Scholarship Programs
Scholarship Programs
The Gerber Foundation offers competitive merit-based scholarships for students graduating from select high schools in Newaygo, Muskegon, and Oceana Counties in West Michigan.
Eligibility Requirements & Limitations
- Students must be a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the US and planning to attend a college, university or post-secondary program within the US
- Foreign exchange students are not eligible
- Students planning to attend one of the four U.S. military or maritime academies are not eligible
Eligibility requirements vary by scholarship. Please view the complete requirements for our Medallion, Merit, and Career-Tech Scholarships below.
The Daniel Gerber, Sr. Medallion Scholarship
The Gerber Foundation Medallion Scholarship is available to students graduating from select high schools within Newaygo County: Fremont, Grant, Hesperia, Newaygo, and White Cloud.
See the flyer for GPA eligibility requirements.
The Medallion is not available to students attending high schools in Muskegon or Oceana Counties.
The scholarship application is closed
Application closes: Friday, February 28, 2025, at 4 PM ET
Selection notification: Awardees are announced at high school award/honors ceremonies
Merit Scholarship
The Gerber Foundation Merit Scholarship is available to students graduating from select high schools within each county as indicated below.
See the fliers for GPA eligibility requirements.
The scholarship application is closed
Application closes: Friday, February 28, 2025, at 4 PM ET
Selection notification: Awardees are announced at high school award/honors ceremonies
Newaygo County Career - Tech Scholarship
Newaygo County Career–Tech Scholarships are available to students graduating from one of the programs at the Newaygo County Career-Technical Center. Students must apply during their senior year of high school.
See the flyer for eligibility requirements.
The scholarship application is closed
Application closes: Friday, February 28, 2025, at 4 PM ET
Selection notification: Awardees are announced at high school award/honors ceremonies
Applying for a Scholarship
To ensure a smooth application process, please follow these steps:
- Before starting your application, carefully review the scholarship eligibility requirements.
- To begin your application, click the “Apply Online” button located below. This will redirect you to our online application system.
- During registration, select the high school from which you are graduating or the NCCTC if you are applying for a Career Tech scholarship. This selection is necessary for your counselor at your high school or NCCTC to input your academic information. Notify your counselor that you have started the application process.
- You can access the application login page again by using the “Apply Online” button.
- Make sure all parts of your application, including the letter of recommendation, are completed and submitted by the deadline of February 28 at 4 PM ET.
Additional Information
Every scholarship application MUST include:
- Student personal statement (consisting of four (4) short answer questions). Click here to see the four questions.
- One letter of recommendation
- High School or Newaygo County Career Tech Center (NCCTC) academic information
For questions or assistance contact us at:
The scholarship application is closed
Application closes: Friday, February 28, 2025, at 4 PM ET
Selection notification: Awardees are announced at high school award/honors ceremonies
New Scholarship Applications
What scholarships does the Foundation offer?
The Foundation offers three scholarships: The Daniel Gerber Sr., Medallion Scholarship, the Gerber Foundation Merit Scholarship, and the Newaygo County Career Technical Center (NCCTC) Scholarship. All scholarships are competitive, merit based scholarships and recognize academic achievements and potential, leadership, and community involvement. No consideration is given to financial need.
Who can apply for a scholarship?
High School seniors graduating from select high schools in Newaygo, Muskegon, and Oceana Counties in West Michigan or who are graduating from a NCCTC program may apply. Students attending a 13th year at the NCCTC should apply for a scholarship in their senior year of high school. Please review the posted scholarship flyers for the current eligible high schools.
What is the eligibility criteria?
Medallion|Merit Scholarships are merit based and have a GPA eligibility requirement. If you apply for a NCCTC scholarship, you must be graduating from a NCCTC program of study. Please see the posted scholarship flyers for current scholarship GPA requirements. If you have questions about which scholarship you should apply for, we recommend you talk with your high school counselor or college advisor before you begin the application registration process.
When do applications open and close?
Can I get an extension if I need one?
What is the most important aspect of my application?
Follow all instructions outlined in the scholarship application. Be sure to complete student sections completely. Enter your recommender’s information and send the request for the letter of recommendation early in the process. When the recommendation request is sent the letter status changes from “Not Requested” to “Recommendation Requested”. Verify your recommender received the email request (which is sent from notifications@gerberfoundation.org). You can monitor the submission of the recommendation letter to ensure it is submitted before the deadline. Once the letter is submitted by the recommender the status changes from “Recommendation Requested” to “Submitted”.
How do I write a good answer to the short answer personal summary questions?
A good response is one that answers the question prompt completely and is on-topic, is free of spelling errors and uses proper grammar. We recommend having someone with strong writing skills review your responses before you submit your application.
How to Apply & Use the Online Application System
Where do I find the online scholarship applications?
All applications are completed online at https://gerberfoundation.smartsimple.com. The link to the online application portal can also be found on The Gerber Foundation website under the Scholarships Tab at https://www.gerberfoundation.org/scholarships. Before you register, you must determine if you will compete for the Medallion|Merit scholarship or the Newaygo County Career Tech Center (NCCTC) Scholarship. When you register you must select either the high school you attend to gain access to the Medallion|Merit scholarship application or the NCCTC for the NCCTC scholarship application. Once you complete the scholarship registration, the system will send you a password via the email you used in your profile. When you log into your application portal click the “Apply” button in the “Open Scholarships” box. Once you begin the application process, you can save your draft application and return to it overtime as needed.
Where can I update my profile information?
To edit the details you’ve previously entered in the profile section, click the dark red circle icon (with your first name initial) in the right hand corner of your portal, and click on the My Profile link. Click on the Save button at the bottom of the page to save your information. It is critical that the email address in your profile is one that you will monitor on a regular basis as it will be used for the majority of all scholarship communications. Additionally, you should add notifications@gerberfoundation.org to your safe senders list to avoid emails from the Foundation being directed to your junk or spam folder.
How do I reset my password?
Click the “Forgot Password?” link on the login page. An email with the password will be sent to your email inbox with instructions on how to reset your password. The email will come from notifications@gerberfoundation.org. If the email doesn’t arrive in 15 minutes, please check your spam folder. If you haven’t received the email after 15 minutes, verify you used the correct email address. The email address you use to request a new password and to login must be the same email address you saved in your profile.
Can I submit more than one application?
No. You may only submit one application.
If I have submitted my application, can I go back and make an edit to the student portion of the application?
No, once you submit your application, you can no longer make edits to your portion of the application.
Can I submit my application before the letter of recommendation is received and/or my high school or NCCTC counselor has entered my grades and test scores?
Yes, students can submit their application when their portion is complete and should do so. The letter of recommendation will link to the application when it is submitted by the recommender, and the counselor can access the application to enter the grades and test scores at any time. Through your application you can monitor receipt of the letter of recommendation and input of your grades to ensure the scholarship application is complete by the close date and time.
Do you review applications that are complete but not submitted?
No. We can only review applications that have been submitted. Applications that are still in “draft” status at the time the application closes are not included in our review pool and are automatically denied/abandoned.
When will I find out if I received a scholarship?
Students are notified of their selection at their high school honors/award ceremonies. At the ceremony, students receive a scholarship certificate and instructions for claiming the scholarship. In addition, shortly after the ceremony, students will either receive an award or declination notification email (from notifications@gerberfoundation.org). Home schooled students receive an email notification of selection or declination. The certificate and instructions for claiming the scholarship are mailed to their home address listed in the profile.
How do I “claim” my scholarship?
You will login to the application portal (the same place you went to complete the application). Under the “Applications” section your application will be in a “Requires Documentation” status. Click on the Open button and scroll down to the Required Documents tab. You must download, read, and sign the scholarship Guaranty form and then reupload the signed form. You may use a digital signature. Upload the remaining documents and input all the required information. Read the instructions for scholarship payments and enter your payment instructions in the comment box at the bottom on the form. Once all of your documentation is uploaded and information boxes are complete, click on the “Documentation Uploaded” button at the bottom of the page. The Foundation will review the information and if there are questions, staff will contact you by email. If there are no questions, staff will start the payment process.
Are there any scholarship payment limitations?
Payments are generally flexible allowing you to determine the amount of funds to be released each academic year based on your needs, within certain limits as noted:
- The first year payment for Medallion recipients is limited to no more than $3,834 (1/3rd) of the total award. Early College Model students are exempt from this limit.
- The first year payment for Merit recipients is limited to no more than $2,875 (1/2) of the total award. Early College Model students are exempt from this limit.
- Scholarships can be applied to undergraduate study only.
- Scholarship funds may only be used for qualified expenses which are course REQUIRED tuition, books, program course fees, tools, or equipment.
- Scholarship funds can be used for Summer Term qualified expenses.
- Students may defer their scholarship for no more than two academic years from the date-of-award. During a deferment period, students must renew their scholarship annually.
- Students who do not maintain a satisfactory GPA (2.0), fail to complete the scholarship renewal form and submit it, or do not maintain the necessary contact with the Foundation will forfeit the remaining balance of their scholarship.
If awarded, when will I receive the scholarship funds?
Once you submit the documentation to claim the scholarship, please allow up to 15 business days for us to process your information. The Foundation will mail tuition scholarship checks directly to your college. Please allow an additional two to three weeks for your college to receive and process your check. We ask that you claim your scholarship and submit your required documentation as soon as possible so that we can make sure the scholarship payment is received in a timely manner by your college. Issuance of payments begins in July.
Can I be reimbursed for required books, equipment or supplies?
Yes, we can reimburse you for qualified educational expenses (as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)) such as tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for courses at the educational institution. To receive reimbursement, you must submit your itemized paid receipt, your class schedule, and documentation from the college (ie., course syllabus) that indicates the book, equipment or supplies are required of all students for the course you are enrolled in. We highly recommend you contact the Foundation to discuss your requested reimbursement before submission.
How long does it take for colleges to process the award?
Each college takes different amounts of time to process scholarship awards. It is best to work directly with your college to determine where they are in their own timeline for applying your scholarship funds to your student account. If a check has not been received by the school four weeks after staff notified you that a payment was mailed, please email the Foundation at tgf@gerberfoundation.org.
Renewable Scholarships & Updating your Contact Information
What should I do if I move or my contact information changes?
Please email the Foundation at tgf@gerberfoundation.org with your new contact information. You should also update your profile information in the scholarship application system.
Are The Gerber Foundation scholarships one-time awards or renewable scholarships?
A one-time award is one that is paid out in one payment. A renewable scholarship is one that allows you to spread your scholarship payments throughout your undergraduate studies. The Gerber Foundation scholarships are renewable, and in general your renewal is completed annually in June or July for the next academic year. If you elect to defer your scholarship you must annually renew your scholarship during the deferral period.
How do I renew my scholarship?
You will receive a scholarship renewal email notification from notifications@gerberfoundation.org, normally starting on June 1 of each year. You may renew your scholarship when your transcript is updated with the current semester’s final grades. You will log into the application portal to complete the renewal form. Once logged in, go to the bottom of the portal and under the My Action Items bar, PENDING Tab are the scholarship renewal forms. Click on the “Open” button corresponding to the correct due date for the renewal. The renewal will require you to complete a short degree completion survey, a renewal form, update your scholarship distribution instructions, and to upload a copy of a complete official or unofficial transcript. Students must meet the renewal cumulative GPA requirement (2.0 or C average) to qualify for their next renewal payment. Once all your information is completed, click on the SUBMIT button at the bottom of the screen. The Foundation staff will review the information submitted and start the scholarship payment process. If there are questions, the staff will contact you by email.
What is a complete transcript?
A complete transcript is one which contains all of the following information: student name, school, college or university name, all semesters completed, with course listings, grades for each course and semester GPA. Transcripts/grade reports obtain via the Internet (unofficial transcripts from your college portal) are acceptable as long as they are complete. Otherwise, official transcripts from the school must be furnished.
After the renewal form is submitted when will scholarship funds be sent to my college?
Once you submit renewal form, please allow up to 15 business days for us to process your information. The Foundation will mail tuition scholarship checks directly to your college. Please allow an additional two to three weeks for your college to receive and process your check. We ask that you submit your renewal documentation as soon as your transcript is updated with your current semester’s final grades so that we can make sure the scholarship payment is received in a timely manner by your college.
Can scholarship funds be used for my summer term courses?
Yes, your scholarship funds can be used for summer term courses. Please contact the Foundation at tgf@gerberfoundation.org to discuss scholarship renewal and payment requirements for a summer term.
What should I do if I transfer to a different college?
If you transfer to a different college, after the Fall semester, please notify the Foundation at tgf@gerberfoundation.org. Scholarship funds that were provided to your college for the academic year may need to be returned to the Foundation. If you transfer at the end of an academic year when your annual scholarship renewal form is due, there is a place on the form to indicate the college you are transferring to. There is also a comment box at the end of the form where you should inform us that you have transferred. If you have already completed and submitted the annual renewal form and decide to transfer after submission, please contact the Foundation immediately. Incorrect enrollment information can delay receiving your scholarship funds by one month or more.
What should I do if I have scholarship questions?
You may contact the Foundation at tgf@gerberfoundation.org or call the office at (231) 924-3175.
