Helping Kids
Pursue Higher Education
The vision of JCF is “To transform Josephine County into a vibrant community in which every individual has the opportunity to be healthy, educated, and prosperous.” Education is the key to individual success and for a community’s economic viability. Employers need educated employees and an educated community attracts higher-skilled and better-paying jobs.
Kali Henderson, a 2017 Hidden Valley graduate, just finished her four-year degree at Oregon State University with no debt.
She said, “Each year I researched available scholarships from throughout Oregon and worked at an on-campus job. Now I can concentrate on my new job and not worry about repaying any debt. The JCF scholarship made a significant difference in my education.”
While JCF stresses improving the high school graduation rates in the County, education should not stop there. All students should pursue post-high school education, whether that is at a four-year university, two-year community college, or a vocational school.
Many students feel that the cost and time to get an advanced degree is too much for them. That is a very short-sighted vision. But the cost of higher education is real. Thus, there are government programs, work-programs, loans, and scholarships to help with the financial burden of higher education.
$268,000 in Scholarships
Yes, JCF does have its own scholarship program for those who are part of JCF at any high school in Josephine County. There are typically three to five scholarships per year usually ranging from $4,000 to $10,000. Since the inception of scholarships ten years ago in 2011, there have been 42 scholarship recipients receiving $268,000 in financial assistance.
Getting a Scholarship
These scholarships are not automatic. JCF students must work hard to earn one of these scholarships. What does the Scholarship Committee look for when making their hard decisions each year? Many factors, including:
- Years and degree of Involvement in JCF activities
- Leadership roles within JCF
- Involvement in FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America) with JCF projects
- Financial Needs
- Academic Performance
- First in family to go to college
- and more
Get Involved Making Scholarships
While those most interested in the JCF Scholarship Program should be JCF students and their parents, but there is an opportunity for any individual, business, or organization to be involved. Today, JCF administers a scholarship fund for students from Rogue River High School.
JCF wants to financially help all high school students attend college, so if anybody wants to establish a scholarship for a certain high school, for a student studying for a degree in a certain field, or any other appropriate criteria. Please contact JCF and we will work with you to make certain that some worthwhile students will benefit from your generosity.
