​​The James Steffen Leadership Scholarship honors the life and legacy of James Steffen. James was a Central Lee High School, University of Iowa and ROTC Graduate who served with the National Guard and  built a successful career with the McGarth Auto Group in Cedar Rapids.  Throughout his life, James believed that leadership could always lead to success in someone’s personal, professional and family life.

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Scholarship Guidelines

The James Steffen Leadership Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to Central Lee High School students pursuing an a degree from any accredited United States College or University. Students must maintain a 3.5 GPA in highschool to be eligible. The award amount is $1,000.00. 

 
Deadline / Agreement

The James Steffen Leadership Scholarship opens on January 2, 2026.  James Steffen Leadership  Scholarship deadline is April 15, 2026.

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If awarded a James Steffen Leadership Scholarship, the student must submit a scholarship agreement. Instructions on how to complete the scholarship agreement will be in the scholarship award email. In the scholarship agreement, you will be asked to submit the following: proof of enrollment and a thank you letter for the donor. You have the option of submitting a photo that can be used when the Keokuk Area Community Foundation announces the scholarship recipients.

Scholarship checks will be issued to your college/university. If you’ve submitted your scholarship acceptance materials on time and correctly, your check will be issued in June of 2026 (unless other arrangements have been made).