Zeal Credit Union High School Senior Scholarships

Program Overview
Seven (7) $2,000 scholarships awarded annually to high school seniors who are members of Zeal Credit Union and will attend college, university, or trade school in Fall 2026.

Award Details

• Number of Awards: Seven (7) scholarships
• Amount per Award: $2,000
• Disbursement: One-time disbursement in July 2026
• Payment Method: Checks made payable to the school and mailed directly to institution to be applied to recipient's account
• Geographic Scope: Michigan (Zeal Credit Union service area)

Named Scholarships

• The Al Williams Scholarship (Credit Union co-founder and first CEO)
• The Harlan Richardson Scholarship (longtime volunteer alumnus)
• The Dutch Farr Scholarship (founder of Detroit Postal Employees Credit Union)
• The Mark Stroebel Scholarship (co-founder and former board member)
• The Margaret Kremer-Hehman Scholarship (co-founder and longtime board member)
• The William Allen Scholarship (longtime board member)
• The James Cullimore Scholarship (former board member)

Eligibility Requirements

• Currently a senior in high school
• Planning to attend college, university, trade school, or technical school in Fall 2026
• Must be a primary member in good standing on a share account at Zeal Credit Union before scholarship is awarded
• Employees, elected or appointed officials of Zeal Credit Union and Zeal Credit Union Foundation, Inc., and their dependents are ineligible

Selection Criteria

• Applications reviewed by scholarship committee
• Judged on applicant videos, required fields, and responses to questions
• Selection based on well-rounded applicants who display Zeal's core values: living with character, feeling with empathy, and acting with passion
• Selected without regard to income, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, physical ability, or familial status

Important Notes

• If recipient does not attend as expected, funds should be promptly returned
• Recipients announced at Annual Membership Meeting on March 25, 2026
• All entries become property of Zeal Credit Union and Zeal Credit Union Foundation Inc.

Application Process

Submission Requirements

1. Complete the online application form at ZealCU.org/Scholarship
2. Submit all required documentation electronically
3. Submit a required video response
4. Answer all required application fields

Video Requirements

• Prompt: "Imagine your future self as financially secure. How will you pay it forward?"
• Length: No longer than 1 minute and 30 seconds
• File Size: Maximum 200MB
• Upload Method: Through online application at ZealCU.org/Scholarship
• Technical Note: If having trouble uploading via mobile device, try using a computer's web browser
• Content Responsibility: All applicants responsible for their content
• Permissions: All original music, imagery, and media must be credited; all other music and media must be used with permission of author or composer
• Limit: Only one video per applicant permitted
• Right of Rejection: Zeal Credit Union reserves right to disqualify applicants who don't follow guidelines or present unsuitable content
• Accessibility Assistance: If unable to record video, email Scholarships@ZealCU.org no later than Wednesday, February 11, 2026 (12pm EST) for assistance

Deadline

• Application Deadline: Monday, February 23, 2026 by 5:00pm EST
• Video Technical Issues: If experiencing errors uploading video, submit application without video and email Scholarships@ZealCU.org

Notification

• Applicants will be contacted by mid-March 2026
• Recipients announced at Annual Membership Meeting on March 25, 2026

Questions
Email: Scholarships@ZealCU.org