John T. Donelon Scholarship
Offered by National Association of Letter Carriers
About This Scholarship
The John T. Donelon Scholarship honors the longtime assistant to three national presidents of the National Association of Letter Carriers, the union representing city letter carriers at the United States Postal Service. Each year the NALC Scholarship Committee selects one winner to receive a $1,000 award that is renewable for four consecutive years, making it worth up to $5,000 over a college career.
Eligibility mirrors the union's long-running Doherty scholarship program: applicants must be children of NALC members in good standing — active, retired, or deceased — and the member parent must have held membership for at least one year. Applicants must be high school seniors when they apply.
The application is paper-based and runs on a two-stage calendar. Students first mail the preliminary application form, signed by the NALC member and a branch officer, to NALC headquarters by December 31. Qualifying applicants then submit SAT or ACT scores, a biographical questionnaire, and secondary school reports by March 31. One application covers consideration for both the Doherty and Donelon awards.
Eligibility
- Child of an NALC member (active, retired, or deceased) in good standing; the parent must have been a member for at least one year
- Applicant must be a high school senior at the time of application
- Must submit SAT or ACT scores and secondary school reports by March 31 after the preliminary application
How To Apply
- Download the preliminary application form from the NALC scholarships page
- Have the NALC member parent and a branch officer sign the form
- Mail the form to NALC Headquarters postmarked by December 31
- Submit test scores, the biographical questionnaire, and secondary school reports by March 31
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Donelon Scholarship separate from the Doherty Scholarship?
They use the same application and the same eligibility rules, but they are separate awards: NALC gives five $4,000 Doherty scholarships and one $1,000 Donelon scholarship each year.
Is the award renewable?
Yes. The $1,000 Donelon award is renewable for four consecutive years, subject to the committee's requirements.
Who counts as an eligible NALC parent?
An active, retired, or deceased NALC member in good standing who has held membership for at least one year.