ALPENA — The Community Foundation for Northeast Michigan (CFNEM) is accepting applications for its 2026 competitive scholarship season. Current and former high school graduates, as well as homeschooled graduates from across the region can apply online through March 1.

Scholarship opportunities through CFNEM are based on a wide variety of criteria, including the student’s high school, year of graduation, college they plan to attend, or their planned field of study. Many scholarships are for students who have already graduated from high school, non-traditional students, and for those planning to attend a trade school or certificate program. While most of the awards are for one year of study, some of the available scholarships are multiple-year awards. To be eligible, students must complete CFNEM’s online application by March 1, 2026. Students complete one online application and will be considered for any scholarship for which they are eligible.

The Community Foundation also holds scholarships that are available for students through CFNEM’s affiliate foundations: the Iosco County Community Foundation (iccf-online.org), the North Central Michigan Community Foundation (ncmcf.org), and the Straits Area Community Foundation (sacf.net) – which serve Iosco, Crawford, Ogemaw, Oscoda, and Cheboygan.

Scholarship applicants in Alcona, Alpena, Montmorency, and Presque Isle Counties should visit the “Scholarships” section of the Community Foundation’s website at cfnem.org and look for the white and blue piggy bank image. Students in Cheboygan (including Mackinaw City), Crawford, Iosco, Ogemaw, and Oscoda Counties can visit the appropriate affiliate website for their county of residence and look for the green piggy bank image.