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BCU Scholarship Program
Deadline to apply: April 10, 2025 3:00 pm CT

BCU has established a scholarship program to assist members who plan to continue their education in college. Scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at an accredited institution of the student´s choice.

The program is administered by Scholarship America, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarship programs for corporations, foundations, associations and individuals. Eligibility for individual programs is determined at the sole discretion of the sponsor, and eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team.

Applicants to the BCU Scholarship Program must fulfill all the eligibility requirements. Student must be:

  • A BCU member in good standing with your own account (not on parent’s account).
  • A high school (secondary school) senior or graduate, or current undergraduate student.
  • Planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university, vocational technical school, or certification program for the entire 2025-2026 academic year.
  • Has not ever received any other Award of any type by BCU.

BCU interns are eligible to apply.

Children and/or Grandchildren of BCU employees are eligible to apply for specifically designated awards provided the employee/guardian is not a Vice President or higher.

Award Information
1. Leader Awards There will be nine (9) named Leader of Tomorrow awards in the amount of $5,000 each and one (1) named Tom Hodson Compassionate Leader award in the amount of $10,000:

a. Tom Hodson Compassionate Leader Award
will be granted to the highest-ranked applicant based on a combination of leadership and commitment to service, emphasizing the importance of leading by example and putting the needs of others first.

b. Leader of Tomorrow Awards will be granted to Applicants who demonstrate the greatest service and dedication to their community, academic performance, and leadership potential. The nine Leader of Tomorrow Awards will be named as follows:

    • Ray & Irene Oddi Leader of Tomorrow
    • Michele Hooper Leader of Tomorrow
    • John Pellettiere Leader of Tomorrow
    • Charles Thurman Leader of Tomorrow
    • Margot Kaplan Leader of Tomorrow
    • Vernon R. Loucks Jr. Leader of Tomorrow
    • Jose Cajigas Leader of Tomorrow (Special Eligibility Requirements apply: Reserved for an eligible student in Puerto Rico)
    • Two A. Rex Johnson BCU Leaders of Tomorrow (Special Eligibility Requirements apply: Reserved for eligible students who’s parents/grandparents or guardian work at BCU and are not a Vice President or higher)

2. Additional Awards ($50,000 total). There will be twenty (20) additional Awards of $2,500 each.

Recipients may receive only one award of any type.

Recipients may receive awards one time only. Past recipients may not reapply.

Awards are for undergraduate study, technical school, or certification programs only.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:

  • Academic record
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • A statement of educational and career goals and objectives
  • Unusual personal or family circumstances
  • Essay: Discuss the impact of financial stress on mental health and academic success. What strategies can students use to manage both effectively?

Financial need is not considered.

The ethnic/racial diversity of the recipient pool will proportionally reflect the diversity of the qualified applicant pool.

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of BCU play a part in the selection. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

Notification

All applicants will be notified in May.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of BCU. The payment is made in one installment in early August. A check is made payable to the student’s academic institution, technical school or certification sponsor and mailed to each recipient’s home address.

As part of your application, you must upload the following document:

  • A current, complete transcript of grades. Grade reports are not accepted. Transcripts must display:
    • Student name
    • School name
    • Grades
    • Credit hours for each course and term in which each course was taken.

NOTE: If you are providing SAT or ACT test scores, and those scores are not listed on your high school transcript, you will need to upload a copy of your test score report(s) separately. If you are uploading a college transcript, those scores are not required.

Your application is not complete unless all required documents are submitted electronically through the Scholarship America Student Hub.

BCU has partnered with Scholarship America. Select the button below to be directed to the Scholarship America Student Hub!

Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address provided below in the footer as safe senders in your email contact list.