Window for 2017 Eagle Scout scholarships open till Oct. 31, 2016

The National Eagle Scout Association wants to make college more affordable for more than 100 worthy Eagle Scouts across the country.

The window for 2017 Eagle Scout scholarships opened Aug. 1, 2016, and will slam shut on Oct. 31, 2016.

In the 2015-2016 window, the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA) awarded $640,000 in scholarships to 140 Eagle Scouts.

For the 2016-2017 window, NESA tells me the goal is to increase the number of recipients to 150. That includes scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $50,000.

Despite some online rumors about these scholarships, NESA doesn’t have the funds to offer money to each of the more than 5,000 applicants. Less than 3 percent of those who apply will receive scholarships.

In the past, NESA scholarships were available only to Scouts attending four-year universities. Now Scouts attending vocational trade schools and other approved programs may apply.

Let’s look at the two types of NESA scholarships: academic and merit.

Academic scholarships

  • Academic scholarships weigh school and Scouting participation, academic performance, and financial need.
  • Academic scholarships include a range of scholarships, up to four $25,000 scholarships (payable at $6,250 per year for four years) and one $48,000 scholarship (payable at up to $12,000 per year for four years).
  • Academic scholarships also include NESA’s largest scholarship: the $50,000 NESA STEM scholarship for an Eagle Scout planning to major in a science, technology, engineering or math field.
  • Applicants must score a minimum 1800 SAT (if taken before January 2016) or 1290 (if taken after March 2016) — or an ACT score of at least 28 to apply.
  • Applicants must be Eagle Scouts applying during their senior year of high school. Exception: Scouts whose Eagle Scout boards of review are held after Oct. 31 of their senior year may apply during the next scholarship cycle in the following year — even though they may be in college by this time.
  • Winners may receive an academic scholarship one time only.
  • Recipients will be notified by mail on July 15, 2017.

Merit scholarships

  • Merit scholarships weigh school and Scouting participation and community service.
  • These awards cover the $2,000 and $4,000 Bailey scholarships, the $2,500 Robert and Rebecca Palmer scholarships, and the $5,000 Hall/McElwain merit scholarships.
  • NESA merit scholarship applicants must be Eagle Scouts graduating high school or undergraduate college students no farther than completion of the junior year.
  • Winners may receive a merit scholarship one time only.
  • Recipients will be notified by mail on July 15, 2017.

Learn more

NESA has posted this list of helpful FAQs. Good luck!


About Bryan Wendell 3282 Articles
Bryan Wendell, an Eagle Scout, is the founder of Bryan on Scouting and a contributing writer.