A $10,000 College Scholarship Plus So Much More

The 2026 Mitchell Scholarship application is now open!

There are two ways to apply (we accept either application – please complete only one):

  • Apply via Common App here (If you are already using Common App, or plan to, this is the easiest way to apply)
  • OR apply using the Mitchell Scholarship Application here

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 Mitchell Scholarship will open on December 1st, 2025. Application submissions will be due by March 1st, 2026. Recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship will be informed of their awards starting at their high school award ceremonies in late spring 2026.

Due by March 1st:

  • Application (either Common App or Mitchell App)
  • Transcript (with 1st semester senior year grades)
  • FAFSA submission summary (FSS)

Due by April 1st:

  • College financial aid letter from top choice college

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 3,600 Mitchell Scholars, alumni, and 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 1:1 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
See an Overview of All Programs

We offer the links below as they may be helpful in the college and scholarship application process:


In addition to the $10,000 college scholarship (paid in four annual and equal 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. Next year, the Mitchell Institute will award 200 college scholarships statewide — to at least one graduating student from every public high school in Maine who plans to attend a two- or four-year college in fall 2026.

To see who received a Mitchell Scholarship in 2025 please visit our Scholarship Recipients page!

Learn more about the Mitchell Institute

Headquartered at 75 Washington Avenue in Portland, the Mitchell Institute’s nine full-time professionals are 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 supports. 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 staff.

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. Over 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 impact.