August 7, 2026 — Costs continue to rise across the country for everything from groceries to gas, and as students prepare to go to college, rising tuition fees are once again on the minds of PEF parents and guardians. PEF offers scholarships to help members with dependents headed to or already in college.
Several PEF Regions and Divisions have scholarship application windows currently open. Click on the PEF Regional and Division Scholarships tab on this page for the very latest opportunities, but here is what is listed as of August 7:
PEF Division 172 (DOT, OPRHP-Taconic & Palisades, SUNY New Paltz) will award eight scholarship awards of $400 to eligible members or their dependents. PEF membership must be current as of June 2026 and students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credit hours/semester) at an accredited school. Only one application per eligible student will be accepted. A blind drawing to determine winners be held during Division 172 Stewards’ August 2026 meeting. The application deadline is Aug. 14, 2026. Click here for an application.
PEF Division 196 (Roswell Park) is awarding 20 scholarships valued at $500 each. Applicants must be dependents of an active Division 196 member. Applications will be considered from students attending undergraduate/graduate schools (at least 12 credit hours per semester) and/or craft/trade schools (full time or 12 credit hours per semester). Applications must be postmarked by Aug. 28, 2026, and winners will be announced on Sept. 30, 2026. Previous scholarship recipients are not eligible. Click here for the application.
PEF Division 234 (OCFS/OTDA) will award up to ten (10) college scholarships of $500 each to the children of PEF Division 234 members who are undergraduate, graduate, or vocational degree candidates during the Fall 2026 semester. Winners will be randomly selected. You may win only once. Click here for full scholarship details and click here for the 2026 application. The deadline is Aug. 21, 2026.
PEF Division 194 (State Education Dept.) pays $200 to the kids of active Division 194 members who graduate high school. This is not a scholarship, and there are no specific requirements other than graduating high school and being the child of a Division 194 member. Please contact Division Treasurer Mickey Dobbin at mickeydobbin@gmail.com for details.
PEF Division 369 (Office of Temporary Disability Assistance) offers a $400 scholarship to support the educational goals of a deserving student in their community. Applicants must be a graduating high school senior or a current college student and be a direct relative of an active PEF Division 369 member (child, stepchild, grandchild, sibling). The winner will be chosen by a random drawing. All qualified applications will have an equal chance of being selected. Applications are due March 15, 2027, and the winner will be chosen prior to March 31, 2027. Please click her for full details and the application.
Lastly, PEF offers the Joseph Scacalossi Scholarship every year starting in August. The scholarship was created in 1988 as a tribute to a Department of Labor employee who helped form PEF. Winners receive $1,000 per year for each year of their education. Members who are interested in applying for the scholarship should click the PEF Scholarships tab on this page. The scholarship is only available to dependents of PEF members who are high school seniors or college freshman. You can read about the latest winners in this Communicator story.
PEF also offers a scholarship for female PEF members—not dependents—who are seeking a post-secondary education and degree in any field. The Jean DeBow Women in PEF Scholarship was created in honor of the memory of the former PEF Vice President. The scholarship awards one active female PEF member $1,000 to assist with college costs. The application details are on the PEF Scholarships tab on this page.