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Lola G. Duff and William H. Duff II Scholarship Fund - Merit Awards
Application status: Closed

The Lola G. Duff and William H. Duff, II Scholarship Fund was established under the will of Lola G. Duff and is administered by PNC Bank, NA, Trustee, to assist Allegheny County, PA students who are of Protestant faith, and attending or planning to attend a full-time program leading to an initial bachelor’s degree. Renewable scholarships are offered each year for full-time study at an accredited four-year institution of the student’s choice.

Awards will be classified in two categories; merit and financial need. A student could receive an award in both categories, but must complete an application for each category for consideration. For more information, visit the Lola G. Duff & William H. Duff II Scholarship Program site.

The program is administered by Scholarship America®, the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support 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 Lola G. Duff and William H. Duff Scholarship Fund – Merit Awards must be:

  • Students who have attended a high school (or homeschool) for at least two academic years in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Washington, or Westmoreland Counties in Pennsylvania. Preference will be given to students from Allegheny County, followed by students from any other eligible county.
  • High school seniors or graduates who plan to enroll or who are already enrolled in a full-time undergraduate course of study at a 4-year accredited educational institution in the United States as defined in IRC 170(b) (A1) (ii), which generally maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and typically has a regularly organized body of students in attendance at the place
    where its educational activities are conducted.
  • Applicants for the merit scholarship must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 grade points scale).
  • Protestant. A letter from the clergy verifying the applicant’s Protestant affiliation is
    required.

PNC employees or Trust committee members, their immediate family members, and members of their households are not eligible to apply.

Awards

The Trustee will determine the total funding for new awards and approximate number and size of awards.

Students who are not previous recipients may reapply to the program each year if they meet eligibility requirements.

Awards are renewable up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first, on the basis of required GPA and continued full-time enrollment for the entire academic year. GPA requirements for continuing renewal eligibility for an award based on merit or need:

  • Rising sophomores must demonstrate that they have maintained a cumulative (GPA) grade point average of 2.8 on a 4.0 scale
  • Rising juniors and seniors must have maintained a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Awards are for undergraduate study only.

Selection of Recipients

Scholarship recipients are selected on:

  • Past academic performance and future potential
  • Character as demonstrated by leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • A statement of career and educational aspirations and goals
  • Unusual personal or family circumstances
  • An online recommendation

Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.

Notification

All applicants will be notified by early June. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.

Payment of Scholarships

Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of the Trustee. Payments are made in August.

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

  • 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.
  • A letter from a member of the clergy verifying Protestant faith, on church letterhead.
  • High school seniors are encouraged to provide a copy of their SAT or ACT scores.

Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.

One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than March 7, 2025 3:00 pm Central Time.

The Lola G. Duff and William H. Duff, II Scholarship Fund and PNC Bank, NA, Trustee, have partnered with Scholarship America. Selecting the button below will redirect you 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.