Last Updated: | Author: Munir Ardi
The Cumberland Farms Believe and Achieve Scholarship historically provided college scholarships to eligible students in communities near Cumberland Farms stores. However, its former rules, deadlines, application links, and award details should not be presented as a current 2026 opportunity. Students looking for aid now should complete the FAFSA, check state and college aid, and search verified scholarship databases while monitoring official company channels for any future announcement.
For a broader path through college funding by location, year in school, major, and career goal, use our undergraduate and career-specific scholarship guide.
Is the Cumberland Farms Scholarship Open in 2026?
We could not verify that it is open. As of September 22, 2026, the official Cumberland Farms website does not present a current Believe and Achieve application, deadline, or eligibility page. Its current company news page also does not provide a 2026 scholarship announcement.
That absence does not prove that the scholarship can never return. It means applicants should treat the program as not currently verified as open, rather than inventing a deadline or recycling requirements from a past cycle. A legitimate new cycle should be traceable to Cumberland Farms, its parent company, or an application administrator linked from an official company page.
The latest company-issued announcement we could verify invited applications for the 2018 program. That release described Believe and Achieve as an established scholarship initiative and directed applicants to the application process then in use. It is useful as historical evidence, not as a current application. See the archived Cumberland Farms announcement for the 2018 cycle.
What the Historical Program Offered
Past company announcements described a regional scholarship for students living near Cumberland Farms locations and planning full-time undergraduate study. Historical editions commonly used a store-distance rule and awarded one-time scholarships. Those details explain how the former program worked, but they do not establish eligibility for 2026.
| Program detail | Historical information | What applicants should assume now |
|---|---|---|
| Sponsor | Cumberland Farms | Use only a new announcement or application linked by Cumberland Farms or EG America. |
| Award type | A scholarship for education, not a loan | No current award amount or number of awards is verified. |
| Geographic rule | Past announcements used residence near a Cumberland Farms store, including a 30-mile rule in some cycles. | Do not use an old distance rule to decide current eligibility. |
| Enrollment | Past cycles focused on students entering full-time undergraduate study. | Wait for current definitions of eligible schools, programs, and enrollment status. |
| 2026 deadline | None verified | Do not rely on a date copied from an older cycle or an unofficial listing. |
Program terms can change if a new cycle is announced. Confirm every requirement on the sponsor’s current official page before applying.
How to Verify a Future Cumberland Farms Application
- Begin on the official company website. Search Cumberland Farms news and community pages for a dated announcement.
- Follow only sponsor-linked application pages. A third-party administrator can be legitimate, but the sponsor should link to it or confirm it.
- Check the cycle year. The page should state the award year, opening date, deadline, eligible applicants, and contact method.
- Compare the domain and privacy notice. Before uploading a transcript or identity document, confirm who collects the data and how it will be used.
- Never pay to apply. A request for an application fee, gift card, wire transfer, or banking password is a serious warning sign.
If an old Scholarship America or other administrator page no longer accepts applications, that is not evidence of a hidden current cycle. Contact the sponsor through the contact options on its official site rather than sending documents to an address copied from an archived listing.
Save This Scholarship Verification Checklist
[ ] The sponsor’s official site links to the application.
[ ] The page names the current award cycle and deadline.
[ ] Eligibility rules match my residence, school level, and enrollment plans.
[ ] The award is clearly identified as a scholarship, grant, loan, or other form of aid.
[ ] The application does not require a fee or unusual payment.
[ ] I reviewed the privacy notice before uploading personal documents.
[ ] I saved the confirmation email and a copy of my submission.
Verified Ways to Look for College Aid Now
1. Complete the FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the gateway to federal grants, work-study, and federal student loans, and schools and states may also use FAFSA information for their own aid. Use Federal Student Aid’s official FAFSA page. A Pell Grant is need-based federal grant aid and normally does not have to be repaid, while a federal student loan must be repaid under its terms.
2. Search a Government-Sponsored Database
The U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder provides thousands of listings with filters. Each listing still needs to be checked on the sponsor’s own site because deadlines and eligibility can change.
3. Check State and College Aid
Search the financial-aid agency for your state and the financial-aid page of every college on your list. Florida students, for example, can use our overview of the Florida Student Assistance Grant, then verify current rules through Florida’s official student-aid system. Institutional grants may require the FAFSA, CSS Profile, a separate form, or an earlier priority deadline.
4. Consider an Active National Scholarship
Students who meet its current requirements can also review the Coca-Cola Scholars Program guide. Always confirm the live cycle, deadline, and eligibility on the sponsor’s official site before preparing an application.
What to Prepare for Scholarship Applications
- a list of schools, intended majors, and expected enrollment dates;
- an unofficial transcript for planning and an official transcript when required;
- a concise activity, employment, service, and leadership record;
- income or FAFSA information only when the program legitimately requests it;
- recommendation requests sent well before the deadline; and
- a calendar containing sponsor deadlines and college financial-aid priority dates.
Do not write one generic essay and send it unchanged everywhere. Reuse accurate background material, but answer the actual prompt and remove references to another sponsor. No essay tactic can guarantee selection, and applicants should not rely on invented acceptance rates or claims about a judging algorithm.
A Muslim Perspective
A scholarship that is awarded as educational aid and does not require repayment is different from an interest-bearing loan. Muslim students may still want to review the award agreement for conditions involving enrollment, satisfactory progress, permitted expenses, publicity, or repayment if eligibility information was false.
If an aid package includes loans, distinguish each component before accepting it. Grants and scholarships are not automatically loans merely because they appear in the same financial-aid offer. Students concerned about riba can ask the financial-aid office for a written breakdown, seek scholarships and grants first, and consult a qualified scholar who understands the specific contract. Some nonprofit programs offer interest-free educational loans, but an interest-free loan still creates a real repayment obligation and should not be called a scholarship.
Accuracy is also part of amanah. Applicants should report residency, grades, household information, and enrollment plans honestly and protect sensitive documents by using verified portals. Financial hardship by itself does not establish eligibility for zakat; a local zakat committee or qualified adviser should assess the circumstances and its distribution policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Cumberland Farms Believe and Achieve Scholarship open in 2026?
StartGrants could not verify an open 2026 application on the current Cumberland Farms website or company news pages as of September 22, 2026. Treat the program as not currently verified as open unless Cumberland Farms or EG America publishes a new official announcement.
Was the Cumberland Farms scholarship a real program?
Yes. Cumberland Farms issued company announcements for multiple historical cycles, including the 2018 Believe and Achieve Scholarship Program. Those announcements prove the former program existed, but they do not make an old application current.
What were the historical eligibility rules?
Past cycles focused on students living near Cumberland Farms stores and entering full-time undergraduate study. Some editions used a 30-mile residence rule. Any future program could change its geography, school level, academic criteria, award amount, or required documents.
Can I apply through an old Scholarship America page?
Do not submit through an old page unless a current Cumberland Farms or EG America announcement links to it or the sponsor confirms that it is the authorized application for the current cycle. An archived administrator page may describe a closed award year.
Where should I look for scholarships instead?
Complete the FAFSA, review state and college aid, search the U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder, and verify active corporate or nonprofit scholarships on each sponsor’s official site.
Was the Cumberland Farms award a scholarship or a loan?
The historical Believe and Achieve award was described as a scholarship, not a loan. A scholarship normally does not require repayment when its terms are met, while a loan creates a repayment obligation. Read the current award agreement for any program before accepting funds.
Bottom Line
The Cumberland Farms Believe and Achieve Scholarship belongs in the historical record, but it should not be marketed as an open 2026 opportunity without a current sponsor page. Monitor official company channels, avoid submitting data through stale listings, and continue applying for verified federal, state, institutional, and private aid rather than waiting for one program to return.
Important Disclaimer: StartGrants.com is an independent information portal. It is not affiliated with Cumberland Farms, EG America, Scholarship America, the U.S. Department of Education, or any scholarship provider, and it does not award funds or accept applications. Program status, deadlines, eligibility, and award terms can change. Confirm details with the official sponsor and your school’s financial-aid office before submitting personal information or accepting aid.
