Solano Community Foundation Scholarships

Scholarship Sponsored by Solano Community Foundation

2026 Scholarship Cycle

Select a scholarship title below to open that fund’s page for more details.

Now accepting applications — all materials are due March 30, 2026.

Overview
- Application windows open on the dates listed for each award. All three scholarships are administered through component funds of the Solano Community Foundation.
- Primary deadline for submission for every scholarship: March 30, 2026.

Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Scholarship (Harry and Eleanor D. Nelson Vacaville Endowment Fund)
- Purpose: To reward sustained academic achievement and community service while in high school.
- Award: Five recipients, $20,000 each. Awards are renewable across four years and paid as $5,000 in the fall of each academic year.
- Application opens: January 26, 2026
- Deadline: March 30, 2026
- Eligible applicants:
- Vacaville residents who are graduating seniors currently enrolled at Vacaville High School, Will C. Wood High School, or Buckingham Collegiate Charter Academy
- Candidates who were enrolled at one of the listed schools for the entirety of their junior and senior years
- Required of all applicants:
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 (at time of transcript submission)
- Demonstrated financial need
- Documented participation in school and community service activities
- Acceptance to and intent to enroll as a full-time student at a four-year college or university

James W. Caughy and Florence L. Caughy Verbeek Vacaville High School Memorial Service Award
- Purpose: To honor continued academic excellence and community service among Vacaville High School students.
- Award: Two scholarships of $4,000 each
- Application opens: January 26, 2026
- Deadline: March 30, 2026
- Eligible applicants:
- Students who attended Vacaville High School for their entire junior and senior years
- Required of all applicants:
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Plans to attend a four-year college or university in California
- A record of at least two years of community volunteer service or employment

Dr. Ethan R. Sellers Memorial Scholarship (Dr. Ethan R. Sellers Memorial Scholarship Fund)
- Purpose: Established in memory of Dr. Ethan Ross Sellers; intended to support students tied to underserved communities and those pursuing healthcare careers.
- Award: One scholarship of $5,000
- Application opens: February 18, 2026
- Deadline: March 30, 2026
- Eligible applicant:
- Will have completed at least three years of undergraduate study by the end of June in the award year and hold a cumulative GPA of at least 3.2
- Pursuing a healthcare-related degree and attending an institution located in Solano County, Yolo County, Napa County, or the state of Pennsylvania
- Must meet one of these conditions:
- Come from a disadvantaged or underserved background
- Intend to work in an underserved or underrepresented community
- Be a member of a community underrepresented in healthcare professions
- Education level: applicants may be completing a 4-year degree, accepted to a postgraduate program, or currently enrolled in a postgraduate program

How to apply
- Complete the Google Form Scholarship Application.
- Required documents for all scholarships (unless a fund specifies otherwise):
- Most recent transcript (copy)
- Two letters of recommendation (one academic and one non-academic)
- Evidence of financial need (as noted in each scholarship’s requirements)

Important dates recap
- Harry & Eleanor D. Nelson and James W. Caughy scholarships: application opens January 26, 2026 — deadline March 30, 2026
- Dr. Ethan R. Sellers scholarship: application opens February 18, 2026 — deadline March 30, 2026

For full details and to access each fund’s page, click the scholarship name above.