Scholarships for Polish and Polish-American Students

In honor of Polish-American Heritage Month (October), we have a little roundup of scholarships aimed at Polish-Americans (why yes, I am one--how  did you guess?)--and some Poles as well.  The Jan Gorecki Scholarship Foundation offers scholarships to students of Polish descent in England, Poland or the United States.  Students must "demonstrate high academic achievement."  For more information, write Peter Paley, Treasurer, at 19306 S. Anza Blvd. Torrance, Ca 90503-1405.

The Barbara Piasecka Johnson Foundation gives scholarships to graduate, doctoral or postgraduate students who are Polish or of Polish descent.  Their U.S. phone number in Princeton, N.J. is 609-688-1030, or, if you are Polish-speaking, try their website for more information.

The big daddy of Polish cultural scholarship support, however, is the Kosciuszko Foundation with offices in New York City and Warsaw.  They fund student exchange programs between the United States and Poland, a summer study in Poland program to gain proficiency in the Polish language,  scholarships for either students of Polish descent OR students who are not of Polish descent and wish to study in Poland or study Polish language or culture.   

Don't wait too long to start picking around for scholarships.  You should start hunting and applying for scholarships now if you intend to start college next fall.  And, powodzenia (good luck) everybody.

Where Are the White Scholarships At?

Yes, that's a take-off from a scene in Blazing Saddles, but it's a question posed many times by people who say, "There's no scholarships or scholastic grants for me, because I'm white."

You're wrong. While there are no scholarships for "white people" per se, there are plenty for non-minority ethnic groups. Go to Peterson's Scholarships, Grants and Prizes and peruse the section on "national or ethnic background." Armenians are well-represented, with scholarships from the Armenian Students Association of America and the Armenian Relief Society of Easter USA Inc. See other Armenian offerings here. If you are of Portugese descent, see the Cabrillo Civic Clubs of California Scholarship. There's a Croatian Scholarship Fund, and a scholarship for those of Slovak or Czech heritage from the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association. The Polish Women's Cultural Club of Milwaukee may give you a hand if you are Polish-American, or you might want to try your luck with the Polish Cultural Foundation. The National Welsh-American Foundation offers a scholarship, as does the Irish-American Home Society.

See a pattern here? If you are white and want a scholarship based on ethnicity, it's a good idea to check books like Peterson's, but also any ethnic club, society, or religious or ethnic mutual aid society. You can find these in Gale's Associations Unlimited, an online subscription database available through many libraries, or its print equivalent. the Encyclopedia of Associations.