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 at the time of application. The member will be enrolled or is enrolled in either a two- or four-year accredited educational institution.
• The member meets SFCU’s financial needs criteria: AGI not to exceed $75,000 for single household or $125,000 when filing jointly. Will require copy of 1040 or equivalent document as verification once recipient is notified.
• The member agrees to use any scholarship funds awarded by January 31, 2024, at an accredited educational institution only.

Submit the completed application no later than January 7, 2023. Recipient will be announced in May. 

SFCU is offering our college-bound high school seniors (primary membership required) the opportunity to compete for local and state college scholarships through our partnership with the New York Credit Union Association’s (NYCUA) College Scholarship Program. Scholarships may be used at a two- or four-year accredited educational institution.

Students that are SFCU members can take advantage of this opportunity by completing these steps:

1. Download the Scholarship Application. Read all instructions carefully.
2. Complete the fillable Scholarship Application, required essay, and obtain your high school transcript (documenting your GPA for grades 9-12). 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.
3. Contact us directly at 877.642.7328 or 607.561.7346 to obtain a verification code. Please contact us prior to beginning the Scholarship application. We will verify your membership status and/or eligibility. If you are not already a member, you may apply online or visit the most convenient branch location to establish an account. All scholarship applicants are required to be a primary member on an sfcu account.
4. Once you have filled-in the application, completed your essay, obtained your code and transcript, go to the NYCUA Scholarship to upload and submit. 

• 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.

There is no fee for submitting an application, but applicants MUST be:
•    the primary member on an SFCU account;
•    college-bound high school seniors at the time of application; and
•    attending either a two- or four-year accredited educational institution for the first time in the fall of 2023.

Recipients will be announced in May. 

Two scholarships available offering the opportunity to be awarded $500 in scholarship funds.

Information to have ready at time of application includes:

• A list of your community activities and volunteer.

• A letter of reference or recommendation from a Boss, supervisor, teacher, school administrator, guidance counselor or someone you have reported to in a community service organization. *This can be submitted after your scholarship application has been completed if being mailed. Must be post marked by May 12, 2023.
• Essay Question – Respond to the following questions in a comprehensive essay:
  • Tell us a little bit about yourself.
  • What makes you passionate or excited about continuing your education and entering your field of choice?
  • What involvement you have had in your local community, clubs, or organizations and how do you plan on using your future career to support your local community?
  • Describe a time when you demonstrated leadership and what you learned from the experience.

• Your essay response should be at least 200 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.

• Be enrolled or plan to enroll in an approved trade program at an accredited two-year college, vocational, or technical school. Four-year degree or bachelor programs are not eligible.

• The member agrees to use any scholarship funds awarded by January 31, 2024, at an accredited educational institution only.

Submit the completed application no later than May 12, 2023. Recipient will be announced in June.