Helping to educate the next generation

The Renton Regional Community Foundation manages a number of scholarship funds and strongly supports your dream to pursue a post-secondary education. While some of our funds grant their scholarship money directly through a specific school or institution, many of our scholarship funds make their awards through our own Scholarship Committee. For those scholarships, apply directly through this website where it says “apply” by each scholarship description. 

The applications are now open for the 2023 scholarship cycle.  Applications and all accompanying materials are due April 6, 2023.

You may qualify for more than one scholarship, provided you meet the criteria. Information is also available on washboard.org . However, applications will only be accepted through our website.

General Eligibility

ALL applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Must have earned a high school diploma or GED by the time the award is made.
  • Must be enrolled by the following school year in a full or part-time program at an accredited two or four-year college or vocational, technical or trade school.

RRCF Scholarship Fund

Please review our list of scholarship funds below. Note that some funds make their grants directly to the educational institution where the award selections are made. For those awards, please contact the school for an application. For RRCF scholarship awards, read through the guidelines to determine your eligibility. When the application process is open, a link will be available on this site that will allow you to apply for RRCF scholarships via our application portal.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact us.

ApplyScholarshipDescriptionAmount
ApplyAndee Jorgensen ScholarshipThis scholarship honors Andee Jorgensen, a civic leader in Renton. Students must be a WA State resident, have a minimum 2.5 GPA and demonstrate financial need. Preference will be given to students who demonstrate an ability to manage adversity arising from personal, family and/or community situations. Preference will be given to students who demonstrate commitment to service in the community or with school-related activities, and demonstrate enthusiasm to continue commitments. Award is $1,000.$1,000
ApplyBetty Jacobsen Memorial ScholarshipThis award is for students who can demonstrate attendance at one of the following schools: St. Anthony School (Renton), John F. Kennedy High School (Burien) or Eastside Catholic High School (Sammamish) Awards range between $1,000 - $5,000. Preference given to students who demonstrate financial need.$1,000-5,000
ApplyBill Boehlke ScholarshipBill Boehlke worked for both the Seattle Seahawks and Seattle SuperSonics as a creative member of their digital communications departments. His imagination, humor and positive personality were appreciated by everyone he worked with. In memory of Bill, his family established this scholarship fund in 2020. The fund will provide scholarships to high school seniors in the state of Washington who are pursuing a career in digital communications, including social media video production. Scholarships will help cover qualified expenses including tuition, books and other expenses necessary for their classes. Scholarships are not renewable. Special consideration will be given to students based on financial needs and the applicant’s history of good character and community service. Awards range from $1,000-$5,000.$1,000 - $5,000
ApplyCarl & Betty Rochet ScholarshipThis award is for students who reside in King County and are pursuing a four-year degree in the field of communications or journalism. Awards range between $500 - $2,500. Preference given to graduates of a Renton high school.
ApplyChanging the Way America Thinks About Race ScholarshipChanging the Way America Thinks about Race Scholarship Fund (CHATR) provides scholarships to Black and Brown students in the state of Washington who are pursuing undergraduate studies. CHATR is particularly interested in supporting Black and Brown students from Bremerton High School, The Why Not You Academy, and those who are active in the Rainier Athletes Mentorship program in the Bellevue School District who are interested in using their college experience to help facilitate changing the way America thinks about race. Awarded funds may be used for tuition, books, room and board, and travel to/from school.2 awards, $5,000 each
ApplyCugini Family ScholarshipThis scholarship will provide merit-based awards for young women who are graduates of a Renton HS, pursuing a postsecondary education, and who show a real passion for their chosen field of interest. Scholarships may be used for 4-year college, community college or vocational college and for any stage of the student's education.$1,200 (historically)
ApplyDr. Dolores Gibbons ScholarshipEstablished in honor of Dr. Dolores Gibbons, retired Superintendent for the Renton School District, this award is for graduates of a Renton high school who are pursuing a 4-year degree in education or teaching. Award is $1,000.$1,000
ApplyDr. Gary Kohlwes ScholarshipThis award is for graduates of a Renton high school. Will also be made available to graduate students. Awards range between $500 - $2,000.$500–2,000
ApplyFelomena's GraceThis scholarship was established in 2018 for the purpose of furthering the education and overall development of a student who has lost a parent. High school, undergraduate, and graduate students can apply. This year's award will be $2,000.$2,000
ApplyHarper Engineering ScholarshipHarper Engineering Co. created this award to honor the Founder of their company, O.J. Harper. This award is for students pursuing a degree related to the aerospace industry (e.g. engineering, design, machining or business management). Applicants must live within the Island, King, Kittitas, Kitsap, Pierce, Snohomish, Skagit, Thurston, or Whatcom counties. Priority will be given to applicants interested in the aerospace field and bringing their skills back to Renton. 4 scholarships, $1,000 each.2 Awards at $1,000 each
ApplyHarry And Janet Blencoe ScholarshipHarry and Janet established this scholarship fund in 2018 to help college undergraduates at Renton Technical College pursue a college degree. Priority will be given to graduates of a Renton high school.
ApplyHelen Dyrdal Memorial Undergraduate ScholarshipThis scholarship is for undergraduate college students. Students must reside in King County and have graduated from a Renton high school. Awards range between $2,500 - $7,500 in each category and students can receive this award more than one year in a row. (Running Start students, who will acquire credits by June of the current year to qualify for an AA or AS degree, would qualify for one of these awards.)$2,500–7,500
ApplyHelen Dyrdal Memorial Graduate ScholarshipThis scholarship is for graduate students pursuing a career in a “helping profession”. A helping profession is defined as: a profession addressing problems in a person's physical, psychological, intellectual, emotional, or spiritual well-being; including medicine, psychology, social work, education, non-profit management or ministry. Students must reside in King County and have graduated from a Renton high school. Awards range between $2,500 - $7,500.$2,500–7,500
ApplyHelen Dyrdal Memorial Vocational ScholarshipThis scholarship is for students attending a vocational school or enrolled in a certificate program. Students must reside in King County and have graduated from a Renton high school. Awards range between $2,500 - $7,500 in each category and students can receive this award more than one year in a row. (Running Start students, who will acquire credits by June of the current year to qualify for an AA or AS degree, would qualify for one of these awards.)
ApplyIrene Olson Memorial ScholarshipThis scholarship honors the life and work of Irene Olson, who served as principal of Tiffany Park Elementary School from 2005 to 2017. The annual scholarship will provide $500 of college support for a future educator. Any junior or senior attending a high school in the Renton School District who is interested in a career in education will be eligible to apply.$500
ApplyJeremy Gidlund Memorial Scholarship Provides scholarships for special needs students in the Renton and Olympia School Districts.
ApplyNature Stewards Environmental Science ScholarshipProvides scholarships to Renton School District high school students to pursue the Environmental Science area of study at an institution of higher learning. Award is for $3,000.$3,000
ApplyOsborn Consulting ScholarshipThe Osborn scholarship is for ambitious BIPOC students with demonstrated financial need, who are enrolled in or planning to pursue an accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree program in landscape architecture or civil engineering. Priority will be given to students with a demonstrated a commitment to developing public infrastructure and/or public places in the State of Washington. The intention of the scholarship is to create opportunities for those who have faced historic barriers to access to these professions in the United States. The scholarship founders believe that the design challenges of the 21st century require diverse voices to solve. They look forward to the stronger design solutions to which future scholarship recipients will contribute. Scholarship applicants must demonstrate the grit, resiliency and aptitude that is necessary for success in these professions. This may be demonstrated by any combination of at least (2) of the following characteristics: overcame a significant personal challenge to maintain at least a B average at school, honor roll grade point average, demonstrated ability to juggle multiple responsibilities, demonstrated service contributions to their community. Awards will be given in the amount of $5,000-10,000.$5,000 - $10,000
ApplyRichard Baima Bisiack ScholarshipMr. Bisiack's daughter established this fund upon his passing to honor not only his passion for the Renton community, but his desire to lend a helping hand to those pursuing their dreams. This award is for college undergraduates who can demonstrate they are pursuing a degree in business, marketing or communications and/or students attending a trade or technical college. Priority given to graduates of a Renton high school. Award is $1,000.$1,000
ApplySeattle ServesOffered only in the spring of 2023, the scholarship will be awarded to eligible tennis team participants who are in their senior year at a high school in the Renton School District.$3,000 - $4,000
ApplyWallace Family ScholarshipThis scholarship has been established to support students from Hazen or Renton High Schools who are LBGTQ, interested in STEM, and demonstrate financial need. This year’s award will be $10,000 (or two $5,000 scholarships).$5,000–10,000
ApplyAllied Arts FundThese awards help talented young students further their training in their artistic field. Students must live within the boundaries of the Greater Renton Area or have a Renton address and are between the ages of 12-19. The categories under which a student may apply are all areas of visual or performing arts. The scholarships range from $250 to $500.$250–500
ApplyParker Family Memorial FundGrants from this fund are currently made directly to the RTC Foundation to support a student attending Renton Technical College. Contact the RTC Foundation for application information.
ApplyRudolph Bundas Memorial FundEstablished by the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists in honor of one of their long-time members, grants from this fund are made directly to specified schools supporting local art students. Information on how to apply is available on their website.