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 ranging from $1,000 to $7,000 are awarded on a competitive basis for one academic year. Funding is for full-time studies. Scholarships are for academic year Fall 2020 - Spring 2021.  

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 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

United States citizens and legal permanent residents (green card holders) of Polish descent who are beginning or continuing their graduate studies and who have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Scholarships are awarded for full-time studies only. Only one member per immediate family may receive a tuition scholarship during a given academic year. Applicants may re-apply for funding, however, scholarship renewals are not guaranteed.  Awards are limited to two tuition scholarships per individual during the period of his/her studies.   

Selection Criteria

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

Application Procedure

A complete application includes the following materials:

• A - Scholarship Application and Financial Information Form;
• B - Statement of Purpose/essay;
• C - Official Transcripts;
• D - Two Letters of Recommendation;
• E - Letter of Admission;
• F - Proof of Polish Ancestry;
• G - Passport-size photo;
• H - Curriculum Vitae;
• I - $35 non-refundable application fee and Checklist.

Notes:  

• A -  Apply at the "Click Here to Apply" button found below.  Complete the Financial Information Form.  Scan and save the form as "TU21-Last name-First name-FIF".  Submit the form via e-mail to Addy@thekf.org or send a hard copy to the Grants Department via USPS.  A sample application and the Financial Information Form are available at A above when the application period is open.  
• B - Submit a Statement of Purpose.  In the statement of purpose/essay discuss your major and your academic and career goals. Your statement of purpose will be three pages, double spaced.  Include your full name and page numbers on the upper right hand corner of each page of your statement. Save your file as "TU21-Last Name-First name-essay" and upload it to the application form;
• C - Submit official transcripts for the last three full years of academic work through the most recent Summer semester.   Submit official transcripts via USPS; 
• D - Submit two letters of reference.  Request letters of academic reference from two professors or teachers with whom you have studied recently.  Recommendations must be written on university letterhead and  sent by professors directly to the Kosciuszko Foundation via USPS or via e-mail to Addy@thekf.org. Please ask professors and teachers to save their reference letters as "TU21-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 2019/Spring 2020.   Submit a copy of your admission letter via USPS or via e-mail to Addy@thekf.org.  If submitting via e-mail, please save your file as "TU21-Last name-First name-admission-university initials".  Admission letters are accepted through May 31st. Early submissions are appreciated. 
• F - Submit proof of Polish ancestry.  Use documents such as birth certificates, passports, naturalization papers and other official documents to show your lineage to the ancestor who was born in Poland.  Highlight relevant names in supporting documents and arrange the documents in chronological order.  Save all your documents to one file.  Save the document as "TU21-Last name-First name-heritiage" and upload the file to the application form. One line of descent is sufficient to prove your Polish heritage.  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 - The KF publishes a list of scholarship winners in its Newsletter. Submit a photo of yourself which is suitable for publication in the Newsletter. A passport-style photo is suggested (2 inches x 2 inches).  Save your photo as "TU21-Last name-First name-photo" and upload the file to the on-line application form;  
• H - Submit your Curriculum Vitae.  Save your CV as "TU21-Last name-First name- CV" and upload it to the on-line application form; 

•  I - Submit the $35 non-refundable application fee.  Submit payment 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 are considered  together with new applicants and will be competing for scholarship funding against a new pool of candidates.  Students who are reapplying must 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, recent activities such as internships, volunteer programs and or new developments/ directions in your studies, C) Official Transcripts showing grades for the interim period, D) two letters of reference, E) Letter of Admission, if applicable, G) photo, H) updated C.V. and I) application fee and checklist. 

Notes for all applicants:

• Prior to applying, prepare your supporting documents and save them according to the file names suggested.  
• Set aside enough time to complete the on-line form in one session - you will not be able to save your answers and return to the form later. 
• Applicants receive confirmation of on-line submission - successful submission is indicated by a check-mark within a circle. 
• Do not staple check/money order to checklist.
• Applications are reviewed in the order received.  If questions arise during the review process, an e-mail will be sent to the candidate.  It is the candidate's responsibility to respond to questions.
• The candidate is responsible for understanding requirements and submitting the required documents. If you have questions about the application, please call Addy at (212) 734-2130 ext 412. 
• If you are experiencing technical issues with submission, please send us an e-mail with details concerning the difficulty. 
• Please do not call/e-mail for confirmation of materials.  If you wish to receive confirmation of receipt of supporting materials include a self addressed post card.  On the reverse side of the postcard  include wording regarding KF's receipt of all supporting materials.  We will sign and return the postcard to you when all materials have been received. 

Send hard copy documents to:

Questions:

Documents to submit online :  Application form, Personal Statement/Essay, Proof of Polish descent, photo, and C.V.

Documents accepted via USPS include: Financial Information Form, official transcripts, letters of recommendation submitted by professors, admission letters, $35 application fee and checklist.  

Documents accepted via e-mail include: Letters of recommendation submitted by professors, admission letters. 

Scholarship Deadline : Jan 15, 2020

Scholarship Notification: Decision letters are sent in late May. 

1. Statement of purpose/essay. 
2. Proof of Polish heritage. 
3. Photo.
4. Resume or Curriculum Vitae.

Links to the application, financial information form and checklist are live from late Fall through the deadline date.    ____________________________________________________

When the application period is closed, send an e-mail to the Scholarship and Grant Officer and ask to be added to the "Tuition Scholarship Mailing List".  Include details to illustrate your eligibility for example, indicate your ethnicity (American citizen of Polish descent/green card holder of Polish descent/American citizen majoring in Polish subject areas), list your current educational level (graduate student and year of studies or undergraduate senior), and the major that you expect to pursue during  academic year Fall 2020- Spring 2021.  Lastly include your city and state of residence.  We will add your e-mail address to our list for one year.  You will receive an e-mail notification when the application period re-opens. 

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