Granite Edvance Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Granite Edvance

If you’re a New Hampshire student planning to take summer classes in 2026, here’s the Granite Edvance Scholarship explained in plain language — the way I’d tell a class so you can actually use it.

Quick summary
- Granite Edvance will award up to $30,000 total for the Summer 2026 term. Individual awards will be up to $1,000 or $1,500 depending on the program.
- Registration opens January 19, 2026 and closes April 1, 2026 at 4:59 pm ET.
- You may apply to more than one scholarship category, but each category requires its own application.

Who can apply (eligibility)
You are eligible if:
- You are a New Hampshire legal resident.
- You will be attending a 2‑year college or trade school for the Summer 2026 term (part of the 2025–2026 academic year) at a Title IV eligible institution. The school must appear on the U.S. Department of Education’s 2025–26 or 2026–27 Federal School Code List (which code list applies depends on the institution’s term structure).
- You have a cumulative GPA (or equivalent) of at least 2.0 at the time you apply.
- You demonstrate financial need. Specifically, you must file the FAFSA and have a Student Aid Index (SAI) less than $40,000. You must be able to share your SAI to be considered.
- You must provide your financial aid offer in order to be awarded.

Additional rules to note
- If you are under 18, a parent or legal guardian must read and agree to the scholarship Terms and Conditions to accept the award.
- An awardee may receive only one Granite Edvance scholarship per Academic Year. Granite Edvance defines Academic Year as beginning with Fall and including the following Spring and Summer terms. Students who received awards in prior academic years may apply again.
- Granite Edvance employees and their family members are not eligible.

Scholarship categories and what to write about
You can apply to multiple categories (remember: separate application for each). Below are the categories and the focus you should take in your application responses.

1) Leadership & Community Service
- Focus: concrete actions, the change you created, and the people or community you helped.
- Tip: describe specific projects, your role, measurable outcomes (if any), and how this experience will shape your college involvement.

2) First-Generation Student
- Who this is for: students whose parents did not complete a bachelor’s degree.
- Focus: how being first-generation has influenced your goals, challenges you’ve overcome, and how you will use college to open doors for yourself and others.

3) Academic Excellence
- Focus: intellectual curiosity, dedication, and academic accomplishments beyond just grades.
- Important: this category places more weight on GPA. Minimum required GPA for this category is 3.5.
- Tip: explain study habits, academic challenges you’ve met, coursework that excites you, and how you plan to build on this in college.

4) Life Experience
- Focus: the personal events or circumstances that shaped you — hardships, responsibilities, or turning points — and what they taught you.
- Tip: be honest and reflective; explain how those experiences prepared you to succeed in college.

Application logistics (checklist)
- One application per scholarship category; you may submit to multiple categories but must fill out a separate application for each.
- File the FAFSA and be ready to share your Student Aid Index (SAI). Only applicants with SAI < $40,000 are eligible to receive an award.
- Have your financial aid offer ready — you must provide it to be awarded.
- Note the deadline: applications close April 1, 2026 at 4:59 pm ET.

Final pieces of advice from a teacher
- Read each category prompt carefully and tailor your responses — a one-size-fits-all essay rarely wins.
- Make sure your FAFSA is completed early so SAI information is available before the deadline.
- Keep copies of everything you submit and a timeline of submission dates.

If you want, I can help you outline an essay for any of the categories or review a draft once you have one.