The Ernie Davis Scholarship
Who: Scholarship opportunities for all high school senior student athletes in Corning and Chemung County schools.
Award: This scholarship opportunity is an incredible way to learn about Ernie Davis's legacy, and the awards are up to $15,000 for the Ernie Davis Scholarship and up to $6,000 for the Marty Harrigan Scholarship.
Deadline: April 1, 2022
About the Ernie Davis Scholarship Fund: In 1985, a group of local educators and community members familiar with Ernie Davis's legacy began to raise funds to construct a statue in his honor. The resulting memorial was dedicated in 1988. One year later, the Ernie Davis Memorial Scholarship was established. It continues today with the support of the local community. The scholarship, which can range from $10,000 - $15,000, is awarded to a high school senior scholar-athlete. In 2003, an additional scholarship was established in honor of Marty Harrigan, Ernie's high school coach. Typically, this scholarship can range from $4,000 - $6,000.
Nominees are asked either to develop a project to spread the word about Ernie Davis and his lasting legacy or to volunteer for 44 hours while spreading the word. Each year, a high school senior is selected to receive the Ernie Davis Memorial Scholarship, and a second student is selected to receive the Marty Harrigan Memorial Scholarship.
Application Process: Applications with completed projects or volunteer hours are due by April 1st of your senior year. The Scholarship Committee will review the applications and select the winner at the beginning of June. The recipients will be notified and announced during their schools' senior awards banquets.
Expanded Opportunities: The Ernie Davis Scholarship Committee has made some changes to the benefits and criteria of the scholarship. The first change expands the scholarship to students applying to 2-year colleges as well as those applying to 4-year colleges. In addition, if a student is awarded the scholarship to a 2-year college, and subsequently decides to pursue a 4-year degree, they may be eligible, upon enrollment, to receive funding for the additional two years (up to the amount of the typical 4-
year award). In addition to the eligibility expansion, the Scholarship Committee has expanded the scholarship to include a mentoring option to any student who would like additional guidance and support with their effort.
Finally, the Scholarship Committee has added an expanded focus of the scholarship to include not just ways in which to “spread the word” about the incredible legacy of Ernie Davis but also to include reflections on racism during Ernie Davis’s era and present.
Virtual informational meetings are in the process of being scheduled for the community to learn more about the scholarship. For further information, those interested may contact members of the Ernie Davis Scholarship Committee through our website at
www.erniedavisscholarship.org
using the contact link.
Next Steps: Request a scholarship form by visiting the
Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, Inc.