1st Ed Credit Union
Thank you for your interest in 1st Ed Credit Union’s Scholarship Program which gives five $2,000 scholarships to high school seniors that are seeking higher education. Additional details regarding the scholarship program for the 2026-27 school year is coming soon, please check back for more information.
Scholarship Eligibility
You are eligible to apply if:
- You are a member of 1st Ed Credit Union*.
- See our membership eligibility list at www.1edcu.org/about-us/membership.
- You are currently a high school senior that will enroll in a full-time
undergraduate program during the 2026-27 school year at an accredited two or four year college/university or a vocational/technical school in the United States. - You will be available to attend our Annual Meeting in April 2026, date and time TBA.
Application Process
Instructions:
- Complete your application by January 31, 2026. All applications must be submitted using the online scholarship application form.
- See our Scholarship Checklist below to be sure you have provided all necessary information. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Selection:
Applications will be blindly reviewed by the Scholarship Committee and the Board of Directors. The selection will be based on academic achievements, extracurricular and community activities, and essay. Applicants will be notified of the Board’s selection in March 2026.
Acceptance of Funds:
Scholarship funds will be disbursed directly to the school after the student submits their first semester grades with a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Students have until December 2027 to use their scholarship funds.
*Family members of 1st Ed Credit Union’s Board of Directors are not eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Scholarship Application Checklist
Each item below must be submitted with your 1st Ed Scholarship Application Form by January 31, 2026 for an application to be considered complete. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. All materials must be submitted in .pdf or .docx format.
- Request your High School Transcript
A transcript of your high school GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale signed by your guidance counselor.
Include current senior year grades (report card), if not included on transcript. - Submit a Letter of Recommendation
Submit a letter of recommendation from a non-family member. See below for letter of recommendation guidelines.
Examples: School Employee, Coach, Employer, Community Figure, Scout Leader or Religious Figure.
Guidelines: We ask that the following questions be answered without using the student’s last name, the name of the school they attend or printed on school letterhead.- How do you know the student?
- What stands out to you about the student’s character?
- Do you feel the student is challenged by their academics?
- What are the student’s greatest attributes?
- How well do you think the student will accomplish their future personal and academic achievements and why?
- Any additional comments you feel the scholarship committee should know about the student.
- Write an Essay
Your essay must be at least 250 words typed with double line spacing, 12-point font, and 1” margins on single-sided pages. Your name, school or school district must NOT appear anywhere on or in the body of the essay. Essay points will be awarded based on topic development and clearly answered questions, grammar, and punctuation.
Essay topic: What do you expect to gain from earning your college or technical school degree/certificate?