Apply for a Scholarship

Main Street Community Foundation administers over 100 named scholarship funds. All available scholarships for the academic year will be listed in the Foundation's Scholarship Directory, which is published annually on January 15 when the scholarship cycle opens.

Check the Scholarship FAQs page if you would like additional information on the scholarship program or have any questions; it is there to help us help you. If you have additional questions, comments or concerns, contact Samantha Rajotte at 860.583.6363 or email samantha@mainstreetfoundation.org.

Scholarships for High School Seniors, College Students and Adult Learners

Main Street Community Foundation administers over 95 scholarships for graduating high school seniors, current college students and adult learners who are pursuing post-secondary education through a certification program, at a technical or vocational school, or at a two-year or four-year college or university. All scholarships have unique eligibility criteria and various award amounts. The Scholarship Directory lists each scholarship available for high school seniors, college students and adults returning to school, and details the eligibility criteria. The Community Foundation does require the completion of an online application for each scholarship using the Online Scholarship Portal.

The 2025 cycle is now closed; applications are made available annually on January 15.

To apply for any scholarship when the cycle is open, you will access the Online Scholarship Portal and first complete the universal application which will indicate which specific scholarship opportunities you may qualify for. At that point you can select which specific scholarships you'd like to apply to and complete the supplemental questions (letters of recommendation, essays, etc.) unique to each of those. Recipients will be notified in mid-May via email, and scholarship payment will be made to the student's school during the summer. If you have any questions, contact Samantha Rajotte, Scholarship & Program Officer, at 860.583.6363 or samantha@mainstreetfoundation.org.

Click here to view the 2025 Scholarship Directory, which lists all scholarships that were available.

Scholarships for Elementary and Secondary School Students

There are several scholarships available to students attending or planning to attend private elementary and secondary schools in Bristol. Each scholarship utilizes its own online application, which can be accessed through the Foundation's Online Scholarship Portal. 

The 2025 cycle is now closed; applications are made available annually on January 15.

The 4 Burns Scholarship/St. Joseph/St. Paul Fund is available to students graduating from St. Joseph School in Bristol and planning to attend St. Paul School in Bristol.

The BJT Scholarship Fund is available to families who are parishioners in good standing at Our Lady of Mercy Church (OLMC) in Plainville, CT to assist with the costs of Catholic education at an elementary, middle or high school located in CT that is accredited by NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges). If there are no applicants from OLMC, applications may be considered from students who reside in Plainville, CT and wish to attend a Catholic elementary, middle or high school located in CT.

The Keating-Monaghan Memorial Scholarship is available to students attending or planning to attend St. Joseph School in Bristol.

The Lena M. and Peter L. Korotie Scholarship is available to students that are attending or planning to attend St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol.

The Malerbo Memorial Scholarship is available to residents of Bristol that are attending or planning to attend St. Paul Catholic High School in Bristol.

The Saint Matthew School Scholarship is available to students attending or planning to attend St. Matthew School in Bristol.

Specialty Scholarships

There is a specialty scholarship available to students. This scholarship does not fund the student's education but funds a music camp experience at Laurel Music Camp. The scholarship utilizes its own online application, which can be accessed through the Foundation's Online Scholarship Portal.

The 2025 cycle is now closed; applications are made available annually on January 15.

Louise (Humphrey) Van Gorder Music Camp Scholarship
Established in 2014, this scholarship fund honors Louise (Humphrey) Van Gorder. Louise and her husband Bob have enriched the lives of thousands of students and music lovers through their Bristol String Orchestra and business, Fiddlin’ Around, located in Bristol. This scholarship is available to music students – instrumental or vocal - currently in 9th through 12th grade from Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington or Wolcott who wish to attend a one-week camp experience Laurel Music Camp. This scholarship is for full camp tuition.