P.E.O. STAR Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Philanthropic Educational Foundation International

The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship is a one-time award of $2,500, specifically designed for young women in their final year of high school. It is important to note that this scholarship must be utilized in the academic year immediately following graduation, otherwise, it will be forfeited. The selection process for this scholarship involves recommendations from a local P.E.O. chapter. Let's delve into the eligibility requirements. A young woman is deemed eligible for the STAR Scholarship if she meets the following criteria: 1. She has been recommended by a local chapter of the P.E.O. Sisterhood. 2. She is a citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States or Canada. 3. She has maintained a minimum cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. 4. She has demonstrated excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community service, and shows potential for future success. 5. She intends to enroll in an accredited postsecondary education institution in the United States or Canada, either full time or part time, in the fall of the academic year following her high school graduation. It is important to note that applications are evaluated on a nondiscriminatory basis, without consideration of race, age, national origin, religious affiliation, disability, or P.E.O. connection. Now, let's discuss the application process. Initially, a student will be interviewed by members of a local P.E.O. chapter before they decide to recommend her. Once a local chapter recommends a student, the P.E.O. Executive Office will email the applicant instructions for logging into an online account to complete her portion of the application. This must be submitted no later than 30 days after she receives the email. The application will require information about the student and her extracurricular and community service/volunteer activities, a 700-word essay, two letters of recommendation, and an unofficial high school transcript (through 11th grade/junior year). Finally, the awards are announced annually by April 30, and notifications are sent to all applicants and recommending chapters.