Graduating seniors who qualify for financial assistance and have demonstrated exceptional academic performance, character and service are eligible for financial support to attend the college or university of their choice. Applicants are selected based on merit and funding is awarded based on need after families and colleges or universities have contributed. Scholarships will be sustained for four years, providing students meet performance standards.

Step 1 - February 9 deadline

Eligible applicants must complete Part One of the online application by midnight. See application link below. The Advisory Board will assess all applicants using our evaluation tool and identify students to interview.

Step 2 - Late March

The MVYouth Advisory Board will conduct brief interviews before identifying the semifinalists.

Step 3 - April 6 deadline

ONLY semifinalists must submit Part 2 of the application by midnight. See application link below.

Step 4 - Early April

The MVYouth Advisory Board and Trustees will interview all semifinalists.

Step 5 - End of April

Finalists will be announced before May 1. Scholarships will be publicly awarded at the Class Night ceremony on June 6 or at the Charter School graduation in early June.

Click the application links below to get started. Save your work as you go and submit your application when you are complete.  All application materials must be submitted electronically by the application due dates in order to be considered.
Please email Lindsey Scott at lindseyscott@mvyouth.com if you have any questions.

I am a permanent MV resident, but I go to school off island. Do I qualify?

Eligible applicants must be year-round residents of Martha’s Vineyard. You may be enrolled in a day school off-island, but reside on island. If you are unsure if you qualify, please discuss the matter with MVYouth’s Executive Director, Lindsey Scott at lindseyscott@mvyouth.com.

Will MVYouth hold an information session for prospective applicants?

MVYouth will hold an information session on Zoom for students and parents on Tuesday, November 26 @ 5:30-6:30 pm. This session will answer questions about the application and selection process as well as any other questions parents or prospective applicants may have.

Is there someone at MVYouth who can answer my application questions?

The Executive Director, Lindsey Scott is available to answer any questions applicants may have. Please email her directly at lindseyscott@mvyouth.com.

What are the evaluation criteria?

The Advisory Board uses the following criteria to assess all applicants: year-round residents of Martha's Vineyard, financial need, academic performance, character, activities, employment & community service, recommendations. See detailed list below.

Do college scholarship applicants need a certain grade point average (GPA) to apply?

MVYouth does not limit applicants' eligibility for this award based on GPA. However, in previous years, no applicant with a GPA of 5.15 or lower (based on the weighted calculation method used by MVRHS) has received an MVYouth college scholarship.

How many award recipients are chosen?

The number of award recipients selected each year will be determined by our budget and the financial needs of our semifinalists. The number of finalists therefore varies from year to year, but in recent years six to eight students have been selected.

Is the scholarship program based on merit or financial need?

The scholarship program is based on both merit and need. MVYouth is committed to enabling students to pursue excellent educations from schools they would otherwise not be able to afford to attend by filling the gap left after Student Aid Index (SAI) and institutional grants and scholarships are subtracted.

*If your SAI is equal to or greater than the cost of attendance at the most expensive school you are considering, please do NOT apply.

How does MVYouth assess a student’s EFC if the parents are divorced?

MVYouth collects financial information from BOTH parents (even though the FAFSA process and EFC calculation is only based on one parent’s income). We have developed a system for estimating the EFC for the second parent so that both parents’ EFCs are calculated before determining financial need. This is a similar to the CSS profile that some schools use to determine financial aid.

*Please be in touch with MVYouth’s Executive Director, Lindsey Scott if your family has unique circumstances. lindseyscott@mvyouth.com

Does MVYouth offer any scholarships to graduate students?

MVYouth only supplies undergraduate and trade school scholarships. Two other local organizations provide graduate scholarships, however. Click on the organizational names below to visit their websites and learn more about their application processes.

• Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship: Nomination letter deadline December 14, Application deadline February 15

• Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation: deadline March 19

Does MVYouth provide scholarships to students at international schools?

No. MVYouth does not supply college scholarships to students who want to attend international schools. Our partnering model is not sustainable as international schools offer limited scholarship funding to undergraduate students studying abroad and there is no federal aid available.

When will award recipients be announced?

MVYouth will announce the scholarship recipients by May 1. Scholarships will be awarded at the MVRHS Class Night celebration, MV Public Charter School and Falmouth Academy graduations in early June.

Twelfth-graders who are year-round residents of Martha’s Vineyard may apply for a college scholarship from MVYouth, so long as the student can demonstrate significant financial need for assistance. In general, MVYouth seeks academically qualified students of good character who demonstrate a high likelihood of successfully completing an undergraduate degree in four years. Past scholarship recipients have included students who overcame significant challenges to reach high levels of educational and personal achievement during their high school years. To select scholarship recipients, the MVYouth Advisory Board reviews each application, using the selection criteria listed below, and recommends scholarship candidates to the MVYouth Board of Trustees for their consideration and approval.

ELIGIBILITY

• Year-round residents of Martha’s Vineyard who are twelfth-graders at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, or Falmouth Academy are eligible to apply. Students who have been home-schooled on Martha’s Vineyard are also eligible. Students attending boarding schools are not eligible.

FINANCIAL NEED

• To be considered for a scholarship, an applicant must need supplementary financial assistance to attend his or her college of choice. The applicant’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) must be less than the full Cost of Attendance at the applicant’s chosen college or university.

ACADEMIC SKILLS & PERFORMANCE

• Academic performance: The applicant’s high school transcript shows both high achievement and also consistent enrollment in challenging academic courses. This criterion is assessed quantitatively using a formula that, for each student, considers both achievement level and course difficulty across the four years of high school.

• Educational skills: The application demonstrates the student’s commitment to developing and refining important academic skills, especially in critical thinking and in content areas of special interest to the student. This criterion also assesses the student’s readiness for college-level achievement and workload. For students who have taken the SAT, these scores can help to indicate proficiency in important academic skills.

• Evidence of skills in self-expression and critical thinking: The applicant’s essay responses in the application demonstrate skills in self-expression and critical thinking, while also enabling reviewers to get to know the student more fully.

• Educational ambition and perseverance: The application articulates the student’s longer-term educational goals and explains the steps that she or he is taking to achieve those goals.

CHARACTER

• Capacity to overcome adversity: The applicant’s personal experiences indicate an ability and drive to rise above limitations imposed by adverse circumstances.

• Creativity and individuality: The applicant conveys a capacity to articulate unique perspectives on his or her experiences or surroundings. The applicant also demonstrates a capacity for creative approaches to complex circumstances.

• Empathy: In school, at home, or in the community, the applicant demonstrates skills in acting effectively in support of others, especially those experiencing hardship.

• Demonstration of school values: As assessed by school faculty and combined into a composite score for each student, this criterion measures the extent to which the applicant’s behaviors and attitudes are consistent with the school’s values and thereby demonstrate the capacity to make sound personal decisions. MVRHS core values are resilience, compassion, accountability, curiosity, and community. MVPCS pillars are trust, respect, freedom, responsibility, democracy, and cooperation. Falmouth Academy values are knowledge, collaboration, kindness, relationships, imagination, and diverse challenges and opportunities.

ACTIVITIES, SERVICE & EMPLOYMENT

• Engagement in arts or sports: The applicant displays sustained participation and skills in his or her chosen artistic and/or athletic pursuits. Students performing at high levels on this criterion can point to specific, noteworthy accomplishments in arts or sports.

• Employment: The applicant demonstrates sound judgment in employment. For students whose families experience significant economic hardship, good judgment may mean employment that maximizes cash income over time. For other students, good judgment may mean choosing employment that advances the student’s long-term educational, artistic, athletic, or other interests.

• Engagement in service: The applicant demonstrates sustained participation and skills in service to others. Students performing at high levels on this criterion can point to specific, noteworthy accomplishments. Service examples include improvement efforts on behalf of the school or island community, protection of the natural environment, and actions to improve the lives of individuals and groups experiencing discrimination, disability, or other hardship.

• Leadership: Outside the classroom, the applicant’s actions and accomplishments demonstrate an ability to influence and guide others in important undertakings.