Who Can Apply

You may be eligible if you:
 

• Are a full-time resident of the City of New Castle. If you are a dependent, your parent or guardian must also be a full-time City resident.

• Are a high school graduate, or a high school senior about to enter college. There is no age limit. 

• Are entering or returning to an accredited college or university as a full-time undergraduate student in the upcoming semester

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Scholarships are for tuition only.
The check is sent directly to your school's financial office. 

Do I live in the City of New Castle?
 

A New Castle mailing address or a 19720 zip code does not by itself mean you live in the City.
 

• Check your utility bills. City residents pay their water and electric bills to the Municipal Services Commission (MSC). If your electricity comes from Delmarva Power or another non-MSC provider, you are not within the City and are not eligible.

• Use the New Castle County Parcel Search. Enter your address and look at "Municipal Info" under it. "Incorporated in NEWCASTLE PROPERTY TAX AREA" means you live in the City. "Unincorporated" means you do not.

• View the City boundary map.

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What You Will Need to Apply

The Scholarship Application Instructions list every document and every piece of information the online form asks for. Please read them before you start. In brief:

 

• New applicants submit proof of identity, proof of City residency (a recent MSC bill), and a high school transcript. If you have already attended college, an official college transcript replaces the high school transcript. Students who have not yet started college also include a college acceptance letter.

• Returning recipients do not resubmit those documents unless they have changed. They have their school send an official transcript.

• High school seniors can apply early and send the final high school transcript after graduation.

• Official transcripts must come to us directly from your school. Printouts and screenshots from a student portal are not official, and scholarship funds are not released until the official transcript arrives.

 

Staying Eligible

Returning recipients who remain in good standing are invited to reapply. To stay in good standing you need a 2.00 term GPA and a 2.00 cumulative GPA, and 12 credits that count toward your degree each semester.

Things happen. The FAQs explain what to do if:
 

• Your term GPA slips below 2.0

• You drop below 12 credits, or a class changes to listener status 

• You need one more semester to finish your degree 

• You are in your final semester with fewer than 12 credits to finish 

• You change schools or your family moves

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After You Apply
 

Your application goes to both the Scholarship Committee Chair and the Trust office, which check that everything is complete. The Scholarship Committee meets twice a year, in July and January, and you will generally hear by email within 48 hours of the meeting. After approval, checks are prepared, signed by two Trustees, and mailed to your school, where some schools take 3–4 weeks to process them.
 

Who Decides

Scholarships are awarded by the Scholarship Committee, four or five volunteers from the community. No Trustees serve on the Committee. The Secretary of the Committee acts as liaison between the Committee and the Trustees, with help from the Trust's administrative staff and bookkeeper.
 

Questions?
 

1. Check the Scholarship FAQs first.

2. If your question isn't answered there, contact the Trustees office:

        ◦ Email: office@trusteesncc.org
        ◦ Phone: (302) 322-2809, ext. 1 (Monday–Thursday, 10:00 AM–3:30 PM)
        ◦ Mail: Trustees of the New Castle Common, 807 Frenchtown Road, New Castle, DE 19720

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