Lancaster County Community Foundation Scholarship Program
Scholarship programs were established at the Lancaster County Community Foundation through the generosity of local community members to assist residents of Lancaster County who plan to continue their education at a college or vocational school.
Lancaster County Community Foundation Scholarship Program
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.
Scholarship Funds
Students who have previously received the Lykins, Hess, McKibbin, Frankhouser, Shoff, or Groff Scholarship and wish to renew will receive an invitation to renew their scholarship in January 2027 and do not need to complete a new application.
Applicants will complete one application for consideration for all the scholarship funds under the Lancaster County Community Foundation Scholarship Program.
Scholarship funds included in the Lancaster County Community Foundation Scholarship Program Application:
- Tina Bresnahan College Scholarship Fund
- Tina Bresnahan College Honorarium Fund
- Jack and Ginny Lykins Scholarship Fund
- Joseph and Claudine Hess Scholarship Fund
- George W. McKibbin Scholarship Fund
- Charles W. Shoff Scholarship Fund
- McKonly & Asbury Scholarship Fund
- Aastha Horizons Scholarship
- Albert S. Rosman Scholarship Fund
- Nathan Schaeffer Scholarship Fund
- James R. Buescher Scholarship Fund
- Jason M. Truitt Memorial Scholarship Fund
- Rick Frankhouser Scholarship
- No new awards for the 2027-2028 academic year.
- Richard Groff Scholarship
- Bussy & Stanley Jones Stop the Violence Scholarship
Scholarship Fund Eligibility
Applicants applying to the Lancaster County Community Scholarship Programs will use one common application to apply to the funds below. Applicants must meet the following criteria and the criteria of one or more of the scholarships listed:
- Be a high school senior at any Lancaster County, PA High School OR a current undergraduate who graduated from a Lancaster County, PA High School, OR be a current resident of Lancaster County, PA (except for the McKonly & Asbury Scholarship, applicants can graduate from any United States high school, so long as they are enrolled in any of the designated colleges)
- Plan to enroll in full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school for the entire upcoming academic year (exceptions as noted below)
- Have a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent (exceptions as noted below)
- A student can be a recipient/renewal student of a maximum of one award per year
Jack and Ginny Lykins Scholarship: One (1) $3,000 renewable scholarship
- Interest in STEM or Healthcare curricula
- Students must be a senior or graduate of a high school in Lancaster County
Richard Groff Scholarship Fund: One (1) $2,500 renewable scholarship
- Student must be pursuing a degree in HVAC or Plumbing
- Student must be enrolled at Thaddeus Stevens College starting in the Fall of 2027
- Student must be a senior at a Lancaster County high school
Joseph and Claudine Hess Scholarship: Five (5) $2,000 renewable scholarships
- Students must be a senior or graduate of a high school in Lancaster County
George W. McKibbin Scholarship Fund: One (1) $2,000 renewable scholarship
- Student must be a senior or graduate of a high school in Lancaster County
- Student must demonstrate academic excellence, dedication to serving the African American community, and a strong family commitment
- Student must complete the following essay: “Describe your impact on and contribution to the African American community through your activities, leadership, and/or service.”
Rick Frankhouser Scholarship Fund
- This year, the fund is focusing on renewal awards for previously selected students, so there will be no new awards for the 2027-2028 academic year.
Charles W. Shoff Scholarship Fund: Two (2) $1,000 renewable scholarships
- Students must be planning to study Geology, Medicine (health-related), Agriculture, Mechanical Engineering, or Mechanical Drafting
- Students must be a senior or graduate of a high school in Lancaster County
The Lykins, Hess, McKibbin, Frankhouser, and Shoff Scholarships are renewable up to three times or until the recipient earns a bachelor’s degree whichever comes first. The Groff Scholarship is only renewable once. All recipients must maintain a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale, except for the Frankhouser Scholarship which requires a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale. If a renewal student changes their major, they may not be eligible to renew their scholarship (applies to the Lykins, Frankhouser, Shoff, and Groff Scholarships).
Tina Bresnahan College Scholarship: Three (3) one-time full tuition and fees scholarships
- Students must attend Harrisburg Area Community College-Lancaster Campus (1 award) or Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (2 awards)
- The Tina Bresnahan College Scholarship is intended to provide last dollar assistance for the student. The recipient will be required to provide their college financial aid award letter. Based on the school’s cost of attendance, Expected Family Contribution (EFC), and other financial aid (gift aid only) listed on the award letter, Scholarship America will determine the appropriate award amount for the initial year. For more information on this award, please go to: Tina Bresnahan College Scholarship Fund
- Must provide a copy of the parents most recent 1040 tax return
- Students must be current seniors or graduates of a Lancaster County High School
- The applicant must be under 25 years old
- All applicants of the Tina Bresnahan College Scholarship must submit a response to the following essay, “What challenges or difficulties – including family, work, personal, social, physical, financial – will this scholarship help you overcome? How will receiving this scholarship help you achieve your educational and career goals?”
Tina Bresnahan College Honorarium: Three (3) $1,000 one-time scholarships (used for tuition and fees)
- Students must attend Harrisburg Area Community College-Lancaster Campus (1 award) or Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (2 awards)
- Students must be current seniors or graduates of a Lancaster County High School
- The applicant must be under 25 years old
- All applicants of the Tina Bresnahan College Honorarium must submit a response to the following essay, “What challenges or difficulties – including family, work, personal, social, physical, financial – will this scholarship help you overcome? How will receiving this scholarship help you achieve your educational and career goals?”
McKonly & Asbury Scholarship Fund: Five (5) one-time $10,000 scholarships (one award per school)
- Students must be rising juniors, seniors, or 5th year college students pursing CPA exam
- Students must be enrolled at:
- Commonwealth University – Bloomsburg
- Messiah University
- Millersville University
- Penn State University – Harrisburg
- Shippensburg University
- Students must major in accounting or equivalent and have a desire for a career in public accounting
- Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Students are NOT required to have graduated from a Lancaster County High School or be residents of Lancaster County
Aastha Horizons Scholarship: One (1) one-time $2,500 scholarship
- Preference is given to a student seeking a 2-year degree
- Special preference for applicants interested in the medical field
- No age requirement
- Student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0
Albert S. Rosman Scholarship Fund: One (1) one-time $1,500 scholarship
- Student must be a current Conestoga Valley High School senior
Nathan Schaeffer Scholarship: One (1) one-time $750 scholarship
- Student must attend Millersville University
- Student must be a senior or graduate of a high school in Lancaster County
- Student must major/minor in the field of Education
- Can can be either full- or part-time, undergraduate or graduate student
James R. Buescher Scholarship Fund: One (1) one-time $500 scholarship
- Student must major in Anthropology, Creative Writing, Journalism, Marketing, Mass Communication, Media Studies, or Theater
- Student’s participation in creative writing-related school and community activities will be considered
- Student must be a senior or graduate of a high school in Lancaster County
Jason M. Truitt Memorial Scholarship Fund: One (1) one-time $400 scholarship
- Must be or have been a Big or Little (with Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Capital Region)
- Student must be a senior or graduate of a high school in Lancaster County
Bussy & Stanley Jones Stop the Violence Scholarship: One (1) one-time $300 scholarship
- Student must be a senior at McCaskey High School
- Student must demonstrate leadership and good moral character
- Student must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
Awards
Distribution amount and number of awards for each fund is determined annually by The Lancaster County Community Foundation. Funds that have monies available to issue scholarships will be listed each year.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in late March.
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 Lancaster County Community Foundation. Payment is made in late July.
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 Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer, employee, or fund donor at the Lancaster County Community Foundation play a part in the selection of the recipients. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. Students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements. 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. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. 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.
- If applying for the Tina Bresnahan College Scholarship, you will need to supply a copy of the first two pages of the most recently filed IRS Form 1040 on which the applicant was claimed as a dependent for tax purposes to verify the information submitted on your application.
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 an official copy of those test scores 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.
