Need money for college?
GCFCU offers a Scholarship Program for our members graduating high school!
Compete in 3 Scholarship Programs with ONLY 1 Application:
- Greater Chautauqua FCU Scholarship
- WNY Tri-Chapter of NY Credit Unions Scholarship
- NYCUA's Statewide College Scholarship Program
Scholarship Application Packets are available from November - beginning of January.
Ties are broken by time of application submission online so don’t wait!!
Important Dates:
Jan. 15, 2027: Deadline for students to submit applications
Late April - Early May 2027: Your credit union will receive notification regarding 2027 winners and awards.
Program Details - Must be a GCFCU Member
This exclusive Scholarship Program is open to all graduating high school seniors who are Members of Greater Chautauqua where we welcome ALL who live, work, worship or attend school in Chautauqua County!
If you or a family member will be graduating from high school this year, then belonging to Greater Chautauqua Federal Credit Union has even more advantages! We offer our own scholarship awards and participate in the New York Credit Union Association Scholarship Program, both at a state and local chapter level.
Submission Instructions:
1. Register (aka apply/application) here.
2. Obtain a Credit Union Verification Code from your credit union to verify eligibility.
- Applicants must be in good standing with their credit union
- Applicants will be attending a 2-4 year accredited educational institution
- Trade and Vocational Schools will also be eligible
3. Within the online application, you will be asked to
- list Honors, Awards, High School Activities, Community Activities, Volunteer Work, Leadership Positions held and the grades of participation for each
- write an essay to the following question: Credit Unions are not-for-profit financial cooperatives that exist to serve members, not generate profit. "People Helping People" is the philosophical foundation of these institutions. What do you see as the value of this foundation? Please explain. In addition: What makes your credit union different from a for-profit financial institution? How does your credit union demonstrate credit union's "people helping people" philosophy? and If you ran your credit union, what is one new program/initiative you would implement?
-
Your response should be between 300-500 words. Please be sure to cite all sources. If any portion of the survey is plagiarized, the entire application will be disqualified. This includes the use of any generative AI software or programs to create any portion of your essay. Also, please ensure that you have answered each of the components of the essay. Personal narratives or other unrelated essays will not be eligible for credit, but you are encouraged to use personal experiences and examples as they relate to the question below.
-
4. Please save the following as two separate files (PDFs or Word Documents)
- High School Transcript
- saved as 'Last Name, First Name Transcript'
- Essay
- saved as 'Last Name, First Name Essay'
- The essay is a large portion of the overall grade. We emphasize the importance of citing all references. Any plagiarism will result in disqualification.
- You are allowed to have a parent or teacher assist you in proofreading your essay.
5. Ensure that all sections of the online registration/application are complete and all necessary documents are included. Incomplete applications or those missing required components will not be considered.
6. The applicant and their parent or guardian must complete the Certification and Release Authorization on the last page of the online application.
7. When your application has been successfully submitted, you will see the message "Nomination successfully saved." You will also receive a confirmation email.