Community Foundation of Jackson County offering scholarships to local students

The Community Foundation of Jackson County is once again offering scholarships to students at six local high schools: Maquoketa, Easton Valley, Bellevue, Marquette Catholic, Northeast and Midland. Applications are available at dbqfoundation.org/scholarshipinterface and are due March 11. 

Last year, the Community Foundation awarded $120,575 to local students, including Maquoketa High School senior Addie Craig.

“These scholarships represent more than lessening the financial burden of post-secondary education,” she said. “They are indicative of my community's support. In the coming years, I will value this endorsement not only for its financial value, but also as a symbol of the importance of a strong, generous community.”

“Jackson County has so many hardworking, talented students. These young people are our future — it’s important they know we support them,” said Mary Jo Gothard, executive director of the Community Foundation. “Investing in our youth will ultimately lead to stronger communities with engaged citizens who are living up to their full potential.”

The Community Foundation offers scholarships through its endowment funds. Endowed gifts are invested permanently and provide annual payouts forever, ensuring Jackson County youth are supported for generations to come. 

The Harlan & Helene Ruff Scholarship fund is one example, providing dollars to Maquoketa High School students whose parents reside in Farmers Creek Township. Adult (non-traditional) students who graduated from Maquoketa High School and live in Farmers Creek Township are also eligible. Depending on the number of applicants each year, scholarships have ranged from $1,000 to $10,000. 

Julie Kinrade, a counselor at Maquoketa High School, expressed the school’s gratitude for its relationship with the Community Foundation: “Maquoketa High School loves working with the Community Foundation! The cost of college is astronomical, and these scholarships help lessen the financial burden for our students and their parents.”

For more information, contact Katie Decker, grants management coordinator, at 563.588.2700 or katie@dbqfoundation.org.