefty $252,000 overall and over the past three decades, it's doled out more than $3.4 million to over a thousand lucky learners looking to level up their education, all ages are welcome to apply, but past winners need not apply – it's a one-shot deal. The scholarship veers towards the virtuous, targeting not just the academically gifted but also those hard-pressed to pay tuition, standouts in community service and those caught in unusual circumstances.
There's a sense of local love in the selection process, with a committee of six Cambridge residents, handpicked by the City Manager, tasked with poring over applications as potential scholars put their best foot forward. Those keen to apply will need to act swiftly, the deadline for their bids for a financial boost – alongside all the necessary paperwork – is March 4, 2024. Help and paper applications for the less digitally inclined can be sourced directly from the Finance Department by shooting an email over to [email protected].
It must be said, Cambridge’s brand of generosity doesn't sprout from the cold ground, it's nurtured by donations from its residents and businesses, those feeling philanthropic can contribute to the cause online or via snail mail to the City of Cambridge Scholarship Fund. This annual educational endowment lays the foundation for the city’s students to build a future, undeterred by the mounting menace of sky-high schooling costs.
