Fred & Lena Meijer Scholarship Program Offering Two $10K Scholarships to Meijer Team Members

PRESS RELEASE

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Meijer team members and their children will once again have a chance to receive up to $10,000 to further their college education with the Fred & Lena Meijer Scholarship program, a competitive scholarship administered by Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

It’s the seventh consecutive year that the two $10,000 scholarships will be awarded. Numerous $3,000 scholarships are also awarded.

“Our dad always believed that continued education and lifelong learning were invaluable,” Executive Chairman Hank Meijer said. “My brothers and I are pleased to continue providing this scholarship opportunity for Meijer team members and their children.”

Applications are being accepted through April 1 for the competitive scholarship, which is held at and administered by Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

The Fred & Lena Meijer Scholarship is a private scholarship fund that was established at Grand Rapids Community Foundation in 1975 originally for children of Meijer team members. In 2010, the scholarship program was expanded to include Meijer team members themselves and awards were increased from $500 to $1,000. The Meijer Foundation funded the scholarship in 2011 with a significant endowment to the Community Foundation, and the enhanced scholarship in 2012 to $2,500, while also providing two $10,000 scholarships: one each in Fred and Lena Meijer’s names. The awards were increased to $3,000 in 2016.

Last year, the program awarded $473,000 in scholarships, furthering the education of 153 Meijer team members and their children attending 88 colleges and universities. Of that amount, two recipients were awarded $10,000 scholarships and 151 others received $3,000 scholarships.

The Fred & Lena Meijer Scholarship is administered and awarded by Grand Rapids Community Foundation, and is based on financial need, academics and community involvement. A written essay of aspirations and educational goals is also part of the application process.

“Over three decades, as we’ve watched the Meijer scholarship grow, it continues to positively affect the lives of students,” Grand Rapids Community Foundation President Diana Sieger said. “The awards, by any measure are significant, and we are pleased to administer the fund.”

The scholarships are available for use at any accredited college, university, vocational, technical or specialized educational institution nationwide. The number of scholarships awarded each year is determined as a percentage of the total number of applicants as set by the federal government.

To qualify for the scholarships, Meijer team members must have one year of continuous service by the April 1 application deadline, and may be full- or part-time students. Dependents of Meijer team members must be full-time students with a minimum of 12 credit hours.

For more information on the application process and to apply, please visit http://www.grfoundation.org/meijer.