Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida)
Offered by Collaboratory · Free to apply
Collaboratory, the former Southwest Florida Community Foundation in Fort Myers, runs one of the state's larger regional scholarship programmes: more than a hundred fifty funds, over one and a half million dollars in a recent cycle, and a single main application on the Kaleidoscope platform that considers a student for every opportunity they match. It serves Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties, and reaches high school seniors, current college students and adult learners attending schools anywhere in the country. The next cycle is already published: it opens in early November and closes in mid-January.
How hard is the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) to win?
Narrow eligibility keeps the applicant pool small, so a qualified student has a genuinely realistic shot. These are the awards worth prioritising.
- Estimated odds
- roughly 1 in 5 applicants
- Modelled applicant field
- ~1,000 students
- Awards each cycle
- 218
- Payoff per hour of work
- $481 / hr
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- Fewer rivalsOpen only to Florida residents
- Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
- Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida)?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Must be a resident of Florida
- Open to high school seniors, current college students, transfer students, and adult learners
- Primarily for students from Charlotte, Collier, Glades, Hendry and Lee counties. One main application auto-matches across the funds; some programmes request extra documents after submission.
- High school seniors, current college students and adult learners all qualify, at schools nationwide. Re-apply each year.
What the application takes
- Essay required.
- Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is January 14, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 14 each year. Applications open November 2.
- Applications open
- November 2, 2026
- Applications close
- January 14, 2027
Does your student actually qualify?
See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
Common questions about the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida)
How much is the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) worth?
The Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) awards varies by fund; the 2026 cycle averaged about $7,300 per scholarship. 218 awards are made each cycle.
When is the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) deadline?
The current deadline is January 14, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 14 each year. Applications open November 2.
When do Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) applications open?
Applications open November 2, and close January 14, 2027.
Who is eligible for the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida)?
Key requirements: Must be a resident of Florida; Open to high school seniors, current college students, transfer students, and adult learners.
Does the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) require an essay?
Yes. The application requires an essay and a transcript. Expect to spend about 3 hours on it.
How hard is it to win the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida)?
Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 5 applicants, against a modelled field of ~1,000 students. The pool stays that size because open only to Florida residents and an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants. At 3 hrs of work, that is about $481 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.
Is the Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) free to apply?
Yes. The Collaboratory Scholarships (Southwest Florida) is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
More need-based scholarships
- Austin Community Foundation ScholarshipsVaries by fund (more than 60 opportunities)
- Big Tex Scholarship Program$12,000
- Brevard Schools Foundation Scholarships$250 to $5,000
- Bridging the Dream Scholarship for High School SeniorsUp to $10,000
- Broward Education Foundation Scholarship Application$1,000 for one year up to $20,000 across four years
- Burger King Scholars Program$1,000 - $60,000 (most awards $1,000)
Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.