Discover Funding Opportunities

William T. Nuyen Scholarship

The William T. Nuyen Scholarship was established to provide financial assistance to students planning to pursue a degree in aviation or engineering at Western Michigan University. This multiyear scholarship award of up to $2,000 is renewable annually for up to 2 additional years. The scholarship is administered by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and is available to high school seniors and current undergraduate students who are residents of Kalamazoo County or graduated/graduating from a high school within Kalamazoo County. Recipients must demonstrate financial need and be enrolled full-time in a bachelor's degree program in aviation at Western Michigan University. Scholarship payments are sent directly to the institution and can be applied to any items under the school's cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, housing, transportation, food, and health insurance.

Phyllis A. Nuyen Scholarship

This scholarship fund was established to provide financial support to students planning to pursue a degree in nursing or occupational therapy at Western Michigan University. The scholarship provides up to $2,000 annually and is a multiyear award that renews annually up to 2 times. Recipients must be residents of Kalamazoo County or have graduated from a high school within Kalamazoo County, maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA, demonstrate financial need, and be studying nursing or occupational therapy at Western Michigan University. The scholarship is available to high school seniors enrolling full-time in a bachelor's degree program. Scholarship payments are sent directly to the institution and can be applied to any items under the school's cost of attendance including tuition, fees, housing, transportation, food, and health insurance.

E. Earl Wright Scholarship

The E. Earl Wright Scholarship supports students with work experience pursuing a 2-year degree or vocational/trade certification. This award was originally established by friends and family of Dr. E. Earl Wright as the E. Earl Wright Community Achievement Award Fund to honor community activist Dr. Wright. The award recognized someone who had contributed to improved quality of life in areas such as education, community service, community management, research and evaluation and problem-solving in Kalamazoo County. In 2002, the Steering Committee of the E. Earl Wright Community Achievement Award voted to change the fund to a scholarship fund named the E. Earl Wright Scholarship Fund. This is a multiyear scholarship eligible to repeat annually up to 2 times for students enrolled full-time in associate's degree programs or vocational/trade certifications. Students must be residents of Kalamazoo County or graduated from a high school within Kalamazoo County, have a minimum 2.0 GPA, demonstrate financial need, and have work experience.

Derek Jeter Scholarship-Turn 2 Education Fund

The Derek Jeter Scholarship-Turn 2 Education Fund, established in 1997 by Turn 2, provides scholarship support for graduating high school seniors who demonstrate leadership in their community while promoting abstinence from drugs and alcohol. This multiyear scholarship awards $2,500 annually and renews each year for eligible students pursuing full-time associate or bachelor's degree programs. The scholarship was established by professional athlete Derek Jeter, whose concern for youth led to the creation of the Turn 2 Foundation, which supports programs and activities that motivate young people to turn away from drugs and alcohol and adopt healthy lifestyles. Recipients must be residents of Kalamazoo County or graduating from a high school within Kalamazoo County, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, demonstrate financial need, achieve minimum standardized test scores (1060 SAT or 21 ACT), and show leadership and involvement in school and community activities that advocate a substance-free lifestyle.

Bob Block Memorial Scholarship

The Bob Block Memorial Scholarship was established to support students from Kalamazoo County who have demonstrated dedication and commitment to competitive swimming or diving. This one-time, non-renewable scholarship honors the memory of Bob Block, an award-winning diver from Loy Norrix who became an NCAA Division III champion at Alma College and returned to Kalamazoo to become a premier coach for swimmers and divers before his untimely death in an auto accident in the 1990s. The scholarship is remembered for honoring Block's competitive yet caring nature when working with young people. Recipients must be high school seniors enrolling full-time in an associates or bachelor's degree program, demonstrate financial need, maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, and show dedication to competitive swimming or diving. The scholarship is administered through the Kalamazoo Community Foundation's all-in-one scholarship application process.

David & Priscilla Morris Scholarship

The David and Priscilla Morris Scholarship was established to provide tuition support for Black or African American students attending Western Michigan University. This scholarship provides financial assistance for students enrolled in bachelor's or graduate degree programs at WMU. Eligible students must be residents of Kalamazoo County or graduates of a high school within Kalamazoo County and demonstrate financial need. The scholarship is a one-time, non-renewable award of $4,500 or more that can be applied to any items under the school's cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, housing, transportation, food, and health insurance. Scholarship payments are sent directly to the institution and typically split evenly between fall and spring semesters.

Wright Coating Company Scholarship

Wright Coating Company established this scholarship fund in 1991 for the purpose of providing financial assistance to college-bound youth residing on the north side of Kalamazoo. This one-time, non-renewable scholarship provides $1,000 to high school seniors pursuing full-time associate or bachelor's degree programs. The scholarship requires applicants to be residents of Kalamazoo County or graduating from a high school within Kalamazoo County, have lived in the northside neighborhood of Kalamazoo for at least one year, maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, and demonstrate financial need. The scholarship is administered through the Kalamazoo Community Foundation's all-in-one application process, with applications opening December 1 and closing March 1 each year. Recipients are notified between April and June, with scholarship payments sent directly to their educational institutions by mid-July through August. The scholarship funds may be applied to any items under the school's cost of attendance, including tuition, fees, housing, transportation, food, and health insurance.

Vince Peterson Scholarship

The Vince Peterson Scholarship supports students enrolled in the Counseling and Human Services Master's degree program at IU South Bend who are members of underrepresented groups in the field. The scholarship is specifically designed to support Black, Hispanic, and/or male students pursuing their MS Degree in Counseling and Human Services. The scholarship is renewable for up to three years with a total maximum award of $6,000, supporting students as they complete their graduate education and advance their career goals in counseling and human services. Recipients must maintain academic excellence with a minimum 3.0 GPA and demonstrate satisfactory progress toward degree completion while being enrolled in at least one three-credit course each semester.