Where can I find scholarships for Ellis County, Texas students?

Start at elliscountyscholarships.com, a free hub run by CROME that lists local awards for every Ellis County town, then check your high school counselor’s list and apply for CROME’s own scholarship.

When are most Ellis County scholarship deadlines?

Most local deadlines fall between February and April, but school-specific awards can close earlier, so ask your counselor in the fall.

Is Ellis County Scholarships free to use?

Yes. There are no subscriptions or paywalls for students, and providers can list awards at no cost.

Ellis County scholarships: where students in Waxahachie, Ennis, Midlothian and beyond find local money for college and trade school

ScholarshipsSeptember 13, 2026 · CROME

Ellis County scholarship recipients celebrating together in Ennis, Texas

Quick answers

Where can I find scholarships for Ellis County, Texas students?: Start at elliscountyscholarships.com, a free hub run by CROME that lists local awards for every Ellis County town, then check your high school counselor’s list and apply for CROME’s own scholarship.
Does CROME give scholarships to students outside Ennis?: Yes. CROME scholarships are open to high school seniors and current college students across Ellis County, for any major at any accredited institution.
When are most Ellis County scholarship deadlines?: Most local deadlines fall between February and April, but school-specific awards can close earlier, so ask your counselor in the fall.
Is Ellis County Scholarships free to use?: Yes. There are no subscriptions or paywalls for students, and providers can list awards at no cost.

Ellis County students leave real money on the table every spring. Local scholarships from businesses, foundations, service clubs and neighbors often have a few dozen applicants rather than a few thousand, and many go to the first well-prepared student who applies. This guide gathers the Ellis County scholarship sources we know about and explains how to search them in one place.

Start with Ellis County Scholarships, the free county-wide hub

Ellis County Scholarships is a free website, built and run by CROME, where students find scholarships offered by local businesses, community organizations, foundations and neighbors. It covers Waxahachie, Midlothian, Ennis, Red Oak, Ferris, Palmer, Italy, Maypearl, Milford, Bardwell, Garrett, Oak Leaf, Ovilla and Pecan Hill. You filter by hometown, interests and the path you are taking, whether that is a four-year college, career and technical education or the skilled trades, then follow each provider’s own application instructions. There are no subscriptions and no paywall. Scholarship providers can list an award there too.

CROME scholarships for Ellis County students

CROME, the Claudio Romero Organization for Minority Empowerment, awards its own scholarships to high school seniors and current college students across Ellis County. All majors and all accredited institutions qualify, including trade schools, and there is no application fee. In 2024 the awards ranged from $500 to $2,000, and CROME has given more than $40,000 in scholarships over its first three years. How CROME scholarships work explains eligibility and the application, and the scholarship site has the current dates.

Your school district’s scholarship list

Every high school in the county keeps a list of scholarships that come through the counseling office, and many are open only to that school’s seniors. Waxahachie ISD publishes its scholarship list, including district awards for seniors in the top quarter of their class and memorial and sport-specific scholarships. Ennis, Midlothian, Red Oak, Ferris, Palmer, Italy, Maypearl, Milford and Avalon each have a counselor or college liaison who holds the equivalent list. Ask early in the fall, because school-specific deadlines are often the earliest.

Community scholarships open to any Ellis County senior

The Waxahachie Junior Service League Community Service Scholarship is a one-time $1,500 award for an Ellis County senior with a record of service to the community. Applicants must attend a high school in Ellis County.
The Texas Democratic Women of Ellis County have awarded an annual scholarship to a graduating senior in the county’s public schools since 2017.
The Texas Tech Alumni Association’s Ellis County Chapter Scholarship helps county residents who plan to attend Texas Tech University; it is listed on the College Board’s BigFuture scholarship search.
The Communities Foundation of Texas runs scholarships for graduating seniors from North Texas counties, Ellis among them, weighing financial need, career plans and school involvement.
Agricultural students have their own routes: the AgTexas AgYouth scholarship for 4-H and FFA seniors in the Ellis County area, and Texas 4-H scholarships for members in the Blackland counties.

Scholarships from employers, churches and civic clubs

Many of the awards on the Ellis County Scholarships hub never appear on national search engines: a dentist’s office, a real estate agency, a CPA firm, a Sokol lodge, a church or a family foundation giving one award a year in memory of someone. Ask your parents’ employers, your own employer, your church and any club you belong to whether they offer one. These are the awards with the fewest applicants.

Do not skip federal and state aid

Local scholarships stack on top of federal grants, Texas state grants and the aid a college itself offers, and all of those start with the FAFSA. Our FAFSA guide walks through it, and CROME helps Ellis County students complete it for free.

A simple plan for the year

September to November: file the FAFSA when it opens, ask your counselor for the school list, and build your profile on Ellis County Scholarships.
December to February: write one strong personal essay you can adapt; most local applications ask a version of the same question. CROME reviews essays if you ask at least two weeks ahead.
February to April: most Ellis County deadlines fall here, including CROME’s. Track them in one list and apply to everything you qualify for.
May: attend the awards nights. Many local providers hand the check to the student in person.

Questions about Ellis County scholarships

Email scholarships@cromenonprofit.org. If you run an organization that gives a scholarship in Ellis County and it is not on the hub yet, the same address will get it listed for free.