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Welcome to the CIFS Library: Scholarships

National Board Exam Scholarship

The Conference Board of Directors draws five names in the spring and fall, awarding ten National Board Exam Scholarships in total each year. Recipients will receive one complimentary NBE registration (a $570 value), which can be used up to one year from the selection date. To enter, candidates will submit a brief essay through The Conference’s website https://theconferenceonline.org/scholarship/ 

For full details, please visit the NBE Scholarship Entry Form on The Conference’s website. https://theconferenceonline.org/scholarship/

Awarded twice a year,The Funeral Service Foundation  now offers up to 24 total scholarships, ranging from $2,500-$5,000. Scholarships are available to full- and part-time students pursuing a degree in mortuary science from an ABFSE-accredited program, or accredited Canadian programs. Applications are accepted from February 15-April 1  and from  September 15-November 1.

Second-Career Scholarships offered by the Selected Educational Trust are the perfect way to support the development and growth of the apprentices and funeral assistants on your team. Thanks to sponsor Gunderson Funeral and Cremation Care, two $1,500 scholarships will be awarded this June. But don’t wait, applications must be received by May 31.

Other Scholarship Lists

Mark & Nancy Justen Memorial Scholarship

The Selected Independent Funeral Homes Educational Trust grants one $5000 scholarship to a student enrolled in mortuary science school in any of the following states: Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio. See their information page. Deadline May 31, 2025.

State Scholarships

Due Dates

State Scholarships

Arkansas Scholarships

No Deadline Accepts throughout year

Arkansas Funeral Directors Association's Verlyn L. Heath Memorial Scholarship

Florida Scholarships

May 25                       FCCFA Scholarship Application-Rev

Georgia

 October 31             https://www.selectedtrust.org/memorial-scholarships/

Indiana Scholarships

April 30

IFDA has 4 scholarships available

Iowa Scholarships

March 1

IFDA has 5 sholarships available

Kentucky Scholarships

none

FDAofKY's Pat R. Caniff Scholarship

Louisiana Scholarships

March 15

LFDA's Gerald M. Robbins Sr. Scholarship

Maryland Scholarships

October 31

Maryland State Funeral Directors Assoc.'s Daniel T. Mulheran Memorial Scholarship

Nebraska Scholarships

June 30

NeFDA's Wallace S. and Wilma K. Laughlin Foundation Trust Scholarships

New York Scholarships

May 31

NYSFDA's Tribute Foundation Scholarship

North Carolina Scholarships

March 31

NCFDA's has 3 financial assistance opportunities for mortuary science students

South Carolina Scholarships

April 1 & October 1

SCFDA's Evelyn J Davis Memorial Scholarship

Tennessee Scholarships

January 15 ?

TNFDA's Herbert W. Mayes Memorial Scholarship

Texas Scholarships

February 28 &

August 30

The Texas Funeral Directors Association

Students must apply through the college's financial aid office.

Virginia Scholarships

September 30

VMA's H. L. Minor & Daniel R. Brown Scholarship

Washington Scholarships

April 1

WSFDA's Bill Martin Scholarship

For additional information regarding scholarships and grants available to Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service students, please contact our

Financial Aid Advisor at 281-873-0262        or

800-628-1580

  .

New Scholarships

     The Dr. George Poston Memorial Library and Learning Resource Center features collections to support Commonwealth Institute’s Funeral Services education program with texts, eBooks, and videos. The collection also includes archived magazine titles, current professional funeral journals and newspapers. 
     Bibliographic information about the library’s material collection, including links to full-text materials, is available 24/7/365 via an online public access catalog at the Catalog tab above. The collection of print volumes includes bibliographies, atlases, periodical indexes and other reference sources. Special archive collections, available for in-house research, include early mortuary periodicals, rare early trade catalogs, and other data. Distance learners may participate in the Books By Mail program by using an item’s Hold function in the online Library catalog.  
     Our Library‘s holdings are supplemented by membership in the Library and Information Resources Network (LIRN®), a library consortium of over 300 private colleges and universities serving a diverse international student population. Our membership provides 24/7/365 access to full text, newspaper, bibliographic and electronic journals databases as well as electronic reference sources covering a wide array of subjects, on any web enabled device,
     The Library provides computer assisted instruction to both students and faculty via information literacy sessions, orientations, and one-on-one instruction. Tutorials for the use of our resources are placed on the college’s student portal and this website. They are available 24 hours a day. Students are given in-depth instruction on the use of the library’s platform as well as instructions on accessing it from off campus. Access is available to anyone with a library account from anywhere in the world that has an internet connection. 

 

 

National Scholarships

DUE DATES

National Scholarships

February 15 -

April 1 &

September 15

- November 1

 

NFDA's Funeral Service Foundation's Academic Scholarships - 24 available

March 1 &

September 1

(ABFSE)The American Board of Funeral Service Education Scholarships

May 31 &

October 31

Selected Trust second career scholarship Career Scholarship Program

June 27

The 100 Black Women of Funeral Service, Inc.

July 1

Foundation Partners Group Scholarship

Submit anytime

(NFDMA )The National Funeral Directors and Morticians Association https://www.nfdma.com/about-us/education

Submit anytime

MFDA Scholarship

Submit anytime

Phaneuf Family Foundation Scholarship

September 15

-Nov 1

Jack Springer Memorial Scholarship

September 15

-Nov 1

Funeral Service Foundation Scholarships

September 16

Harvey Leaavitt III NBE Scholarship

October 31

Second Career Scholarship Award

November 1

Northstar Memorial Group Brad Kraft Memorial Scholarship

December 1

for 2026-

2028 class

Selected Leadership Academy Scholarship

December 15

(OGR) The International Order of the Golden Rule Awards of Excellence

December 31

Service Corporation International Scholarship Program

For additional information regarding scholarships and grants available to

Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service students, please contact  

Financial Aid Advisor at 281-873-0262 of 800-628-1580.

Contact Us:

Commonwealth Institute of Funeral Service
Dr. George Poston Library
415 Barren Springs Dr.
Houston, TX 77090
281-873-0262  or  800-628-1580