Starting October 1, The ARRL Foundation will begin accepting scholarship applications from eligible young radio amateurs pursuing post-secondary education. Individuals and clubs support many of the 80 scholarships, ranging from $500 to $5,000, that are awarded annually. In addition, one applicant may be selected to receive the prestigious William R. Goldfarb Memorial Scholarship, a “gap” scholarship that assists with the cost of college throughout four academic years to earn a bachelor’s degree in a business, computer, medical, nursing, engineering, or science-related field. Applicants for all scholarships must be active radio amateurs and must complete and submit the online application, which will be available on October 1.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for students graduating from high school or currently enrolled in college to apply for a monetary award to help with their educational expenses,” says ARRL Foundation Secretary and ARRL Development Manager Lauren Clarke, KB1YDD.  “All ARRL Foundation scholarships are made possible by individuals or clubs. With these awards, donors hope to encourage young people to be active in Amateur Radio and to earn their degrees.”

For 2014, the Foundation awarded 79 annual scholarships through 58 funds to young Amateur Radio operators, valued at $106,250. In addition, the Foundation Board selected 17-year-old Padraig Lysandrou, KC9UUS, of Bloomington, Indiana, as the 2014 recipient of the Goldfarb award. This fall, Padraig is attending Cornell University School of Applied & Engineering Physics.

Students planning to apply for 2015 awards should first carefully review the eligibility requirements and scholarship descriptions.  Although only one application per applicant is required, applicants may ask to be considered for as many of the scholarships for which they are eligible (some scholarships have geographic criteria or other requirements) Check off only the scholarships for which you would like to be considered. In addition to completing the online application, applicants must submit a PDF of their academic transcript from their most recently completed school year (emailed to foundation@arrl.org). Goldfarb Scholarship applicants also must submit a copy of their completed Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Applications are due January 31, 2015, by 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Awards winners typically are notified in mid-May by USPS mail and e-mail.

Established in 1973 as an independent and separate IRS 501(c)(3) organization, the ARRL Foundation manages grant and scholarship programs to support the Amateur Radio community. All grants and scholarships are funded entirely by the generous contributions of radio amateurs, clubs and friends. Individuals, groups or clubs wishing to establish an ARRL Foundation Scholarship Fund should visit the ARRL Foundation website.

For more information about ARRL Foundation scholarships, e-mail the ARRL Foundation or call 860-594-0348.