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September 20, 2023

2024 – 2025 Scholarships

The 2023-24 Application Forms are now available below for the 2024-25 school year:

DOWNLOAD Application Forms
(Please read the form opening instructions below)

Educational Scholarships

The Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania offers scholarships to eligible persons to continue their education.  The money comes from donations made by both chapters and individuals throughout the year as well as the interest earned on an endowment fund.  Any money not used in a current year is rolled into the endowment fund for the following year.

In addition, there are nine (9) named scholarships that have been established by individual chapters.  Money from these funds is given when the interest earned is sufficient to do so, and a student meeting the fund’s requirements has submitted an application.

The principle of any educational scholarship endowment cannot be used with the vote of the delegates at Grand Chapter; only the interest from these funds is used.

ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS?

Eligibility shall be members of the Order of the Eastern Star in good standing, their children, step-children, or grandchildren.  In addition, one member of each of the International Order of Rainbow for Girls in Pennsylvania, the International Job’s Daughters in Pennsylvania and the Order of the DeMolay are also eligible.

The applicant must be a full-time student pursuing a professional or commercial educational program in an accredited school of higher learning.  They must be enrolled in a 3- or 4-year program, or in an accredited nursing program leading to an RN degree, or in a full-time post-graduate program.

Applicants who are in a course of study of at least three (3) years duration or an accredited nursing program and who have earned at least nine (9) credits in said program, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better and are working a full-time job of 35 hours or more and have not received a previous Eastern Star scholarship are eligible to apply.  This applicant will receive only one (1) scholarship.

The applicant must have completed at least one full year before applying for a scholarship, i.e. the application process can start no earlier than your sophomore year.  Preference will be given to applicants in their junior and senior years.

Applicants must be of good moral character and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better, with limited financial resources and willingness towards self-help.

No applicant will be awarded more than two (2) scholarships.

ESTARL AWARDS (Eastern Star Training Awards for Religious Leadership)

ELIGIBILITY FOR AN ESTARL AWARD?

Eligibility shall be members of the Order of the Eastern Star in good standing, or their spouses, children, step-children, or grandchildren, parents or siblings.

An applicant must have successfully completed one (1) year in an accredited school offering leadership training before applying for an ESTARL Award.

The applicant must be of good moral character and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better, and have limited financial resources and willingness toward self-help.

Preference is given to juniors and seniors in college and students in Theological Seminaries.

No applicant shall receive more than two (2) awards and, if an applicant who has received two (2) Educational Scholarships, they may receive one (1) ESTARL Award if enrolled full-time in a Theological Seminary.

How DOES ANYONE APPLY FOR EITHER THE EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP OR THE ESTARL AWARD?

The application process is similar for all awards.  The applicant needs to write a letter to the chapter of which the applicant, parent, step-parent or grandparent is a member.  The chapter will then vote on approving the applicant’s request.

The secretary of the chapter will send a letter, under the seal of the chapter, to the sectional committee member requesting application materials.

The sectional committee member will send the chapter secretary a letter stating the application request has been received and provide forms for the chapter scholarship committee to use, if necessary, either by email or regular mail.

The student’s letter of instruction will be sent directly to the email or sent by regular mail if requested.  In the letter of instruction, the student will be instructed to access the website.  These instructions are listed below.

There are several links on this page for downloading the forms, click on one of those links and a window should come up for saving or opening. Depending upon an iPad or Tablet’s configurations, it may not be possible to do the download and open the files. If this occurs, use a laptop or desktop to download.  If there are still difficulties, contact the webmaster.
When given the option, click on the ARROW next to save and a dropdown will show up so you can do a “SAVE-AS”. Then you can tell it WHERE you want the file saved. Once saved, you can go to that file and UNZIP it.  If using Windows 10, do NOT try to double click the PDF file to open it.  Open the file using a recent version (10 or higher) of Acrobat.  Form can be edited within Adobe or other PDF readers.

There should be three files.
When you open the Application pdf file, it will ask for the password that will be supplied.

Fill in the form THEN PRINT and SIGN the form.
The applicant MUST return the application package to the chapter secretary by March 1st.  This will allow the secretary and the chapter’s Educational Scholarship and ESTARL Committee to review the application materials to ensure that it is complete and, if not, notify the applicant of what is missing.

All Chapters forward the application materials by April 1st to the Sectional Committee Member.  If, for any reason, you are having difficulty gathering materials, notify the chapter secretary who will contact the sectional committee member PRIOR to the April 1 deadline.  The sectional committee member will make every effort to work with you to ensure the completion of the application process in a timely manner.

HOW IS AN APPLICANT NOTIFIED OF A SCHOLARSHIP OR AN ESTARL AWARD AND WHEN ARE THEY PRESENTED?

The Educational Scholarship and ESTARL Committee meet in April.  Notification is sent to the applicant and the secretaries of the sponsoring chapter by the chairman of the committee.  Scholarships applications approved and/or disapproved are notified and the reason why the application was denied.

The Scholarships and ESTARL Certificates are presented at the Grand Chapter Session, which generally falls the third week in June.  They are presented to the students by the Worthy Grand Matron and Worthy Grand Patron.  The scholarship checks are mailed to the student in either July or August.

WHAT IF I DO NOT RETURN TO SCHOOL IN THE FALL AFTER RECEIVING A SCHOLARSHIP OR ESTARL AWARD?

If you do not return to school in the fall following receipt of a scholarship or ESTARL award or you do not complete a full semester after the scholarship or ESTARL award is granted, you are obligated to return the money to the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania within the year of the scholarship or ESTARL award was granted.