College Financial Aid & Scholarship Offerings
2025-2026 Scholarship Information and Deadlines
The list below are local scholarships that are being offered to Chester Academy Seniors. BOOKMARK THIS PAGE to visit regularly as the Guidance Office will be adding to this scholarship page as they come in. Any questions regarding these scholarships, please stop in to the Guidance Office.
Here is the link for information about the Enhanced Tuition Award: https://hesc.ny.gov/find-aid/
You may qualify for this scholarship if your family income is $125,000 per year or less and you meet the other requirements including attending a private NYS two or four year college. One requirement is that you have to file the FAFSA and NYS TAP financial aid applications before you apply for the Enhanced Tuition Award.
Here is the link to apply to the Enhanced Tuition Award: https://webapps.hesc.
National Scholarship Database
Featured Scholarships for Cancer Survivors and Disabilities
Many organizations provide scholarships for cancer patients and survivors, as well for people with certain disabilities. See specific websites for full details regarding application requirements and process. DOWNLOAD a list of unique list of some of these scholarship opportunities with connecting website links.
Fastweb College Scholarship Directory
Fastweb is the go-to source for students looking to find and apply for scholarships, grants and financial aid opportunities. The state-of-the-art scholarship database helps you save time by filtering through thousands of scholarships. Each scholarship and every grant is individually vetted by our research team before it reaches the national scholarship database. Registering for a FREE college scholarship profile. Our state-of-the art algorithm uses your profile — what makes you unique— to find and send you perfect scholarship matches. You'll also be notified of any new and hot scholarships you should apply for quickly.
Federal Student Aid Information Center
1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
https://studentaid.gov/
Federal Student Aid's core mission is to ensure that all eligible individuals benefit from federal financial assistance- grants, loans and work-study programs- for education beyond high school. This website allows you to learn about and apply for all forms of federal aid and manage federal loans.
GE Aerospace-Reagan Workforce Readiness Scholarship - Deadline May 1, 2026 at Noon CST
High school seniors planning to enroll in either a community college or a technical/trade program to pursue an eligible skilled technical career path are invited to apply for a new scholarship program offered by GE Aerospace and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. A minimum of 10 recipients will be selected annually to each receive a maximum of $20,000 over two years based on cost of attendance. Twenty-five percent of scholarships will be awarded to students from military families. LEARN MORE
The Sallie Mae Fund Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors - Deadline April 24, 2026
The program will award 30 scholarships of up to $10,000 to help high school seniors access higher education. Eligibility:
- Enrolled as a Pell-Grant eligible high school senior for 2026-2027 academic year.
- Plan to enroll as a first-time, incoming freshman at an accredited postsecondary institution or continuous education program during the 2026- 2027 academic year.
- Two-year schools
- Four-year schools
- Vocational/technical certificate/certification program
- Demonstrate leadership abilities and good moral character with accumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher.
- A U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a valid permanent resident card or passport stamped I-551.
Students can apply at: Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School Seniors. The deadline is April 24, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Applying for College Financial Aid
FAFSA
DEADLINE: 06/30/2026, by 11:59 p.m. Central time.
The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form opens on 10/1/2025. You can complete the form to apply for financial aid to help pay for attendance at college between October 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Site service may be paused for maintenance and technical updates as needed.
Additional forms may be required. Visit the US Dept of Education for information regarding the FAFSA FSA (Federal Student Aid) ID to sign the form electronically. You can get your FSA ID at fafsa.ed.gov Free Application for Federal Student Aid (Federal) A 2025-26 FAFSA form must be filled out if you wish to take-out Federal Student Loans If you are a dependent student, you will need the following information for you & your parents:
> Your Social Security Number
> Your parents' Social Security numbers
> Your parents' tax documents
HESC- Higher Education Services Corporation (NYS). HESC form can be filled-out directly from the FASFA form
CSS Profile/Financial Aid The CSS Profile is an online application used by colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid. These schools require the CSS Profile as well as the FASFA form for financial aid
Financial Aid Night Presentation (2025)
OTHER FINANCIAL AID HELP LINKS
US Department of Education
SalliMae
College Board
FinAid.org
SUNY EOP Requirements
Scholarships for Academic Excellence
- NYS SAE Scholarships are provided for 4 years (as long as the NYS budget is approved). Student ranked #1 receives a $1500/yr scholarship; students ranked #2-4 each receive a $500/yr scholarship.
- Scholarship winners must attend a college or university (SAE’s cannot be used for trade schools) in New York State.
- Those who do not attend a college or university in New York State forfeit the award.
- Awards are renewable for up to four academic years of undergraduate study or five academic years if the program of study normally requires five years as defined by the Commissioner of Education.
Scholarships
*Scholarships are due to the guidance office 48 hours before the deadline to process the application and include necessary documents
| Scholarship | Description | Website/Application | Amount | Deadline |
| Chester PTSA |
Chester Academy PTSA Community Award- Presented to the senior who models pride and performs community service within the school and community Chester Academy PTSA Positive Influence Award- Presented to the senior who possesses character, integrity and is a role model to all |
PTSA Membership form **Must be a PTSA member
|
$250 each | Open *See Guidance |
| Andrew B Womack Sr. Scholarhip | Honors the academic, civic, and athletic achievements of a male graduating senior planning to attend a 4-year college or university of his choice. The ideal recipient will have participated in and excelled in school-sponsored sports activities and/or achieved a cumulative B grade point average or better with noted aptitude in the subjects of English and Social Sciences. | 2026 Application and Additional Information |