The Colleges That Change Lives Scholarship was established in 2016 to honor the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first edition of Loren Pope’s classic book and the 10th anniversary of the non-profit organization, Colleges That Change Lives.
Since first appearing in 1996, four versions of Colleges That Change Lives have been published, each update offering valuable insights about the college search, as well as profiles of a distinctly different group of small, residential, liberal arts schools that offer high-impact, transformative educational experiences to thousands of students each year. The non-profit Colleges That Change Lives organization is dedicated to preserving the author’s message.
This scholarship is yet another way to ensure the CTCL experience becomes a reality for even more students, including the recent scholarship recipients.
The 2026 scholarship application is now closed.
The scholarship was open to all current high school seniors and others who plan to enroll at a CTCL member institution as first-time undergraduates for the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
Two awards of $6000 will be made. The scholarship is disbursed directly to the recipient’s CTCL institution at $1500 per year for four years.
Thank you to all of the students who submitted Part 1 of the application by the March 13 deadline.
Part 2 of the application will be completed by submitting two items before 11:59 PM (Eastern Daylight Time), April 10, 2026.
- One copy of an admission letter from a CTCL Member Institution
- A copy of the page(s) from the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Submission Summary that include the SAI (Student Aid Index).
- NOTE: Applicants who will not or cannot file the FAFSA had an opportunity to indicate they would not share the FAFSA Submission Summary in one of the application questions. If an applicant does not submit the FAFSA Submission Summary and is selected as a finalist, CTCL will contact them directly for more information.
Scholarship applicants will be notified of our decision via email on April 17, 2026.. We will share the news on our website by mid-May.
Please contact CTCL Executive Director Ann Marano with questions at scholarships@ctcl.org.