Costco Employee Scholarship: Empowering Educational Aspirations

The Costco Employee Scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to Costco Wholesale employees in the United States and Puerto Rico, helping them pursue their educational goals. By offering up to $2,500 per academic year, renewable for up to four years, this scholarship supports both part-time and full-time employees seeking certificates, two-year degrees, or four-year credit-bearing degrees. Costco Wholesale's commitment to education is evident through this scholarship, which aims to support employees in achieving their academic aspirations.

Overview of the Costco Employee Scholarship

The Costco Employee Scholarship offers financial assistance to support the educational goals of Costco Wholesale employees in the United States and Puerto Rico. This scholarship provides up to $2,500 per academic year, renewable for up to four years, to eligible part-time and full-time employees. Whether seeking a certificate, a two-year, or a four-year credit-bearing degree, this scholarship aims to support employees in achieving their academic aspirations.

Key Benefits of the Scholarship

The Costco Employee Scholarship comes with several significant benefits:

Financial Support: Awards up to $2,500 annually for a maximum of four years.
Flexibility: Available for part-time and full-time employees.
Broad Coverage: Applicable to a range of undergraduate programs, including certificate, associate, and bachelor’s degrees.
Career Growth: Encourages personal and professional development through education.

Eligibility Criteria for the Costco Employee Scholarship

To be eligible for the Costco Employee Scholarship, applicants must meet specific criteria:

Be a regular part-time or full-time Costco Wholesale employee residing in the United States or Puerto Rico. (College Retention employees are also eligible to apply.)
Have a high school diploma or equivalent by June 2025.
Not have previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
Students must have a high school diploma or equivalent by June 2025; and be a current, new or previous student pursuing a first-time degree at a nonprofit, accredited college or university in the United States starting fall 2025 (certificate, 2-year or 4-year credit-bearing undergraduate degrees qualify).
Costco Wholesale employees must be residing in the United States or Puerto Rico starting in fall 2025 (College Retention employees are eligible to apply).

Required Documents for Application

Applicants are required to submit several documents to support their application:

Proof of Enrollment
Proof of Employment
High School Diploma/Equivalent Certificate
Academic Records
Personal Identification

How to Apply for the Costco Employee Scholarship

To apply for the Costco Employee Scholarship, follow these steps:

Read carefully all the information about the program details.
Click on the "Register" to complete the registration with required details.
After successful registration, Use the received credentials to log into your account.
Once logged in, Click on the "Apply" button.
You will be directed to the application form. Fill in all the required details accurately.
Prepare the necessary documents as specified in the application requirements.
Upload these documents in the designated sections of the application form.
Before submitting, review all the information you have provided.
After that, Click on the "Submit” button to submit your application.

The application opens on December 1, 2024 and is due on January 31, 2025. Supporting documentation is due February 7, 2025.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

While the Costco Employee Scholarship is a valuable resource, numerous other scholarships are available to students. Here are a few examples:

Liberation in Inquiry Scholarship 2025 (The Liberation Inquiry Collective)
Karolinska Institutet Global Masters Scholarship 2026 (Karolinska Institutet)
Marion Carnes Hendrie Scholarship 2026 (Colorado State University)
Mark Frasier Scholarship 2026 (Colorado State University)
KAUST Postgraduate Scholarship 2025 (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST))
Markworth Family Scholarship 2026 (Colorado State University)
Maharashtras Foreign Scholarship 2025 (Maharashtra Tribal Development Department)
Owen Browning Scholarship 2025 (University of Canterbury)
Linda Thimmig Mollendor Scholarship 2026 (Colorado State University)
Silesian University Merit Scholarship 2025 (University of Silesia in Katowice)
Livingston Real Estate And Development Scholarship 2026 (Colorado State University)
Amber Joy Lillian Women in Business Scholarship 2025 (Amber Greene)
The "Be Bold" Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile.
The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education.
The Lenny Scholarship offers $1,001 US to support young individuals aged 16 and above, enrolled in college and residing in the US or India.

External Scholarship Platforms

ScholarshipOwl provides direct access to the scholarships they need the most.
Niche helps in covering the cost of college expenses for four years without writing a single essay.
The Christian Connector offers various scholarship drawings for Christian/Faith Based colleges and universities.
Appily scholarship application is fast and easy.

The Costco Scholarship Fund: A Legacy of Support

The Costco Scholarship Fund, created by Jim Sinegal and Jeff Brotman (1942 - 2017), is an annual event to raise money for the Costco Scholarship Fund. Jim and Jeff shared the belief that education is one of the primary factors in creating a successful and fulfilled life. It is a springboard to getting a job, it teaches us about life and it instills in us a sense of accomplishment and a realization of what is possible. Education makes economic security possible, and providing all qualified students access to education benefits everyone.

Key Milestones and Achievements

25 Years of Impact: This year marked 25 years of the Costco Scholarship Fund! Costco President and CEO Ron Vachris announced a new fundraising record $7.4M raised and almost $90M since inception.
Transformative Stories: We heard from past Costco scholar and emcee Analisa Chavez, SU; as well as featured scholars and alumni, Dionne Williams, UW, Victoria Mulugeta, UW, Dylan Munn, SU, and Diego Gael Gonzalez, SU; who continue to inspire us through the lasting change and impact they are making in their communities.
Extensive Reach: The Costco Scholarship Fund has provided opportunities and enriched the lives of more than 2,600 students who have been awarded this scholarship.
Record-Breaking Fundraising: At the 24th Annual Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast, a record $5,988,679 was raised. From its inception, the program has raised more than $80 million to further the education of over 2,300 scholars both past and present.
Continued Growth: At the 23rd Annual Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast, Susan Brotman and Jim Sinegal announced a new fundraising record of $5.6 million raised and over $76 million since inception.

Past Events and Keynote Speakers

The Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast is held in conjunction with Costco Supplier Day each September. Over the years, the event has featured numerous distinguished keynote speakers:

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2021 (Virtual): Emcee Noe Merfeld, a Costco Scholar Alumna, shared how the power of education transforms lives and has inspired others in her family to pursue higher education.
2017: Costco CEO Craig Jelinek announced that the 2017 breakfast raised over $5 million including a special gift of $1 million from Warren Lieb.
2013: The 2013 Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast raised more than $3.3 million, setting an all-time record!
2010: The 2010 Costco Scholarship Fund Breakfast featured a conversation with Jim Sinegal, Jeff Brotman, Dr. Chris Holder, and Chalia Stallings-Alailima moderated by Stephen Sundborg, S.J., President of Seattle University.
Past keynote speakers include Ms. Erin Gruwell, Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee, Justice Alan C. Page, Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, Sampson Davis, M.D., George Jenkins, D.D.S., Rameck Hunt, M.D., Dr. M. Joycelyn Elders, Edward James Olmos, Sidney Poitier, and Earvin “Magic” Johnson.

Additional Information and Considerations

Scholarship Fund Management

The Costco Scholarship Fund is designed to help recruit highly qualified students to attend the University of Washington and Seattle University. Yes, since the Costco Scholarship Fund is administered by the College Success Foundation, a tax exempt 501(c)(3) organization, EIN #91-2036088. All gifts, excluding the value of goods and services received, are fully tax-deductible charitable contributions to the foundation.

Supplier Day Connection

Every year Costco hosts Supplier Day, an event that builds and fosters the relationships with its suppliers. As a retailer, Costco strives to maintain an excellent relationship with suppliers-a commitment that is reflected in the company’s mission statement. Costco Supplier Day is an opportunity for suppliers to hear a company overview from company executives. Suppliers will learn more about Costco, its outlook on the future and growth opportunities pertaining to specific regions, demographics and departments. Costco buyers have the option of attending lunch, though there will be no assigned seating. Costco Supplier Day is an invite-only event. Note to Suppliers: All Costco Supplier Day invitations are overseen by the Costco Merchandising Team.

Scholarship Duration and Enrollment

This scholarship is available in amounts up to $2,500 per academic year for up to six years. Students who are enrolled less than full-time can still receive the scholarship.

Scholarship Renewal and Changes

To continue receiving the Costco Employee Scholarship, recipients must meet the eligibility criteria below. Keep contact information current so we can stay in touch with you regarding your scholarship. Make sure to communicate your change early so that we can ensure your funds arrive at the right institution in a timely manner. Once you have submitted your application, you cannot make corrections or provide updates through the online application portal.

Scholarship Disbursement

Your check is cut the day listed in the “Payment Information” section of this site. If after 10 business days from the date published in the “Payment Information” section you contact your financial aid office and they tell you they haven’t received your scholarship, please contact us so that we can cancel that check and issue a new one. Also, if you changed schools and failed to notified us, your funds may have gone to the wrong school. In some cases, the funds may not be applied to your account until after the start of the term. Your scholarship will be divided equally over the number of terms of enrollment at your college/university. Awards are divided in equal amounts per academic term based on the number of credits you are enrolled. We assume fulltime enrollment unless you or your school let us know otherwise. We cannot disburse full year awards in just one term. Students who are accepting the scholarship will have the opportunity to review and accept the terms of the scholarship.

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Reapplication

I don’t meet all of the criteria to apply this year but think I may next year. Yes, you may apply again next year. Yes, you may apply for more than one scholarship administered by CSF.

College Choice

I am not sure what college I will be attending in the fall. If you have applied to more than one college, you may not know by the application deadline which college you will be attending in the fall. If you are still deciding which college you’ll be attending, please complete the application with your current first choice.

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