SFCU College Scholarship Program

Information to have ready at time of application includes:

• A list of your community activities and volunteer work and grade(s) of participation. If you work part-time, please include details (ie. employer, position, length of employment, average hours worked per week, etc.)
• Essay Question – Respond to the following questions in a comprehensive essay:
  Both James Suriano and Wayne King were pillars in the Sidney Community and took great pride in the opportunity to serve others. How do you feel the community activities and volunteer work, listed within your application, have affected your individual character? Please explain. In addition: If you could tell your younger self one thing about giving more of your time helping others, what would you say?
• Your essay response should be 500 words. Please site all sources. If any portion of the essay is plagiarized, the entire application will be disqualified.

Note: You will not be able to save your application once you have started. You must fill-in all required fields, electronically sign, and SUBMIT at one time.

Eligibility

Must be a member of SFCU in good standing who meets all the following criteria:

• Must demonstrate participation in their community through volunteerism and service.
• Must be a college-bound student or current college student in either a two- or four-year accredited educational institution at the time of application.
• Meets SFCU’s financial needs criteria: AGI not to exceed $75,000 for single household or $125,000 when filing jointly. Applicant must submit a copy of the previous year’s 1040 or equivalent document as household income verification.
• The member agrees to use any scholarship funds awarded by January 31, 2027, at an accredited educational institution only.

Deadline is 3/14/2026.  Apply Now

In partnership with New York Credit Union Association (NYCUA), SFCU offers high school seniors a scholarship opportunity and awards the top (up to 12) applicants a $1,000 scholarship. When students apply they are automatically entered into an additional scholarship opportunity offered by NYCUA. Scholarships may be used at a two-or four-year accredited educational institution or a trade/vocational school.

Documents & Steps to Apply:

Note: Save each file individually. Acceptable file formats include: jpg, jpeg, png, gif, doc, docx, pdf, xls, xlsx, csv, ppt, pptx, ttf, svg, woff, ico, epub, xlsb. Note: Google Docs are NOT accepted.

1. Complete the fillable Scholarship Application.
   • Save document as: Last Name, First Name Application
2. Complete the required essay (see page 5 of application).
   • Save document as: Last Name, First Name Essay
3. Obtain a copy of your high school transcript (documenting your GPA for grades 9-12).
   • Save document as: Last Name, First Name Transcript
4. Obtain SFCU verification code.
   • Contact SFCU via chat on our website, call us at 877.642.7328 or stop by your local branch to obtain your verification code.
5. Head to the SFCU X NYCUA Scholarship site. 
   • Fill in your name and email address for both the Nominee and Nominated By sections. Disregard the Reasons for Nomination section and only complete the required fields.
   • Upload and submit the completed application and required documents listed above.
     • The message “Nomination successfully saved” will appear when your application has been successfully submitted.

Application period November 1, 2025 – January 9, 2026