Scholarship Program

The TowerCares Foundation offers an annual college scholarship program for STEM and Foreign Language Linguistics majors.

TowerCares is proud to invest in the next generation of STEM leaders throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. The scholarship program provides opportunity for all students who want to change and improve the world, with special consideration given to children of active-duty U.S. military and Veterans.

This year, we are proud to announce that we will once again award up to (40) $5,000 scholarships. Since 2018, the TowerCares Foundation has awarded over $700,000 in college scholarships!

Who is Eligible

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  • The scholarship is open to all current high school seniors and college freshmen, sophomores and juniors who are enrolled or plan to enroll in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) or Foreign Language Linguistics major.
  • Must be a U.S. citizen and meet at least one of the following:
    • Reside in Maryland, the District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, or Virginia
    • Be a Tower Federal Credit Union member or immediate family member of a Tower Federal Credit Union member
  • Must be attending an accredited two- or four-year college/university full-time for the current academic year
  • Must have a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 (or equivalent)
  • Applicant is not a previous TowerCares scholarship winner*

How to Apply

The application period for the 2024-25 Scholarship Program begins April 1, 2024 and ends May 15, 2024. Only online applications will be accepted.

Click here to register and apply.  Scholarship FAQs.

Scholarship entries are evaluated by an independent selection committee and recipients are selected based on consideration of the following criteria:

  • Academic performance
  • Demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities
  • Work experience
  • Statement of career and educational goals and objectives

Additional consideration is given to children/dependents of active-duty military and Veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces, including Reserve and Guard units.

The scholarship must be used for tuition and tuition-related expenses at accredited, two- or four-year colleges/universities. Award checks will be made payable to the college or university.

How to Apply

Click here to apply April 1, 2026 through May 15, 2026. Use Program Key: TowerCares. Only online applications will be accepted.

If you already have an ISTS account, simply login using your current credentials.

To create a new account, click “Don’t have an account? Register!” on the ISTS home page. You will be prompted to validate your email address and then taken to your ISTS home page. Click “Add New Application,” enter Program Key “TowerCares” and click “Okay.” You will be immediately directed to the application form.

For scholarship rules, click here.

What are the selection criteria?

An independent selection committee will evaluate the complete applications and select recipients considering:

  • Academic performance, demonstrated leadership and participation in school and community activities, work experience, and a statement of career and educational objectives
  • Additional consideration will be given to children/dependents of Active-Duty Military and Veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces, including Reserve and Guard units
  • To ensure complete impartiality in selection of recipients and to maintain a high level of professionalism, the program is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS), a firm that specializes in managing sponsored scholarship programs. TowerCares Foundation has contracted with ISTS to assess all applications in accordance with TowerCares’ selection criteria and recommend the recipients for final approval. Selection of recipients is made by ISTS; in no instance does any office or employee of TowerCares Foundation play a part in the selection. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final.
*TowerCares Foundation and Tower Federal Credit Union employees, board members, committee members, and their immediate family members are also ineligible.

Here are quotes from a few of last year’s winners:

“Receiving the TowerCares scholarship is an incredible honor. This scholarship will enable me to not only continue my education to become a computer engineer but eliminate the burden of some of the debt that a valuable college education comes with. It’s a great help to my family who has recently dealt with medical expenses on top of other challenges. Thank you [TowerCares] for caring about me, this is truly a blessing.”

~ Cody Johnson, Computer & Information Services major, McDaniel College

“This scholarship means that my hard work and dedication has been seen! I can worry less about the financials of college and focus more on what matters, the studies!

~ Harrison Gilbert, Computer Engineering major, Rochester Institute of Technology

“This scholarship means the world to me! I audibly gasped when I saw the email, and I just wanted to say thank you! It’s a huge weight off my shoulders, knowing I can now focus more on learning and less on stressing about how to pay for college! Thank you so much.”

~ Candy Asham, Biology major, University of Virginia

View 2025-26 scholarship program press release here.

“TowerCares is proud to invest in the next generation of STEM leaders and help relieve some of the financial burden of higher education for these exceptional young men and women and their families, many of whom have served our country in the military and defense communities.”

~ Rick Stafford, President, TowerCares Foundation