1. Scholarships
  2. Help for Applicants
  3. Online Scholarship Application Instructions

How to Start an Online Scholarship Application – FIRST TIME USERS

Follow these step-by-step instructions to prepare your online scholarship application.

Current College Students: If you are renewing a Maine Community Foundation scholarship, go to the Scholarship Renewal Information page. You will find a list of renewable funds, required uploads, links and instructions for the application or contact information if another organization administers the application. Do not start a first-time application if you are renewing a scholarship from MaineCF. If you are renewing, but are not sure which scholarship you received, contact Jackie Shannon at jshannon@mainecf.org.

Online Application

The Maine Community Foundation's online renewal application is available this year for many of our scholarships. Please check this link for a list of scholarships with online applications and this link for a step-by-step illustrated guide to accessing our online system.

Getting Started

Gather your required uploads. You do not have to have all these documents to begin the application process or set up an account, but you will need them before you can submit your application.

All first-time applications require:

  • Your most recent transcript or grade report (which must include your name, grades for all semesters of study to December 2021, and GPA). If you have transcripts from multiple places, please scan them into one document to upload.
  • Two letters of recommendation. You can upload these, or you may provide an email address to invite someone to upload a letter to your account. If you choose to have someone else upload your letter(s), note that your application cannot be submitted until both of your letters have been uploaded. We recommend that you start here, plan ahead and allow plenty of time to complete this step. Both of these letters must be provided by the deadline – otherwise you will not be eligible for consideration for the scholarship. You will need the email addresses of your recommenders if you would like to send them an upload invitation!
  • Your college’s financial aid offer. If you are a returning college student/applicant and have not received the information for next year, you may upload the current year’s letter. If you will be attending college for the first time next year, and have not received your award letter yet, upload a placeholder document stating that you have not yet received your financial aid award information. When you receive your letter, send a copy to Maine Community Foundation, 245 Main St., Ellsworth, ME 04605.
  • Your Student Aid Report (SAR) from the 2022-2023 FAFSA. This is a seven-page (or so) document and will include your EFC as well as your family’s Adjusted Gross Income. Do not send us the FAFSA application. You can download your SAR from the FAFSA website to your desktop, and then upload it to your application. https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. If you cannot complete the FAFSA due to visa restrictions or another legal issue, please upload (as one document) an explanation of your status in place of the Student Aid Report.

Some applications require other supporting documents, which are specified on the application itself.

Contact Liz Fickett at efickett@mainecf.org with questions or concerns.