Elizabeth Horvath Swimming Scholarship Fund Application Guide 2026–2027: Requirements & Deadline (USA)

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Overview

The Elizabeth Horvath Swimming Scholarship Fund is a memorial scholarship administered by the Berks County Community Foundation in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was established by Stephanie Hunsberger in honor of her grandmother, Elizabeth Horvath, and it’s built specifically for student-athletes rather than the general applicant pool — a narrow focus that also means far less competition than most national swimming awards.

To qualify, an applicant must have swum for a high school or club team during their senior year of high school and intend to continue swimming at the college or club level once enrolled. The 2026–2027 cycle continues that same swimmer-first, values-driven approach: the fund’s language explicitly asks reviewers to give preference to students who “persevered through difficulties to achieve success,” whether that success shows up in the pool, the classroom, or life more broadly.

Because BCCF manages dozens of scholarship funds through a single shared portal, the Elizabeth Horvath Swimming Scholarship Fund 2026 application doesn’t require a separate account or a separate essay process — you apply once through BCCF’s Foundant-powered portal and the system matches you to every BCCF fund you qualify for, this one included.

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Nationality & Residency Requirements

This is a geographically restricted award, which is the single biggest filter most applicants miss:

• You must be graduating from a high school located in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
• Students attending high school outside Berks County — even elsewhere in Pennsylvania — are not eligible, regardless of swim credentials.
• The fund’s own materials don’t publish a separate international-student or visa policy, which is typical for a locally endowed, county-based fund; if you hold non-citizen status, contact BCCF’s Lifelong Learning program officer before applying to confirm documentation requirements rather than assuming eligibility either way.
• There is no published state-residency carve-out beyond the Berks County high school requirement — where you’ll attend college isn’t restricted, only where you attended high school.

Academic & GPA Eligibility Requirements

The Elizabeth Horvath Swimming Scholarship Fund GPA requirement and related eligibility rules break down as follows:

• Minimum GPA: 2.5 cumulative (or 80%) — noticeably more accessible than many merit-only athletic funds that set the bar at 3.0+.
• Class standing: Must be a graduating high school senior intending to pursue a bachelor’s degree.
• Athletic requirement: Must have swum on a high school or club swim team in at least senior year, and must intend to swim at the college or club level once enrolled.
• Conduct clause (the differentiator most guides skip): Applicants must not have any disciplinary infractions. This is stated explicitly in BCCF’s fund criteria and isn’t just a soft “good standing” suggestion — a documented disciplinary record can disqualify an otherwise-eligible applicant, so it’s worth reviewing your school record before you apply.
• Conflict-of-interest rule: BCCF employees, board members, and committee members — along with their immediate family — are not eligible to apply for or be nominated for this or any BCCF-administered scholarship.
• Fund size context: Unlike headline national scholarships, this fund’s total annual award pool is modest and can vary year to year, since it’s a single named endowment rather than a large renewable grant program. Don’t expect a full-tuition outcome; think of it as one piece of a broader financial-aid puzzle.

Application Materials Needed

Applicants should be ready to submit:

1. A completed online application through BCCF’s scholarship portal (powered by Foundant/GrantInterface).
2. A personal essay addressing perseverance, character, or the applicant’s swimming and academic journey.
3. An official high school transcript confirming cumulative GPA and Berks County enrollment.
4. A letter of recommendation, typically from a coach, teacher, or counselor who can speak to both athletic commitment and character.
5. Confirmation of intent to swim in college, whether varsity or club level, at the institution the student plans to attend.

Step-by-Step How to Apply

1. Confirm eligibility first. Verify you’re a senior at a Berks County high school with a 2.5+ GPA, a senior-year swim record, and no disciplinary infractions.
2. Create an account on BCCF’s Foundant scholarship portal at the official application link.
3. Complete the general BCCF scholarship application. One application is automatically matched against all BCCF funds you qualify for, including the Elizabeth Horvath Swimming Scholarship Fund.
4. Upload your transcript and recommendation letter through the portal before the window closes.
5. Write and upload your essay, focusing on resilience and how swimming has shaped your goals — language that echoes the fund’s own stated values tends to resonate with reviewers.
6. Submit within the December 1 – February 1 window. Submitting early avoids last-minute portal or transcript-request delays.
7. Watch for notification in May, when BCCF typically informs applicants of award decisions.

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Frequently Asked Questions

For more local grants, merit awards, and regional funding across all 50 states, check out our master USA State Scholarships Directory.

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