By John Vasconcellos on January 28, 2020

The Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts has announced a new pilot partnership aimed at helping local students secure financial aid for college.

The 2020 application process for 60 scholarships awarded by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts is open and available online at www.cfsema.org.

This year, the Community Foundation anticipates the award of more than $400,000 in financial aid, and area students can apply online for these scholarships by clicking the “Scholarships” page on the Community Foundation website, a press release from the foundation states.

Scholarships for students from throughout Southeastern Massachusetts are available for high school seniors accepted to college/university, as well as adults pursuing advanced degrees to enhance their professional careers. The deadline for all applicants to complete submission requirements is March 1.

The Community Foundation is also excited to announce a pilot partnership with uAspire, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping students find an affordable path to and through college. All students applying to the Community Foundation’s scholarships are invited to use the uAspire Financial Aid Help Desk to access ongoing support while applicants and their families navigate the financial aid process.

By simply applying to a Community Foundation scholarship, local students will be given full complimentary access to support from uAspire’ s content experts who are optimally positioned to answer questions about things like financial aid applications and forms, timelines and procedures, interpreting financial aid offers from colleges, and understanding federal loans.

“The real threat of student debt is a ridiculous obstacle to the dreams of our youth” said Community Foundation President John Vasconcellos. “The Community Foundation is proud to give so much in scholarships, and with this partnership with uAspire, we are providing our young scholars with much-needed expertise and information to better manage the cost of an education.”

“The student loan burden in the U.S. is at $1.6 trillion and rising. Addressing this debt crisis is of critical importance to the well-being of our country,” said uAspire Regional Director, Massachusetts, Elsa Martinez-Pimentel. “Although insufficient Financial Aid and Soaring college cost continue to be a deterrent for so many students who dream of attending college, uAspire focuses on providing support to students and families to make a very complex process feel feasible.”

Improving educational attainment in the region has been a top priority of Community Foundation grant-making. The Community Foundation’s grant-making has supported expanding early literacy programs, advocacy programs to increase educational attainment, support of STEM programs and adult education, as well as scholarships for students to pursue higher education.

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