Selby Scholarships

This scholarship program is available to residents of Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte or DeSoto counties. Applicants must be:

Graduating seniors from any high school in the above-mentioned 4 counties. Applicants must plan to attend an accredited college and/or university full-time to complete a bachelor’s (4-year) degree.

Students planning to enroll in a state college are eligible to apply. Students planning to pursue a 2-year degree only, however, are not eligible. Non-high school students who are already enrolled in college are also not eligible. Listed below are additional criteria.

Scholarship awards will be based on:

• Demonstrated exceptional financial need;
• A minimum 3.0 (unweighted) grade point average;
• High school (and/or state college) transcript;
• Evidence of personal growth potential through letters of recommendation from teachers and community members;
• Perspective on personal values and future plans outlined in essays; and
• A personal interview conducted by community leaders.

Renewal Eligibility

Selby Scholarships are renewable for up to 4 years, provided that the student maintains at least a 3.0 GPA while enrolled full-time (at least 12 credit hours per semester) at an accredited university. Renewal is not automatic, it must be re-applied for each year, but the process is greatly simplified. Renewals are due once per year in mid-July. Students will receive an email notification in June with a link to the renewal form, which requires a brief essay, confirmation of contact and school details, along with a current transcript and award summary for the coming year.

Unique Benefits

There are two unique benefits of the Selby Scholarship program that distinguish it from most other scholarships:

First and foremost is the Selby Scholar Match Mentoring Program, which each recipient has the option to participate in. This program pairs students with local community leaders working in their chosen fields and can lead to great mentorship experiences. It is a great opportunity for Selby Scholars to network and to learn more about their career paths.

The second unique benefit of the Selby Scholarship program is that the amount awarded each year can vary based on the student’s current financial need. Instead of simply awarding a standard sum (as most other programs do), we calculate each student’s financial need every year to ensure that our award amount is optimal. This is particularly beneficial for second, third, and fourth-year students, who often return to school without the one-time scholarship money they received as a first-year student.