Insuring Rural Communities Scholarship Grant

The Insuring Rural Communities Scholarship supports students from rural Missouri and Illinois, offering renewable scholarships up to $5,000. Funded by Valley Insurance Agency Alliance and Travelers Foundation, it aims to assist those pursuing degrees in healthcare, information technology, or risk management. Eligible applicants must be permanent residents of non-metropolitan areas, enrolled in accredited programs, and demonstrate significant financial need. This initiative enhances academic and career success in underserved communities.

The Insuring Rural Communities Scholarship was created to support students from rural areas of Missouri and Illinois. It is funded by grants from Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), its member insurance agencies and various insurance company partners and friends, matched by Travelers Foundation. IRC is administered through The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis. Students of all ages who have graduated high school or have a GED are eligible to apply for annual, renewable scholarships of up to $5,000 to pursue information technology, healthcare, or risk management degrees or certificates.
Travelers Foundation, the charitable arm of Travelers, focuses on equity and inclusion in support for initiatives that improve academic and career success, develop thriving neighborhoods, and create culturally enriched communities.
VIAA is an insurance agency network dedicated to supporting the profitable growth and sustainability of independent insurance agencies throughout Missouri and central and southern Illinois.
This scholarship is renewable through graduation or up to ten semesters, and is available in amounts up to $5,000 per academic year.

Eligibility

To be eligible to be considered for this scholarship, applicants must:
Be a permanent resident for at least two years of a region outside a metropolitan area. Eligible counties are those not included in the official metropolitan statistical area as defined by the United States Census Bureau.Be enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited, nonprofit post-secondary program that will result in a degree or certificate.
Be pursuing undergraduate degrees or certificates in health care, information technology, or risk management.
Demonstrate significant financial need, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or similar need calculations. Applicants with a Student Aid Index (SAI) over $17,500 must have significant and extenuating circumstances to be considered.
Have achieved a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average.