America First Credit Union Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide

America First Credit Union offers a variety of scholarship opportunities to help students achieve their educational goals. These scholarships cater to different academic levels, fields of study, and personal circumstances. This article provides a detailed overview of various scholarships available, eligibility criteria, and application processes.

Scholarships for High School Seniors

Several scholarships target high school seniors, providing financial assistance for their transition to higher education.

America First Charitable Foundation Scholarship Program

The America First Charitable Foundation encourages and administers contributions for educational scholarships. These scholarships are awarded based on a student's commitment to community service and leadership, as well as their academic potential. The America First Charitable Foundation is looking for candidates who embody the people-helping-people philosophy and play an active role in giving back to their community through volunteering or other meaningful contributions.

In April 2023, America First Credit Union accepted applications for its America First Charitable Foundation Scholarship Program. To be eligible, applicants had to submit a copy of their current transcript, including their grade point average (GPA), as well as their hours of community service. A selection committee consisting of America First employees reviewed all applications, representing diversity in business, education, and community background. The deadline for applications was April 30, 2023.

In 2025, the Fall 2025-2026 Scholarship will open for applications October 15 and due December 15, 2025.

WBRC 6 News Rising Star Scholarship Program

America’s First Federal Credit Union and WBRC 6 News Rising Star Scholarship Program begins on Monday, August 26, 2024, at 8:00 am CT and end on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 6:00 pm CT. The deadline for entries is Friday, February 21, 2025, at 5:00 pm CT. The Promotion is open to all legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (except NY and FL) who are 16 years of age or older at the time of entry, are currently enrolled in their senior year of high school at an accredited public high school, private high school, or trade/vocational school, will be attending a full-time college or trade school beginning in the fall of 2025 and who live in the following Alabama counties: Bibb, Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Cullman, Etowah, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Marion, Pickens, St. Clair, Shelby, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Walker and Winston.

Thirty weekly winners are selected from nominations. Each weekly winner receives a trophy, a $50 Visa gift card, an America’s First Federal Credit Union bag, and a WBRC USB drive valued at $100.00. Also, each winner will have a thirty second spotlight on WBRC FOX6 News. Weekly winners are selected based on criteria of best representative of school activities, community involvement and recommendation by nominee. Six of the thirty weekly winners will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship based on an interview process. The interview is conducted by a representative selected by AmFirst and judged by a third-party committee. The committee is comprised of community partners selected by AmFirst. Judges are not employees of America’s First Federal Credit Union or WBRC. Scholarship winners are selected based on criteria of being the best representative among weekly winners in community involvement, their passion for current and future work, and their professionalism. To qualify for the scholarship, an applicant must complete the interview process.

General Eligibility and Criteria

Many scholarships share common eligibility requirements, including:

Being a high school senior.
Maintaining a minimum GPA (often 3.0 or higher).
Demonstrating financial need.
Active participation in extracurricular activities, community service, or work.

Specific Scholarship Opportunities

America First Credit Union Scholarship: Applicants must be an America First Credit Union member with an account in good standing and a graduating high school senior.
Utah High School Seniors: Several scholarships are specifically for Utah high school seniors.
Creative YouTube Video Scholarship: Some scholarships require applicants to create a creative YouTube video. One example is a video on the topic: "If I could teach high school students about finances…"
Scholarships Based on Merit and Need: These scholarships are judged and awarded primarily on merit and need, often requiring a minimum GPA of 3.0 and plans to attend college by the fall semester of a specific year.

Scholarships with Specific Focus Areas

Some scholarships target students with specific interests, backgrounds, or circumstances.

STEM-Related Scholarships

High School Hispanic Seniors in STEM: These scholarships are for Hispanic seniors in STEM fields who demonstrate leadership through academic achievements and campus/community activities.

Scholarships for Students with Learning Disabilities

These scholarships require a GPA of 3.0 or higher, demonstration of financial need, and documentation of an identified learning disability (IEP, 504 plan, or assessment/evaluation report). Note that ADD/ADHD alone is not considered a learning disability.

Scholarships for Students Interested in Financial Literacy

Utah Jump$tart Coalition Scholarship: This scholarship requires applicants to be high school students in the graduating class of 2026 or 2027 at an accredited Utah school and to have successfully completed, or currently be enrolled in, the General Financial Literacy course in Utah. As part of the application, candidates will be asked to write a few sentences providing positive feedback about their General Financial Literacy teacher and how this teacher helped them master financial literacy concepts.

Scholarships for Specific Demographics

Single Mothers: This scholarship is for single mothers who are high school graduates or equivalent, Utah residents, and demonstrate financial need.
Female Students in Mathematics: The scholarship is for a deserving female West High School senior who aspires to a career in mathematics and has taken math all 4 years of high school.

Scholarships Based on Community Involvement

Scholarships for Community Service: Some scholarships are awarded based on a student's commitment to community service, leadership, and academic potential.

Scholarships for Students with Mental Illnesses

High-Performing Students with Diagnosed Mental Illnesses: These scholarships require a minimum GPA of 3.5 and are for students with diagnosed mental illnesses.

Essay Contests

Several scholarship opportunities involve essay contests on specific themes.

Read also: US Education System Performance

"What Drives You?" Essay Contest: This contest is for Utah high school teen drivers and driver’s education students, requiring a 500-word essay about "What Drives You?" There are no grade point or test score requirements.
Ayn Rand Essay Contest: This contest is for students in 8th - 12th grade and is based on the books Anthem and Fountainhead by Ayn Rand.
"How will a $3,000 scholarship for education make a difference in your life?" Essay Contest: This contest requires a 250-word essay and is open to individuals 14 years of age or older at the time of application.

Scholarships for Native American Students

Several scholarships and programs support Native American students pursuing higher education.

NTUA Scholarships and Internships: NTUA awards scholarships and internships to Navajo students pursuing higher education in programs related to the multi-service utility industry, such as business, accounting, engineering, chemistry, computer science, and information technology.
AISES Scholarships: AISES (American Indian Science and Engineering Society) scholarship requirements vary.
National Park All Native Crew: This program connects young Indigenous adults to culturally significant sites through a residential crew-based experience in national monuments. Requirements include tribal affiliation, ages 18-25 years old, GED or HS diploma, and passing a background check.
College Workshop for Native American Students: A free college workshop is available for Native American high school students and families.

Scholarships for West High School Seniors

Several scholarships are specifically for deserving seniors at West High School.

A scholarship for a deserving West High senior who would like to achieve their personal goals and contribute to society.
A scholarship for a deserving West High School senior for dedication to serving their community.

Utah Jump$tart Coalition Scholarship Program Details

The Utah Jump$tart Coalition, in partnership with America First Credit Union and my529, offers scholarships to high school students.

Award: Three eligible applicants will each receive a $1,250 scholarship award, AND one eligible applicant will receive a $500 scholarship award.

Scholarship Use: The scholarship may be used for any field of study at an accredited Title IV fund-disbursing post-secondary institution.

Read also: Eligibility for Dream Award

Eligibility:

Applicant MUST be a high school student, graduating class of 2026 or 2027 at an accredited Utah school.
Have successfully completed, or currently be enrolled, in the General Financial Literacy course in Utah.
Not be a direct relative of the Utah Jump$tart Coalition Board of Directors or staff.

Deadline to submit application: CLICK HERE TO OPEN AND COMPLETE the ONLINE SUBMISSION ENTRY FORM by 11:59 pm BEFORE DECEMBER 15, 2025.

Selection and Judging: All qualifying entries will be judged by a panel composed of representatives from the scholarship sponsoring organizations.

Video Requirements:

Video must be no more than 60 seconds in length.
Video must be in English, must be the entrant’s original work and not infringe on any copyrights or trademarks.
Video must not contain violent, obscene, immoral, defamatory, derogatory, offensive, illegal or sexually suggestive content or contain, include, or encourage images or activities that are dangerous, unsafe, or present unreasonable risk of harm to a person or property.

Short Answer: Candidates will be asked to write a few sentences providing positive feedback about their General Financial Literacy teacher and how this teacher helped them master financial literacy concepts.

Disqualification: The Utah Jump$tart Coalition reserves the right to determine under what circumstances the scholarships may be deferred. All scholarships must be disbursed 3 years from date of notification or the funds will be forfeited.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarships for Seniors who Attended Franklin Elementary School: These scholarships are for seniors who attended Franklin Elementary School in the Salt Lake City School District and have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
Scholarships for Active Participation in Civil Rights: These scholarships are for seniors who actively participate in struggles for civil rights, economic justice, international solidarity, or other progressive issues and demonstrate financial need.
Scholarships for Utah High School Juniors and Seniors: These scholarships require students to create a 5-minute YouTube video about any project they have been involved with.

America First Credit Union: A Brief Overview

America First Credit Union has become one of the largest and most progressive credit unions in the country. Today, America First has 113 full-service branches and more than 800,890 members. America First Credit Union has remained a member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative financial institution.

my529: Utah's Official 529 Educational Savings Plan

my529 is Utah’s official 529 educational savings plan, helping families across the United States invest for higher education for more than 25 years. my529 funds may be used for qualified education expenses, which includes tuition, fees, books and supplies as well as K-12 tuition expenses, qualified education loan repayments and registered apprenticeships (up to certain limits).

General Promotion Rules and Conditions

The America’s First Federal Credit Union and WBRC 6 News Rising Star Scholarship Program has specific promotion rules and conditions that applicants must adhere to.

Promotion Dates: The Promotion begins on Monday, August 26, 2024, at 8:00 am CT and end on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at 6:00 pm CT. The deadline for entries is Friday, February 21, 2025, at 5:00 pm CT.
Eligibility Restrictions: The Promotion is open to all legal residents of the United States and the District of Columbia (except NY and FL) who are 16 years of age or older at the time of entry, are currently enrolled in their senior year of high school at an accredited public high school, private high school, or trade/vocational school, will be attending a full-time college or trade school beginning in the fall of 2025 and who live in specific Alabama counties. Employees of WBRC, its parent, subsidiary, and affiliated entities, its advertising agencies, participating sponsors/promotional partners, other broadcasting stations in the Birmingham DMA, and the members of their immediate families or households are ineligible to participate or win.
Entry: Details on how to enter the promotion are provided in the official rules.

Prizes and Odds of Winning (WBRC 6 News Rising Star Scholarship)

Thirty weekly winners will be selected from nominations. Each weekly winner will receive a trophy, $50 Visa gift card, an America’s First Federal Credit Union bag, and a WBRC USB drive valued at $100.00. Also, each winner will have a thirty second spotlight on WBRC FOX6 News. Weekly winners are selected based on criteria of best representative of school activities, community involvement and recommendation by nominee.
Six of the thirty weekly winners will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship based on an interview process. The interview is conducted by a representative selected by AmFirst and judged by a third-party committee. The committee is comprised of community partners selected by AmFirst. Judges are not employees of America’s First Federal Credit Union or WBRC. Scholarship winners are selected based on criteria of being the best representative among weekly winners in community involvement, their passion for current and future work, and their professionalism. To qualify for the scholarship, an applicant must complete the interview process.
Odds of winning are dependent on the number of entries received.
Winners will be notified via the nominating teacher, principal, or counselor.
There is no substitution, transfer, or cash equivalent for prizes, except that the Station may, at its sole discretion and to the extent permitted by law, substitute prizes of comparable value or cash. The prizes are expressly limited to the item(s) listed above and do not include taxes, gratuities or any other expenses.

Winner Selection and Notification (WBRC 6 News Rising Star Scholarship)

Decisions of Station management with respect to the Promotion are final.
Winners will be selected weekly on Friday. The nominating teacher, principal, or counselor will receive a phone call to notify them of their student being selected. Spotlights of each weekly winner will be aired the following Thursday during the 5 pm newscast. Interviews will be conducted on multiple nights during February, March, and April 2025. Final scholarship winners will be announced at the banquet in May 2025.
Winner(s) (or their parents or legal guardians if under the age of majority) must execute and return any required affidavit of eligibility and release, publicity release, and/or guest/traveling companion release within five (5) days of notification attempt or winner will be disqualified and the prize will be forfeited and an alternate winner(s) may be chosen by selection.

Conditions and Legal Disclaimers (WBRC 6 News Rising Star Scholarship)

Payments of all federal, state, and local taxes are solely the responsibility of the winner(s). Winner(s) will be required to complete and submit an IRS Form W-9 or the equivalent including a winner’s full Social Security Number for receipt of any prize valued at $600 or more or for any prizes awarded by the Station in a calendar year with an aggregate value of $600 or more. Failure to submit a complete W-9 or equivalent will result in disqualification and forfeiture of the prize.
Participating in the Promotion and acceptance of a prize constitutes a winner’s and guest’s permission for the Station or its agents to photograph, film and record each winner, and to use his/her name, address (city and state), likeness, photograph, voice, biographical information and/or any statements made by him/her regarding the Promotion or its sponsors for purposes of trade, publicity or promotion without additional financial or other compensation, and, the Station may, where legal, require a winner (and guest or travel companion, where applicable) to sign a publicity release confirming such consent prior to acceptance of the prize.
The Station may also require eligible Promotion winner(s) and their guests or travel companions, if any (as well as each of their parent(s) or legal guardian(s), if winner(s), guest(s) or travel companion(s) are under the age of majority in their state of residence), to sign a liability release confirming such consent.

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