Tuition Scholarship Program

Program Description

Kosciuszko Foundation Tuition Scholarships support American students of Polish descent for graduate level studies, such as masters and Ph.D. studies,  at colleges and universities in the United States.  Scholarships range from $1,000 to $7,000.  Funding is only for full-time studies in the United States and English Schools of Medicine in Poland.  

All fields and majors are eligible for scholarship funding under the Kosciuszko Foundation's Tuition Scholarship program.  In addition, the Foundation has funds dedicated for  :

• law and engineering studies at DePaul University and for studies at non-public colleges and universities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin; 
• residents of Amsterdam, NY; 
• residents of Chicopee, MA; 
• residents of New Hampshire;
• residents of Connecticut, first preference for residents of Fairfield and New Haven counties;
• students who evidence leadership, excellent written and verbal communication skills and participate in school and/or community activities;
• students majoring in journalism; 
• students majoring in physical-chemical, biological, technical and natural sciences;
• student majoring in dentistry; 
• students majoring in medicine at English schools of medicine in Poland;
• students majoring in engineering and medical sciences; 
• students majoring in applied sciences; medicine; music; humanities; social sciences; architecture; engineering; medical research; education; piano performance;  violin performance; orchestral studies; law; art; fine arts;  pharmacy; chemistry; accounting; business administration; banking; finance; Polish studies.

ELIGIBILITY

• Citizens and legal permanent residents of the United States
• must be of Polish descent
• graduate level studies (Masters, Ph.D.) 
• GPA of 3.0 or higher. 

Only one member per immediate family may receive a tuition scholarship during a given academic year. Awards are limited to two tuition scholarships per individual during the period of his/her studies.  Applicants may re-apply for funding, however, scholarship renewals are not guaranteed.  

Selection Criteria

Selection is based on application completeness, recommendation of teachers and professors, academic excellence and achievements, applicant's interests, motivation, the applicant's essay, involvement in the Polish American community. Financial need is taken into consideration.

Kosciuszko Foundation scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis. 

Application Procedure

A complete application includes the following materials:

• A - Scholarship Application (A1) and Financial Information Form (A2)
• B - Statement of Purpose/essay
• C - Official Transcripts
• D - Two Letters of Recommendation
• E - Admission Letter, if applicable
• F - Proof of Polish Ancestry
• G - Photo
• H - Curriculum Vitae
• I - $35 non-refundable application fee with Checklist.

Notes Regarding Supporting Documents:  

• A -  See the Click Here to Apply button below for application forms.  Submit a completed Financial Information Form (Pages 1 and 2).  Candidates entering graduate and doctoral programs please include budgetary figures for the top three schools you are most likely to attend on Page 2.  
• B - Submit a Statement of Purpose.  Discuss your major and your major, relevant academic and extracurricular activities as well as your short and long term goals. Your statement will be three pages long, double spaced.  Include your full name TU22 and page numbers on  each page of your essay; 
• C - Submit official transcripts of studies.  3 academic years are required (through Summer 2020), for example, a current college senior entering graduate level studies is required to submit official transcripts for their undergraduate freshman, sophomore and junior year. 
  • An official transcript is one that is sent by the university or school directly to the Kosciuszko Foundation.  An official transcript is usually printed on official transcript paper and bears the embossed or raised seal of the university or school as well as the date and the registrar's signature.  Official transcripts are usually sent in a sealed envelope and include the registrar's signature stamped across the seal of the envelope. 
  • The Foundation can accept a hard copy transcript from a student/candidate only when the official transcript remains in the original unopened, sealed envelope.  
  • Electronic transcripts are accepted and are considered official if delivered securely through an organization authorized by your university and e-mailed directly to the Foundation.  The Foundation accepts electronic transcripts from Transcript Network by Credentials Solutions, LLC; Transcript Services at Parchment; Credentials eScrip-Safe  and from the National Student Clearinghouse.  
• D - Two letters of recommendation are required.  Letters must be written on university letterhead and come from professors or teachers with whom you have studied recently.  The Foundation can accept letters via USPS or e-mail, however, recommendation letters must come directly from the professor or school office, not the student.  A non-academic letter of recommendation will be accepted as an optional 3rd letter of support.  The optional letter may be submitted on your behalf by an employer or supervisor, leader or officer of an organization with whom you are affiliated or other person who can speak to relevant activities, abilities and or suitability for scholarship funding.  Recommenders who wish to submit letters via e-mail are asked to save their documents as TU22-Candidate's Last Name-First Name-LOR-Prof's Last name;  
• E - Submit a copy of your letter of admission.  This requirement is only for students who are entering graduate programs or beginning doctoral programs in academic year Fall 2021/Spring 2022.   Admission letters are accepted through May 31st. Early submissions are appreciated. 
• F - Submit proof of Polish ancestry.  Use copies of documents such as birth certificates, passports, naturalization papers and other official documents to trace your lineage to the ancestor who was born in Poland.  Highlight relevant names and arrange the documents in chronological order.  Save all your documents to one file and save the file according to the file naming convention listed below.  One line of descent is needed to prove Polish descent.  If the above described documentation is not available, a letter from a prominent member of the community verifying your Polish ancestry will be accepted. Letters from relatives are not official documents and will not be accepted. 
• G - Submit a photo of yourself, which is suitable for publication in the Kosciuszko Foundation's Newsletter. A passport-style photo (headshot) is suggested;  
• H - Submit your Curriculum Vitae. Include awards, achievements, participation in clubs, activities, Polish clubs, etc.; 

•  I - Submit the $35 non-refundable application fee together with the Checklist to the KF via USPS.  Check and money orders made payable to the Kosciuszko Foundation are the only acceptable forms of payment. 

Notes for students who wish to reapply for scholarship funding:

Students who are re-applying for scholarship funding will be competing against a new pool of candidates.  Update all items except proof of Polish heritage:   

• •  A - Update your application and financial information form; 
  • B - Update your Statement of Purpose to reflect your progress; any additional recent activities such as internships, volunteer programs and or new developments/ directions in your studies;
  • C - Submit Official Transcripts showing grades for the interim period.  Kindly note that some students may be asked to show grades for the Fall 2020 semester;  
  • D - Two letters of recommendation;  
  • E - Letter of Admission, if applicable; 
  • F - Please upload a letter to the KF indicating your position as candidate who is applying for a renewal scholarship.  Indicate the academic year for which you applied previously and ask for your heritage documents to be brought forward to the current application cycle.  We will carry over your proof of ancestry file to your Fall 2021/Spring 2022 file. 
  • G - photo;
  • H - updated C.V. 
  • I - application fee and checklist. 

Prepare the following before you apply on-line :

• Your essay, proof of ancestry, photo, and CV
• green card and naturalization certificate numbers (non-citizens) 
• high school and college start and end dates, degrees/expected degrees, graduation dates/expected dates of graduation

• Use the following file naming convention for all supporting documents: TU22-Your Last Name-Your First Name-Description of File Contents.  Descriptions may include Financial Information Form (FIF); Financial info; Essay; Admission-UIC (include university initials); Heritage; Ancestry; Photo; CV and similar descriptive terms. 
• Acceptable file formats for documents include .doc, .docx, and .pdf
• Acceptable file formats for photos include .png, .jpg, and .jpeg
• We will contact you via e-mail or phone if questions arise or if clarification is needed - please respond promptly. 
• Applications must be complete in order to receive scholarship consideration; 
•  Do not staple check/money order to Checklist. 
• Set aside enough time to complete the on-line application form without taking a break.  You will not be able to save your answers and return to complete the form at a later time. 
• Apply only once - we will also consider you for any KF tuition scholarship for which you qualify. 
• If you have any technical difficulties, please contact us at the number below.  

Scholarships are awarded based on the information you supply on your application form.  Candidates are matched with appropriate funds which may specify or limits subject area, state of residence, and or other factors. A change in subject area, university and/or degree sought which are made following scholarship notification must be communicated to the Kosciuszko Foundation Grants Department and may result in re-consideration of your scholarship so that an appropriate fund can be found.  If an appropriate match is not found, cancellation of the scholarship award may result. 

Application Deadline :  extended to Monday, February 15, 2021 

Scholarship Notification Letters :  June 2021 

_____________________________________________________

THE ONLINE APPLICATION IS OPEN 

APPLICATION FORM (A1): 

When the application period is closed e-mail us and ask to be added to the Tuition Scholarship mailing list.  Include information that clearly  illustrates your eligibility for this scholarship, for example: I am an American citizen of Polish descent and a first year student of law at DePaul University School of Law. I live in Chicago, IL. Example: I am an undergraduate senior expecting to begin graduate level studies in social work in the upcoming Fall semester.  I live in Portsmouth, NH. 

We will add your e-mail address to our Tuition Scholarship notification list for one year.  Notification will be sent when the new application has posted and the scholarship application period has begun.  Please add Addy@thekf.org to your address book/white list/safe senders list to insure that the notification is not directed to your Spam folder. 

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