Scholarship Funds

Beyond a shared commitment to educational opportunity, families establish scholarship funds with a wide range of goals and purposes in mind. They may offer traditional scholarships or customize fund awards for alternative scholarships.

The Community Foundation of New Jersey (CFNJ) administers 140 scholarship funds benefiting college-bound graduating high school seniors, and in a few cases, students currently enrolled in undergraduate studies. Our scholarship opportunities run the gamut, from those exclusive to a local high school or geographic region to those supporting specific majors or career pursuits.

Last year, CFNJ awarded over $1.5 million in scholarship assistance to 276 scholars. In our scholarship review process, scholars are evaluated on academic performance; extracurricular activities; community involvement; work (paid or unpaid); and a statement of the applicant’s personal aspirations, educational goals, and demonstrated unmet financial need.

Download Fact Sheet |  List of Scholarship Funds | Renew | Student Profiles | 2025 Winners

 

Information for applicants

Students seeking scholarship assistance can now fill out one application, click submit, and then review the scholarship opportunities for which they may qualify based on the answers provided.

It is important to note that criteria for each of our scholarship opportunities varies, and we strongly encourage guidance counselors, program directors and students to familiarize themselves with opportunity-specific criteria to determine if students might be a good fit.

We also suggest that applicants take a few moments to familiarize themselves with the online application process prior to beginning the application. A short video and lists of our current scholarship funds can be viewed below:

Students interested in applying should click the button below, create an account and begin filling out their Universal Online Application for the 2025 scholarship season. Applications must be submitted in their entirety by no later than April 4, 2025. Only online applications will be accepted. If you have not yet been accepted to a college or university, please do not apply at this time.

All scholarship awards are made payable to the student’s college or university. Scholarship aid from CFNJ is conditioned on the school the student will attend agreeing that the aid should be applied to the student’s unmet need or loans first. If scholarship monies remain after all need has been met, it may be used to displace school-provided aid in the following progression: work study and then grants.

 

Launch of the 2025–26 FAFSA® Form

Students can also access the 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form on the Department of Education’s website.

For questions, please contact Colleen Smith, Scholarship Program Officer, at csmith@cfnj.org. For updates and information, follow us on Instagram at @cfnjscholarships.