Burlington's Resident-Funded Scholarship Is Accepting Applications — One Recipient Says It Made a Real Difference

The Town of Burlington Scholarship Fund has quietly supported Burlington's high school seniors for years — funded not by a foundation or a corporation, but by residents who check a box on their excise or property tax bill.

Applications for the 2026 cycle are now open, and the deadline is April 1. Burlington high school seniors planning to continue their education at an accredited college, university, or technical school are encouraged to apply — including students who attend private or technical schools, not just Burlington High.

The fund, originally established in 1988 and revived in 2018, has collected an average of $11,500 from around 90 contributors annually for the last 5 years. Scholarship recipients are announced each year at Senior Scholarship Night, an invitation-only evening where students and families celebrate financial awards from many different sources – which totaled more than $305,000 in 2025 – and the accomplishments that led to them.

The process to apply for this resident-funded scholarship involves an essay reviewed through a blind scoring process — committee members don't know whose application they're reading — and the committee makes deliberate efforts to ensure equity across school types. Students also must

Advice from a past recipient: "Just be genuine"

Cassandra Herrera graduated from Burlington High School in 2025. A Fox Hill, Marshall Simonds, and BHS alum, she was a four-year soccer and track athlete, a leader on both teams her senior year, and a DECA member who loved AP Chemistry. She found out about the scholarship through her guidance counselor and applied.

She received a $2,000 Town of Burlington scholarship — one of four scholarships she was awarded at Scholarship Night, totaling $4,200.

"It allowed me to take a financial burden off myself," said Herrera, now a nursing major at UMass Amherst considering a specialty in oncology. "I have to take out fewer loans."

She had one piece of advice for current seniors thinking about applying: "Check in with your guidance counselors — they're really helpful. And just be genuine and honest about your journey through high school and why you deserve the scholarship."

This year's Senior Scholarship Night is scheduled for June 4.

To apply for the Town of Burlington Scholarship, high school seniors in Burlington – regardless of which school they attend — can pick up an application in the Burlington High School guidance office or email scholarships@burlington.org. The deadline is April 1.

And Burlington residents – be sure to check off the box on your excise and property tax bills to donate to this fund. You could be making a difference for a student like Cassandra!