Cavaliers Scholarship Program

Scholarship Sponsored by Cleveland Cavaliers

CAVALIERS SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM supported by HUNTINGTON BANK

Overview
The Cavaliers Youth Foundation, doing business as Cavaliers Community Foundation (CCF), together with The Huntington National Bank (Huntington), will award five scholarships and five Huntington savings accounts through the Cavaliers Scholarship Program supported by Huntington Bank. The following sets forth eligibility, application requirements, selection process, award details, and other terms.

Eligibility
- To qualify, applicants must be high school students attending school in one of these Ohio counties: Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, or Wayne.
- Employees and immediate family members of employees of the NBA, Cavaliers Holdings, LLC, Huntington Bank, or any of their parents, affiliates, or subsidiaries are ineligible.

Application requirements
Applicants must submit the official online entry form and include:
- A high school transcript showing academic performance through the end of the junior year.
- A letter of recommendation from a faculty member at the applicant’s high school.
- A 500-word essay responding to: "Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others."
- If the accredited institution the student plans to attend requires or requests SAT or ACT scores, provide those scores.

Deadlines and notification
- Completed applications must be received by Friday, February 6, 2026.
- Semi-finalist interviews will be conducted on or around the week of March 9, 2026.
- Recipients will be notified by email, phone, and official letter on or about March 20, 2026.
- Scholarship award announcement and presentation will take place on Sunday, April 12, 2026.
- Savings account recipients will receive tickets to a Cavs game on a separate date.

Selection process
- A selection committee appointed by CCF and Huntington — consisting of local community leaders and employees of Huntington and Cavaliers Holdings, LLC — will review applications, interview semi-finalists, and determine awards. The committee’s decisions are final and at its sole discretion.
- If a selected scholarship recipient declines the award or elects not to attend college or pursue post‑high-school education, an alternate recipient will be chosen.

Awards
- Five $10,000 one-time scholarships (each a Scholarship) will be awarded. These scholarships are non-renewable and must be used during the 2026–27 academic year. Scholarship funds may be applied to eligible educational expenses at a college, vocational/trade school, or similar post-secondary program that leads to a certificate or degree, including tuition, fees, books, and on-campus room and board. Recipients must provide verification of how scholarship funds are used.
- Five runners-up will receive Huntington savings accounts (each a Savings Account) seeded with a one-time $1,000 deposit. Savings account funds must be used for verifiable educational costs (tuition, fees, books, and other related expenses). Recipients of savings accounts must provide proof of how funds are applied.

Huntington Savings Account details
- Recipients of the Huntington Savings Account will receive a one-year waiver of the account maintenance fee. After that first year, the student must continue the account under Huntington’s standard agreement or close it. (Other fees, such as non‑Huntington ATM fees, may still apply; only the maintenance fee is waived for one year.)
- Huntington will supply instructions for account opening, receiving the maintenance fee waiver, and depositing the $1,000 award.

Evaluation criteria
Applications for both Scholarships and Savings Accounts will be judged on:
- Academic achievement (including SAT or ACT scores, if applicable),
- Extracurricular involvement (work, community service, etc.),
- The required essay,
- Financial need, and
- Performance in the interview.

Other provisions
- Participation in basketball will not be treated as a component of extracurricular evaluation.
- Winners (and/or their parents or legal guardians) are solely responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes.
- Additional information may be requested from potential recipients to process and distribute a Scholarship or Savings Account.

By applying, applicants acknowledge and agree to these terms.