Since 1969, the Barton Community College Foundation has maintained a comprehensive academic scholarship program that has ensured the success of Barton graduates. Generous private support through the Foundation has enabled Barton Community College to coordinate a financial aid program that actively assists the growing and diverse segments of the College's student population.
This guide answers common questions about establishing scholarships through the Foundation and outlines the three main types of scholarships you can create to make a lasting impact.
Endowed Scholarship
An endowed scholarship is a permanent fund that provides scholarships year after year through earnings from invested principal. A minimum of $10,000 is required to establish an endowed scholarship. This amount becomes the fund’s corpus, which remains invested to generate interest for the annual award. If a larger amount is given initially, that full amount becomes the corpus.
The Foundation’s intent is to use only the annual earnings and appreciation from the corpus to fund scholarships. If earnings in a given year are insufficient, accumulated appreciation may be used—but the original corpus will never be spent. If donors make additional contributions after the fund is established, they may choose to either add those gifts to the principal or have them applied toward a scholarship award.
Because the amount awarded depends on the fund’s principal and investment performance, the Foundation discourages establishing endowments below $10,000 unless the donor provides written assurance of plans to reach the minimum within five years.
Endowed scholarships are named by the donor, and the donor also sets the criteria used by the Foundation to select recipients.
Annually Funded Scholarship
An annually funded scholarship provides support on a year-to-year basis through direct annual contributions, rather than an invested fund. This option allows donors to make a yearly impact without the commitment of establishing an endowment. These scholarships may be given for one year or renewed annually at the donor’s discretion.
A minimum of $500 per year is required to establish an annual scholarship. However, due to rising education costs, the Foundation recommends a minimum of $1,000 for new scholarships. Contributions of $500 or more may be named, and donors may set selection criteria. Awards are made each year the fund is active and contains a minimum of $500.
To ensure timely distribution, annual scholarship funds must be received by June 1 each year.
One-Time Scholarship
One-time scholarships, often created in memory or honor of a loved one, are established with a single contribution for a specific academic year. For example, a donor may give $250, $500, or more to create a one-time award without ongoing funding or plans to endow the scholarship.
These scholarships can be named, and donors may set criteria for the award. While typically memorials, one-time scholarships may also be used to recognize milestones or celebrate generosity. Donors may also choose to later convert a one-time gift into an annual or endowed scholarship.
General Information
Donors contributing $500 or more may establish specific criteria for recipient selection. Common criteria include:
- Full-time or part-time enrollment
- Traditional or non-traditional student status
- Grade point average
- Educational program or focus area
- Residency
To ensure we can match students with available awards, the Foundation encourages keeping criteria as broad as possible.
While donors may define the scholarship’s criteria, recipient selection is conducted by the Foundation Office to ensure that applicants have completed the scholarship process and meet all necessary qualifications.
No administrative fees are charged for managing scholarships of any type.
All donations to the Barton Community College Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. For guidance specific to your financial situation, please consult your financial advisor or tax preparer.