As students head back to school, Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) announced that a record-breaking $953,600 in scholarships has been awarded to 334 students from Eastern Jackson County and the surrounding regions for the 2025-26 school year to help them pursue higher education. 

This is a 198% increase over the total awards made just 6 years ago in 2019. Since 1982, THCF has awarded more than $8.4 million through its scholarship program.
 
This record-setting amount was awarded as 497 scholarships from 181 generous fundholders. These scholarships have gone to students throughout Eastern Jackson County and the surrounding regions.
 
The Foundation received 3,049 applications from students throughout the region, with 424 community volunteers investing thousands of hours meticulously reviewing applications to select students who met each scholarship’s unique criteria and requirements. To view a complete list of scholarship awards, visit https://www.thcf.org/students/scholarships/scholarship-recipients. .
 
Rachael Cassiday Watkins, THCF Director of Scholarships, expressed her gratitude for the commitment of THCF board of directors and advisory board members and the dedicated community volunteers who played a critical role in the rigorous review process. "Every year, members of the THCF board of directors, advisory boards, and dedicated community volunteers join forces to review and evaluate huge numbers of scholarship applications," Cassiday Watkins stated. "Without the invaluable support of our volunteers, it would be impossible to accomplish such a task. They are the cornerstone of our program, offering the essential support needed to make these critical decisions."
 
THCF hosted an ice cream social on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, at 7:00 PM at the Adam’s Point Conference Center in Blue Springs, MO. The event helps bring scholarship fundholders and their student awardees together to celebrate the generosity of the donors and the students’ accomplishments. Over 150 people were in attendance.

​For more information about the Truman Heartland Community Foundation and its scholarship program, please visit https://www.thcf.org/students/scholarships www.thcf.org/scholarships or call (816) 836-8189.