Homeschool Scholarships

Eagle Scout Scholarships

While scouting scholarships are not just for homeschoolers, we’re including them here because scouting can be incorporated so well into a homeschool curriculum, adding an extra bonus when scholarship time comes around. Most are for Eagle Scouts, but some include others as well.

Most scholarships are for those who reach the top rank in their scouting organization. Some are offered by scouting organizations, some by religious denominations and some are offered by individual colleges and universities. We’ll include those we have been able to verify, and will count on our site visitors to provide information on others. We’ve found that most lists on the internet are very outdated, especially when it comes to eagle scout scholarships offered by colleges.

NESA Scholarships. The National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) handles applications for several Eagle Scout scholarships, making the process easier for students. Typically, about 5000 Eagle Scouts apply each year for the approximately 150 scholarships. The 2011 scholarship applications will be posted on NESA’s Web site Oct. 1, 2010. The deadline for submitting them will be Jan. 31, 2011. http://www.nesa.org/scholarships.html.

NESA Scholarships (based on 2010 results) include:

• One $48,000 Mabel and Lawrence S. Cooke Academic Scholarship
• One $25,000 United Health Foundation Scholarship
• Four $20,000 Mabel and Lawrence S. Cooke Academic Scholarships (one per geographic region)
• Twenty-eight $3,000 NESA Academic Scholarships (seven per geographic region)
• Twenty-eight $2,500 Mabel and Lawrence S. Cooke Academic Scholarships (seven per geographic region)
• Eighty-four $1,000 Hall/McElwain Merit Scholarships (21 per geographic region)

NSSAR Arthur M. & Berdena King Eagle Scout Scholarship. The National Society, Sons of the American Revolution offers a great scholarship competition that focuses more on community and scouting accomplishments than it does on grades and test scores. Each state chooses a winner who goes on to compete for three national scholarships. State winners receive an eagle trophy, special patches and medal. Some states also attach scholarship money to the award. An 500-word essay and an ancestral chart is required for this competition. https://www.sar.org/Youth/Eagle_Scout.

The American Legion Scout of the Year. This competition is restricted to scouts who are in a troop sponsored by an American Legion post, or who have a father or grandfather who is a member of the Legion. The winner receives a $10,000 scholarship. Two other scouts receive $2,500 each. http://www.legion.org/scholarships/eaglescout.

VFW Scout of the Year Scholarship. First place is $5,000; second is $3,000 and third is $1,000. Applicants must be the recipient of the Boy Scout Eagle Award, a Venture Scouting Silver Award, or a Sea Scout Quartermaster Award. Deadline is March 1, 2011. http://www.vfw.org/index.cfm?fa=cmty.leveld&did=4371.

Religious Organizations

Religious denominations usually require active membership as a requirement.

National Jewish Committee on Scouting. Numerous Eagle Scout scholarships are offered. Deadlines are usually Feb. 28. http://www.jewishscouting.org/awards/njcoseaglescoutscholarshipprograms.asp.

Eastern Orthodox Committee on Scouting. Offers two scholarships–one for $1,000 and one for $500. Applicants must have earned the Eagle rank in the Boy Scouts or the Gold Award in the Girl Scouts. http://eocs.org/category/scholarship/.

Emmett J. Doerr Memorial Distinguished Scout Scholarship. The National Catholic Committee on Scouting® awards three scholarships to outstanding Catholic high school seniors who are scouts. Deadline is April 1 of each year.  http://www.nccs-bsa.org/national/EJDoerrScholarship.php.

Colleges that offer scouting scholarships

Arizona

Grand Canyon University. The Eagle Boy Scout Award and The Girl Scout Gold Award scholarships are available to scouts earning those ranks and having a 3.0 GPA. http://my.gcu.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Catalog/main_pages/financial.htm#scholarships.

Maryland

McDaniel College. Offers guaranteed $2,000 renewable scholarships to Eagle Scouts and Gold Award recipients. http://www.mcdaniel.edu/810.htm#McDaniel_College_Scholarships_and_Grants.

Missouri

Drury College. Offers a one-time $1,000 scholarship to Eagle Scouts. Five scholarships available per year. http://www.drury.edu/multinl/story.cfm?ID=11864&NLID=28#Eagle.

New Mexico

New Mexico Military Institute. The Eagle Scout John S. Bell is open to all cadets who are Eagle Scouts and remain active in scouting. http://www.nmmi.edu/financialaid/scholarshiplisting.htm.

Pennsylvania

Albright College. Offers scholarships for Eagle Scouts and Gold Award recipients. http://www.albright.edu/catalog/scholarships.pdf.

Rhode Island

Johnson & Wales University. Gaebe Eagle Scout Scholarship of $1,000, renewable for up to four years. http://www.jwu.edu/content.aspx?id=12186.

Texas

Abilene Christian University. Venturing and Scouting Leadership Scholarship. Applicants must be either an Eagle Scout, a Venturing Silver Award recipient, a Sea Scout Quartermaster, a Girls Scouts Gold Award recipient, or an American Heritage Girls Stars and Stripes Award recipient. International scouts may also be eligible for this scholarship. Award amounts vary, ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, renewed annually. Requires a two-page essay. Applications are usually due on March 1. http://www.acu.edu/admissions/freshmen/finance/scholarships/#VSL.