Scholarships

James F. Swift Scholarship

2026 Scholarship Application Dates: January 2, 2026 – March 1, 2026

This scholarship is awarded to graduating seniors from Lackawanna County high schools who plan to continue their education in a college or university program. This $6,000 scholarship, renewable for up to three years (for a total of $24,000), is offered each year for full-time study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university of the student’s choice. 20 students will be selected annually for this award.

This scholarship award is renewable for up to three years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned, whichever occurs first. To renew the James F. Swift Scholarship, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of no less than 2.0 while enrolled in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two- or four-year college or university.

The James F. Swift Scholarship Fund has awarded over $5.5 million since 2008, benefitting 360 local students.

Created in 2002 through a gift by Mr. James F. Swift to the Scranton Area Community Foundation, the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund provides support for higher education for students graduating from high schools in Lackawanna County. Following Mr. Swift’s death in 2006, the Scranton Area Community Foundation gratefully received a significant gift from his estate to the scholarship fund, which has allowed a great number of students from Lackawanna County the opportunity to pursue their academic and professional goals through higher education.

For more information on the Scranton Area Foundation and the James F. Swift Scholarship Fund, please contact us at grants@safdn.org.

Eligibility

Max Amount:   $6,000/yr for up to 4 years

The following criteria must be met for an individual to be considered for the scholarship. The student must be:

  • Graduating from a Lackawanna County high school
    • There will be no more than 2 recipients per high school
  • Pursuing a secondary education at an accredited 2 or 4 year college or university

The following preferences provide direction on how the applicant pool can be narrowed during the selection process. Preference will be shown to applying students who have demonstrated the following characteristics, as determined by a character recommendation, personal essay, and application responses:

  • Strong Character (60%)
    • Good citizenship and service to others
    • Leadership and participation in school and community activities
    • Clear aspirations and goals as stated in an essay
    • Excellence and inspiration to others
    • A positive application recommendation by a high school counselor or advisor, an instructor, or a work supervisor who knows you well
  • Financial Circumstances (30%)
    • Challenging family & individual circumstances
    • Household size
    • Number of dependents attending college
    • Household income
  • Academic Achievement (10%)

  • Students should be planning to enroll for the first time in a full-time undergraduate course of study at an accredited two-year or four-year college or university, preferably one of the following Lackawanna County schools:
    • Keystone College
    • Marywood University
    • University of Scranton
    • Johnson College
    • Lackawanna College
    • Pennsylvania State University – Scranton

NOTE:  Approximately 50% of the recipients chosen will be attending one of the above schools.

All applications for the James F. Swift Scholarship must be completed through the Scranton Area Community Foundation’s Common Scholarship application.

To begin, students must create an account through our online portal to complete an eligibility questionnaire. After completing the eligibility questionnaire, the student will be directed to the scholarship application(s) for which they qualify. For a tutorial on how to apply, please visit our Applicant Tutorial.

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