SACF’s Non-Traditional Scholarship program was created primarily to assist St. Joseph County residents in covering the costs of education-related expenses that have the potential to:

• Help them obtain employment (whether that be skills, transportation, etc.).
• Increase their income (moving into a more lucrative field, or promotion in the current field).
• Maintain employment.

SACF will also consider emergency funding requests for current students who encounter an expense that, if not met, may cause them to:

• Stop attending school short of graduation.
• Not having materials necessary skills/certifications.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and decisions are generally available within 90 days of submission.

• Tuition for the purpose of meeting a requirement, need or obtaining a degree, license, or certification.
• Tuition/fees owed that are preventing students from enrolling, attending, or graduating.
• Any degree, certification, or license, including skilled trades, apprenticeships, and early childhood/childcare certification programs.
• Testing fees for CNA, etc.
• GED test fees.
• Required yearly credits to retain a Michigan Teaching License.
• A skill-building course for the purpose of obtaining/retaining employment (e.g. Microsoft Office.)
• A course that would be needed to obtain a raise/promotion
• Assistance with driver’s education for education/employment purposes.
• Car repairs and/or gas cards for the purpose of attending school.
• Course materials, such as: Lab fees, Textbooks, Technology (calculators, Chromebooks, etc.), Scrubs for CNAs, and any equivalent uniform for other majors.

Applicants must be residents of St. Joseph County and have attended high school or completed their GED in St. Joseph County (completion of high school/GED is not required if pursuing assistance for GED programs/testing). A resident of St. Joseph County is defined as a person whose primary home is in St. Joseph County. Though it is not required for all, for some programs, preference will be given to applicants who also work in St. Joseph County.

Applicants must be post-secondary. A resident is considered post-secondary if they are no longer pursuing a high school degree, regardless of whether or not they graduated/have a diploma. Individuals pursuing a GED are considered post-secondary.

Classes for personal enjoyment/enrichments; personal expenses (such as household bills or groceries); high school ACT/SAT testing fees; high school students taking college courses; any course that can be attended for free at an alternative venue; exercise classes; art classes; etc.

Even if they are proactive, there are no scholarship assistance opportunities for current college students who: just found out they were losing Pell; individuals who have to obtain a certification at the last minute/certification expired; were forced to spend tuition money on an emergency expense; were admitted to a program last minute.