Scholarships
For the 2011-12 academic year, the Knights of Columbus awarded scholarships totaling more than $1.4 million to 605 students.
Most recipients are the children of Knights or Knights working toward bachelor’s degrees at Catholic colleges and Catholic universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Philippines.
These figures include $267,500 in grants to 109 seminarians in the United States and Canada.
The Order’s largest scholarship programs for college undergraduates are:
Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarships are also reserved for freshmen entering The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and are administered by the university’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid.
Other Scholarship Programs
Endowed Scholarships
The Knights of Columbus offers a limited number of endowed scholarships provided from earnings of funds established in the donors’ names. In accepting these gifts, the Order’s Board of Directors voted to administer endowed scholarships in conformance with the rules of the Fourth Degree Pro Deo and Pro Patria Scholarship program, subject to the donors’ wishes.
Matthews and Swift Educational Trust Scholarships
Delegates to the 62nd Supreme Council Meeting in August, 1944 voted to establish an Educational Trust Fund by the raising of $1 million through a special per capita tax on the members of the Order.
Vocations Scholarships
The Supreme Council adminsters two scholarship programs for students in the first four years of theology pursuing a vocation to the priesthood.
Fellowships at The Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., provides Knights of Columbus Fellowships for graduate study leading to a master’s degree or doctorate.
Bishop Charles P. Greco Graduate Fellowships
Established in 1973, the Bishop Charles P. Greco Graduate Fellowship Trust offers fellowships for full-time graduate study leading to a master’s degree in a program designed for the preparation of classroom teachers for people with intellectual disabilities.
Mexico, Philippines and Puerto Rico Scholarships
Scholarships for students attending colleges and universities in these areas are administered by the respective jurisdiction, not by the Department of Scholarships in New Haven. Please contact your local jurisdiction for more information..