College Now Scholarships

College Now has two types of scholarships: Traditional scholarships, for high school students served in schools by College Now advisors enrolling in college for the first time, and Adult Learner scholarships, for students age 19 and older who have discontinued their studies for more than one year and are interested in pursuing a first associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or trade certificate.

College Now raises scholarship dollars from a variety of funders that are directed either to Traditional or Adult Learner scholarships, based on the donor’s request. College Now staff then matches students to all of the scholarships for which they could be eligible, and individual selections for scholarships awarded are made based on the goal of selecting as many qualified students as possible. To ensure that we can fund as many students as possible, selected students receive one College Now scholarship out of the ones for which they qualified.

College Now offsets the high cost of college tuition by awarding renewable, need-based scholarships to students across Northeast Ohio. Over the last few years, College Now’s scholarship recipients have experienced declining income and resources while postsecondary costs have risen, leaving a wide gap.

College Now seeks to fill the gap:

• College Now awards $3 million in scholarships every year
• 1,400 students and adult learners receive a College Now scholarship each year
• Our scholarships are renewable, should students continue to meet grade and enrollment requirements

High School Seniors

In order to apply for the College Now Traditional Scholarship, students must:

• Attend a College Now-served high school
• Have a cumulative weighted GPA of at least a 2.5
• Have a minimum ACT composite score of 18 or combined verbal and math SAT score of 960
• File the 2025-2026 FAFSA
• Qualify for the Federal Pell Grant