More than a scholarship
The Mitchell Scholarship supports Maine students with scholarship funding, leadership development, personal and career support, and a lifelong community of Mitchell Scholars and Alumni.
The 2026 Mitchell Scholarship application deadline has passed
Applications for the next Mitchell Scholarship cycle will open in December.
2026 recipients are live
Meet the newest class of Mitchell Scholars from public high schools across Maine.
View Scholarship RecipientsThere are two ways to apply
When applications reopen, applicants may apply through Common App or the Mitchell Scholarship Application. We accept either application, so please complete only one.
Apply via Common App
If you are already using Common App, or plan to, this is the easiest way to apply.
Common AppApply through Mitchell
Applicants may also apply using the Mitchell Scholarship Application.
Mitchell ApplicationEligibility and Application Dates
To be eligible for a Mitchell Scholarship, applicants must be full-time residents of Maine and be on track to graduate from a public high school in Maine. Applicants should plan to attend a two-year or four-year degree program at an accredited college or university in the fall semester immediately following their high school graduation. Students pursuing a two-year degree are eligible for up to four years of scholarship support if they continue their education beyond the initial two years.
Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria: academics, community impact, and degree of financial need.
The application period for the 2027 Mitchell Scholarship will open on December 1, 2026. Application submissions will be due by March 1, 2027. Recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship will be notified beginning at their high school award ceremonies in late spring 2027.
Requirements
Due by March 1:
- Application, either Common App or Mitchell App
- Transcript with first-semester senior-year grades
- FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS)
- Letter of recommendation
Due by April 1:
- College financial aid letter from top-choice college
Why It Is So Much More Than a Scholarship
In addition to offering the financial support of the scholarship, the Mitchell Institute offers a wide array of free personal, academic, and professional support programs, as well as a career network of more than 4,000 Mitchell Scholars and Alumni, plus partners.
Resources and programs for Mitchell Scholars include:
- Free leadership and career development events
- Access to the Mitchell Scholar Alumni network
- Customized career and personal advising through one-on-one meetings with Mitchell Institute staff
- Opportunities to apply for Fellowship Awards of up to $1,500 to support unpaid or underpaid internships and other career development activities
- Opportunities to apply for emergency financial assistance for unexpected challenges
Other Scholarship Resources
We offer the links below because they may be helpful in the college and scholarship application process:
- Mitchell Institute financial aid comparison worksheet
- Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)
- Alfond Scholarship Foundation
- Maine Community Foundation
- MES Foundation
- Mainely Character Scholarship
- Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education
- BigFuture™, a trademark owned by the College Board and used with permission
- Fastweb’s Free Scholarship Search
In addition to the $10,000 college scholarship, paid in four equal annual installments of $2,500, Mitchell Scholars receive access to a broad range of free programs, resources, and additional funding opportunities throughout their college years and beyond. Each year, the Mitchell Institute awards 200 college scholarships statewide to at least one graduating student from every public high school in Maine who plans to attend a two-year or four-year college in the fall immediately following graduation.
Check out the 2026 Mitchell Scholars
See who received a Mitchell Scholarship in 2026 and explore the newest class of Mitchell Scholars.
Visit our Scholarship Recipients pageMeet the Team
Headquartered at 75 Washington Avenue in Portland, the Mitchell Institute staff is committed to the organization’s mission to increase the likelihood that young people from every community in Maine will aspire to, pursue, and achieve a college education. We work with young people from every corner of Maine who face uphill battles on their way to college, and we level the playing field for them by providing financial resources and a broad range of support. Through our work, we help Mitchell Scholars graduate from college at a rate that far exceeds the national average.
Learn more about the Mitchell Institute staffEvidence of Our Success
Since 2000, we have conducted longitudinal scholarship research to learn about the experiences of Mitchell Scholars and Alumni. Our research on Mitchell Scholars demonstrates that our methods work: While 44% of recent Mitchell Scholars were the first in their families to attend college and 75% came from households earning less than Maine’s median family income, they graduate at a rate 27 percentage points higher than the national average. More than 50% achieved earnings early in their careers that were higher than their entire family household income at the time they applied for the Mitchell Scholarship.
Learn more about the measures of our impactReady to learn more?
Explore Mitchell Institute programs, resources, and opportunities available to Mitchell Scholars throughout college and beyond.
See an Overview of All Programs