Eagan Community Foundation Awards Record $157,025 in Scholarships to 124 Local Students
Provided by the Eagan Community Foundation, the above photograph shows a few recipients receiving their scholarships on stage during the event.
Published: May 19, 2026
EAGAN, MINNESOTA – The Eagan Community Foundation recently celebrated a record-breaking year for its scholarship program, awarding 124 scholarships totaling $157,025 to local students during its annual Scholarship Dessert Social and Awards Celebration.
According to the Foundation, this marks the largest scholarship year in the organization’s history, continuing a long-standing tradition of supporting students across the Eagan community through donations from residents, businesses, booster clubs, civic organizations, and community leaders.
Foundation officials said the scholarships recognized a wide range of student achievements, backgrounds, and career aspirations. Recipients included students pursuing careers in engineering, education, healthcare, journalism, the arts, STEM-related fields, business, and entrepreneurship, as well as students involved in athletics, volunteerism, and community service. Scholarships also supported first-generation Americans, English language learners, and students who demonstrated perseverance through personal challenges.
“We often talk about the dollars, but scholarships are also a message,” Executive Director Jamie Hopkins said in the release. “They tell students that their community sees them, believes in them, and is excited to invest in their future. That encouragement is just as important as the financial support.”
The Foundation noted that several new scholarship opportunities were introduced this year, including scholarships supporting future educators of color, immigrant and first-generation students, students entering STEM careers, and those pursuing business and entrepreneurship opportunities. Officials also highlighted the introduction of new long-term scholarship funding models designed to sustain support for students well into the future through larger gifts that are stewarded and invested over time.
Scholarship Chair Sarah Mott said the scholarship program has become a “full-circle story” for many in the community.
“Some of our donors were scholarship recipients themselves,” Mott said. “It’s incredibly meaningful to watch students receive support from their community and later return to help the next generation.”
Founded in 1990, the Eagan Community Foundation said it has reinvested more than $3 million into the community through scholarships, grants, and local initiatives over the past three decades. The scholarship program, which has become an annual tradition in Eagan, continues to support students pursuing college, technical education, military service, career training, and other post-secondary opportunities.
This year’s scholarship recipients represented several local schools, including Eagan High School, Eastview High School, School of Environmental Studies, Trinity School at River Ridge, and Visitation School.
The Foundation said support for the scholarship program came from 67 donors and donor groups this year, including local businesses, financial institutions, booster clubs, nonprofits, civic organizations, and families throughout the community.
Additional information about the Foundation, scholarship opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and community programs is available through the organization’s website at Eagan Community Foundation.
Written by: Will Wight
Images Provided by the Eagan Community Foundation.
