Our application process is extensive and rewarding for both the scholarship selection committee and the students. Students must complete an involved application which includes highlighting all of their activities and an essay. The list is whittled down and the committee conducts interviews with each finalist.
An awards ceremony is hosted each spring featuring some musical selections from the scholarship winners. The ceremony rotates among the three traditional high schools.
Specific scholarships distributed, with amounts and details, are as follows:
General Scholarship: $750. Applicants must meet scholarship criteria, write an essay, and interview with the committee to be considered for a scholarship. Scholarship applications are available online now and due January 29, 2024.
In addition to the General Scholarship, students have the opportunity to win special recognition scholarships and other distinguished scholarships. Please note, there are three scholarships that require an additional essay. Students may use the same essay for all three as long as the student answers the essay question completely for each scholarship. If a student does use the same essay, please print separate copies for each scholarship and label them appropriately.
Special Recognition Scholarships (blue squares in chart above):
- High-Point Scholarship: The top point scorers from each school through the general scholarship selection process will receive an additional $250 above the general scholarship.
- First-Generation College Student Scholarship: The highest scoring first-generation college candidate from each school will receive an additional $250 above the general scholarship.
- Optimist Scholarship: The general scholarship winner who the selection committee judges to perform the most community service will receive an additional $250.
- Ermel Memorial Scholarship: The general scholarship winner with the highest scored short answer from the general scholarship process wins a $500 scholarship, in addition to their general scholarship. This scholarship is given in memory of Robert and Emma Ermel, who were pillars in the Fountain community and known for their support of education. When the Ermels passed away, all memorials were directed to Fountain Valley Scholars, then known as Dollars for Scholars. The plaque rotates to the winning student’s high school counseling center.
Distinguished Scholarships (yellow ovals in chart above):
- Watson Memorial Scholarship (additional essay required): The general scholarship winner who is judged by the Watson family to have overcome odds, achieved in school and activities, and who holds a regular job wins $1,500 for year one of college and $1,000 for each of the next three years in college as long as he or she maintains an above average GPA. Applicants must complete a separate essay in addition to the FVS essay for the Watson scholarship. The Watson Scholarship is given in addition to the general scholarship received. Named in honor of Jules Watson who, as owner of Widefield Homes contributed immensely to building the Widefield area. Widefield School District’s Watson Junior High is also named in Jules’ honor. Open the scholarship criteria document.
- Believe In Me Scholarship (additional essay required): The Believe In Me Scholarship was created by Widefield Superintendent Scott Campbell for the 2018 selection year. In lieu of a retirement gift for a retiring administrator, all Widefield School District administrators donate toward the Believe In Me Scholarship. This scholarship will be given to a student who attended an elementary, junior high, and at least two years of high school in Widefield School District 3. The winning recipient will receive $1,000 for the first year of college and $750 for each of the next three years in college. The Believe In Me Scholarship is given in addition to the general scholarship received. Open the scholarship criteria document.
- Great in FFC8 Scholarship (additional essay required): The Great in FFC8 Scholarship was created by Fountain-Fort Carson School District 8 Superintendent Dr. Keith Owen, the FFC8 School Board, and FFC8 district administration in 2019. Funded by donations from FFC8 leadership and the school board, the Great in FFC8 Scholarship will be given each year to a student who is graduating from either Fountain-Fort Carson High School or Welte Education Center. The winning recipient will receive one check for $1,000. The Great in FFC8 Scholarship is given in addition to the general Fountain Valley Scholars scholarship received.
- Tracy Vsetecka Memorial Scholarship (additional essay required): The general scholarship winner from a high school in Widefield School District 3 who is judged by the Vsetecka and Phelan families to have achieved in school and activities earns $1,000 for year one of college and $750 for each of the next three years in college, as long as he or she continues to meet the established requirements. Applicants must complete a separate essay for the scholarship in addition to the Fountain Valley Scholars (FVS) essay, and the scholarship is given in addition to the general FVS scholarship. Named in honor of Tracy (Phelan) Vsetecka who was a teacher and administrator in WSD3 and has had an enduring impact on the students, staff, and community in which she served. Scholarship criteria include: WSD3 graduate, 3.0 GPA, Community and School Involvement, and Essay Question – How will your planned career benefit others?
Fountain Valley Scholars 