Who We Are

In 1991, a group of community leaders and several school officials gathered to discuss their concerns about rising costs for higher education and vocational training creating financial difficulties for district families. The group considered creating an organization to help raise scholarship funds to support the desire of our young people to pursue their dreams. The group was made aware of other initiatives within school districts in the region that were affiliated with the national “Dollars for Scholars” program, established by the Citizens’ Scholarship Foundation of America, Inc. Following a thorough investigation of CSFA, it was decided to create an affiliate of the “Dollars for Scholars” program.

Each year in February, our SCSF Phonathon is held over two evenings in the high school main office suite, with up to a dozen volunteer student operators in various rooms “manning” the phones, calling hundreds of district residents to enlist their financial support for our scholarship award program. That event is our largest fundraiser of the year, usually garnering well over $12,000 in donations from generous community members, enabling us to make at least ten $1,200 scholarship awards to deserving SCCS graduates.

The Southern Cayuga Scholarship Foundation considers applications from Southern Cayuga seniors and encourages community members wishing to continue their undergraduate or technical education, to apply for our scholarship program as well. Applicants must be looking to matriculate or are matriculated in a degree program and enrolled at least half-time in an accredited college or university. If a non-traditional student is applying, they must currently be a resident of the district, and have been a resident for at least 12 months.

Over the past 33 years, the Southern Cayuga Scholarship Foundation (SCSF) has made 353 awards totaling over $321,000 in financial support awarded to our students and district graduates. On average, SCSF is able to award 1 in 5 members of the graduating class with financial support towards continuing their education.