Foundation

Equitable Excellence Scholarship®

The Equitable Excellence Scholarship^® program is the flagship program of Equitable Foundation, the company’s charitable-giving arm. The enhanced scholarship program includes renewable scholarships for high school seniors and engagement to create pathways to opportunities for aspiring college students.

The Equitable Excellence Scholarship^® program supports students from across the country who strive to be a force for good in their communities. By pursuing a postsecondary degree, these students show fortitude and resilience, and plan to inspire others in their community to pursue higher education.

In alignment with Equitable’s own mission of helping people achieve financial security so that they can face the future with confidence, the Equitable Excellence Scholarship^® program places an emphasis on empowering students’ future plans so that they can continue to have positive impacts in their community. We are thrilled to share the Equitable Excellence Scholarship^® application for current high school seniors heading to college in the fall of 2026 is open and will remain active until December 18, 2025, 4:00 p.m. EST / 1:00 p.m. PT.

For this year’s scholarship program each recipient will receive $5,000 renewable scholarships for all four years of their undergraduate study, for a total of $20,000 in financial support. Scholarship program recipients will also receive special access to workshops centered around financial wellness, mental wellness and crucial professional leadership and development sessions tailored to support resume building and personal branding. Further, recipients will be connected with mentors and access to personal guidance throughout their postsecondary journeys.

Each year, the scholarship program aspires to reach students in need, with nearly 60% of last year’s recipients being first-generation college students. Additionally, last year's student scholarship winners hail from 24 states and represent 63 different high schools. Since the scholarship program’s inception, Equitable has awarded $30 million in scholarships to 7,400 students. Equitable Foundation manages the delivery of the awards program in partnership with Scholarship America, a national nonprofit dedicated to administering scholarship program opportunities.

As the largest 403(b) provider for educators across the country, we realize it’s important to our mission that we help support the educators that are empowering today’s students. To make an even bigger impact directly to educators, we ask our recipients to identify a teacher who made a significant difference in his or her academic journey. To express our gratitude, Equitable will provide a $500 gift card to each identified educator for classroom supplies or professional development.

The Equitable Excellence Scholarship^® program is supported through strategic partnerships between Equitable and Scholarship America that includes, CommonApp, National College Attainment Network (NCAN) and college access community-based organizations to assist students who apply for scholarships and are seeking resources to support the college application process.

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Video transcript

It's been an amazing journey for Equitable Excellence since its inception in
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2003. In alignment with Equitable's own mission of helping people achieve financial security,
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the Equitable Excellence scholarship places an emphasis on empowering students future plans
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so they can continue to have positive impacts in their community.
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We've provided over 30 million dollars to over 7,000 students since the program's inception.
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We really took a closer look at our scholarship and said how can we ensure
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that we're having an impact on those that could really benefit from post-secondary attainment.
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We realized that like a lot of private scholarships they tend to support students
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that are well on their way to college they know how to navigate the system. It's more than just
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money Equitable along with scholarship America also have to focus on making sure that these
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students receive career training and eventually get good jobs that have family sustaining wages.
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We've put an incredible amount of resource and support for students that may be first generation
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FAFSA workshops it's admissions college essay writing we're doing a lot of things
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for students to help them achieve post-secondary access. Needing to find scholarships is really
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important to me my parents are really big on my siblings and I not taking out any loans. I would
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like to sell Equitable thank you times a thousand it's just been really helpful not only to myself,
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but to my family as well. The scholarship helped tremendously. I was able to go to college and
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really have a full college experience and be fully immersed in it. I would like to say to
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the Equitable Foundation thank you because of you I have been able to go to school debt free
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I've been able to pursue a master's degree in a city of my dreams and I'm working in a dream
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position that I'm very grateful for and without the scholarship it would not have been possible.
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Another effort we've made is now we offer renewable scholarships so it's not just
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one-time grants, but it's renewable to ensure that students get to and through college. Equitable
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will be there for me for all four years these people are invested in your life and in your
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education. I can express as many things as I can but I don't think anything will ever come close
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to just this year gratitude that I have for this organization making my dreams possible.

Eligibility

We’re committed to students who show potential. Those with the courage to pursue what’s possible; display strength in managing challenges; share wisdom with others. The Equitable Excellence Scholarship^® program is our promise to those individuals dedicated to achieving their dreams.

Apply today if you are:

Be a current high school senior that resides in one of the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico, who plan to enroll full-time in an accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year.
Demonstrate ambition and self-drive to be a force for good in their communities by encouraging others to pursue higher education.
Be willing to provide a release to publicize their identities and information about their plans or achievements along with photographs for use in Program promotion/information.
Have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale (or its equivalent, weighted or unweighted).

To learn more, visit

scholarshipamerica.org/scholarship/equitableexcellence/

Equal Opportunity Employer – M/F/D/V. Equitable Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Equitable and Equitable Advisors. Equitable Excellence^® is a service mark of the Equitable Foundation. Equitable is the brand name of the retirement and protection subsidiaries of Equitable Holdings, Inc., including Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company (Equitable Financial) (NY, NY), Equitable Financial Life Insurance Company of America (Equitable America), an AZ stock company, and Equitable Distributors, LLC. Equitable Advisors is the brand name of Equitable Advisors, LLC (member FINRA, SIPC) (Equitable Financial Advisors in MI and TN).

GE-8436361.2 (10/2025) (Exp. 10/2029)

Individuals

Financial professionals and brokers

Employers

Equitable Excellence Scholarship®

Eligibility