Scholarships at Holyoke Community College

Each year the HCC Foundation disburses more than three hundred thousand dollars across more than one hundred sixty named scholarship funds for new, continuing, and transfer students at Holyoke Community College. Eligible applicants must be current or accepted HCC students with an active HCC email address. Students complete one online AwardSpring application, write a required two-hundred-fifty to five-hundred-word essay responding to a provided prompt, and are automatically matched to every fund for which they qualify. FAFSA completion is encouraged; students without financial aid eligibility may submit tax return pages instead. Awards are applied to student accounts or sent to transfer institutions. The application cycle typically opens in late January and closes in early March. Recipients may reapply in future years even after winning an award.

The Donald Taber Art Scholarship supports Holyoke Community College students studying visual art, established by the HCC Foundation after philanthropist Donald Taber donated his private art collection to the college in 1992. Proceeds from foundation golf benefits and the Feast of Fine Art gala seeded the fund, with additional gifts from Taber and his family sustaining awards that have helped more than fifty HCC art students. Recipients are selected through the unified HCC Foundation AwardSpring application and essay process each spring. The scholarship honors Taber's commitment to making art accessible as an educational tool at HCC and is administered alongside other visual arts awards at the annual student art exhibition. Awards reduce unmet educational costs for students pursuing art credentials at HCC.

The Gary Brochu '62 Transfer Scholarship is an HCC Foundation award for Holyoke Community College students preparing to transfer to a four-year institution after completing coursework at HCC. Named for longtime college supporter and alumnus Gary Brochu, the fund is part of the foundation's portfolio of transfer-focused scholarships that help graduating Cougars bridge the cost of continuing their education. Students apply through the single annual AwardSpring application and essay, and the scholarship committee matches qualified transfer-bound applicants to the fund. Awards are disbursed according to foundation policy, either credited to the HCC account or sent directly to the student's next college. Multiple recipients may be selected each year depending on endowment earnings and applicant pool strength.

The John Sullivan Scholarship commemorates beloved HCC mathematics professor John Sullivan, who taught at Holyoke Community College for forty-nine years and chaired the Math Department. Established with support from family, friends, colleagues, and alumni, the award helps an HCC student studying mathematics, physics, or engineering who earns a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. Applicants compete through the annual HCC Foundation AwardSpring application and required essay. The scholarship honors Sullivan's dedication to quantitative disciplines and supports students pursuing STEM pathways at HCC before transfer or career entry. Recipients are notified by the end of the spring semester, and funds are applied to their student accounts to offset tuition and related costs.

The Raymond J. and Helen T. Deshaies Scholarship honors a Holyoke firefighter who died in the line of duty in 1982 and his wife, who passed away in 2011. Their children established this HCC Foundation award to advance higher education for talented local students committed to improving their lives and community, with preference given to a child of a current or retired Holyoke firefighter regardless of major. Any deserving Holyoke Community College student may be considered through the annual AwardSpring application and essay. The scholarship reflects the Deshaies family's belief in the transformative power of community college education. Recipients are selected by the foundation scholarship committee and notified by the end of the award semester.

The Al Perusse Scholarship was created by Cindy Esposito Schneider and Greg Schneider '90 in memory of Al Perusse, celebrating his roles as father, entrepreneur, and community member. The HCC Foundation award supports Holyoke Community College students who are working while in school, military veterans, or students raising families—populations that often face compounding financial pressure while pursuing credentials. Applicants use the single annual AwardSpring form and essay to be considered for this and other matching funds. The scholarship committee selects recipients based on need, essay quality, and alignment with the fund's purpose. Awards are applied to student accounts and may be combined with other foundation scholarships in the same cycle when students qualify for multiple funds.

The Jolayne Hinkel Memorial Scholarship was established by friends and family of Jolayne Hinkel, a respected longtime member of HCC's English faculty known for classroom passion and community activism as an author, entrepreneur, musician, and advocate. The award supports a woman from Amherst or Holyoke who is accepted or enrolled in any education curriculum at Holyoke Community College. Students apply through the foundation's annual AwardSpring application and essay. The scholarship honors Hinkel's dedication to students and the Pioneer Valley community while providing financial assistance to local women pursuing teaching and education pathways at HCC. Recipients are chosen by the foundation scholarship committee each spring.

The Bobby Wright Scholarship was established by friends of Bobby Wright, an outstanding local jazz performer, to support a Holyoke Community College music student who plans to attend a four-year institution after HCC. The award encourages transfer from HCC's music and performing arts programs to bachelor's-level study. Students apply through the foundation's single AwardSpring application and essay, indicating their transfer intentions and musical involvement. The scholarship committee matches qualified applicants to the fund based on academic record, essay, and alignment with the music-transfer purpose. Awards help cover remaining educational costs during the final year at HCC or support the transition to a senior college music program.

The Doris M. Kemble Nursing Scholarship is a Holyoke Community College Foundation award for students in HCC's nursing programs, named for a donor who supported health professions education at the college. It is among the nursing-specific funds listed in the foundation's annual scholarship awards alongside other clinical program scholarships. Nursing students apply through the unified AwardSpring application, FAFSA, and required essay each spring. The scholarship helps cover tuition, fees, and program costs such as uniforms and supplies that create financial pressure for healthcare students. Multiple recipients may be selected annually depending on fund earnings. Awards are verified in the foundation's published recipient lists and credited to student accounts through the financial aid office.