George E. Jonas Scholarship

Thanks to the generosity of the Georges Lurcy Trust and CRS alumni and friends, LAJF offers college scholarships to CRS alumni. The scholarship fund is dedicated to the memory of George E. ("Freddie") Jonas, founder and benefactor of Camp Rising Sun. 

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Alumni of Camp Rising Sun (including former staff members) are eligible to apply.  You must be an undergraduate or graduate student in a college or university in the United States during the academic year 2025 - 2026.  International alumni as well as American alumni are eligible, as long as their college/university studies during 2025 - 2026 will be in the United States.  You may also apply as a high school senior planning to enter college. Members of the LAJF Board of Directors, Members of the Advisory Council, and non-seasonal LAJF Staff (and the immediate family members of all named above) are ineligible to apply.

WHAT EXPENSES MIGHT A GEORGE E. JONAS (GEJ) SCHOLARSHIP COVER?

If you are awarded a scholarship, the money will NOT be sent to you. It will be sent to your college/university to cover part of what you will owe the college for tuition and other things such as college-provided housing and college-provided meals. A GEJ Scholarship cannot be used to pay for anything that you purchase from any source other than the college. For example, it cannot be used to cover travel between home and college, nor can it be used to pay for housing or food that you obtain from non-college sources.  Nor can it be used by the college/university to reduce any scholarship or grant they would otherwise award you.

AMOUNT AND TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP

The total amount of money available for GEJ Scholarships varies from year to year.  In the past, scholarship awards have ranged from about $1,000 to about $5,000.  It is within the discretion of the Scholarship Committee and the LAJF to determine how scholarship funds are distributed.  Scholarships are awarded, for one year only, however there is no limit to the number of years you can apply as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

CRITERIA FOR SELECTION

The criteria include intellectual ability, character, financial need and an evaluation of the applicant's experience at Camp and future promise for fostering the values of Camp Rising Sun. A good application will be complete and convey clearly and specifically the impact of the CRS experience, and also provide clear goals for the future and a pathway towards them. 

Because the money available is limited, some CRS alumni who are well qualified might nevertheless be unable to obtain a Scholarship. We intend our awards to have an impact by filling a crucial support gap for a successful candidate.

 In 2014, the Pete Seeger Scholarship was established as part of our program. This Scholarship is awarded each year to an alumnus/alumna who exemplifies Pete Seeger's courage, integrity and humanity, and who over time, we believe will help others more than we help him/her. While musical ability and achievement might be among the candidate's talents, they are not essential to the award.

Candidates for the Pete Seeger Scholarship must meet all the criteria for a GEJ Scholarship. The award will be for a single year and recipients may reapply in subsequent years. The Pete Seeger Scholarship shall be for at least $1,000.  Selection for the award will be based on the following specific criterion: In the years since attendance at Camp and in their plans for the future, candidates will have been activists within their communities, demonstrating commitment towards social justice, environmentalism, or other activities consistent with Pete's engagements over his life; and will show their valuing of service to others and to living a life likely to touch and improve the lives of others.  Each GEJ Scholarship applicant will be considered for the Pete Seeger Scholarship; applicants do not need to apply separately to be considered.

Decisions reached by the Scholarship Committee are final.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Applications for 2025-26 will open in or around June 2025.
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To be eligible to receive a scholarship, we must have your consent to discuss your financial aid package with a representative at your college/university on your behalf.  Please download and complete the financial aid consent form and then upload it with your online application form.

Additional Information:
If you are still a high school student it is possible that you might not know by the deadline which college you will be attending, and therefore might not know the details of your financial situation. In that case, turn in your application by the specified deadline, with as much information as you can, and include in your application an explanation of your situation, and then submit the missing information as soon as possible.

Please contact us by email at alumni@lajf.org if you have any questions.