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Scholarships
Since 2000, The Waitt Family Foundation has been a proud sponsor of three scholarship
programs in the Siouxland region: the Matching Scholarship Program, the Scholarship of
Distinction, and the Single Parent Scholarship Program. These programs have had a
tremendous impact on hundreds of young men and women from Siouxland area high schools.
The Matching Scholarship Program has helped unite numerous deserving college-bound high
school students with exceptional Siouxland donors. These scholarship recipients were able to
demonstrate a balance of academic achievement, community & school service, and financial need.
The Foundation encouraged applications from students who may not have been able to fully realize
their true potential during their high school careers for any number of special circumstances or
hardships. These candidates possessed a drive to succeed that may not necessarily have been
reflected in their academic performance during high school. Specifically, the Foundation
targeted candidates that would otherwise not be able to go to college were it not for a
Waitt Scholarship.
Through the Matching Scholarship Program, the Waitt Family Foundation also honored one
individual each year with the Scholarship of Distinction for academic achievement,
potential, courage, and integrity. The recipient of this special award was given the
opportunity to represent the Foundation each summer in a philanthropic project in the
Siouxland area with a non-profit organization of their choice.
Recognizing the needs of single parents, the Foundation also established the Single Parent
Matching Funds Scholarship in order to provide a new start for single parents to pursue a
better future for themselves and their families. This program, acknowledging that the
responsibilities of single parenthood often cut short a college or vocational education,
matched these awards to the specific needs of each individual.
Over the past few years, the donor base has steadily declined and it has become evident
that this trend will continue. Numerous contacts have been made to both prospective and
current donors and it is apparent that the monetary support simply is not there. For that
reason, we have made the difficult decision to terminate the Matching Gift Scholarship
Programs effective immediately. We will, of course, continue to honor our commitment
to those students that have previously been awarded scholarships and meet eligibility
requirements, but new scholarships will no longer be awarded.
We would like to thank all the donors for their support throughout the years. Your
generosity and compassion for the young men and women of the Siouxland region was greatly
appreciated as we could not have done this without you.
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