First Congregational Church of Long Beach offers an annual scholarship program from three sources:

The Kenneth Caskey Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Harriett S. and Nancy A. Merritt Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Jerry Cannon Memorial Scholarship Fund

Awards are offered every spring to college, university, technical and trade students at any educational level. Preference is given to applicants who are members of First Congregational Church of Long Beach. Additional qualities considered include: goals; grades; church, college and community service; financial need; and proximity to achieving degree objectives. Students are expected to enroll in at least nine units per term at the undergraduate level and six units per term at the graduate or postgraduate level. Enrollment at the institution named in the application is expected by the subsequent academic term (excluding summer). Scholarship funds will be awarded in nonnegotiable amounts, and applicants may apply for funding annually. Scholarships will be administered according to the discretion of the Scholarship Committee of the Board of Stewardship and Finance of First Congregational Church of Long Beach, which includes representatives from the Board of Christian Education.

The deadline for submitting applications is May 31, 2023. Applications received after this date will not be reviewed.

Click here to complete and submit the online application. For your reference you may download a copy of the application here.  However, please submit the completed application using the online form.

Please prepare and gather the required information, including the personal essay not to exceed 5,000 characters, before you begin filling out the application. Once you have the required information, please complete the application in one session and submit the completed application on or before May 31, 2023.

Information you will need to complete this application includes:

• The name and address of the university, college, or trade school you will attend in fall 2023
• Your accumulated grade point average (GPA) from the high school or college you graduated from
• Your household income for calendar year 2022
• A copy of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) if you filed one
• A personal essay not to exceed 5,000 characters in length that describes your personal background, educational and vocational goals, involvement in church, community and school activities including any honors, awards or recognitions you have received. Please include a paragraph or more describing how your studies in your chosen field and related community involvement continue to shape your vocational and professional goals.
• The name, address, phone number, and email address of one individual whom you have asked to provide a letter of recommendation

Please email Cathy Chambers at c_chambers@earthlink.net, Chair of the Scholarship Committee of the Board of Stewardship and Finance of First Congregational Church of Long Beach, with any questions regarding the application process.