Peter J. McGrail Scholarship Program
Paylocity has established a scholarship program to assist children of employees who plan to continue their education in college.
Peter J. McGrail 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.
A Letter from Agnes McGrail
It is my honor to share with all Paylocity employees the Peter J. McGrail Scholarship, a program that holds a special place in my heart and within our Paylocity community.
This scholarship was created in honor of my husband, Peter McGrail, who served as Paylocity’s CFO in the early years of the company. Peter is remembered for his wisdom, his humor, and his gift for making others feel valued. He believed deeply in learning, in curiosity, and in creating an environment where everyone had the chance to grow. The Peter J. McGrail Scholarship carries forward that spirit, celebrating the potential within every student and reinforcing our shared commitment to one another.
Each year, this program provides fifty $3,500 awards to support the dependent children of Paylocity employees who are entering or enrolled in a 2- to 4-year college, university, or vocational school. With applications opening on December 15, I encourage you to keep this opportunity in mind for your family or someone you care about.
I also want to recognize the dedicated individuals at Paylocity who bring this program to life each year. Your care, attention, and stewardship ensure the scholarship continues to grow and reach the families who need it most. I am so grateful for all that you do.
And to the entire Paylocity community, thank you for embracing this program and for supporting the students who pursue their dreams through it. Your encouragement reflects the very best of who we are.
To learn more, please visit Linktr.ee/PJMScholarship or scan the QR code provided.
On behalf of the McGrail family, I wish you good health, hope, and love this holiday season and always.
Agnes McGrail
Paylocity’s Commitment to Inclusion and Belonging
We believe that people matter most and that differences of experience and perspective make us stronger together. We’re committed to lead by example to forge a path forward where dignity, respect, safety, and justice are for all. Scholarship America will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the scholarship application process, please contact paylocity@scholarshipamerica.org.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Peter J. McGrail Scholarship must meet all eligibility requirements, including:
- Be dependent* children, age 26 and under, of full-time Paylocity employees who have a minimum of one (1) year of employment with the company as of the application deadline date.
- Be high school seniors, graduates, or current college undergraduates
- 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.
*Dependent children are defined as biological, step-or legally adopted children living in the employee’s household or primarily supported by the employee.
Children of Vice Presidents and above are ineligible to apply.
Awards
Up to 60 awards of $3,500 each will be granted, as follows:
- Up to 30 awards of $3,500 for recipients attending an accredited four-year college and university
- Up to 30 awards of $3,500 for recipients attending an accredited two-year college or vocational-technical school
- Awards are not renewable, however students may reapply to the program each year they meet eligibility requirements.
- Awards are for undergraduate study only.
Notification
Applicants will be notified in late April. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients.
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.
Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address as safe senders in your email contact list.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments on behalf of Paylocity. Scholarships are granted in one installment in mid-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
- An essay on volunteerism and community
- A 1,000-character essay
- Two letters of recommendation
Essay Topic: What personal obstacles have you encountered and how have you overcome them to get where you are today?
Financial information will only be considered if there are more eligible applicants than can be awarded.
Selection of recipients is decided by Scholarship America. In no instance does any officer or employee of Paylocity play a role in the selection.
All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
Revisions
Paylocity reserves the right to review the conditions and procedures of this scholarship program and to make changes at any time including termination of the program.
Timeline
- December 15: Scholarship program opens for applications
- December – February: Scholarship program actively accepting applications
- February 27: Scholarship program closes for applications
- April:
- Students must finalize school selection and acceptance process
- Recipients are determined by Scholarship America
- PCTY verifies recipients’ eligibility
- Recipients are notified by Scholarship America
- May:
- Recipients provide verification of school selection and confirm fall enrollment
- July: Checks are distributed to each recipient. Checks are mailed to the recipient’s home address, but are made payable to the institution that the recipient is attending.
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.
- A high-resolution head and shoulders photograph (2.5 x 3.5) to be used only in recipient announcements if you are selected as a recipient of the scholarship.
Two letters of recommendations must be submitted online on your behalf no later than March 5, 2026 10:00 PM Central Time.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
Letters of Recommendation
As a part of your application, you will need to get two letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf. One must be academic related and one personal/community related. These recommenders cannot be related to you, but should be people who know you well.
It is your responsibility to follow up with your recommender to ensure they receive the email.
Keep in mind recommenders may need extra time because of their busy schedules. You can come back to the recommender section of your application any time before the recommender deadline to add or change a recommender for a specific program. The recommendations must be submitted by March 5, 2026 10:00 PM Central Time.
Examples of Possible Recommenders:
Academic: This should be someone that knows you well and can speak on behalf of your academic success and experiences.
Examples: teacher, professor, academic advisor, principal, etc.
Personal/Community: This should be someone that knows you well that you have worked with in the community or that knows you personally, but who is not related to you.
Examples: work supervisor, coach, volunteer coordinator, mentor, other community member, etc.
