Featured Partner Scholarships: September 2023

The new school year is here, and that means the start of another busy scholarship season! Now is the perfect time to start making your plans, researching the scholarships you want to apply for and brushing up on the do’s and don’ts of scholarship applications.

To help you get started, we’re featuring four Scholarship America partners, including a $25,000 award from Chick-fil-A, a guaranteed scholarship for those who lost a parent in the fight against COVID, and programs for students interested in building homes and making history.

Don’t forget, you can also find a full listing of available partner scholarships on our Browse Scholarships page!

Chick-fil-A Community Scholars 

For more than 50 years, Chick-fil-A, Inc. has invested in the educational goals of its Team Members, awarding more than $162 million in scholarships to more than 93,000 restaurant employees, enabling them to pursue their academic and professional goals at qualifying institutions. 

In 2022, the company expanded its scholarship program beyond its restaurants for the first time with the Chick-fil-A™ Community Scholars program. You can meet the 2023 Community Scholars here—and if you’re a high school senior, college undergrad or graduate student of any age, you are invited to apply now! 

Twelve $25,000 Chick-fil-A Community Scholarships will be awarded, based on academic success, community service, and financial need. Selected Community Scholars will be encouraged to participate in the Chick-fil-A Scholars Program, a one-year engagement that includes mentoring and leadership development alongside the 2024 Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Scholars.    

“At Chick-fil-A, we wholeheartedly believe in the importance of education and opportunity,” says Brent Fielder, Senior Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at Chick-fil-A, Inc. “It is a privilege to support the advancement of service-minded leaders through the Chick-fil-A Community Scholars program, helping them forge a path to follow their dreams and have a positive influence on others.”    

To apply for the Chick-fil-A Community Scholarship, you must be a resident of the U.S. or Canada and be enrolled or planning to enroll at any qualifying institution of the recipient’s choice for the 2024-2025 academic year.. In addition, you must have a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale), demonstrate care through community service during the last twelve months, and be recommended by 1-3 teachers, coaches, community leaders, or mentors. (Please note that Chick-fil-A Team Members should apply for the Remarkable Futures Scholarship.) 

Applications are open through November 1. Apply Now > 

Brave of Heart Scholarship  

In May of 2020, the Foundations of Cigna and New York Life established the Brave of Heart Fund, with a mission to provide charitable grants and emotional support services to families of frontline healthcare workers, volunteers, and support staff whose lives were lost in the fight against COVID-19. 

Administered by E4E Relief, the Brave of Heart Fund includes the Brave of Heart Scholarship—a program that awards scholarships to the children, spouses or domestic partners of frontline health care workers who lost their lives to COVID-related causes. Applications for the Brave of Heart Scholarship are now open. 

If you lost a parent, spouse or domestic partner who was employed or volunteering as a frontline health care worker, you may be eligible to apply. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident, planning to enroll, full-time or part-time, in undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school in the upcoming academic year.  

If you are currently in school, you must also have a GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent. Non-traditional students, students in study-abroad programs and students returning to college after time off are encouraged to apply, even if you don’t have a recent GPA. Finally, applicants who lost a parent must be age 26 or under at the time of the application deadline. (There is no age restriction for spouses/domestic partners.) 

The Brave of Heart Scholarship is not a competitive program; all eligible applicants will receive funds. Award amounts range from $5,000 to $25,000 per academic year, depending on financial need and area of study, and most awards can be received for up to a total of four years. (Graduate students may be eligible for awards up to $50,000/year.) 

Applications are open until October 5. Apply Now >

(More eligibility information, including eligible parent/spouse/partner occupations and child requirements, can be found on the application page.) 

Takeoff Scholarship Program 

The Takeoff Scholarship Program was established to foster greater diversity in the homebuilding, construction and professional contracting industries – and to help more students from underprivileged backgrounds pursue degrees and careers in the field.  

Previous Takeoff Scholars are currently pursuing or have earned degrees in a variety of different construction industry disciplines including architecture, construction management, and civil engineering. You can meet them on the Takeoff Scholarship website. For fall 2023, the program is providing two new Takeoff Scholars with awards of $5,000 each. To apply, you must be a college undergraduate who has completed at least 24 college credits at the time of application. Applicants are required to attend one of 17 eligible schools in Alabama, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina or Tennessee, and to self-identify as American Indian or Alaska Native; Black or African American; or Hispanic or Latino.  

Financial need will be considered, and Takeoff Scholars must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire upcoming academic year, pursuing a degree and future career in one of the following fields: 

• Building Science 
• Construction Management 
• Construction Engineering 
• Entrepreneurship (with Building Supply, Construction Trade, or Homebuilding focus) 

In addition to the scholarship award, Takeoff Scholars will be paired with professional mentors to help you work through college and career questions. If your goal is to work in construction, contracting or homebuilding, and you’re facing financial difficulty paying for college, don’t miss out on this opportunity! 

Applications are open until October 13. Apply Now >

Ancestry’s HistoryMakers Scholarship  

Since their founding as a publishing company 40 years ago, Ancestry has become the global leader in family history—and they are committed to supporting the next generation of history makers. Ancestry’s HistoryMakers Scholarship is now open, providing $2,500 awards to students at eligible universities. 

If you’re attending Bowie State University (MD), the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, Florida International University or Tennessee State University, you may be eligible to apply. Eligible applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent),and must identify as one or more of: Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.   

HistoryMakers Scholarships are available to students planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate or graduate study in the spring term. All majors are invited to apply; preference will be given to applicants pursuing Computer Science, Data Science, Machine Learning, Mathematics, Statistics, Life Sciences, Marketing, Economics, Business Management, Cybersecurity, User Experience, Finance or Business. 

In addition to the monetary award, HistoryMakers Scholarship recipients may be offered internship opportunities with Ancestry while completing a degree or after graduation. If you’re hoping to make history, Ancestry’s HistoryMakers Scholarship can help you take the next step! 

Applications are open through Friday, October 27th. Apply Now >

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