The Foundation will award up to 25 scholarships, ranging from $2,500 to $5,000, this fall to students of funeral service and military veterans.  

The Funeral Service Foundation is accepting academic scholarship applications through November 1 at FuneralServiceFoundation.org. Up to 25 scholarships, ranging from $2,500 - $5,000, are available to current students of funeral service and military veterans who meet the eligibility criteria.  

Since offering its first academic scholarship, the Joseph E. Hagan Memorial Scholarship, in 2002, the Foundation has established scholarships in memory of Shipley Rose Buckner, Mark Hornibrook & Harry Pontone, Steve Mack, Louis Pontone, Dennis Schoepp, and Jack Springer with CANA, and in honor of John Carmon, Bob Horn, Steve Lang, and Funeral Directors Life. Memorial Classic Scholarships are funded by tournament proceeds from the annual golf event, and Foundation ’45 Scholarships are awarded in recognition of the Foundation’s founding year, 1945. The Foundation also promotes the Brenda Renee Horn and Steve Mack Memorial Scholarships in partnership with the SCI National Scholarship Program.  

Upon the announcement of the scholarship recipients in early-December, the Funeral Service Foundation will have awarded nearly $815,000 in academic scholarship support to 313 exemplary students of funeral service since 2002.  

“Scholarships are essential for students to access educational opportunities and fulfill their career goals,” said Mark Krause, Board Chair of the Funeral Service Foundation. “We are proud of our past recipients and value the importance of alleviating some financial concerns to ensure a path to success in funeral service.”

Academic Scholarships for Students of Funeral Service

Scholarships are open to full- or part-time students in who are in good standing and enrolled in ABFSE- or Canadian-accredited institutions/programs. Candidates must be attending classes and actively pursuing a degree in funeral service at the time of application. Students who are enrolled but have not yet begun coursework at the time of application are not yet eligible to apply for these scholarships. Paid directly to institutions, the scholarships offset the costs associated with tuition, fees, books, and supplies. 

Academic Scholarships for U.S. and Canadian Military Veterans

A $5,000 Journey to Serve Scholarship is available this fall to U.S. or Canadian military veterans who are 18 years of age or older at the time of application and who are currently enrolled or accepted into in an ABFSE- or Canadian-accredited funeral service program. The $2,500 Hunter M. Harbeson Memorial Scholarship is also open to U.S. military veterans who are 18 years of age or older at the time of application and who are currently enrolled or accepted into in an ABFSE-accredited funeral service program.

Application Process

Using a common application format, all academic scholarship candidates are required to answer five questions in no more than 250 words per question and submit a brief video, no longer than two minutes. Military veteran candidates will also be asked to supply an overview of their military service.  

Applicants are also required to provide the following support materials by the November 1 deadline: 

• Most recent transcripts from the ABFSE- or Canadian-accredited institution 
• A letter of good standing from the institution's registrar, bursar or financial office 
• A letter of recommendation from an instructor or program director 

Late applications are not accepted. Those who miss the deadline will have the chance to apply again in 2024. Those who have applied in the past but have not been awarded an academic scholarship from the Foundation are encouraged to re-apply. 

The Foundation’s scholarship program is supported by generous donors who share its vision for the next generation of resilient, adaptable, and compassionate leaders through education. Gifts of all sizes enable the Foundation to make education more accessible to funeral service students and professionals. To make a donation, visit funeralservicefoundation.org/donatenow and select “Scholarship Funds” as your project designation.