Polish American Club of North Jersey Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Kosciuszko Foundation

Program Overview and Award Value

Description: The Polish American Club of North Jersey (PACNJ) Scholarships are awarded to qualified PACNJ members, with awards made by the Kosciuszko Foundation on behalf of PACNJ. The program is supported by donations from individuals and companies that foster scholarly and scientific exchanges between Poland and the United States. The Kosciuszko Foundation Tuition Scholarship supports eligible students of Polish descent pursuing full-time undergraduate or graduate studies in the United States. Award amounts vary for the PACNJ scholarships; awards under the broader Tuition Scholarship program range from $1,000 to $30,000.

• PACNJ scholarships are administered by the Kosciuszko Foundation on PACNJ’s behalf.
• Funding is for full-time study in the United States.
• An individual may receive no more than two tuition scholarships during their studies.

Eligibility

Graduate studies: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of Polish descent, pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree, and have a GPA of at least 3.0. Undergraduate studies: Applicants must meet the same citizenship or permanent-residency, Polish-descent, and GPA requirements, and be college freshmen, sophomores, or juniors when they apply. All fields and majors may be considered for funding. Applicants should apply only once; the Foundation will also consider them for any Tuition Scholarship for which they qualify.

• Graduate applicants must be pursuing master’s or Ph.D. studies.
• Undergraduate applicants must be freshmen, sophomores, or juniors at the time of application.
• All applicants must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and be of Polish descent.
• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.

Dedicated Scholarship Funds

Additional funding criteria: The Foundation has dedicated funds for particular locations, institutions, fields of study, and applicant interests. These funds may have restrictions or preferences beyond the general eligibility requirements. Applicants are matched with funds based on the criteria of each available award. The following areas and qualifications are identified for dedicated funding:

• Law and engineering studies at DePaul University, and studies at non-public colleges and universities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
• Residents of Amsterdam, New York; Chicopee, Massachusetts; and New Hampshire.
• Residents of Connecticut, with first preference for residents of Fairfield and New Haven counties.
• Residents of the Chicago area pursuing MD, DO, DDS, DDM, or DVM degrees through the Polish American Medical Society–Chicago.
• Students demonstrating leadership, strong written and verbal communication skills, and participation in school or community activities.
• Students majoring in journalism; physical-chemical, biological, technical, or natural sciences; dentistry; engineering; or medical sciences.
• Students pursuing medicine at English-language schools of medicine in Poland.
• Students studying applied sciences, medicine, music, humanities, social sciences, architecture, engineering, medical research, education, piano or violin performance, orchestral studies, law, art, fine arts, pharmacy, chemistry, accounting, business administration, banking, finance, or Polish studies.

Selection and Fund Matching

Selection criteria: Selection considers application completeness, recommendations from teachers or professors, academic excellence and achievements, the applicant’s interests and motivation, responses to scholarship essay questions, and involvement in the Polish American community. Financial need is also taken into consideration. The Foundation matches selected applicants with funds whose specific criteria may relate to a field of study, state of residence, or other factors. Changes to the subject area, university, or degree sought after notification must be reported to the Kosciuszko Foundation Grants Department and may lead to a review of the award or its cancellation if no suitable fund is available.

• Academic record, recommendations, essays, motivation, and community involvement are considered.
• Financial need is taken into account.
• Report post-notification changes in study plans to the Grants Department.

Application Requirements

Required materials: Applicants must complete the scholarship application and essay questions, provide two recommendation letters, and upload the required supporting documents. Proof of Polish ancestry should trace one line of descent to an ancestor born in Poland. Applicants should submit clear, complete files and follow the application’s file-naming instructions. Students reapplying for funding must submit a new application and will compete with a new group of candidates.

• Proof of Polish ancestry: Provide copies of documents such as birth certificates, passports, naturalization papers, or other official records tracing the applicant’s lineage to an ancestor born in Poland. Highlight relevant names, arrange the documents chronologically, and combine them into one file. If these records are unavailable, a letter verifying Polish ancestry from a prominent community member may be accepted; letters from relatives are not accepted.
• Curriculum vitae: Include high school and college dates, degrees earned or expected, graduation dates, awards, achievements, and participation in clubs, activities, and Polish organizations.
• Official transcripts: Submit transcripts covering two academic years. For example, a current college senior entering graduate study must provide official transcripts for the undergraduate sophomore and junior years.
• Photograph: Upload a photo suitable for publication in the Kosciuszko Foundation newsletter; a passport-style headshot is suggested.
• Proof of U.S. status: Non-citizens must provide a scan of the identification page of a U.S. passport, a green card, or a naturalization certificate.
• Statement of purpose: Complete all scholarship essay questions.
• Recommendation letters: Obtain two letters from professors or teachers with whom the applicant has studied recently. Letters must be on university letterhead.

Recommendations and Application Fee

Recommendation process: Applicants enter each recommender’s name and institutional email address in the application. Recommenders then receive an email invitation to upload their letters directly to the Reviewr portal. An optional third letter may come from an employer, supervisor, organization leader, or another person able to address the applicant’s relevant activities, abilities, or suitability for scholarship funding. A non-academic letter may be submitted only as this optional third letter. A non-refundable application fee of $40 is payable at the end of the application form.

• Two academic recommendation letters are required.
• An optional third letter may be non-academic.
• Applicants pay a non-refundable $40 application fee.

Notification and Contact

Application timeline: Applicants receive an email with the scholarship decision by June 16. For questions, contact Malgorzata Dymkowska, Grant and Scholarship Officer, at [email protected] or 212-734-2130. Applicants should contact the Grants Department if their proposed subject area, university, or degree changes after scholarship notification. Such changes may affect the fund match and award status.

• Decision notifications are sent by email by June 16.
• Email: [email protected]
• Phone: 212-734-2130