The Coherent / II-VI Foundation Scholarship is designed to fulfill our mission of encouraging and enabling students entering the fields of science, engineering and mathematics at the undergraduate level. It is available to students in bachelor degree programs, not for students studying for a certificate or associates degree. The scholarship opportunity is available to Freshmen, Sophomore and Juniors who are applying for the first time. Seniors who are applying to renew their scholarships are eligible.

Scholarships are limited to students entering the fields of engineering, mathematics and science. The competition for the Coherent / II-VI Foundation Scholarship is getting tougher each year. Of primary interest to the Coherent / II-VI Foundation are students majoring in the fields of electrical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, physics, materials science engineering, mathematics, and mechanical engineering. However, at the discretion of the Scholarship Selection Committee, industrial engineering, computer science engineering and other engineering disciplines may be acceptable, depending on the quality of the work experience. Civil engineers, architectural engineers, software engineers, computer science majors, petroleum engineers and students in a pre-med program are excluded.

Students applying for the first time must have and then maintain a 3.3 cumulative GPA (un-weighted for high school students) to be considered for the scholarship. Students entering their freshman year in college must also have a minimum SAT score of 1200 or a minimum composite ACT score of 26.

One very unique aspect of the Coherent / II-VI Foundation Scholarship is the requirement of nine (9) weeks, or 360 hours, of manufacturing-, engineering- or science-related experience in an industrial setting from October 1st through August 31st of the year in which the candidate applies for the scholarship. This requirement forces the candidates to have hands-on, real-world experiences outside of an academic setting, therefore creating a different perspective from which to view his or her career decisions.

For the 2022 scholarship cycle all freshmen applicants are eligible for UP TO a $5,000 scholarship.

Upper class candidates are eligible for UP TO a $10,000 scholarship. The Coherent / II-VI Foundation Scholarship is restricted to use for tuition, books and fees by the IRS.

MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY GUARANTEE YOU WILL BE A RECIPIENT. This is a competition and a limited number of scholarships are available.

COHERENT / II-VI FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP HISTORY

In August 2007, the first class of student scholarships was awarded. Seven students graduating into or already attending college were granted $5,000 each in potentially renewable scholarships.

In April 2008 the Board of Directors increased the individual award up to $10,000 per student with the opportunity to apply for renewal for three additional years. In 2014 we extended our program by offering international scholarships. Forty-nine domestic scholarships were awarded and eight scholarships were awarded to students in Vietnam that year. In 2016 the Board altered the scholarship amounts. Students entering their freshmen year are eligible for UP TO $5,000 with upper class students being eligible for UP TO $10,000.

54 students were awarded scholarships for the 2021-2022 school year. Applications came in from across the world to compose a very strong group of scholarship winners. 18% of the 2021-22 awardees maintained a 4.0 GPA, 82% maintained a 3.6 or above. Twenty scholarships were awarded in China.