Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are the Williams Scholarships? 

Answer: The Williams Scholarships are granted annually to a graduating high school or high-school equivalent Concord resident who meets the residency and eligibility requirements laid out below and who is attending college or university beginning in the fall following the scholarship award. The Williams Scholarships are awarded annually to one applicant for Excellence in Visual Arts and one applicant for Excellence in Music (each, a “Williams Scholar”).

Williams Scholar grant amounts vary from year to year, but typically range from $2,000 to $5,000 annually and are renewable for each consecutive year the recipient attends college up to 4 years. From time to time, the Williams Scholarship Committee and the Board of the Concord Free Public Library Corporation may designate an Honorable Mention award in addition to the two Williams Scholars. The Honorable Mention award is a one-time, non-renewable grant, generally of a lesser amount than the Williams Scholar grants.

2. When does the 2025 grant period open? 

Answer: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from March 2025 until the deadline for submission listed below.

3. What is the deadline for submission of each application?

Answer: Friday, May 2, 2025

4. I am having difficulty filling out the online application form. What should I do?

Answer: Please call the Library Corporation Development Office at (978) 318-3356 or send an email to Williams@CFPLCorp.org. It is likely that we can email you an application as an attachment.

5. I am having difficulty uploading my art portfolio/my musical clips to the Google application. What should I do?

Answer: Please call the Library Corporation Development Office at (978) 318-3356 or send an email to Williams@CFPLCorp.org. We will provide you with technical assistance.

6. Can I submit applications for both The Williams Scholarship for Excellence in Music, and The Williams Scholarship for Excellence in Visual Arts?

Answer: Yes. Students may submit applications to both scholarship programs. Each individual scholarship application must be complete and have the required letters of recommendation, which are different for each program. Please note that students may apply to both scholarship programs, but it is only possible to receive a scholarship award from one program. The decision as to which scholarship award, if any, will be granted to a student applying to both programs will be made by The Williams Committee. All such decisions are final and are made in the Committee’s sole discretion.

7. I am currently a Senior in High School but I plan to take a Gap Year next year. Can I apply for a Williams Scholarship now, and apply the scholarship award to tuition in a future  year?

Answer: No. Students should apply for a Williams Scholarship the spring immediately prior to when they intend to attend college. For most students, this will be the spring of their Senior year in High School (or equivalent). For other students, it will be the spring of a Gap Year. Scholarship recipients whose plans change over the summer and who do not anticipate attending college as originally planned should contact the Development Office as soon as possible. Your scholarship award is likely to be redirected to another applicant.

8. I am not taking a Gap Year, but I will be starting college as a “February”/Second Semester Freshman. May I apply for a Williams Scholarship?

Answer: Yes. Please indicate your status as a February/Second Semester Freshman where indicated on the application form. An applicant’s status as a February/Second Semester student will only impact the timing of when a grant award would be paid to the student’s college/university.

9. I have attended boarding school in Concord for all four years of high school, but my family does not reside in Concord.  Can I apply for a Williams Scholarship?

Answer: No. The Williams Scholarship grants are limited to students whose families have been residents of Concord for at least the two (2) consecutive years prior to the date of the student’s application. Students who are boarders at independent schools located in Concord do not meet the residency requirement unless their families meet the two (2) year residency requirement.

10. I do not attend school in Concord, but my family has lived in Concord for many years. Can I apply for a Williams Scholarship?

Answer: Yes. If you attend a day or boarding school outside of Concord, but your family has lived in Concord for at least the two (2) consecutive years prior to the date of your application, your family meets the residency requirement and you may apply for a Williams Scholarship.

11. My parents are divorced/separated, and only one of my parents resides in Concord. May I apply for a Williams Scholarship?

Answer: Yes. If one of your parents has been a resident of Concord for at least the two (2) consecutive years prior to the date of your application, you meet the residency requirements and you may apply for a Williams Scholarship.

12. Do I need to submit SAT/ACT scores, or a copy of my high school transcript?

Answer: No. The Williams Scholarships do not require submission of scores or high school grades.

13. Do I need to submit a FAFSA form in order to apply for a Williams Scholarship?

Answer: No. The Williams Scholarships are not need-based scholarship awards, but rather awards based upon demonstrated excellence in one of two fields—music or the visual arts. No demonstration of financial need is required.

14. I am not planning on majoring or minoring in art or music. Am I still eligible to apply for a Williams Scholarship?

Answer: Yes. The Williams Scholarships are not specifically intended for those students who are planning on attending a music conservatory, an art school, or who plan to major or minor in music or the visual arts. If you are planning on pursuing a music- or art-oriented educational path with the goal of becoming a professional musician or working in the visual arts, the Williams Committee welcomes your application. Students who do not plan to pursue a professional life in music or in the arts are equally encouraged to apply. The spirit of The Williams Scholarships is to encourage students who have demonstrated excellence in music or in the visual arts in high school to continue to pursue their musical or artistic passions throughout college and beyond. If you are a future pre-med student who plans to play in a jazz band, or a future English Major who loves to take photographs and plans to take photography classes while you are in college, please send in an application!

15. Is there an interview required for The Williams Scholarships?

Answer: No. There is no interview requirement.

16. How are the scholarship funds paid?

Answer: The scholarship annual funds are paid by The Concord Free Public Library Corporation directly to the Williams Scholar’s or Honorable Mention designee’s college or university. Scholarship awards are typically paid in two installments, the first in late July or August, and the second in December or January. All student recipients are responsible for providing contact information for the Bursar’s or Business Office of the student’s college or university directly to the Library Corporation’s Development Manager. If a college or university attended by a Williams Scholar or Honorable Mention designee has a different annual payment schedule, the student is responsible for notifying the Library Corporation Development Office at (978) 318-3356 or Williams@CFPLCorp.org of that schedule.

17. Are the scholarship awards renewable?

Answer: Grants to Honorable Mention designees are one-time awards and are not renewable.

Grants to Williams Scholars may be renewable from year to year. Each Williams Scholar will receive information in the Scholar’s initial notification letter regarding whether the Scholar’s grant is renewable and the process required to initiate the grant’s renewal. Any questions regarding renewal of a Williams Scholar’s grant should be directed to the Library Corporation Development Office at (978) 318-3356 or Williams@CFPLCorp.org. Note that the amount of renewal awards may vary from year to year depending on various factors and may be less than the amount of the initial grant.

18. Will a Williams Scholarship award potentially impact a tuition grant that I have been awarded from the college/university that I will be attending?

Answer: Possibly. The Williams Scholarship awards - both Williams Scholar grants, and Honorable Mention grants - are merit-based scholarship grants (not need-based) awarded by The Trustees of The Concord Free Public Library from a fund created by Library benefactor, Charles Williams, based upon the recommendation of The Williams Committee, a group of subject matter experts in music and the visual arts. Honorable Mention scholarship grants are sent to the recipient’s college/university along with a transmittal letter indicating that the grant is non-renewable and should not be used to calculate a student’s college/university provided financial aid, if any, for the remainder of the student’s undergraduate education. Because Williams Scholar grants are potentially renewable, it is possible that those grants may impact a separate tuition grant that the recipient student has been awarded from the college/university that the student will be attending. Williams Scholars are responsible for working with the Bursar’s or Financial Aid Office of their college/university to manage any and all matters concerning the impact of a Williams grant.