2026 Sunward Scholarship

The Sunward Scholarship is CLOSED!

For over 30 years we have supported our student members with an opportunity to help fund their educational journey; emphasizing the importance of financial wellness and literacy as a part of their path. In 2025, we awarded $15,000 in scholarships.

We’re pleased to announce that 2026 will be our biggest awards year yet -- $25,000 in scholarships will be awarded! If you’re a Sunward member working towards your educational goals, we’d love to help you get there. Together, we are fueling the economic engine of the Southwest; today and in the future.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted through a secure third-party platform. To apply, you’ll need to upload:

• Your essay
• Your most recent transcript
• A letter of recommendation

Eligibility Requirements

• Full-time students accepted for the 2026 – 2027 academic year to an Associate, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree program at an accredited institution.
• Sunward Membership at time of application submission - If you'd like to apply for the scholarship and are not a Sunward Member, click here to apply
• Submit a completed application by the deadline, including:
  • Your most recent transcript
  • A letter of recommendation
• Children of Sunward employees and volunteers (such as Sunward's Board of Directors or Supervisory Committee) are not eligible to enter.

Application Review

All applications will be reviewed for eligibility qualifications before Sunward begins the committee review process. All personal identifiable information is removed from essay submissions, and a unique submission number is assigned to each applicant. This ensures anonymity of applicants and equity through the review process.

Sunward's Review Committee uses the Submittable platform to review and score eligible student applicants.

How are Sunward Scholarship Awardees determined?

Eligible applications are evaluated in Submittable through a fair, structured review process designed to ensure consistency and transparency.

Eligible applications will be reviewed and evaluated in Submittable using the following criteria:

• Response to the prompt: Does the essay fully answer the prompt and effectively convey the applicant's personal story?
• Writing mechanics: Proper use of grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• Organization and readability: Does the essay demonstrate clear structure, logical progression of ideas, and smooth flow throughout the essay?

Scores are collected and tallied in Submittable. The ten essays with the highest scores advance to a final review round. At that stage, all Sunward Review Committee members will reread and re-score only the top ten essays to determine the 2026 Sunward Scholarship Awardees.