Scholarship Information

Application for the 2024
Iowa Mayflower Society Scholarship is now open!

 

SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS:  
The applicant must descend from one of the Mayflower passengers who came to America in 1620.  The applicant need not be a member of the Iowa Society, but application must include a valid Iowa Mayflower Society membership number for a blood relative of the applicant.   Please note that the membership number supplied must be for a living and currently active Iowa Mayflower Society member. The Mayflower ancestor and the sponsor’s name, relationship to the applicant, and member’s Iowa Mayflower Society number must be included.
The applicant must be a high school senior or a home school student who is the equivalent of a senior. Following graduation the applicant must attend an accredited university, college, junior college, community college, or certified trade school.
A 500-word original typed or word-processed essay that includes a bibliography of at least two sources must be included. The topic for the 2024 essay will be: “Compelling Reasons the Pilgrims Came to the New World.”  Application and submission of all requirements is due March 1, 2024.  Essays will be evaluated on historical accuracy, adherence to topic, organization of material, originality, bibliography, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Application must include at least two letters of recommendation from non-family members. The letters should include identification of the writer along with a home or business address, the relationship with the student and length of time he/she has known the student, and the student's qualities, which make the student an appropriate candidate for consideration.

A list including GPA, community service, school and/or church, or any activities of importance should be provided. These activities are not mandatory but are factors that may be considered.
One student will be chosen from the applications and will be notified by April 1, 2024.
A $1,000.00 scholarship will be paid to the post-high school institution the student attends after the first semester/term is completed. 

For a fillable scholarship form, Click Here

GSMD Scholarship

The General Society of Mayflower Descendants (GSMD) also offers scholarships to graduating high school seniors who are Mayflower descendants and will be attending a four-year college or university or two-year community college.

For more information on the GSMD Scholarships, Click Here