EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP AND ESTARL AWARDS
EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS
The Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania offers $500 and $1,000 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 five (5) 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 without the vote of the delegates at Grand Chapter; only the interest from these funds is used.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR $1,000 SCHOLARSHIPS?
· Those eligible 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 of Pennsylvania, the International Job’s Daughters in Pennsylvania, and the Order of the DeMolay is also eligible.
· The applicant must be a full time student pursuing a Professional or Commercial education in an accredited school of higher learning. You must be enrolled in a 3 or 4 year program, or in an accredited nursing program leading to an R.N. degree, or in a full-time post-graduate program.
· 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.
· The applicant must be of good moral character.
· The applicant must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better.
· The applicant must have limited financial resources and a willingness towards self-help.
· No applicant will be awarded more than two (2) scholarships.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR $500 SCHOLARSHIPS?
· Those eligible shall be members of the Order of the Eastern Star in good standing, their children, step-children, or grandchildren.
· The applicant must be enrolled full-time in a two (2) year Certification Program or Associate Degree Program.
· The applicant must have earned at least twelve (12) credits in the program and maintained a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better. However, you may request a scholarship application during your first semester in the program.
· The applicant must be of good moral character.
· The applicant must have limited financial resources and a willingness towards self-help.
· No applicant will be awarded more than one (1) scholarship.
ESTARL (Eastern Star Training Awards for Religious Leadership) AWARDS
The Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania offers $1,000 scholarships to eligible persons to continue their religious training. 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.
The principle of the ESTARL endowment cannot be used without the vote of the delegates at Grand Chapter; only the interest from this fund is used.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR AN ESTARL (Eastern Star Training Awards for Religious Leadership) AWARD?
· Those eligible shall be members of the Order of the Eastern Star in good standing, their spouses, children, step-children, grandchildren, parents, or siblings.
· An applicant must have successfully completed one (1) year in an accredited school offering religious training before applying for an ESTARL application.
· The applicant must be of good moral character.
· The applicant must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better.
· The applicant must have limited financial resources and a willingness towards 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.
· An applicant who has received two (2) Educational Scholarships may receive one (1) ESTARL award if enrolled full-time in a Theological Seminary.
HOW DOES ANYONE APPLY FOR EITHER THE EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS OR THE ESTARL AWARD?
· The application process is similar for all three 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.
· The Secretary of the chapter then sends a letter under the seal of the Chapter to the sectional Chairman requesting an application packet.
· The sectional Chairman sends the application materials to the Chapter secretary who will then forward them on to the applicant.
· The Chapter Secretary then informs the applicant to return to THIS web page and download the application materials. A password will be supplied to the applicant so that the actual application document can be opened and completed.
· The applicant MUST return the application package to the Secretary of the Chapter by March 1st. This allows 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, to notify the applicant of what is missing.
· All materials must be received by April 1st by the Sectional Chairman. If for any reason you are having difficulty gathering materials, have the Chapter Secretary notify the Sectional Chairman PRIOR to the April 1st deadline. The Sectional Chairman 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 meets sometime in April. Notification of BOTH the applicant and the Secretaries of the chapters are done after this meeting by the chairman of the committee. Both the successful and unsuccessful candidate will be notified and if not successful, why the application was turned down.
The scholarships and ESTARL certificates are presented at Grand Chapter which generally falls the third week in June. They are given to the Chapter representative (usually the Worthy Matron of the Chapter), who in turn will see that they are given to the student.
The checks will be mailed to the applicant in either July or August.
WHAT IF I DON’T RETURN TO SCHOOL 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, then you are obligated to return the money to the Grand Chapter of Pennsylvania within the year of the scholarship or ESTARL award was granted.