Featured Scholarships: January/February 2026

The scholarship season is at its busiest, and today we’re spotlighting some generous regional awards, as well as a unique program to support families of frontline healthcare workers who lost their lives in the battle against the COVID pandemic. Learn more about these options, and to see everything that’s open now and coming soon, visit our Browse Scholarships listing.

The Pittsburgh Foundation Scholarships: Undergraduate and Graduate Students

This spring, The Pittsburgh Foundation is partnering with Scholarship America to award more than a million dollars in scholarships to a wide range of students in Pittsburgh and beyond.

In February, we highlighted programs open to high school seniors. The Pittsburgh Foundation also makes funds available to students at different points in their educational journey through programs that include:

• The Pittsburgh Foundation Employer/Membership Programs, for certain current and former employees or members (and/or dependents) of:

• U.S. Department of Energy

• National Contract Management Association

• BNY

• Longwood at Oakmont (Verona, PA)

• Iron Age (Childs) Corporation

• Green Oaks Country Club

• Conrail

• Kenmawr United Presbyterian Church (McKees Rocks, PA)

• Any parish within the Dioceses of Pittsburgh

• Pittsburgh Young Professionals

• Westmoreland Housing Authority tenants

All applicants must plan to be enrolled in full-time graduate or undergraduate study in the fall of 2026. Review the eligibility here.

• The Pittsburgh Foundation Community Programs, for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in an array of disciplines in 2026. Review the eligibility here.

• The Pittsburgh Foundation College/County Renewable Awards for students who are Pennsylvania residents, PA high school students/graduate, or enrollees at a PA college and who will be pursuing full-time graduate or undergraduate study in the fall of 2026. Review the eligibility here.

• The Pittsburgh Foundation College/County Single Year Awards for students who are residents of or college students in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, as well as residents of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland who are enrolled in or plan to enroll in a college or university in the United States. Review the eligibility here.

Awards from The Pittsburgh Foundation have helped students like Colton Dietz pursue their passions. The Pennsylvania native began playing trombone as a fifth grader in the Norwin School District and studied music education at Penn State. He received several awards from The Pittsburgh Foundation, including one from the Paul J. Baum Fund, administered as part of the Community Programs. “These scholarships alleviated those financial concerns down the road and eliminated a lot of that student debt that I would otherwise be presented with,” he said.

Applications are open through February 17. Visit the appropriate links above to apply!

James L. and Nellie M. Westlake Scholarship Program 

For 45 years, the James L. and Nellie M. Westlake Scholarship Foundation has been helping high school and community college students in Missouri turn their dreams of a bachelor’s degree into realities, and applications are now open for the 2026 class of Westlake Scholars.

Recipients of this prestigious and generous award may receive renewable scholarships that cover up to the full cost of tuition, plus a stipend for books, supplies and other expenses. Up to 50 Westlake Scholarships will be awarded, so if you’re a high school senior or a community college student in Missouri, don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity!

To be eligible, you must be a Missouri resident, and either a graduating high school senior OR a student at a Missouri Community College. High school seniors must be planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire upcoming academic year at an accredited four-year college or university. Community college students must have completed one or two full years, with sufficient credits to transfer to an accredited four-year college or university at the sophomore or junior level, respectively.

Applicants must also demonstrate financial need, including a family adjusted gross income (AGI) of $60,000 or less, and a Student Aid Index of $7,000 or less (as calculated by Scholarship America) to be eligible to receive an award.

Academically, high school seniors must have at least a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale; community college applicants with one year of transferable credits must have 2.25 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

If you meet the guidelines and earn the Westlake Scholarship, you can also renew your award for multiple years. For high school seniors, the award is renewable for up to three years; for students transferring from two-year institutions, the award is renewable for up to one additional year, depending on class standing at the time of transfer.

Applications are open until February 26. Apply Now > 

Frontline Families Scholarship Fund

The Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation partnered with world-renowned epidemiologist Dr. Michael Osterholm to establish the Frontline Families Scholarship Fund in November 2020. The program provides educational assistance to the surviving children of those frontline healthcare workers and volunteers in the United States who lost their lives in the fight against COVID-19.

“COVID-19 has taken a major toll on our frontline healthcare workers and has created a disproportionate burden on Black, Indigenous and People of Color,” said Osterholm at the time of the Fund’s establishment. “Through the Frontline Families Scholarship Fund, we can all help make a difference for the families whose loved ones served on the frontline during the pandemic and were lost due to COVID-19.”

The Frontline Families Scholarship Program, administered by Scholarship America, is not a competitive award; all eligible applicants receive scholarships for post-secondary education, and can reapply up to three times while pursuing their degree or certificate.

This scholarship program is part of the broader initiative supported by the Frontline Families Fund developed by Dr. Osterholm and the Saint Paul & Minnesota Foundation. In addition to scholarships, money raised will go to the Brave of Heart Fund to provide relief grants to affected families.

Applications are open through February 23, 2026. Apply Now >