Caring for Our Neighbors and Our Community
Bay Harbor Foundation Vocational Scholarship Program
Beginning in 2022, the Bay Harbor Foundation is offering scholarships to employees of Bay Harbor businesses who wish to obtain vocational or technical training and certification. The application below is desinged to be easy to fill out. Recipients will have their scholarship award sent directly to the program that they are enrolled in. Only programs offered by 501(c)(3) organizations are eligible for funding through this program.
Please contact the Bay Harbor Foundation at 231.489.4422 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions about the program or the application process. We are happy to help guide applicants as we develop this new and exciting part of the Bay Harbor Foundation Scholar Program.
Bay Harbor Foundation
Tuition Scholarship Program
About the Program
If you work in Bay Harbor, or your parent or grandparent works in Bay Harbor, you could qualify for a scholarship through the Bay Harbor Foundation Scholar Program!
*Notice to applicants: If you are concerned that your transcript will not arrive in time for the application deadline, you may submit an electronic copy with your application packet until the copy sent from your school arrives.*
Applications and instructions can be downloaded below. Please contact the Bay Harbor Foundation at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions.
In addition to our grant awards, the Bay Harbor Foundation also serves those who are a part of our immediate community through our Tuition Scholarship Program, which was established in 2008 to provide assistance to individuals working in the Bay Harbor Community to help them achieve their dream of a college education.
Click here to read an update about our 2022-23 scholarship recipients
Eligibility Criteria:
- Each recipient shall be a person who is employed by a Bay Harbor entity within the Bay Harbor Community or shall be the son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter of a person who is so employed as stated in the Program Goals.
- The applicant must demonstrate a need for assistance in paying tuition of the college or university he or she is attending after taking into account the other financial assistance available to such person.
- The applicant must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university, including community and junior colleges, located within the United States.
- The applicant must be a “Full Time Student”, completing, and receiving credit for, at least 12 accredited college credit hours per semester, or equivalent in quarter hours, and in good standing.
- The applicant must be 17 years old or older.
- The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- The applicant must be a person who has demonstrated good moral character and who has not been convicted of a crime of moral turpitude.
- The applicant must demonstrate commitment to the community in a written essay.
- At least one letter of recommendation from an employer, school counselor, longtime friend, or Bay Harbor Resident who knows you well. A second letter of recommendation is not required, but is strongly encouraged.
- This scholarship is for tuition only, and funds awarded may not be used for any other purpose. If a student's tuition is already completely paid for through some other means, e.g. from their school, state or federal aid, or another scholarship, that student is not eligible to receive scholarship funding through this program.
Applications are reviewed by independent evaluators provided by area community colleges, and graded on a 20 point scale. Evaluators consider financial need, academic achievement, the quality of the applicant's essay and community involement, and extracurricular and volunteer activities. Of these, financial need is considered the most important in awarding scholarships.
How to Apply for a Scholarship
Click here to download the 2023-24 Scholarship Application and Instructions
If you have any questions, please contact the Bay Harbor Foundation Office at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Scholarships are disbursed in two installments, and payment on the student’s behalf is made to the college or university at which the student is enrolled. Scholarships are nonreoccuring and awarded annually, but scholarship applicants are invite to reapply each year for as long as they remain eligible.
Scholar Testimonials
Emma Decker, Hope College
This scholarship from the Bay Harbor foundation has been a huge help to me during my time at Hope College. This scholarship has allowed me to focus more on my academic success and less about finances during my time at school. This scholarship has also allowed me to begin saving and planning for graduate schooling that is in the near future. Since there are so many different costs that go into attending college it was very helpful to have this scholarship go towards a portion of my tuition. I am very grateful to have been awarded this scholarship and to have grown up and work in a community such as Bay Harbor that puts such a high value on education.
Jake Smith, Emerson College
Thank you so much for the scholarship. It has helped me tremendously to achieve my goals in college. I have been able to go on air for our local television station WEBN-TV covering sports because of Bay Harbor’s generosity. Over the summer I had to work 60 hours a week. By getting the scholarship, I was able to reduce my hours to 15-20 hours per week. Thus enabling me to join the necessary clubs. Next semester scholarship will again continue to assist me in my goals. Along with the school and clubs, I have my baseball season starting which will inhibit me from working my 15-20 hours per week like I did this semester. Please forward my sincere gratitude to the members who make this scholarship possible.
Madeline Frey, Michigan State University
I could not be more grateful to the Bay Harbor Foundation for their continued support of my education. Working at the Inn at Bay Harbor has been such a wonderful experience and I am so lucky to have a community that is invested in the next steps of my life journey. As I anticipate applying to veterinary school next cycle, I appreciate the financial support that has been provided so that I am able to focus on my studies and boosting my application. Bay Harbor has played such a big role in my growth as a student and professional and I cannot wait to utilize my degree to serve my community! – Madeline Frey
Abigail Kendziorski, Ave Maria University
I am honored to have been selected as a recipient of the Bay Harbor Foundation Scholarship. Thank you so much for your generosity, which is allowing me to finish up my last semester at Ave Maria University this fall. I feel very grateful to have had the opportunity to continue my education and am looking forward to graduating in December with my Bachelor's degree in Economics. This would not have been possible without the financial help of the Bay Harbor Foundation Scholarship, and I want to express my sincere thanks.
This semester, I plan to finish up my college career strongly, and excel in the four (4 credit) courses I'm taking, while also competing on Ave Maria's Varsity Dance Team. Throughout my college career, I have learned how to successfully manage my time and I will take that with me after I graduate. In addition to the many life skills I have acquired over the past few years, I have gained academic knowledge in my field of Economics. Over the summer, I was able to apply that to the internship I had with the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, and I hope to pursue my career goals in Economics when I return to my hometown of Petoskey after completing my degree.
Once again, thank you for your financial contribution toward my tuition and investment in my future. I can guarantee that I will use the opportunity to continue my college education and finish up my last semester at Ave Maria well and make the Bay Harbor Foundation proud.
Trent Warren, Michigan State University
The scholarship from the Bay Harbor Foundation has made my goal of receiving a degree from Michigan State University much more attainable. Without this scholarship I would’ve had to take on a job during school and I wouldn't have had as much time to work on my classes. My grades would have suffered from the lack of time and would’ve added a lot of unnecessary stress. Because of this scholarship I was able to devote lots of time to my studies and I received my highest term GPA in college this semester. I consider myself incredibly lucky to live in an area in which the community takes such good care of its members.
If you have questions regarding the application process, please contact us by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phone at 231.489.4422.
Grant Application Process
Our program and grant cycle begins with the sumbission of a Letter of Intent. Our Program and Grant Committee reviews the Letters of Intent and selects organizations to submit full Grant Applications. Organizations will be given approximately one month to submit their Grant Application. After the Program and Grant Committee has reviewed the Grant Applications, applicants will be asked to participate in an interview to answer any further questions about their proposal. The Program and Grant Committee then recommends grants to the Board of Directors for their approval.
Approved grants are funded during the following calendar year. For example, grants sumbitted in 2021 will be funded in 2022. Organizations that recieve grants are required to submit 6-month and year-end progress reports to update the Foundation on the status of the project or program for which they have received funding.
Applicant organizations are advised to please email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss their proposals prior to beginning the Grant Application Process.
Letters of Intent
Your organization's Letter of Intent should include all of the following information:
- The mission of your organization, and how this project will support your mission.
- The purpose of the project for which funds are being requested.
- A brief description of how this project will support the immediate needs residents of the Little Traverse Bay Region.
- A preliminary budget
- A preliminay project schedule - when the project starts, and when it will be completed and any major dates in between.
Please also provide a copy of your Form 1023 and your current Charitable Solicitation Registration.
Letters of intent may be e-mailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mailed to:
Candace Fitzsimons
Bay Harbor Foundation
750 Bay Harbor Drive
Bay Harbor, Michigan 49770
If you plan to submit your Letter of Intent by email, please compile it with all neccesary attachments, combined into a single pdf file.
Grant Applications
Organizations that are asked to submit a full grant application must complete the Grant Application Form, below, and provide all of the required attachments.
Click Here To Download the Grant Application
Your grant application can be emailed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or mailed to:
Candace Fitzsimons
Bay Harbor Foundation
750 Bay Harbor Drive
Bay Harbor, Michigan 49770
If you plan to submit your Grant Application by email, please compile it with all neccesary attachments, combined into a single pdf file.
Mid-Term and Final Year-End Reports
Organizations receiving funding are required to submit a six-month progress report and a final year-end report. The Final Report must include a financial support material for the program, with receipts for expenditures from grant funds.
In addition, we also require that these organizations provide a copy of their Charitable Solicitation Registration Certificate if they raise funds of more than $25,000 annually, and a copy of their most recent Form 990.