Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Washington Crossing Foundation

We are delighted to announce the yearly National Washington Crossing Foundation Scholarship Awards, aimed at students who will be completing their final year of high school in 2026 and are aspiring to pursue careers in government service. Applicants for the scholarship must be U.S. citizens. The Foundation's Trustees and Members, recognizing the historical significance of the event at Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, firmly believe that the continued advancement of our nation depends on the dedication and thorough training of our youth to take up the mantle of government service in the future.

We invite all interested students to submit a one-page essay explaining their interest in a government service career, drawing inspiration from George Washington's leadership during his renowned crossing of the Delaware. The essay should be accompanied by a recommendation from the student's high school principal or guidance counselor, evaluating the student's accomplishments. Transcripts, national testing scores, and any other supporting information as outlined in the Official Rules should also be included.

Each year, we offer a range of scholarships. The scholarship will be disbursed as long as the student fulfills the requirements of their chosen college. Students who plan to join a Military Academy or have been granted full four-year tuition scholarships are also eligible for an award.

In previous years, winners have had their travel, food, and accommodation expenses covered for a weekend in Pennsylvania to attend the Scholarship Awards Ceremony. All winners must attend the Scholarship Awards Ceremony and Luncheon on Saturday, May 2, 2026, to receive their scholarship. The event will commence at 11 am at the Washington Crossing Inn, adjacent to Washington Crossing Historic Park.

We encourage you to visit our website, which provides all the necessary information for preparing and submitting an application, including:

• The Official Rules, requirements, and procedures of the program
• A comprehensive, downloadable version of the program information available on this site

We appreciate your interest in our National Scholarship Competition. To be eligible for this year's program, applications must be postmarked no later than January 15, 2026. We strongly advise all applicants to send their applications via Priority Mail, if possible, as several applications last year took weeks to arrive. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries.

Eligibility Criteria

The competition is open to all high school seniors who are U.S. citizens and are planning to serve the United States in local, state, or federal government. All awards are valid for one year.

Application Process

A complete scholarship application should include THREE (3) copies of a double-spaced COVER PAGE containing the following details, in the order mentioned:

• Full name of the applicant (nickname in parentheses)
• Home address of the applicant (street, city, state, zip code)
• Home telephone number of the applicant with area code
• Name of the applicant's school
• School address of the applicant (street, city, state, zip code)
• School telephone number of the applicant with area code
• Number of students in senior class / total number of students in school
• Name and title of the Principal / Guidance Counselor recommending the applicant
• Preferred college(s) of the applicant: top three choices in order of preference
• How the applicant found out about the Scholarship Program? If a search engine was used, which one was it?
• Confirmation if the applicant is a high school senior (Y / N)
• Date of birth of the applicant
• If applicable, PA county of residence (Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery)
• Home email address of the applicant
• Cell phone number of the applicant
• Information about any relative who is/or has served in our Armed Forces, their relationship to the applicant, and their service period

Note: Applicants are welcome to include a photograph with their application. We strongly recommend sending applications via Priority Mail, if possible, as several applications last year took weeks to arrive.