Selfreliance Scholarships

The 2026 Scholarship application period begins on May 1, 2026, and closes on June 30, 2026.

Scholarship Rules

1. Scholarships are awarded based on a scored evaluation of the applicant's essay, academic performance, and community involvement.
2. Scholarship Topic: What Lessons from Selfreliance FCU’s 75-Year History Can Help It Grow and Succeed in the Future? To support your research and completion of the assignment, please refer to the following resource: History Booklet
3. Only written essays up to approximately 1,200 words.
4. Essays written with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) will not be eligible for consideration.
5. Entry material consists of a fully completed, signed ONLINE scholarship application, including an uploaded essay. If any portion of the application is incomplete or required documents are missing, the application may be rejected.
6. Applicant must be either:
   1. A graduating high school senior at the time of application and entering his/her freshman year at an accredited college, university, or tech/trade school on a full-time basis during 2026/2027 academic year.
   2. A current college student at the time of application and entering his/her succeeding year at an accredited college, university, or tech/trade school on a full-time basis during 2026/2027 academic year.
7. Applicant must be an owner, joint owner, or custodian account beneficiary on an account at Selfreliance FCU PRIOR TO JANUARY 1, 2026. Students applying under U4U, or Humanitarian Parole will also be considered and will not need to have been a member prior to January 1, 2026.
8. Applicant is eligible to be awarded only one (1) scholarship per academic year.
9. Applicant agrees to accept the Scholarship Committee’s review and decision as final. If, as determined at the sole discretion of the Selfreliance Scholarship Committee, the number of eligible applicants is insufficient, all scholarship awards may not be offered.
10. Applicants must submit a photograph of themselves. Selected applicants will have their picture used in Selfreliance promotions and public social media posts.
11. By submitting an application, the student agrees to have his/her likeness, name, Selfreliance FCU experience, and status used in Selfreliance promotional materials.
12. All submitted essays and photographs will become the property of Selfreliance FCU.
13. Scholarship rules and dates are subject to change without prior notice.