Student
Scholarships
The Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union Student Scholarship Program was created to recognize and assist members of our credit union with post-high school education. We are pleased to be able to help students in this way. We will be awarding seven $1,000 scholarships and six $500 scholarships.
Eligibility
To be eligible you must be a student pursuing your post-high school education in the fall 2027 and be a member of Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union or the child, grandchild, or dependent of a Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union member. The school you are planning to attend can be public or private. Scholarship recipients who do not return to school for the 2028 spring semester will not be eligible for the scholarship money. Financial need is not considered in the selection of scholarships. Submissions are due FEBRUARY 15, 2027.
Essay
Applicants will complete a 500-word essay on the topic:
What personal financial challenge do you believe is unique to your generation, and how has it impacted your education, career goals, or future plans? We are interested in your unique perspective and lived experience — tell your story.
The 500-word length is a guideline, not an exact count. You may also apply for the MVFCU scholarship by completing the application form and submitting a 2-4 minute video answering the same essay question. Essays will count for 75% of the evaluation. You are encouraged to interview staff members and volunteers at Minnesota Valley Federal Credit Union to gather the information necessary to write your essay. Essays considerably longer than 500 words will not be considered. Please note that we do not want long essays but a concise essay summarizing your interpretation of the topic.
* You may turn in the same essay to the Minnesota Family Involvement Council’s Scholarship Program, however, the video essays cannot be used for this scholarship.
Application Form
The application form will count for 25% of the evaluation. The student application form requests information about you; the applicant.
Selection
A Selection Committee made up of staff members and volunteers from the Credit Union will select the scholarship recipients.
- The decision of the Selection Committee is final and not subject to review.
- The recipient will receive the scholarship after they have completed the first semester of the 2027/2028 school year.
- Scholarship money will be provided directly to the recipient in the form of a deposit to your MVFCU account or a check made out to them.
- The Selection Committee will have many applications to review, therefore applications not following the guidelines will not be considered.
Recipient Agreement
If selected, permission is granted for recipient’s name and words to be used in various publications. Other applicants not selected may be contacted in the future for legal permission to use quotes from their essays in various publications.
Submission Deadline
All scholarship submissions are due no later than FEBRUARY 15, 2027. Good luck on your scholarship entry and in achieving your goals in the future.
Use of AI
All scholarship essays must be the applicant's own original work. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to ChatGPT, Copilot, Claude, or similar generative AI platforms, to write, substantially edit, or generate any portion of the essay. Essays may be reviewed for authenticity. If a submission is found to be AI-generated or AI-assisted beyond standard spellcheck and grammar tools, the applicant will be disqualified. By submitting an essay, applicants certify that the work is entirely their own.
FSC Scholarship Opportunity
The Minnesota Credit Union Foundation Scholarship Council will award scholarships to credit union members throughout Minnesota. Anyone who is a member at an affiliated credit union pursuing post-secondary education in the fall 2027/spring 2028 is eligible to apply.
Click here.
The Foundation Scholarship Council (FSC) also awards their scholarships based on essays. In addition to our scholarship, MVFCU members may also submit the same essay when applying for the MNCUN FCS scholarship.
Questions
Contact us with questions at (507) 387-3055.