The Fort Atkinson Community Foundation has a number of scholarships available to local students attending or planning to enroll in technical college programs. Four scholarships are open only to technical college students, while a handful of others also allow for technical college applicants. All these scholarships are now accepting applications for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year, with an application deadline of April 1, 2025.
Each scholarship has different requirements and criteria which can be viewed on the scholarship pages of the Community Foundation’s website, www.fortfoundation.org. Here applicants will be guided to Fort Scholarships, an online application website where they can create an account and begin working on their application – one application that will be used for all the scholarships for which they apply. The application can be worked on intermittently as the work can be saved and applicants can log in later and pick up where they left off.
The four scholarships available only to technical college students are:
Jones Industrial & Culinary Scholarship: Established by Jones Dairy Farm, this scholarship is available to graduating seniors or graduates of Fort Atkinson High School who are seeking an education in one of the following areas - industrial mechanics, industrial maintenance, automation technology, welding, quality control technology, facilities management, laboratory food science, or culinary arts – at a recognized technical or vocational school in the state of Wisconsin or at the Culinary Institute of America. In 2025, two $1,500 awards will be available.
Lloyd Hake Memorial Voc/Tech Scholarship: Funded through the Foundation by a gift from the Lloyd Hake Trust, this scholarship is available to deserving graduates of Fort Atkinson High School who are pursuing an education at a vocational/technical school in order to prepare themselves for a future career. There is no subject restriction. In 2025, $29,000 will be available for multiple awards.
Jake Meinert Memorial Scholarship: The Meinert Memorial scholarship is available to graduating seniors at Fort Atkinson High School who are pursuing a post-secondary program at a vocational or technical school. There is no subject restriction. In 2025, $1,000 is available for this award.
Terry Beck Protective Services Scholarship: The Terry Beck Scholarship is available to graduating seniors at Fort Atkinson High School, former graduates of that school, or residents of Fort Atkinson, who are pursuing, or are planning to pursue, a certificate, diploma or degree in a protective services program included in the “Law, Public Safety and Security” listing on the website of the Wisconsin Technical College System – https://www.wtcsystem.edu/programs/find-your-program/law-public-safety-and-security/ - at a technical college in Wisconsin. In 2025, $1,000 is available for this award.
In addition to those four scholarships open only to technical school students, the Foundation also has a variety of scholarships that are open to a variety of students, including technical college students. For instance, here are just three opportunities:
AAUW Second Chance Scholarship: Established by the Fort Atkinson chapter of the American Association of University Women, the AAAUW Second Chance Scholarship is available to women who are planning to enroll in either a program at a vocational/technical college or an undergraduate program at a college or university after having been out of formal education for at least one year. Applicants must be either a graduate of Fort Atkinson High School, be a resident of Fort Atkinson, or be currently employed in Fort Atkinson. Preference may be given to women who are in financial need or who have assumed family financial responsibilities. In 2025, $14,000 is available for multiple awards.
Denice Jones Medical Fields Scholarship: The Denice Jones Medical Fields Scholarship is available to a range of students, including graduating seniors at Fort Atkinson High School who are planning to enroll in a medically-related program at a technical school. In 2025, $2,000 will be available for this award.
Medical Careers Scholarship: Like the Denice Jones Scholarship, the Medical Careers Scholarship is open to a number of student categories, including graduating seniors at Fort Atkinson High School who are planning to enroll in a medically-related program at a technical school. In 2025, $9,000 will be available for multiple awards.
Questions about the Community Foundation’s scholarship offerings can be directed to Megan Hartwick, the Community Foundation’s executive director, at (920) 563-3210 or via email at facf@fortfoundation.org.
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