Apply for a Scholarship

The 2023 ACAF/Dollars for Scholars Scholarship Application

The application will be open November 1, 2023 through February 5, 2024

The Fall 2023 application (for the 2024-2025 academic year) to the Allegany County Area Foundation Dollars for Scholars scholarship program went live on November 1, 2023. The deadline for application submission will be February 5, 2024. The application can be found at the link below. On that page, scroll down and click on the LOGIN button in the center of the page to register with Scholarship America/Dollars for Scholars and begin the application. ACAF manages over 50 scholarship programs. The online application system will identify those for which you may qualify – so you need only complete the one application.


Contact ACAF if you have questions about the process. We are glad to help. Call 585-296-5616 or e-mail director@acafny.org


Our daughter will be leaving soon to attend SUNY Brockport – where this scholarship will be used. Thank you so much for awarding this to her. There are so many expenses involved!



~Bill and Tara


Scholarship Application Review

While scholarships may have donor-established criteria, such as the high school you attend(ed) or your career goals, scholarship applications are evaluated based on the following: academic record (that is, your grades), activities, work experience, essays (do put some time into these), and special circumstances. Some scholarships will require a recommendation (we’ll let you know). What we DO NOT look at – SAT or ACT scores. Please note, too, that scholarships are reviewed “blind.” The Dollars for Scholars application system removes identifying information so that the scholarship committee (a group of volunteers from all over Allegany County) does not know who submitted the application it is seeing.

Repeat Applicants

Repeat Applicants – please read over ACAF RepeatApplicants to avoid potential complications when applying again.

Potential applicants

Potential applicants – please DO NOT wait until the deadline approaches to begin your application. Your guidance will need time to submit your transcript to complete your application. Plus, ACAF staff check applications and contact students with updates and reminders. If you apply last minute, you may miss out on that assistance.

If you have any questions, please call 585-296-5616 or e-mail: director@acafny.org


  • Does receiving or not receiving an award mean I always will or won’t in the future?

    Applications are reviewed anew each year, and we have very few awards that renew automatically. So, if you have received one definitely reapply; if not – still reapply, at least once more. There is no cost to apply. By the way, when you reapply, please update your essays, at least the goals one, to reflect your current thinking.

  • What should I have with me when I start the application?

    You’ll really benefit from having a copy of your current high school transcript (grades 9 and up) on hand, get that from your guidance office, and the info from your parents FAFSA if they have that (but you can start without this). Having the name and contact information for your school counselor and your parents email address will also prove helpful.

  • Is it true that some colleges will match an ACAF/Dollars for Scholars award?

    Yes, and we continue to work on this. Dollars for Scholars/scholarship America ended its Collegiate Partners program in September 2022. Since then, ACAF has contacted former matching schools, and other colleges frequently attended by our scholarship recipients, to see if they will set up matches for ACAF scholarships. So far, Elmira and Houghton colleges, St. Bonaventure University, and Roberts Wesleyan have generously agreed to partial matching grants. We expect more schools will. Please check back for updates.

  • Can I receive a scholarship if I am already in college? How about grad school?

    Yes, this last May around 40% of our awards were made to current college students. We had a few grad students in the mix, too, including two in medical school.

  • Can students pursuing trades or vocations receive scholarships?

    Yes, we are glad to report. In fact, recent years have seen an increase in scholarships awarded for vocational study, and greater donor interest in supporting these career goals.

  • Any other tips?

    Yes – please start the app early – as in over one of the November/December school breaks. Call ACAF at 585-296-5616 or email director@acafny.org if you have questions. We’re very helpful!

Scholarship FAQs

Board Meeting Notes

News and Events

Fillmore Central School Alumni Scholarship

March 18, 2025
Graduating classes pool leftover class gift funds to create an endowed scholarship.

Leadership and Innovation Fund

March 18, 2025
New Fund Will Boost ACAF Grantmaking

ACAF Grants Boost Libraries, Arts, and Wellness Programs

By ACAF • January 8, 2024
(Dec 2023) Alfred and Whitesville libraries, Fountain Arts Center, Allegany County Blind Association, Andover Central School, and Pioneer Oil Museum were awarded grants at the Allegany County Area Foundation’s (ACAF) December meeting. All grants were made through ACAF’s Allegany Fund unless otherwise noted. The Allegany County Blind Association received $500 to provide pre-school amblyopia screenings […] The post ACAF Grants Boost Libraries, Arts, and Wellness Programs appeared first on Allegany County Area Foundation.

Allegany County Area Foundation June Grants Support Archery Program, Scouting, Libraries

By ACAF • November 20, 2023
(June 2023) Scout Troop 733, Genesee and Belfast libraries, and Canaseraga Central School were approved for grants during the Allegany County Area Foundation’s (ACAF) September meeting. Wellsville’s Boy Scout Troop 733 will receive $725 for the purchase of new tents and related items needed for its growing program. Genesee Library was awarded $750 for landscaping […] The post Allegany County Area Foundation June Grants Support Archery Program, Scouting, Libraries appeared first on Allegany County Area Foundation.