Education Fund

The Caring Hearts Education Fund

Funded almost entirely by the Caring Hearts Classic. A renewable scholarship and support fund for students whose plans are bigger than their budgets, and every recipient gets a mentor.

About the fund

Built for the gap nobody else covers

Most students who leave school do not leave because they failed. They leave because of a number: a nine hundred dollar balance, a broken laptop, a bus pass, a semester of childcare. The Caring Hearts Education Fund exists for exactly those numbers.

The fund was established in 2012 and is funded almost entirely by the Caring Hearts Classic, plus named sponsorships and monthly donors. It is held as a restricted fund, which means every dollar given to it is spent on students and nothing else.

Awards are renewable for up to four years as long as the student stays enrolled and stays in contact with their mentor. We would rather fund twelve students all the way through than eighty students for one semester.

Give to the fund Fund it by playing
Community of Caring Hearts Charity logo
64
Students funded since 2012
$412K
Awarded to date
91%
Still enrolled or graduated
4 yrs
Maximum renewal

What an award covers

Four kinds of support

🎓

Tuition and fees

Awards from $1,000 to $5,000 per year, paid directly to the institution's bursar office.

📚

Books and supplies

Up to $600 per semester for textbooks, lab fees, tools, and course materials.

💻

Technology grant

A one time laptop and internet stipend for students entering a program that requires it.

🤝

Mentor match

A volunteer mentor in the student's field who checks in monthly through graduation.

Applying

How to apply

Applications open January 15 and close March 31 each year. Awards are announced at the Spring Scholarship Breakfast in May.

Check eligibility

Open to graduating seniors and currently enrolled students who live in our service area and demonstrate financial need. Trade, certificate, two year, and four year programs all qualify.

Submit the application

One form, a transcript, a short essay, and one recommendation from a teacher, counselor, employer, or community leader. No application fee.

Interview with the committee

Finalists meet the scholarship committee for a twenty minute conversation. It is a conversation, not an exam.

Awards announced in May

Recipients are recognized at the Spring Scholarship Breakfast and matched with a mentor before the term begins.

Renew each year

Stay enrolled, keep your mentor check ins, and submit a short progress form. Renewal is designed to be simple, not another hurdle.

I had the acceptance letter and no way to pay the balance. The fund covered it, and then somebody actually called me every month to ask how classes were going. That part mattered as much as the money.
Education fund recipient, class of 2025

Common questions

Before you apply or give

Who is eligible?

Students who live in our service area, demonstrate financial need, and are enrolling in or attending an accredited program. That includes trade schools, certificate programs, community colleges, and four year universities. There is no minimum grade point average, though the committee does read the transcript.

Can I give to a specific student?

No. Federal rules for public charities require that scholarship selection stay with an independent committee. You can, however, create a named fund that supports a field of study, a school, or a defined group of students.

How do I start a named scholarship?

Named funds start at $10,000, given at once or pledged over three years. Eagle and Presenting sponsors of the Classic get one included in their package. You choose the name and the field of study, we handle selection, administration, and annual reporting back to you.

Is my gift tax deductible?

Yes. Community of Caring Hearts Charity is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and gifts are deductible to the full extent allowed by law. You will receive an acknowledgment letter for your records.

Can I mentor instead of giving?

Please do. Mentors commit to one check in per month for the length of a student's award. We provide training, a conversation guide, and a staff contact. Volunteers must clear a background check.

Help us help others

Play, sponsor, or give. All three end up in the same place.

Every entry fee, every hole sign, and every donation goes into the same pot: scholarships for local students and emergency help for families down the street.