Beginning Jan. 1, students across the region can apply for more than $1.7 million in scholarships administered by the Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
By starting at https://www.cfozarks.org/take-action-apply-for-scholarships, students can use the CFO’s universal application to efficiently apply for multiple scholarship opportunities.
It is a comprehensive online form with a series of questions unique to each student. Based on their responses, the universal application will pair students with the scholarship opportunities for which they qualify.
In addition to scholarships for graduating seniors, the CFO has opportunities for current undergraduate students and students attending technical or graduate programs. Amounts range from $250 to $10,000, with many scholarships renewable for two to four years.
The CFO and its regional affiliate foundations hold about 450 scholarship endowments that will provide scholarships to hundreds of students across central and southern Missouri for the 2026–27 school year. In Houston, that includes scholarships for technical and medical education, as well as other opportunities, such as the John and Naomi Montgomery Scholarship, a $5,000 scholarship that is renewable for an additional three years if guidelines are met.
Scholarship endowments can be established with a minimum of $25,000 by individuals, families or organizations with a wide range of intentions, such as supporting students who graduate from the donor’s alma mater or pursue a certain field of study.
Information for both donors and students is available at cfozarks.org/scholarships.
The application period for CFO scholarships will close on Monday, March 16. For more information, contact Beth Hersh at bhersh@cfozarks.org, or call 417-864-6199.
There are also some new scholarships available this year in the area:
•Cabool Education Foundation Pathways to Success Scholarship: $1,000 for a graduating senior from Cabool High School. (Cabool Community Foundation)
•Restore the Joy Scholarship: $1,000 for a graduating senior from Houston or Willow Springs high schools, with preference given to students pursuing a healthcare degree. (Willow Springs Community Foundation)
The Community Foundation of the Ozarks is the region’s largest public charitable foundation serving donors, nonprofit partners and 55 regional affiliate foundations — including at Cabool and Houston — with $549 million in assets under management as of June 30, 2025. The CFO’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in central and southern Missouri through resource development, community grantmaking, collaboration and public leadership.