What is the Scholarship Program at St. Luke Serbian Orthodox Church?

Scholarships are meant to provide funding for children in our parish who pursue full-time studies at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States.   

Scholarships will be awarded on an objective, nondiscriminatory basis, and in furtherance of our Church’s mission as a religious organization, which fosters faith-based community activities in our parish.  Scholarships awarded by our Church can be used only for eligible education-related expenses.

In awarding scholarships, priority will be given to those pursuing undergraduate studies (bachelor’s or associate’s degrees).  Those pursuing graduate or professional studies will be considered for scholarships subject to the availability of funds.

Scholarship will be given annually for the upcoming academic year.  Recipients may re-apply in subsequent years to receive additional awards provided they are continuing to study full-time at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States.

Who Can Apply? 

Residents of our parish (which covers Washington, DC, all Northern Virginia counties and all Maryland counties) who have been living in the parish for at least three (3) years and who are (or will be in the coming academic year) pursuing higher education studies in the United States are eligible to be considered for scholarship awards.

Among those who apply, the Scholarship Committee will select recipients and determine the amount of each person’s scholarship award by considering participation in our Church ministries and events, involvement in various Serbian community activities in our parish, and/or the financial need of the student, as well as the available resources in the Church’s scholarship fund during a given year. 

How To Apply and When?

To be considered for scholarship awards, applicants must submit the following via email to scholarship@svluka.org before June 15:

• completed Scholarship Application Form (accessible HERE);
• short essay (not more than 500 words) describing either (a) the impact that the Serbian orthodox faith has had on the applicant; or (b) what it means to the applicant to be a part of the Serbian community; and
• for applicants who are already attending college, copy of their transcript for the current academic year and proof of enrollment as a full-time student for the next academic semester.

Although not required, applicants are welcome to submit one letter of recommendation (either in English or Serbian) from a member of our parish or a member of the Serbian community.

Applications may be submitted via email between January 31 and June 15.  Applicants are encouraged to submit all required materials at once.  All required materials must be submitted via email before June 15 to be considered for the upcoming academic year.

The Scholarship Committee will notify applicants via email no later than July 15 regarding whether they were selected for the award and the amount of the scholarship awarded.

Who Will Administer the Program?

The Trusteeship of our Church established a three-person Scholarship Committee (the “Committee”) to administer the scholarship program in compliance with applicable legal requirements and the mission of our Church.  

No scholarship funds can be awarded to any children, siblings, grandchildren or other relatives of those who are serving on the Committee at the time when applications are considered and/or scholarship award decisions are being made. 

 

How Will the Scholarship Awards be Paid Out?

When possible, the scholarship award will be paid by the Church directly to the institution of higher education that is (or will be) attended by the recipient. 

The scholarship award, in part or in its entirety, also may be disbursed by the Church to the recipient for the exclusive use involving eligible education-related expenses.  In the case of such disbursement to the recipient, the recipient (and his/her parents in case of recipients who are under 18 years of age) will be required to:

• sign a certification regarding the use of such funds for eligible education-related expenses; and
• provide copies of invoices/account statements and proof of payment that the funds received from the scholarship award have been used for eligible education-related expenses.

 

Will Recipients Owe Any Taxes Resulting from Scholarship Awards?

We are not providing legal or tax consulting advice, and we strongly encourage each recipient (and/or their parent(s) to obtain their own advice to ensure they are complying with their obligations under U.S. federal and state tax laws regarding the receipt of scholarship awards, and determining if any portion of such award is taxable.

In general, we understand that scholarship awards that are used for tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for courses at a U.S. institution of higher education are tax-free for the recipient for U.S. federal income tax purposes, per IRS regulations and guidelines.  In contrast, scholarship awards that are used for room, board, travel or other expenses incidental to attending an institution of higher education generally are taxable to the recipient. 

How Can You Help?

• Scholarships are funded solely by donations and the entire program depends on your generosity
• Donors must specifically dedicate funds for the Scholarship program.
• Donors cannot dedicate donations to be used for specific student applicants.
• The Church will treat scholarship funds as restricted (special purpose) funds, and will NOT use any of our ordinary operating funds to support this program.
• If you would like to support this program, please donate HERE by specifying that you want funds to be used for Scholarships