July 18, 2025 — Various PEF Regions and Divisions offer college scholarships this time of year. You can find all the opportunities we are aware of on the PEF website, but here are two that came to our attention this month:
Syracuse Division 264 (Department of Labor) is offering two $500 scholarships for students to cover costs associated with college requirements, such as books and incidentals. Only Syracuse members are eligible. Prior year winners’ families are not eligible to participate. To be eligible, students must be a child of an active PEF member who is enrolled in or completed vocational training, or any level of college education during the calendar year 2025.
Applicants must complete the application here; training or education must be in calendar year 2025; proof of enrollment or completion of training or education must be included; and the application must be received by July 29, 2025.
Division 234 at the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) and the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) will award up to eight college scholarships of $500 each, totaling $4,000, to the children of Division members who are undergraduate, graduate, or vocational degree candidates during the fall 2025 semester.
To ensure applicants have an equal opportunity to benefit, qualified applicants will participate in a random drawing to receive an award. A dependent can only win this award once; past awardees are not eligible.
- Applicants must be the child/ren, stepchild/ren, or legal dependents of an active PEF Division 234 (OTDA/OCFS) members as of Aug. 8, 2025.
- Applicants must be enrolled full/part-time at a college, trade, or graduate school for the fall 2025 semester.
- Applicants must submit fall 2025 enrollment verification consisting of one of the following: (a) Fall 2025 class schedule, (b) college acceptance letter, (c) tuition statement, or (d) other form of verification from the applicant’s educational institution indicating enrollment for the fall 2025 semester
Complete all sections of the 2025 Application for PEF Division 234 Scholarships here. You can also obtain copies from any Division Steward, Council Leader, Executive Board member, or the PEF-OTDA Electronic Bulletin Board. Return the application and all required documents, by email, to the Scholarship Committee at div234scholarships2025@gmail.com. Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025.
Applications will be reviewed by the committee. All documents submitted are kept confidential. Scholarship award winners will be selected during a random drawing at the committee meeting in August. Winners will be notified by phone and mail.
Editor’s Note: If you know of a scholarship that can benefit PEF members or their dependents, please email us at Communicator@pef.org.