Marianne Buttenschon headshot

Assemblywoman

Marianne Buttenschon

Assembly District 119

Student Financial Aid Opportunities

Student Financial Aid Opportunities

  1. Utica Dollars for Scholars Scholarship Awards
    Founded in 1994, Utica Dollars for Scholars (UDFS) aims to establish and maintain a sustainable source of financial support for local students. Awards are funded through donations from individuals, families, businesses, organizations, as well as through bequests, events, memorial gifts, and grants. We are proud to earn Platinum Transparency status from Candid/GuideStar.

    UDFS is a community-based, volunteer-driven organization dedicated to serving Oneida and Herkimer counties. We seek funding for higher education scholarships and encourage eligible local high school seniors to apply for awards through our single, online application and selection process. We identify and support students who demonstrate excellence, community involvement, and a commitment to future success. Scholarships and services provided through Utica Dollars for Scholars are at no cost to the recipient.

    • Deadline: Sunday, March 15th, 2026
    • Eligibility Requirements:
      • Applicants should live and attend school in Oneida or Herkimer Counties
      • Applicants must be in good academic standing
      • awards are gifted based on academic performance, majors, and interests/activities that are determined by the donors for the awards.
    • Scholarship Value: Vary within a range of $500 to $5,000 based on scholarship awarded.
    • Number of Awards: Varies
    • Links to Application Materials and Additional Information:
  2. New York State Conference of Italian American State Legislators Academic & Athletic Scholarships
    The New York Conference of Italian American State Legislators is accepting applications for four $3,000 scholarships, two academic and two athletic.

    Scholarships are available to residents of the 119th District who are current college students or high school seniors entering college.

    • Deadline: Monday, March 16th, 2026
    • Eligibility Requirements:
      • Applicants should have a grade point average of 85 or higher
      • be active in community service and extracurricular activities
      • demonstrate financial need
      • In addition to these qualifications, students applying for an athletic scholarship must also be involved in an organized sport(s).
      • Applicants need not be of Italian American heritage to apply.
    • Scholarship Value: $3,000
    • Number of Awards: 2 Academic & 2 Athletic
    • Link to Application Materials: https://www.nyiacsl.org/apply-for-scholarship-form
  3. Chime® (Nasdaq: CHYM), a leading consumer financial technology company, announced today that Chime Scholars Foundation (CSF) has opened applications for the 2026-2027 academic year. Aspiring scholars can now apply for scholarships of up to $20,000 to support their education, paving the way for greater career opportunities and higher earnings. The scholarship program is open to students of all backgrounds and stages of life, and it supports a wide range of educational pathways, including traditional college degrees, apprenticeships, trade schools, and technical certifications.
  4. Marine Corps. Scholarship Foundation, College Scholarships
    These need-based scholarships are for children of a Marine or Navy Corpsman, chaplain or religious programs specialist attached to a Marine unit, to help cover the cost of attending post-high school, undergraduate and career and technical education programs.
    • Deadline: March 1, 2026
    • Eligibility Requirements:
      • must be a child or stepchild of one of the following:
        • active duty, reserve, or veteran* U.S. Marine
        • Marine killed while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps
        • active duty, reserve, or veteran U.S. Navy corpsman, Navy chaplain or religious program specialist who is or was attached to a U.S. Marine Corps unit or who was killed while serving with a U.S. Marine Corps unit

        *veteran must have received an honorable discharge

      • Scholarship Value: Varies
      • Number of Awards: Varies
      • Email: scholarship@mcsf.org
      • Links to Additional Information:
  5. Agriculture Future of America (AFA), College Scholarships
    One application unlocks over 100 scholarship opportunities. These scholarships help dynamic, diverse young leaders develop their personal skills and prepare for careers in the food, agriculture and natural resources industries.
    • Deadline: March 5, 2026
    • Eligible Applicants Must:
      • be a current high school senior or undergraduate student
      • be ages 17-25 during the AFA Leaders Conference
      • attend a four-year institution in the US or plan to obtain a four-year degree
      • have a 2.5 GPA or higher
      • have a passion for food, agriculture and/or natural resources
      • intend to pursue a career in the food, agriculture, and/or natural resources industries
    • Scholarship Values: Vary
    • Number of Awards: Vary
    • Links to Additional Information:
  6. Gloria Barron Prizes for Young Heroes
    This program celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from diverse backgrounds across the U.S. and Canada. Each year, the Barron Prize honors 25 outstanding young leaders aged eight to 18 who have made a significant positive difference to people and the environment.
    • Deadlines: March 15, 2026, 5PM MT*
    • Eligible Applicants Must:
      • be between the ages of eight and 18 by the March 15th application deadline.
      • provide parental consent if the applicant is under the age of 16 on the application deadline.
      • be a permanent, legal resident of the US or Canada. Residents of US territories are not eligible.
    • Service Project Requirements:
      • applicant has organized and led an extraordinary service activity that is clearly benefitting other people or the planet. This can include research projects that are already helping or have very real potential to help other people or the planet
      • the service activity must have been initiated primarily by the applicant and cannot have been done solely to complete an assignment for school or work applicants are currently working on his/her inspiring service project or has done so within the past 12 months applicant is working as an individual (or possibly with one other person) to lead their service work. No more than two co-applicants may apply together (and if selected as a winner, co-applicants share one award)
      • applicant has demonstrated heroic character qualities such as courage, compassion, dedication, generosity, perseverance and high moral purpose
      • applicant has accomplished something with inspirational value – something that could inspire others to make a difference
      • applicant has done more than survived a difficult personal challenge. Their heroism must have made an impact on the world beyond themselves
    • Scholarship Value: $10,000
    • Number of Awards: 25
    • Email: admin@barronprize.org
    • Links to Additional Information:
  7. Courageous Persuaders, Scholarship
    High school students nationwide use their creative talents to create a 30-second television commercial promoting safe driving to enter this scholarship competition. Compete in the following categories: distracted driving, impaired driving and passenger empowerment. Middle school classrooms determine the winners by gauging the persuasiveness of commercials.

January Events
HESC is hosting over a dozen virtual and in-person events throughout the month of January to assist students, families, and school counselors in completing critical college and financial aid applications:

Recurring Events: 

Get Help Applying

Planning for College:

NYS Financial Aid Spotlights:

👉 View all HESC events

Resources
Share these tools to help students, families, counselors, and financial aid professionals stay informed:

  • FAFSA Ready Training (FRT) – Training & toolkits built for counselors and financial aid professionals to get up-to-date information to better help their students.

HESC Text – Students and families can receive texts with key financial aid updates, deadlines, and more to help them maximize their financial aid.