Process of Applying for Financial Aid Scholarships Education Society Scholarships - January 1, 2026

The Eastern Pennsylvania Education Society’s function is to promote the cause of education among the ministry and membership of The United Methodist Church in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference.  In that regard, there are a number of scholarships available annually in the amounts of $500 to $1,000 targeted toward higher education.

1. Scholarships are available to members of The United Methodist Church – Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. They are available to promising persons intending preparing for useful careers as Christians.
2. The Scholarship will be made only for undergraduate education. In other words, if one is working toward a master’s degree, that individual is not eligible for a scholarship. In addition to education geared toward either an Associate’s Degree or a Bachelor’s Degree, programs geared toward a career are for our purposes considered undergraduate education.  These would include programs in vocational, technical, professional, business, and other similar types of areas.
3. The scholarships are not intended for higher degrees (i.e. Masters or Doctorate) nor are they intended for meeting requirements to maintain a license or performance level also known as continuing education. In addition, scholarships are not intended for one wishing to change careers (for example, if you are returning for a second degree in another field).
4. The size of the scholarship offered will be determined based upon the number of applicants but will not be less than $500 nor more than $1,000.The Education Society will determine the annual amount available for scholarships Scholarshipusing the total return on investments approach under state law. This is further defined in the Education Society’s By-Laws.
5. Up to 5 annual scholarships may be made to a student – one per each year of undergraduate education. There will be no preference given to students in a given year who have received a Scholarshipthe previous year.
6. All applications will be considered and scholarshipawarded via a random selection process up to the available funds forscholarships . In this regard we ask to include the last 4 digits of your social security number on your application. If you do not include the last 4 digits, a four digit number will be assigned.
7. The Education Society reserves the right to limit the number of Scholarships given to members of a particular church. It is the intent of the program that financial aid be distributed throughout the Conference and not be focused on a few churches.
8. All Scholarship payments will be made directly to the educational institution and not to the student. Under normal circumstances, the educational institution will be asked to allocate the money over the entire school year, not just one semester or term.
9. If your Scholarship Application reflects one school and you decide to attend a different school, let the Education Society know as soon as you make the decision.
10. Scholarship applications will be received no earlier than April 27 and no later than May 24 at midnight. The closing date may be changed at the discretion of the Education Society due to mail delivery process. Electronic applications will not be accepted. Notifications will be made in July regarding Scholarship distribution and size.
11. A critical piece of information in the application is the address to where the check should be sent if you are awarded scholarship. If possible a person’s name should be included along with the actual office address on campus.
12. You will be notified via e-mail whether you are a recipient of a scholarship or not. If you do not have an e-mail address, you will be notified via first class mail only if you are a scholarship recipient.  If your e-mail address is illegible and notification cannot be delivered, no further attempt will be made to contact you regarding your scholarship status.  However, if your e-mail address is illegible and you happened to be a scholarship recipient, your scholarship will still be processed.
13. If you receive a Scholarship and withdraw from the educational institution, the educational institution will be asked to return the Scholarship money.  Many schools have a non-refund tuition policy if you withdraw.  So – if you withdraw, you may receive an additional invoice from the school.

• Discipleship Ministries Scholarships and Grants
• General Board of Higher Education and Ministry
• The Best Scholarship Search Platforms compiled by Reviews.com