The Funeral Service Foundation Now Accepting Academic Scholarship Applications for Fall 2025

The Foundation will award more than 25 scholarships ranging from $2,500 to $5,000 USD to students of funeral service, including military veterans, this fall

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

Since offering its first academic scholarship in 2002, the Joseph E. Hagan Memorial Scholarship, the Foundation has gone on to establish scholarships in memory of Shipley Rose Buckner, Mark Hornibrook & Harry Pontone, Steve Mack, Louis & Josephine Pontone, Dennis Schoepp, and Jack Springer with CANA, Todd Van Beck, and in honor of APFSP, John Carmon, Bob Horn, Steve Lang, and Funeral Directors Life. The Memorial Classic Scholarships are funded by proceeds from The Tom Johnson Memorial Classic annual golf event; 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. 

The Foundation is also honored to award the inaugural Tom Johnson Memorial scholarship this fall to a worthy student. Jake Johnson, Tom’s son and a former Foundation Trustee himself, said, “It’s an honor for our family to see this scholarship named in memory of my father. He built his life and career on strong relationships, and he believed that service, integrity and connection were at the heart of funeral service. This scholarship reflects those values and will help support future professionals who are equally committed to making a meaningful impact in their communities.”

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 2026. Those who have applied in the past but have not been awarded an academic scholarship from the Foundation are encouraged to re-apply.

The scholarship program is supported by generous donors who share the Foundation’s vision for fostering 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.  

LINKS: 

• Funeral Service Foundation Academic Scholarship Information and Application Page: https://www.funeralservicefoundation.org/scholarship-opportunities/academic-scholarships/ 

About the Funeral Service Foundation – FuneralServiceFoundation.org
Since 1945, the Funeral Service Foundation has served as the philanthropic voice of the funeral profession and has identified as the charitable arm of the National Funeral Directors Association since 1997. Donors and volunteer leaders profession-wide support the Foundation in its mission to lift up grieving communities by investing in people and programs that strengthen funeral service.