Apply for a Scholarship
Investing in the Future of Our Faith
Since 1998, the Catholic Community Foundation has provided scholarships to students needing financial assistance for their Catholic education. Over the last five years, the Catholic Community Foundation has granted over $2.2 million in scholarship funds and awarded over 1,500 scholarships.
The first scholarship program, established in 1998 through a perpetual Memorial Fund by Reverend Philip J. Poirier with the Catholic Community Foundation, is now called the Christian Service Award Program. This program aims to recognize Catholic 8th-grade students for their Christ-centered behavior, as evidenced through their volunteer service to the parish, school, and community.
Our newest scholarship program, the Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship, awards $16,000 scholarships to 7th or 8th-grade students who plan to attend Catholic High School and require financial assistance to make their dream a reality. This award and other post-secondary scholarships for chemistry, engineering, and social-work were created by loving donors who value education and want to make it accessible for all.
2025 scholarship programs
Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship
The Catholic Community Foundation Scholarship Program's mission is to assist students and their families in making Catholic education achievable by granting annual tuition assistance through their 8th- 12th-grade Catholic school years.
Tuition scholarships for 7th-grade students only require demonstrating the financial need to apply. The application is open to all 7th-graders, and recommendations are required. The student's parent is required to complete a FAIR application.
Students awarded the scholarship will receive one $1,000 payment for their 8th-grade year and an annual $4,000 payment during each of the 9th to 12th-grade years in high school for $17,000. Funds will be disbursed directly to the selected Catholic schools within the Diocese of Phoenix for as long as the student remains enrolled. Effective the 2025-2026 school year, scholarship funds will be applied to tuition only and can be used with ESA or STO funds.
Applicants are evaluated in three areas:
Recommendations - principal or teacher, and pastor or parish leader
Essay - from student and parent
Financial need – See household size and annual income levels on this link.
Important Dates & Availability
Application opens: December 1
Application deadline: January 31
The number of scholarships available annually varies.
Christian Service Award Scholarship
Since 1998, the mission of the Christian Service Award (CSA) Scholarship has been to acknowledge students who demonstrate exemplary Christ-centered behavior through volunteer service to their parish, school, and community. Recipients display a love and understanding of their Catholic faith and articulate a commitment to perform acts of service and live a service-focused life. They recognize their God-given gifts and provide persuasive evidence of their maturity, humility, and leadership.
Students awarded the scholarship will receive an annual $2,000 payment during each of the 9th to 12th grade years in high school for $8,000. Funds will be disbursed directly to the selected Catholic high school within the Diocese of Phoenix for as long as the student remains enrolled. Effective the 2025-2026 school year, scholarship funds will be applied to tuition only and can be used with ESA or STO funds.
Any 8th-grade student demonstrating a minimum of 100 service hours is eligible to apply.
Applicants are evaluated in three areas:
Recommendations - Pastor or parish leader (or Religion Teacher at your school) and leader from an organization the student served.
Essay from student
Service record - All completed service hours must be entered on the CSA Service Hours Record Tracking spreadsheet (see link below). Please look at the CSA Qualifying Service Hours guidelines below for examples of qualifying service hours.
The minimum required hours is 100; however, the more service hours a student has, the stronger the application. Qualifying service hours must be completed between June 1st (before the student's 7th grade year) and January 1st (of the student's 8th grade year).
Click for the CSA Service Hours Record Tracking. Before entering service hours, please download the spreadsheet on to your computer. For privacy, do not enter information directly into the online spreadsheet.
Important Dates & Availability
Application opens: December 1
Application deadline: January 31
The number of scholarships available annually varies.
Angel Scholarship for Social Work, Peace, & Justice Studies
The Angel Scholarship for Social Work, Peace, and Justice Studies was established in 2012 by a generous anonymous benefactor of the Catholic Community Foundation; this scholarship was created out of a desire to support the underserved and underprivileged. The donor hopes to inspire young men and women to pursue a life of service to others through social work.
The scholarship provides tuition assistance for the freshman year at a four-year college or university in Arizona. It is intended for students seeking an undergraduate degree in social work, social justice, peace and justice studies, sociology, public administration, or public health. Please note that it does not fund degrees in criminal justice, philosophy, psychology, nursing, or education/teaching.
The Angel Scholarship for Social Work, Peace, and Justice Studies is a one-time award of $5,000, applied directly toward freshman-year tuition at a four-year institution in Arizona. Eligible applicants must be full-time seniors attending a Catholic high school in the Diocese of Phoenix, registered practicing Catholics, and either U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Initial scholarship awards are not based on financial need or high school grade point average. The scholarship funds will be paid directly to the college or university.
Important Dates & Availability
Application opens: December 1
Application deadline: January 31
Number of scholarships available annually: 1
Ralph M. Knight Chemistry & Engineering Scholarship
The Ralph M. Knight Chemistry and Engineering Scholarship was established in 2010 by Mrs. Nancy Knight in memory of her husband, Ralph, a chemical engineer. The Knight family wishes to honor his legacy and help others contribute to society as he did.
The scholarship is intended for freshman-year tuition assistance at a four-year college or university in the United States for a student majoring in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Materials and Science Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Solar Energy Engineering, or Structural Engineering.
The Ralph M. Knight Chemistry and Engineering Scholarship is a $5,000 award toward the first year of tuition at a four-year college or university in the United States for students declaring one of the specified majors.
Applicants must be full-time seniors attending a Catholic high school in the Diocese of Phoenix, registered, practicing Catholics, or US citizens or Permanent Residents. Initial scholarship awards are not based on financial need or high school grade point average. The scholarship will be paid directly to the college/university.
Important Dates & Availability
Application opens: December 1
Application deadline: January 31
Number of scholarships available annually: 1
Congratulations, 2024 Scholarship Winners
