Maquoketa Valley Dollars for Scholars

Thanks to the Maquoketa Valley community and alumni in 36 states, the MV Dollars for Scholars has met its goal of giving a scholarship to every graduate who applies and to increase the amount given each year. Scholarships are paid from the earnings on the Endowed funds and from Direct Scholarships. Direct scholarships are pass through gifts of $250 or more, to be given at the next graduation. The donor may name someone to be honored or remembered. Since 2001, MVDFS has awarded $1,341,283 in scholarships to 1108 first-year graduates. Because the awards are from a Dollars for Scholars Chapter, their colleges or universities did not reduce the student aid dollars they had promised, a practice in most colleges. In some cases, students received additional matching funds from these schools. Thanks to the generous contributions of Arvin Cooper in 2019, MVDFS began its renewable scholarship program, offered to qualifying students for up to four years to assist in completing their college education.