Charles Esplin Scholarship
PNC Bank, N.A., as trustee of the Charles Esplin Trust has established a scholarship program for Rock Island High School (District #41) who plan to continue their education in college.
Charles Esplin Scholarship
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.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Charles Esplin Scholarship must:
- Be high school seniors at Rock Island High School – District #41
- Rank in the upper 25% of the graduating class at the end of the seventh semester
- Plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college,
university or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year*
*No gaps allowed – must be attending in Fall 2026
PNC employees or Trust committee members, their immediate family members, and members of their households are not eligible to apply
Awards
If selected as a recipient, the student will receive an award of up to $1,000. The number of awards granted will vary each year. Awards may be renewed for up to three additional years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Renewal is contingent upon satisfactory academic performance in a full-time course of study (no gaps), and continuation of the program by the Sponsor. Renewal award amounts will be determined by an outside committee and will decrease each year.
Awards are for undergraduate study only.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in June.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a school or work email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of the Sponsor. Payment is made in early-August.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Academic performance
- 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
Financial need, as calculated by Scholarship America, must be demonstrated for the student to receive an award.
Selection of recipients is made by an outside committee.
Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Requirements
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.
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 materials are submitted electronically.
