🎓 Scholarships & Financial Help for Franklin County-Area Families

From preschool and summer camp to college, trade school and career changes, there may be help available.

Paying for education doesn't begin — or end — with college.

Families throughout the Chambersburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro and Mercersburg areas may be able to find help with preschool, summer camp, music lessons, youth programs, college, trade school, certifications, workforce training and more.

And here's something important to remember:

Not every opportunity is called a "scholarship."

When you're looking for help, also watch for the words financial assistance, tuition assistance, fee assistance, grants, camperships, workforce funding and training assistance.

We've gathered local and statewide resources to help you start looking.

💡 Macaroni KID Tip: Don't assume you won't qualify. Some opportunities are based on where you live, career interests, community service, financial need, military service, disability, activities or field of study — not simply GPA.

🔎 Find What You Need

🌱 Preschool & Early Learning Assistance
🏕️ Camps, Sports & Youth Activities
🎨 Music, Arts & Enrichment
📚 Middle & High School Opportunities
🎓 Scholarships for Graduating Seniors
🔧 Trade School, Certifications & Career Training
🚑 Fire, EMS & First-Responder Training
🩺 Healthcare & Nursing
🌾 Agriculture, 4-H & FFA
🪖 Military Families & Veterans
♿ Students & Adults With Disabilities
👩‍🎓 Current College Students
🔄 Adult & Returning Learners
🏫 Private-School Tuition Assistance
💼 Workforce Training & Career Changes
💰 Pennsylvania & Federal Financial Aid
🔍 Where Else to Search
🗓️ When to Look
📁 Build a Scholarship Folder
🚩 Avoid Scholarship Scams

🌱 Preschool & Early Learning Assistance

Scholarship hunting can start long before senior year.

Franklin County Community Foundation / The Foundation for Enhancing Communities

The foundation administers an Early Education Scholarship Fund that may help eligible young children attend participating early-learning programs.

👤 Who: Eligible preschool-age children
📍 Area: Franklin County and participating surrounding areas
💰 Help: Early-childhood education assistance
✅ Good to know: Eligibility and participating programs can change, so families should review the current requirements directly with the foundation.

Search for: Franklin County Community Foundation Early Education Scholarship Fund

🏕️ Camps, Sports & Youth Activities

If camp or an extracurricular program seems out of reach financially, ask before assuming the answer is no. Some local organizations maintain assistance funds even when they aren't prominently advertised.

Chambersburg Memorial YMCA — Open Doors

The Chambersburg YMCA offers financial assistance for qualifying children, adults and families through its Open Doors program.

👤 Who: Children, adults and families
💰 May help with: YMCA participation and eligible programs
💡 Good to know: Ask about financial assistance when registering rather than waiting until a program fills.

Waynesboro Area YMCA — Financial Assistance

The Waynesboro YMCA provides assistance to qualifying families and individuals.

👤 Who: Youth and adults
💰 May help with: Memberships, youth and adult programming, childcare and summer day camp
✅ How to start: Complete the YMCA's financial-assistance application.

Joy El Ministries — Campership Assistance

Joy El Ministries in Greencastle offers financial assistance to help eligible children participate in camps and retreats.

👤 Who: Eligible campers
📍 Location: Greencastle
💰 Help: Campership funding
📅 When: Funding is limited, so families should inquire early.

Camp Tohiglo

Camp Tohiglo in Mercersburg offers financial aid for qualifying campers.

👤 Who: Eligible campers
📍 Location: Mercersburg
💰 Help: Partial summer-camp assistance based on financial need and available funding
💡 Good to know: Families may still be responsible for part of the camp cost.

Mercersburg Academy Summer Programs

Financial assistance may be available for qualifying students attending Mercersburg Academy summer programs.

👤 Who: Students applying to eligible summer programs
📍 Location: Mercersburg
💰 Help: Financial assistance based on program criteria and available funding

🎨 Music, Arts & Enrichment

Cumberland Valley School of Music

Cumberland Valley School of Music offers scholarship assistance for qualifying students participating in its music programs.

👤 Who: Children through adults
🎵 May help with: Music instruction and eligible CVSM programs
💰 Awards: Assistance varies according to eligibility and available scholarship funding
💡 Why we love this one: Scholarships aren't limited to school-age children.

Families interested in music, theater, dance, gymnastics or other arts programs should also ask individual organizations whether financial assistance is available. Some programs maintain small scholarship funds that aren't heavily advertised.

📚 Middle & High School Opportunities

Not all scholarships pay a college tuition bill.

Middle- and high-school students may find assistance for:

🎓 Academic enrichment programs
🏕️ Summer learning programs
🤝 Leadership experiences
🎵 Arts opportunities
🔬 STEM programs
💼 Career exploration
🌎 Exchange programs

Rotary Youth Programs

Local Rotary clubs may sponsor students for leadership opportunities such as Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and other youth programs.

Check with your school counselor and local Rotary organization for current opportunities.

💡 Don't wait for senior year. Students can start building scholarship-ready experiences through volunteering, activities, leadership, employment and community involvement throughout middle and high school.

🎓 Scholarships for Graduating Seniors

This is where the largest number of traditional local scholarships appears.

📍 Chambersburg Area Students

Chambersburg Area Education Foundation

If you attend Chambersburg Area School District, start here.

The Chambersburg Area Education Foundation administers more than 100 annual scholarship awards supporting students pursuing:

🎓 Four-year degrees
📚 Two-year programs
🔧 Trade and technical training
🩺 Healthcare careers
🍎 Education
🎵 Music and arts
💼 Business and other fields

CAEF uses a Universal Application, allowing students to enter much of their information once and then apply for qualifying scholarships.

Scholarships consider many different factors, including academic achievement, field of study, financial need, community service, extracurricular activities and personal circumstances.

📅 Typical season: Winter through early spring
💡 Tip: New scholarships can be added during the application period, so students should check the scholarship page more than once.

Chambersburg Rotary Club

Local Rotary scholarship opportunities may recognize academics, service and community involvement.

Students should check current Rotary information and their school counseling office each year.

Chambersburg Kiwanis

Local Kiwanis scholarship opportunities have included awards for students pursuing healthcare and other postsecondary pathways.

Check with the organization and school counseling office for the current year's eligibility.

📍 Greencastle-Antrim Students

Greencastle-Antrim Education Foundation

The Greencastle-Antrim Education Foundation supports educational opportunities and maintains scholarship funds for local students, including several memorial scholarships.

🎓 Who: Eligible Greencastle-Antrim students
📚 Use: Postsecondary education and training according to each scholarship's requirements

Start with the GAHS Student Center

Greencastle-Antrim High School students should regularly check scholarship announcements through the school's Student Center and guidance resources.

💡 Tip: Don't check only once. New local scholarships often appear throughout senior year.

📍 Waynesboro Area Students

Waynesboro students have access to a particularly strong collection of local civic, memorial and community scholarships.

Rotary Club of Waynesboro

The Rotary Club of Waynesboro currently maintains several scholarship programs for Waynesboro Area Senior High School students.

Thompson Scholarship

🎓 Focus: Four-year college education
✅ Considers: Academic achievement, service and financial need

Rotary Merit Scholarship

🎓 Focus: Postsecondary education
✅ Considers: Academic excellence and service to school and community

Angela D. Piatt Vocational-Technical Scholarship

🔧 Focus: Vocational and technical education
✅ Considers: Academic ability, financial need and community/service involvement

This is an especially important reminder that local scholarship money isn't limited to four-year colleges.

Waynesboro Area Senior High School Scholarship Library

The school's counseling resources collect current opportunities from organizations such as:

🎖️ American Legion
🦁 Lions Club
⚙️ Vocational organizations
🌱 Environmental groups
🤝 Civic organizations
🎓 Memorial scholarship funds

Waynesboro seniors should use the school scholarship page as a living resource throughout senior year.

📍 Mercersburg & Tuscarora Students

Tuscarora Education Foundation

The Tuscarora Education Foundation supports students within the Tuscarora School District through scholarships, educational grants and other initiatives.

🎓 Who: Eligible Tuscarora School District students
📍 Includes: James Buchanan-area students

Students should also watch school counseling announcements for additional civic, memorial and community scholarships that change from year to year.

🌎 Franklin County-Wide Scholarships

Some scholarships aren't tied to one school district.

Franklin County Community Foundation

The Franklin County Community Foundation, a regional foundation of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, manages scholarship funds covering a wide variety of interests.

Depending on the scholarship, opportunities may support students pursuing:

🩺 Healthcare
🌾 Agriculture
💻 Technology
🎵 Music
🎓 College degrees
🔧 Two-year or trade programs
📚 Other career paths

Some awards are available to students throughout Franklin County rather than one particular district.

This should be one of the first scholarship databases local families check.

Franklin County Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution

The Franklin County Chapter of the DAR offers scholarships for qualifying graduating seniors from Franklin and Fulton counties.

📅 Applications typically follow an annual cycle.
💡 Ask your school guidance office or check with the local DAR chapter for the upcoming application.

🔧 Trade School, Certifications & Career Training

College is only one postsecondary path — and scholarship hunting should reflect that.

Students pursuing:

⚙️ Skilled trades
🚗 Automotive careers
🔌 Electrical work
🛠️ Welding
🏗️ Construction
💻 Technology
🩺 Healthcare certifications
🚑 EMS
❄️ HVAC
💇 Cosmetology
📜 Professional certifications

should search for scholarships, workforce funding, training assistance and apprenticeships.

Franklin County Career & Technology Center

Adult and postsecondary programs may qualify for various financial-aid and workforce-funding programs.

Ask about:

💰 Federal financial aid for qualifying programs
💼 PA CareerLink/WIOA assistance
🏢 Employer-sponsored training
🎓 Program-specific scholarships
📜 Workforce funding

Two-Year & Trade Scholarships Through TFEC

The Foundation for Enhancing Communities allows students to identify scholarships available for two-year and trade-school education, making this an important search tool for students who aren't pursuing a bachelor's degree.

🚑 Fire, EMS & First-Responder Training

Pennsylvania offers training support that may make entering emergency services more affordable.

Pennsylvania EMS Tuition Assistance

Eligible Pennsylvania residents earning qualifying emergency medical certifications may be able to receive tuition reimbursement.

Programs can include:

🚑 Emergency Medical Responder
🚑 EMT
🚑 Advanced EMT
🚑 Paramedic

Funding rules and reimbursement amounts can change, so prospective students should check current Pennsylvania Department of Health information before enrolling.

Volunteer Fire Departments

Interested in firefighting?

Ask local departments about:

🔥 Training provided to volunteers
🏠 Live-in opportunities
📜 Certification assistance
🎓 Tuition or educational partnerships

Some opportunities reduce the cost of training or living expenses even though they aren't technically scholarships.

🩺 Healthcare & Nursing

Healthcare students should search separately because many scholarships are career-specific.

Kristin Runyon Memorial Scholarship

WellSpan's Summit Health Foundation administers the Kristin Runyon Memorial Scholarship for qualifying nursing students connected to the greater Franklin County area.

👤 Who: Eligible students already enrolled in qualifying nursing education
🩺 Field: Nursing
📅 Check annually for the current application cycle.

WellSpan Chambersburg Area Hospital Auxiliary

The Chambersburg Area Hospital Auxiliary has offered scholarships for graduating seniors entering human-healthcare fields.

🩺 Potential fields: Nursing and other healthcare careers
📍 Eligibility: Check the current application for service-area and school requirements.

Franklin County Community Foundation Healthcare Scholarships

Several foundation scholarships support healthcare education, including nursing and allied-health careers.

Depending on the award, eligible programs may include:

🩺 Nursing
🧪 Laboratory sciences
🗣️ Speech-language pathology
🏃 Physical therapy
🤲 Occupational therapy
💊 Pharmacy
📷 Radiologic technology

💡 Already in college? Keep looking. Some healthcare scholarships are specifically intended for students who are already enrolled in their professional program.

🌾 Agriculture, 4-H & FFA

Students interested in agriculture should search beyond their school scholarship list.

Potential sources include:

🌾 Franklin County Community Foundation agriculture scholarships
🍀 4-H opportunities
🚜 FFA scholarships
🌱 Pennsylvania Farm Bureau
🐄 Agricultural businesses and cooperatives
🌎 Conservation organizations
🏡 Granges and rural organizations

Franklin County 4-H

Franklin County's Penn State Extension 4-H program serves local youth and can be a useful connection point for current county and statewide opportunities.

FFA members should also check with their chapter adviser each year because some agricultural scholarships are distributed through local chapters or state organizations rather than large public scholarship databases.

🪖 Military Families & Veterans

Franklin County Veterans Affairs — We Support You Scholarship

Franklin County Veterans Affairs has offered the We Support You Scholarship for eligible dependents of veterans.

🎓 Who: Eligible children/dependents of qualifying veterans
📅 When: Watch for the annual application cycle, typically announced by Franklin County Veterans Affairs.

Military-connected families should also investigate:

🎖️ VA education benefits
🎓 Scholarships through veterans organizations
🇺🇸 American Legion scholarships
🏫 College military-family programs
💰 Pennsylvania veteran/dependent education programs

♿ Students & Adults With Disabilities

Financial and career help isn't limited to traditional scholarships.

Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation

Pennsylvania's Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or OVR, assists eligible individuals with disabilities in preparing for, obtaining and maintaining employment.

Services may include:

💼 Career planning
🎓 Postsecondary education or training support
🛠️ Job preparation
🤝 Employment services
🧭 Transition support

Pre-Employment Transition Services

Eligible Pennsylvania students with disabilities can begin receiving Pre-Employment Transition Services while they are still in school.

Services may include:

🔎 Career exploration
💼 Work-based learning
🎓 Postsecondary-education counseling
🗣️ Self-advocacy
📋 Workplace-readiness training

Students with an IEP or 504 Plan should ask their school team whether OVR or transition services may be appropriate.

👩‍🎓 Current College Students

Scholarship searches shouldn't stop after high-school graduation.

Current college students should continue looking every year.

Penn State Mont Alto

Penn State Mont Alto maintains numerous endowed scholarships covering different areas of study, financial circumstances and student backgrounds.

Some awards may give preference to:

📍 Franklin County students
🩺 Nursing students
🌲 Forestry or STEM students
🔄 Returning adult students
💰 Students with financial need
📚 Specific majors

Wilson College

Wilson College offers institutional aid for eligible:

🎓 First-year students
🔄 Transfer students
🏆 Competitive scholarship applicants
🤝 Students qualifying through certain affiliations

Students attending any college should ask their institution's financial-aid office:

"Are there scholarships for current students that I need to apply for separately?"

The answer may surprise you.

🔄 Adult & Returning Learners

Thinking about going back to school at 25, 35, 45 or beyond?

You're part of this guide too.

Adults should search for:

🔄 Returning-student scholarships
🎓 College institutional aid
💼 Workforce-development funding
🔧 Short-term training assistance
🏢 Employer tuition reimbursement
📜 Credential and certification funding
♿ OVR services when eligible
💰 Federal and Pennsylvania grants

Returning-Adult Scholarships

Local colleges, including Penn State Mont Alto, may offer scholarships specifically intended for adult or returning students.

Don't assume that being out of high school for years makes you ineligible for scholarship money.

🏫 Private-School Tuition Assistance

Families considering private or nonpublic school should contact the individual school directly about financial aid.

Pennsylvania also supports scholarship organizations through programs such as the:

📚 Educational Improvement Tax Credit — EITC
🎓 Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit — OSTC

Participating scholarship organizations may provide assistance to qualifying families.

Availability, income requirements and participating schools vary, so families should verify current requirements before applying.

💼 Workforce Training & Career Changes

If your goal is employment rather than a degree, start here.

PA CareerLink

PA CareerLink can connect eligible job seekers with career and training resources that may include:

💼 Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act programs
🔧 Occupational training
📜 Certifications
🎓 Adult education
🪖 Veteran services
♿ Disability employment services
🤝 Apprenticeships
🔎 Job-search assistance

Ask specifically:

"Is there funding available to help pay for the training I need?"

Don't assume you'll be told automatically.

Workforce Pell

Beginning with qualifying programs in the 2026–27 award year, federal Pell Grant funding can extend to certain approved short-term workforce programs.

Depending on approved programs, training may include careers such as:

🚑 EMT
🩸 Phlebotomy
💊 Pharmacy technician
🩺 Nursing assistant
❄️ HVAC
⚙️ Other high-demand occupations

Check that a program is officially eligible before enrolling based on expected Pell funding.

💰 Pennsylvania & Federal Financial Aid

Scholarships are only one part of paying for postsecondary education.

FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the starting point for many forms of:

💰 Federal grants
🎓 Student aid
🏫 College institutional aid
📍 State aid
📚 Some private scholarships

Even families who think they won't qualify for need-based aid should check whether their student's colleges or scholarships require FAFSA completion.

Pennsylvania State Grant

Eligible Pennsylvania undergraduate students may qualify for a PA State Grant through PHEAA.

Awards depend on eligibility, enrollment and available funding.

Federal Pell Grant

Qualifying undergraduate students with financial need may receive federal Pell Grant assistance.

Unlike a student loan, a Pell Grant generally does not need to be repaid.

Grow PA Grant

Pennsylvania's Grow PA Grant helps eligible students studying in approved high-demand fields.

💰 Potential award: Up to $5,000 per year for qualifying students
🎓 Potential duration: Up to four academic years
📍 Important: Recipients accept Pennsylvania work and residency requirements associated with the program.

Because funding and deadlines are subject to change, check PHEAA for the current application period before applying.

🔍 Where Else Should You Search?

Don't rely on one scholarship website.

Some of the best scholarships are small, local and highly specific.

Ask or search through:

🏫 Your school counselor
🎓 Your college financial-aid office
🏢 Your employer — and your parent's employer
🏦 Banks and credit unions
⛪ Churches and faith organizations
🦁 Lions, Rotary, Kiwanis and other civic clubs
🎖️ American Legion and veterans organizations
🌾 4-H, FFA and agriculture organizations
🔥 Fire and EMS organizations
⚙️ Trade associations and unions
🩺 Hospitals and healthcare organizations
🎵 Arts organizations
🏆 Sports organizations
💼 Professional associations
🏡 Community foundations

And don't overlook memorial scholarships. Some of the most meaningful local awards were created by families in memory of someone they loved.

🧭 Search By "Who Am I?"

Instead of searching only for:

"Scholarships 2027"

try combining scholarship searches with things that describe you.

For example:

🎓 Graduating senior
🔧 Trade-school student
👩‍💻 Adult learner
🎵 Musician or artist
🏃 Athlete
🌾 Agriculture student
🩺 Healthcare student
🪖 Military dependent
🤝 Volunteer or community leader
👩‍🎓 Current college student
💰 Student with financial need
♿ Student with a disability
👨‍👩‍👧 First-generation college student
🏠 Franklin County resident

A very specific scholarship with fewer eligible applicants can sometimes be a better opportunity than a huge national scholarship with thousands of applicants.

🗓️ When Should We Look for Scholarships?

There is no single scholarship season, but a general rhythm can help.

🍂 August–October: Build your list, résumé and reusable materials.

❄️ October–December: Watch for college-specific, institutional and early national scholarships.

📚 January–March: This is a particularly important period for many local scholarships.

🌷 April–May: Continue watching for local, civic and late-cycle opportunities.

☀️ Summer: Look for continuing-student, camp, training and workforce assistance.

🔄 Year-round: Search employer benefits, workforce funding, institutional aid, adult education and activity assistance.

💡 Local tip: Seniors should check their school's scholarship information regularly, not just once at the beginning of the year.

📁 Build a Scholarship Folder Once

Applying becomes much easier when the basics are ready.

Consider keeping these items together:

📄 Student résumé
🏫 Transcript
🤝 Volunteer and service history
💼 Employment history
🏆 Awards and honors
🎵 Activities, clubs and athletics
✍️ Reusable personal statement
🎓 College/training acceptance information
💰 FAFSA information when required
📝 List of potential references
📂 Copies of submitted applications

And keep a simple tracker showing:

Scholarship | Amount | Deadline | Requirements | Submitted | Result

Future-you will be very glad you did.

🚩 Watch for Scholarship Scams

You do not need to pay someone to find legitimate scholarships.

Be cautious if an organization:

🚩 Guarantees you'll win
🚩 Requires payment just to access a scholarship
🚩 Pressures you to act immediately
🚩 Requests unusual banking or financial information
🚩 Claims you've won something you never applied for
🚩 Has no way to verify the sponsoring organization

When in doubt, go directly to the school, foundation, government agency or sponsoring organization's official website.

💡 One Last Reminder

Scholarships aren't just for:

❌ Straight-A students
❌ Athletes
❌ High-school seniors
❌ Four-year colleges

Help may be available because of where you live, what you want to study, your family's circumstances, your community involvement, financial need, military connection, disability, career goals or simply because someone in our community created a fund to help the next person succeed.

So apply.

Ask questions.

Check again later.

And if one opportunity doesn't fit, keep looking.

Know of a Scholarship We Missed?

Scholarships and financial-assistance programs change throughout the year, and some of the best local opportunities spread almost entirely by word of mouth.

If your business, organization, school, church, civic group or foundation offers a scholarship or educational-assistance program for families in the Chambersburg, Greencastle, Waynesboro or Mercersburg areas, we'd love to know about it so we can keep this community resource growing.

Information in this guide is provided as a community resource. Eligibility, award amounts, deadlines and available funding can change. Always confirm current information directly with the organization before applying.