Each year, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks National Scholarship Program grants almost $4 million in college scholarships and grants and the 2021-22 application year is underway.
National Elks Most Valuable Student (MVS) Awards
This is a national program that does not require Elks affiliation. Scholarships range from $4,000 to $50,000 and are payable in four equal installments. Eligibility is subject to the following criteria:
- Applicants must be current high school seniors or equivalent, and a U.S. citizen;
- MVS scholarships are for students pursuing a four-year degree, on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 semester hours), in a U.S. college or university.
The deadline for MVS applications was November 15, 2021. The MVS application is now closed. Applications for the 2022-2023 school year should be submitted August – October 2022. For further information and to apply online HERE.
National Elks Legacy Awards
This is a national program that requires Elks affiliation. Scholarships are $4,000, payable in four equal installments. Eligibility is subject to the following criteria:
- Applicants must be college-bound high school seniors or equivalent, and a U.S. citizen;
- They must be the children or grandchildren of dues-paying Elks;
The application window for Legacy scholarships is September – January. Legacy applications for 2022 close on February 7. For further information and to apply online HERE.
Elks Emergency Educational Grants
This program provides college financial assistance to children of deceased or totally disabled Elks, in the form of annual grants up to $5,000. A student may be granted up to four grants total. You must apply each year for Emergency Education Grants.
- Applicants attend a four-year college as a full-time student;
- They must demonstrate financial need, and;
- They must be unmarried and under the age of 24 for the year they are applying
Applications are available by request between May 1 and October 31 of the academic year for which assistance is desired. More information can be found HERE.
Alameda Elks Lodge #1015 Scholarship Program
This program is exclusive to children and/or grandchildren (or otherwise legal dependents) of Alameda Elks Lodge #1015 members who have been active for two years. It involves a separate application from the national Elks MVS or Elks Legacy scholarship programs and provides up to four scholarships of $6,000 in total, paid in four equal annual installments of $1,500.
The Alameda Elks Lodge #1015 Scholarship Program application is available now by clicking HERE.
To be eligible for the Lodge scholarships students must be:
- Children, grandchildren, or legal dependent of current lodge members who have been members for two or more years
- Current seniors in high school
- Pursuing a four-year degree, on a full-time basis (minimum of 12 semester hours), in a U.S. college or university.
Applications need to be submitted by May 1, 2022. Download and complete the application above and email to the Scholarship Chair at: [email protected] or mail to: Lise Needham; Scholarship Committee Chair; Alameda Elks Lodge No. 1015; 2255 Santa Clara Avenue; Alameda, CA 94501.
CHEA Undergraduate Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities
This program, sponsored by CHEA, offers scholarship awards of up to $2,000 annually, renewable for up to four years (for total awards of up to $8,000).
Eligible candidates for these awards must:
- be a U.S. citizen who is a legal resident of California or Hawaii;
- possess a documented disorder of a physical, neurological, visual, hearing, and/or speech-language nature;
- be either a high school senior or high school graduate (can be satisfied via a GED or the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE));
- intend to obtain an undergraduate degree at a community college, four-year college, or vocational school, and;
- demonstrate financial need.
Local interested qualified students, please click HERE to get more information. Applications are accepted September through February for the following school year. Click HERE to download the application.
CHEA Vocational Grant Application
The program is open to anyone residing in California or Hawaii who is a citizen of the United States of America and planning to pursue an eligible vocational/technical (voc/tech) course resulting in a certificate or two-year degree and leading to employment opportunities.
Vocational Grants are open to all prospective students who require training or retraining to compete in the workplace.
The Vocational Grant is for one academic year, with an option to renew for one additional academic year. This grant may be used only for usual and required costs of a student’s course of study; that is, for tuition and fees, room and board (if living on campus), and books and supplies. Payment will be made to the school. Awards will be between $500 and $2,000 for an academic year depending on length of course.
Eligible programs are two-year or less vocational/technical programs culminating in a terminal Associate degree, diploma or certificate, but less than a baccalaureate program (Bachelor’s degree). Students planning to transfer to a four-year school to pursue a Bachelor’s degree are not eligible to apply.
Examples of courses approved recently are:
- 6-month Police Academy
- 13-month Cosmetology
- 3-month Electrical Lineman
- 13-month Veterinary Technology
- 2-year Fire Science
A student must plan to attend school on a full-time basis for a minimum of sixty days. An academic year is determined to be a minimum of nine months (approximately 39 weeks) of continuous full-time study. Payments may not be used to cover retroactive charges and may only be applied to expenses in the academic year.
Applications must be filed with the Scholarship Chairman, Exalted Ruler, or Secretary of the Elks Lodge having jurisdiction in the area of the student’s legal residence. An application may only be filed with one Lodge. Applications are available HERE
We offer our best wishes to the Class of 2022. For any questions on these matters please contact Lise Needham, Alameda Elks Lodge Scholarship Chair, at: [email protected].