NESA Eagle Scout Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by National Eagle Scout Association (Scouting America)
About This Scholarship
The National Eagle Scout Association awards roughly half a million dollars in scholarships each year to Eagle Scouts heading into or already enrolled in college, associate degree, or skilled-trade programs. The slate for the most recent cycle included one $50,000 four-year Cooke scholarship, four $30,000 four-year Cooke scholarships, and dozens of one-year awards of $6,000 to $10,000 distributed across Scouting America's 14 Council Service Territories, plus the $5,000 Tappan scholarship.
Eligibility is tied to the Scouting program itself: applicants must have earned the Eagle Scout rank and be NESA members, and must be high school seniors through junior-year undergraduates (or partway through an associate or trade program) enrolling full time at an accredited institution. Students attending U.S. military academies or pursuing graduate degrees are not eligible, and each Scout may receive a NESA scholarship only once.
The application is completed online through NESA's portal during a roughly two-month winter window, and selected recipients submit a short two-to-three-minute thank-you video. Awards for the prior cycle were announced on June 10, 2026.
Eligibility
- Must have earned the Eagle Scout rank and be a member of the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA membership is the program requirement)
- High school senior through junior-year undergraduate, or up to halfway through an associate degree or skilled-trade program
- Enrolled or enrolling full time (12+ credit hours) at an accredited institution; U.S. military academy attendees and graduate students are not eligible
- One NESA scholarship per person, lifetime
How To Apply
- Join NESA (if not already a member) and create an account on the NESA scholarship application portal at nesa.org/scholarships
- Complete and submit the online application during the winter window (portal historically opens December 1 and closes January 31 at 11:59 p.m. CST)
- Watch for award announcements in June; recipients record a short 2-3 minute thank-you video
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be a current Scout to apply?
No — you must have earned Eagle Scout and hold NESA membership, but applicants range from high school seniors to college students in their junior year, including students in associate degree and trade programs.
Can I win more than one NESA scholarship?
No. NESA limits recipients to one scholarship per lifetime, though the largest Cooke awards pay out over four years.