Scholarships
The Watertown Foundation provides scholarships to graduating high school seniors to assist them financially in achieving post-secondary education. Scholarship awards are competitive and are based on information submitted on the Scholarship Application and on high school scholastic record, test scores, essays, extracurricular and community involvement, and financial information. Awards are the sole decision and responsibility of the Watertown Foundation Scholarship Committee and are based on the committee judgment of the applicant’s submitted application information.
Application criteria include:
Residency in Oakville-Watertown for at least three years (regardless of the secondary school attended); academic merit; contributions to the applicant’s school and community; and financial need. Your application for a Foundation Scholarship must include your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). (Financial need is not required for application to the Reinhold and Katie DeWitt Scholarship and the Joyce Mordenti Scholarship.)
Family financial information is confidential information; therefore, the Watertown Foundation has chosen to require that scholarship applicants provide information on financial need through the analysis of the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This form is used to apply for federal and state student grants, work-study and loans. In addition, most states and schools use information from the FAFSA to award non-federal aid. Graduating high school seniors are encouraged to apply online at https://studentaid.gov/ FAFSA applicants receive a report called a Student Aid Report, or SAR, through the mail or the Internet. The SAR lists the information reported on the FAFSA and will report the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. Financial need is the difference between your EFC and your school’s cost of attendance as determined by your school.
All sections of the Scholarship Application must be completed. Applications with incomplete information will be removed from consideration. If the applicant feels that certain requested information is not appropriate, reasons for not submitting that information should be submitted separately. All scholarship applications must be submitted through the student’s high school guidance office. The Guidance Office will forward the completed application with required school transcript and recommendations directly to the Watertown Foundation Scholarship Committee, P O Box 117, Watertown, CT 06795.
A photocopy of the Student Aid Report (SAR) showing the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) must be sent directly to the Committee at the above address.
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
Scholarships available and their competitive criteria are:
Ricky Bozzuto Memorial Scholarship
Awarded to a graduating Watertown High School senior on the basis of scholastic excellence in the areas of mathematics, physical sciences, and information technology. The recipient should demonstrate financial need. This scholarship is given in memory of a man devoted to scholarship, country, work, and especially his family.
Reinhold and Katie DeWitt Scholarship
Awarded on the basis of academic excellence, demonstrated sensitivity to others needs, and the ability to work cooperatively with those in need. This scholarship is not based on financial need and is given through the generosity of Mrs. Reinhold DeWitt in recognition of the benefits she and her husband received from their educations that provided them the opportunities for work, friendships, and service to others.
William H. And Margaret E. Eppehimer Memorial Scholarship Fund
Awarded to a graduate of Watertown High School and awarded according to standards set by the Foundation.
Fletcher Judson Memorial Scholarship
Awarded to a graduating Watertown High School senior on the basis of academic excellence and exemplary community service.
Litchfield Bancorp Scholarship
Awarded to a deserving senior from the Watertown Oakville community.
M. Heminway Merriman 2nd Scholarship
Through the generosity of the Woodward Fund, a scholarship will be awarded to a high school senior who is a Watertown or Oakville resident and shows a contribution to Watertown through time and energy devoted to improving the community.
Joyce Mordenti Scholarship
Awarded to an Oakville-Watertown resident. Preference is given to the recipient who has demonstrated academic merit, and contributions to the applicant’s school and community. This scholarship is not based on financial need.
Kathleen M. Scully Memorial Scholarship
Awarded to a high school senior who is a resident of Watertown or Oakville. The scholarship is given in memory of Kathy, an exceptional educator and administrator who spent her entire 36-year career in the Watertown/Oakville school system. The scholarship is based on financial need and is awarded to a student who is pursuing a degree in education.
Town of Watertown Scholarship
Awarded to a high school senior who is a resident of the Town of Watertown. The scholarship is awarded based on a combination of the student’s grade point average, financial need, and participation in community and public service.
Watertown Foundation Scholarship
Awarded in recognition of the contributions the student has made to the community and to the high school while maintaining a strong scholastic record. The student should demonstrate financial need. Two of these scholarships provide a renewal opportunity for the sophomore, junior and senior years of college.
Watertown Foundation Past Presidents Scholarship
In 1925, a small group of residents gathered to organize a foundation, dedicated to making our community a better place to live. Under the guidance and generosity of David Woodward, the first president, the Watertown Foundation was established supporting the needs of the community. Fifty presidents of vision and commitment have volunteered their time and talents to further the goals of our forefathers and have led this foundation since its founding. This scholarship is awarded to a graduating senior who has exemplified the ideals of community service and has shown vision and leadership in their efforts to improve the lives of others in our community following the inspiration of the founding fathers of the Watertown Foundation.
Watertown Oakville Chamber of Commerce Business Scholarship
Awarded to a graduating Watertown High School senior who intends to pursue a post-secondary education in a business-related field of study and who demonstrates academic excellence, participates in an extracurricular business-related club or organization, and provides evidence of contributing to the school and/or community through volunteer activities and/or entrepreneurship.
Watertown Oakville Chamber of Commerce STEM/TRADES Scholarship
Awarded to a graduating Watertown High School senior, with preference given to a senior in technical education, who intends to pursue career in a skilled trade or a science-, technology-, engineering- or math-related field at a post-secondary school or institution, and who demonstrates academic excellence and provides evidence of contributing to the school and/or community through volunteer activities and/or entrepreneurship.
David Woodward Scholarship Fund
Awarded to a student resident in Watertown or Oakville. This scholarship is given in honor of David Woodward, one of the founding charter members of the Watertown Foundation, through the generosity of the David, Helen and Marion Woodward Fund.