The Presbyterian church can trace its roots back to the Scottish Reformation in early 18th century. Today the church has a significant amount of followers in the U.S. with the greatest concentration being found in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Many traditional members put great emphasis on higher education and students who want to continue this traditional can receive the support and backing of many different scholarships through Presbyterian organizations.

In order to be eligible for scholarships offered to Presbyterians, students should expect to need to be a current and active member of the church. A majority of the scholarships will require students to meet a minimum GPA and to submit their scores from a standardized test like the SAT or ACT. Financial need will also factor in heavily and those without true need of assistance will likely not be awarded scholarships.

The main scholarship available to Presbyterian students is the National Presbyterian College Scholarship. In order to get this scholarship, students must be in their senior year of high school and preparing to enter a university or college that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church. In addition to the usual requirements scholarships entail, students wishing to receive this scholarship must also provide letters of recommendation from their pastors and guidance counselors as well as full high school transcripts.

Aside from this scholarship, there are not a lot of scholarships designed specifically for Presbyterian students. Some individual schools that are associated with the church may offer scholarship programs and students entering the ministry may be able to find additional support through scholarships.

Presbyterian Scholarships

• First Presbyterian Church Scholarship Fund: $500 to $2,000 awarded each year to 3-5 Presbyterian junior or senior undergraduate students majoring in Theology.
• Presbyterian Church USA Academic Scholarship: $20,000 to undergraduate students who are members of a Presbyterian church and who are accepted to attend Presbyterian College.
• Native American Supplemental Award: $1,500 to a varied number of Native American, Presbyterian students enrolled in seminary school.
• National Presbyterian College Scholarship : $1,400 to a varied number of Presbyterian high school seniors accepted to an institution of higher education.
• Student Opportunity Scholarship : $2,000 to minority undergraduate juniors and seniors who are studying social science, missionary service, religious studies or health services and who are members of the Presbyterian church.