Blackstone/Franklin Square Neighborhood Association annually offers scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to high school seniors who are South End residents or attend school in the South End (or, as our funds allow, are significantly involved in a South End community organization), and planning to attend college or pursue higher education studies. We also offer a $3,000 Andrew Parthum Scholarship, given in recognition of outstanding community achievement. These scholarships can aid with the cost of books, computers and other supplies and fees not necessarily covered by financial aid or other scholarships.

The BFSNA Scholarship Fund is the creation of the late Andrew Parthum, a longtime member and leader of BFSNA known to all for his kindness and impassioned concern for this neighborhood and his boundless devotion to the Scholarship Fund and the young people it serves. Thanks to Andrew and the many Scholarship Committee volunteers he led and inspired, the BFSNA Scholarship Committee has raised over $200,000 since its inception in the mid-2000s. (A BFSNA community remembrance of Andrew and what he meant to us and the South End can be viewed here. A Boston Sun article about this remembrance is here.)

The 2022 BFSNA Scholarship Fund awards were made at a June 2022 ceremony held at Estragon restaurant. A total of over $25,000 was awarded to fourteen students residing, attending school or participating in youth organizations in the South End. The Scholarship Fund’s 2021 round awarded $35,000 to fourteen students. A gallery of photos from the 2022 event is here. The 2021 award event, hosted by the AC Hotel by Marriott Boston Downtown on Albany Street, was covered by the Boston Guardian and Boston Sun and a gallery of event images is here. The 2021 recipients and Scholarship Committee members are pictured at the top of this page.

The 2022-2023 BFSNA Scholarship Committee is: Amy Conklin, Chloe Ford, Christopher McBride,  David Wisholek, Jennifer Coplon Jennifer Watson, Lisa Jenks, Mathew Mues, Robert Frank, Sara Frank, Kerry Shea and Toni Crothall.

Scholarships are available to students residing or attending school in the South End, as defined by:

• Mass. Pike and Herald Street (East) to Camden Street (West)

• Southwest Corridor (North) to Albany Street (South)

As funds allow, we also consider applications from students who are actively involved in a South End community organization but live outside of the neighborhood boundaries.

The deadline for applications for the 2024 round of scholarships is May 15, 2024. The application can be submitted using the button below.

Questions about the application process or scholarships? Want to volunteer? You can call or text Scholarship Committee member Christopher McBride at (617) 840-8590. You may also email the Scholarship Committee at BFSNAscholarships@gmail.com.