Newton E. & Hester G. Dilgard Memorial Scholarship Grant

The Newton E. & Hester G. Dilgard Memorial Scholarship, administered by the Ashland County Community Foundation, supports graduating seniors from Ashland County high schools with a minimum GPA of 2.75. This scholarship honors the legacy of Newton E. Dilgard, a self-made business leader and advocate for education, promoting the pursuit of excellence in chosen fields. It aims to assist students in attending accredited colleges or universities, reinforcing the foundation's commitment to community development.

We pool resources from community members, invest them and then use them to make grants for the betterment of the entire community. Nonprofit organizations receive grants from community foundations to support their programs and projects.
Born May 6, 1904, the importance of getting an education was, no doubt, instilled in Newt at an early age. He left high school in the tenth grade to work, so he could help support his widowed mother. He was a self-made man. Rising above his limited high school education, he became a successful business leader, establishing his own insurance, real estate and auctioneer business.
Serving on the Ashland County School Board, he was instrumental in helping form the consolidation of the Hayesville and Jeromesville school systems that became the Hillsdale School District, revealing his belief that an expanded education was a necessity in a changing society, including a very high regard for vocational training. His extended family continues to benefit from his example of perseverance, integrity, hard work and desire for learning.
It is in memory of these parents and the legacy they left that this scholarship is established, promoting the value of education and the pursuit for “excellence” in one’s chosen occupation.

Eligibility

This scholarship is to assist graduating seniors of any Ashland County high school with a GPA of 2.75 or above and have been accepted to an accredited two or four-year college or university.