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PO Box 1344
Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69361
Phone (308) 635-3393
Contact

What We Do

Scholarships

Scholarship Application Deadline

April 1, 2026

NOTE: ONLY DIGITAL APPLICATIONS ARE NOW ACCEPTED

One Application applies you to 
ALL OTCF Scholarships*
that you qualify for based on your:
high school, college you plan to attend,
field of study & more 

Please be sure to upload all relevant letters of recommendation,
essays, transcripts, college admittance and class schedules.

*To apply for the "ASPIRING YOUTH IN AG SCHOLARSHIP" 
specific to Box Butte County graduating seniors pursuing Ag, visit:
 https://nalhd.sjc1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1UpgaPWI1up481E
 

NEW! Juanita M Gibbs Memorial Scholarship

For Gering and Scottsbluff High School seniors, majoring in Business and attending Western Nebraska Community College

The Juanita M Gibbs Memorial Scholarship provides two (2) scholarships of $1,000 each ($500 per semester) to a graduating senior from Scottsbluff and Gering High School. Candidates must be attending Western Nebraska Community College and majoring in Busines. Recipients must be a full-time student and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

Peggy A. Olsen Scholarship

The Peggy A. Olsen Scholarship

The family of Peggy Olsen have established a scholarship in her name to recognize her years of teaching at St. Agnes School and the difference she made to so many students during that time.

This scholarship will provide funds for annual tuition at St. Agnes School to be distributed among students who qualify under need guidelines set by the school. Interested applicants must apply at St. Agnes School

Autumn H. Elsen Memorial Scholarship for Education or Fine Arts Majors

For those majoring in Education or the Fine Arts

The Autumn H. Elsen Memorial Scholarship provides two (2) scholarships of $4,000 each ($500 per semester) to a graduating senior who will be majoring in Education of the Field of Fine Arts at a four-year institution. Recipients must be a full-time student and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

Preference is given to a GERING HIGH SCHOOL graduate for one of the two scholarships per year. 

Shane Siegfried Memorial Scholarship

AVAILABLE TO BAYARD HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES: The Shane Siegfried Memorial Scholarship is available to Bayard High School graduates. 

A Hand Up Scholarship

A Hand Up Scholarship is for single mothers or birth mothers who have placed their child in an open adoption who wish to further themselves and/or provide for their families by seeking higher education.  Women seeking a two-year, four-year or trade school degree, or any kind of medical or veterinary certification needed for employment (CNA, Vet Tech, LPN, Paramedic license, etc.).

This scholarship award is for:

  • Full-time student (at least 12 credit hours per semester) / up to $3,000/semester
  • Or Part-time students (at least 6 credit hours per semester) / up to $1,500/semester

M Joan Cromer Memorial Scholarship

For underserved youth formerly from the Head Start program

The M Joan Cromer Memorial Scholarship provides one (1) scholarship of $4,000 ($500 per semester) to a low-income graduating seniors in Scotts Bluff County who attended Head Start in their early years. The scholarship may be used at either a two or four-year institution. Recipients must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher.

Agriculture / Box Butte County

Aspiring Youth in Ag Scholarship

in Memory of Keri Votruba

For Box Butte County Graduating Seniors Pursuing Study in an Agricultural related field.

PLEASE NOTE: To apply for this scholarship, you must download the application. This scholarship is not accessible on the OTCF digital application.

The Keri Votruba Aspiring Youth in Ag Scholarship is offered to assist students who are pursuing a major in an agricultural related field at an accredited two or four-year college, university or technical school.  The scholarship is available to high school graduating seniors and college freshman.

​One $2,000 scholarship will be awarded annually for undergraduate study. One winner and one alternate will be selected by an advisory committee with final approval of the OTCF Scholarship Committee.

Gering High School

CSPM Scholarship

Available to Gering High School Seniors. Three separate scholarships are awarded each year; one $2,000 scholarship ($500 per semester for two years) is awarded to a student pursuing two-year technical or vocational training, and two $6,000 scholarships ($750 per semester for four years) are awarded to students pursuing studies at a two-or four-year college or university. 

Mitchell High School

Mitchell Community Scholarship

$1,000 Scholarship for Graduating Seniors from Mitchell High School

Drug-Free Youth

Panhandle Drug-Free Youth Scholarship

​The Panhandle Drug-Free Youth Scholarship is available to Nebraska panhandle-area high school seniors who are currently involved in a local drug-free youth group. One $500 scholarship will be awarded annually. 

Scotts Bluff County

Lemons (Lawrence & Pauline) Scholarship

The Lawrence and Pauline Lemons Scholarship offers two $4,000 scholarships annually to students under age 30, who are graduates of any Scotts Bluff County high school.  Preference is given to lineal descendants of Harry and Mabel Wisner and Guy and Florence Lemons. 

Scottsbluff High School

Jane and Chet Fliesbach Scholarship

The Jane and Chet Fliesbach Scholarship provides three (3) scholarships of $1,000 each ($500 per semester) to low-income Scottsbluff High School graduating seniors.  The scholarship may be used at either a two- or four-year institution.  Recipients must maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher. 

Pre-Engineering

Pre-Engineering Scholarship

​Offers financial assistance to a Scottsbluff or Gering High School graduating senior who will attend Western Nebraska Community College to pursue a degree in Pre-Engineering. 

WNCC Bound

Dill Scholarship

The Alan Dill Scholarship is for graduating seniors of any Scotts Bluff County High School who attend Western Nebraska Community College.  The scholarship is worth $1,000 annually. 

Agriculture

Agri-Business Scholarship

For Area Graduating Seniors Pursuing Undergraduate Study in Agricultural Sciences

Gering High School

Lovercheck (Margaret) Scholarship

Available to Gering High School seniors for the study of art, music, theater, literature or journalism at a four-year institution.  The scholarship provides $500 per semester for up to four years for a student who needs financial assistance for college. 

Hispanic Scholarship

Hispanic Advisory Committee Scholarship

Available to Scotts Bluff County residents of Hispanic heritage and American citizenship to pursue undergraduate education. Scholarships are available to high school seniors and undergraduate college students. The number and value of scholarships will vary based on annual Hispanic Advisory Committee scholarship resources.  Scholarships may be renewable. Applicants must be full-time students.

Arts, Music, Theater

Bronson (Dorothy) Memorial Scholarship

For area high school students to attend summer camp for the study of art, music, dance or theater. Area high school students are eligible to receive Dorothy Bronson Memorial Scholarships through the summer following high school graduation. 

For Music Educators

Sharon M. Hoffman Music Educators Scholarship

A memorial scholarship fund for high school seniors or college students pursuing a career as a music educator. Open to students throughout the panhandle of Nebraska. One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually.

Fliesbach McAlister Scholarship

For high school seniors or junior college students who are residents of western Nebraska or eastern Wyoming, and planning to study art.  Recipients are selected by the West Nebraska Arts Center. Information about this scholarship is available by contacting the West Nebraska Arts Center at 308-632-2226.

Scottsbluff High School

CSI Scholarship

Available to Scottsbluff High School Seniors. Three separate scholarships are awarded each year; one $2,000 scholarship ($500 per semester for two years) is awarded to a student pursuing two-year technical or vocational training, and two $6,000 scholarships ($750 per semester for four years) are awarded to students pursuing studies at a two-or four-year college or university.

Scottsbluff High School

Lemons (Lawrence) Scholarship

The Lawrence Lemons $500 Memorial Scholarship is given annually to one Scottsbluff High School senior.

SHS Band Students

Class of '66 Memorial Scholarship

A $500 scholarship will be given annually to a Scottsbluff High School graduating senior who is an outstanding band student. Application forms are available at the Scottsbluff High School Counseling Office or from the band director.

Education or Healthcare

Clara E. Muehlberger Scholarship

Available to residents of the 11 panhandle counties and Goshen County in Wyoming who pursue undergraduate study in education or a health care-related field. It provides $1,000 per year for up to four years and may be used at either two- or four-year institution. The scholarships are available to high school seniors, non-traditional college students, and college upper classmen. 

For Non Lineal Descendants or Education Majors

Don & Dian Roth Scholarship

​The Don and Dian Roth Scholarship was established to encourage continuing education and serves as an investment in higher learning. 
Available to non lineal descendants of Don and Dian Roth. Non lineal descendants are not required to be Scotts Bluff county graduates.
If you are not a non lineal descendant, your major must be in EDUCATION, and you must be a graduate from Scotts Bluff county.

Diesel Technology

Floyd's Truck Center, Inc.

Brian H. Greif Memorial Scholarship

​The Floyd’s Truck Center, Inc. Scholarship is offered to assist students from the following cities and surrounding areas: Scottsbluff, Gering and Sidney, NE; Cheyenne, Rock Springs, Casper and Gillette, WY; and from Rapid City and Pierre, SD, who are pursuing a major as a diesel technician at one of the accredited colleges listed. The scholarship is available to high school seniors, and to those who have previously graduated from high school.

2025 / 2026 Scholarship Recipients:

Winners of the Oregon Trail Community Foundation
Scholarships include:

A Hand Up Scholarship: Jennifer Eickmann of Humboldt, NE, $6,000; Makayla Enrique, $6,000 and Tyra Hernandez, $6,000

Agribusiness Scholarship: Taylor Petersen of Bayard, $2,000 and Louden Bremer of Lingle, $2,000

Autumn H. Elsen Memorial Scholarship: Samuel Martidale of Gering, $4,000 and Landen Murphy of Mitchell, $4,000

Dorothy Bronson Scholarship: Elia Ybarra of Scottsbluff: $4,000

Joan Cromer Memorial Scholarship: Aimee Morales of Mitchell, $4,000

Class of ’66 Scholarship: Mina Griffith of Scottsbluff, $1,000

CSI Scholarship (Scottsbluff High School Scholarship): CSI-A: Emma Marks, $6,000; CSI-B: Lucas Jones, $6,000; Dawson Barrett, $2,000

CSPM Scholarship (Gering High School Scholarship): CSPM-A: Belinda Vazquez-Hernandez, $6,000; CSI-B: Gabby Moreno, $6,000; CSPM-C: Quinton Robbins, $2,000

Alan Dill Scholarship: Jay Peterson of Minatare, $1,000

Clara E. Muehlberger Scholarship: Aubrey Watts of Bridgeport, $4,000; Aria Schneider of Gering, $4,000; Creighton Beals of Gering, $4,000; Jordan DeNovellis of Sidney, $4,000; Ava Fraass of Creek Valley, $4,000; Addison Beebe of Mitchell, $4,000; Kira Perez, UNMC - $2,000; Lily Krahulik, Hastings College, $2,000

Jane & Chet Fliesbach Scholarship ($1,000 Scottsbluff High School Scholarship): Ava Osborn, Sierra Little and Lucas Jones

Fliesbach McAllister Scholarship: Ava Osborn of Scottsbluff, $1,000

Sharon Hoffman Music Educator’s Scholarship: Sharon Sander of Gothenburg, $1,000

Floyd’s Truck Center/ Brian Greif Scholarship: Cole Krejci $4,000; Jay Peterson of Minatare, $2,000; Matthew Shields, $2,000; Riley Mitchell of Gilette, $2,000

Hispanic Advisory Scholarship ($1,000 scholarship): Gabby Moreno of Gering; Angelica Anaya of UNMC

Lawrence Lemons Scholarship (Scottsbluff High School Scholarship): Brandon Baker of Scottsbluff, $500

Lawrence and Pauline Lemons Scholarship ($4,000/ scholarship): Hanna Schneider of Scottsbluff; Maddison Brown of Scottsbluff

Mitchell Community Scholarship (Mitchell High School Scholarship): Addison Beebe, $1,000

Panhandle Drug-Free Scholarship ($500 Scholarship): Averielle Sager of Chadron

Pre-Engineering Scholarship: Trysten McGaughy of Gering, $2,000

Don and Dian Roth Scholarship: Isaiah Murillo of Gering, $1,000

Shane Siegfried Memorial Scholarship (Bayard High School Scholarship): Riley Hopkins, $1,000

Our Impact - 2023

  • Funds Managed by OTCF

    83

  • Community Grants Awarded

    $111,312

  • Scholarships Awarded

    $93,250

  • Net Assets

    $11,575,643

Oregon Trail Community Foundation
PO Box 1344
Scottsbluff, Nebraska 69361
Phone (308) 635-3393
Contact
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