National Scholarship Program Open to Applicants

The PALCUS Scholarship Program was established with the purpose of supporting Portuguese-American students in the pursuit of their higher education goals.

The merit-based scholarships are awarded to students of Portuguese ancestry who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in their academic careers and who show a commitment to completing an approved plan of study.

Since 2012, forty-three Portuguese American graduate and undergraduate students from across the country have received PALCUS scholarships. Each year the fund has grown allowing PALCUS to award an increasing number of awards to students across the nation preparing for careers in a wide range of professional fields.

In order to be eligible for the scholarship, the winner must have be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, have at least 25% aggregate Portuguese ancestry, and have a PALCUS membership.

The applicant should be a full-time student attending a baccalaureate or graduate degree program at an accredited college or university in the United States and have a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

High school seniors or entering freshmen are not eligible.

The Scholarship Committee of the PALCUS Board of Directors will have sole responsibility for the selection of the scholarship award recipients. Their decision will be based on the applicant’s official academic transcript, extra-curricular activities, community service , instructor’s recommendation, and personal statement essay.

The one-page essay should address the impact of Portuguese ancestry on the applicant’s personal development and the role he or she anticipates it will play in the future, personally and professionally.

Applications may be completed online at palcus.org by July 31, 2022. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted. The $1,000 scholarship award will be presented at the PALCUS Annual Leadership Awards Gala in the Fall. The scholarship winner and a guest will receive complimentary tickets to the gala event.