Kids' Chance of Pennsylvania Scholarship Application 2026-2027
Introduction
The mission of Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania, Inc. (Kids’ Chance of PA) is to provide scholarship grants for college and vocational education to children of Pennsylvania workers who have been killed or seriously injured in a work-related accident resulting in financial need.
The hardships created by the death or serious disability of a parent often include financial ones, making it difficult for deserving young people to pursue their educational dreams. That's where we come in - helping those dreams become a reality!
Description
When a worker is severely injured or killed on the job, it doesn’t just affect them - it affects their entire family. Long-term educational and financial planning gets put on hold while the family is dealing with the immediate needs of the injured or lost parent, leaving the prospect of affording higher education out of reach. That’s where Kids’ Chance of Pennsylvania (KCPA) comes in. We are dedicated to supporting the higher education of the children of seriously injured or killed Pennsylvania workers. Since our inception in 1997, we have provided over 1,150 scholarships totaling more than $3.2 million to deserving students! If you are one of these children, we encourage you to take the time to fill out this application. Additionally, if you receive a KCPA scholarship, you may be eligible to receive supplemental grant money through an agreement with the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency/Pathways to Higher Education (PHEAA/PATH) Program
Scholarships are awarded on an annual basis and must be reapplied for each year. Please read the application criteria below to help determine your eligibility.
Qualifications
To be eligible for a scholarship grant, applicants must have a custodial parent, stepparent, or guardian who has been killed or seriously injured as a result of a work-related accident that meets the criteria of the Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation Act and that has resulted in demonstrated financial need. Applicants must also meet the following requirements:
Applicants must be enrolled in or planning to enroll in a postsecondary (post high school) degree or certificate-granting institution - college/university, trade/vocational school - and will pursue an undergraduate degree, license or certification as a full-time or part-time student.
Applicants must have achieved a high school diploma or GED by the time of the first disbursement of the scholarship award. However, High School Seniors enrolled in dual college coursework will be considered for eligibility on a case-by-case basis.
Applicants must be no older than age 25 at the time the scholarship is awarded.
Applicants may not have already attained a bachelor’s degree.
Applicants in graduate level programs are ineligible.
Applicants are eligible for the equivalent of up to 10 traditional (fall/spring) semesters of scholarship award.
If you are uncertain about your eligibility, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].
Selection Process
We will need the following information from all applicants by the June 15, 2026 deadline:
Your overall Application for a Kids' Chance of PA Scholarship - submitted online. You will be provided with a login and password to access your online application at any point.
You must obtain from your parents their Documentation showing proof of their compensable injury or death. You must upload and submit this as part of your online application. Examples of acceptable PA Bureau Documents include: Notice of Compensable Payable (LIBC 495), Agreement for Compensation for disability or permanent injury (LIBC 336), Agreement for Compensation for Death (LIBC 338), Compromise and Release Agreement (LIBC755), and Judge’s Decision awarding compensation benefits. NEW – you have the option to grant KCPA permission to access your workers’ compensation documentation from the PA Bureau of Workers’ Compensation if you don’t have the forms readily available.
Your Transcript showing your grades up to and including Spring 2026.
Your 2026-27 FAFSA Submission Summary. Your name and your SAI need to be visible on the same document. Instructions on how to download your Submission Summary are in the application.
Financial Aid Information from your intended college, university, or institution. Please see below what we need from high school seniors and current college students:
If you are a HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR, you must upload and submit your finalized 2026-27 Financial Aid Award/Decision Letter.
If you are a COLLEGE STUDENT ALREADY ENROLLED in college or a post-high school program, you must upload your Fall 2026 Student Account Statement/bill no later than August 1.
All documents must be official and uploaded in their entirety in PDF or JPEG format. All documentation must be authentic and pertain to the 2026-27 academic school year and must contain the applicant's name as well as their college or university name or, preferably, logo. Partial photographs of documentation or recreated documentation are unacceptable. All documents can be uploaded to the scholarship portal (as PDF or JPEG) as they become available to you and your family. The final deadline for all documentation is June 15, 2026, with the exception of the Fall 2026 bill for current college students, which is due by August 1, 2026.
If all requested application information and documentation is not received by Kids' Chance of PA by the noted deadlines, your application will be ineligible for review by the Kids' Chance of PA Scholarship Committee, and you will not be eligible for a KCPA scholarship.
Application review will take place over the summer, and the KCPA Scholarship reviewers will reach out to their assigned applicants if they have any questions or need any additional information. Scholarship recipients will be notified of the committee's decision in early September, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact Kathy at [email protected].