Roothbert Fund Scholarships

Albert and Toni Roothbert established the Roothbert Fund to assist those in need of financial aid to further their education. Based in New York City, the Roothbert Fund operates as a volunteer organization. Through scholarships, the Fund supports fellows’ graduate or undergraduate study at an accredited institution based in the United States. 

• The Fund seeks candidates whose daily actions are guided by spiritual values.
  Applications from graduate students, as well as undergraduates with one year of college completed, are preferred.
• Applications from candidates who reside in or attend schools in the following states are preferred: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia.
• Grants are typically $5,000 to $7,000 and may be renewed for subsequent years.

Application At a Glance 

While the deadline is February 1st each year, applicants may apply starting November 1st each year. Awards are announced in late April, and grants are mailed to the grantees' institutions in August.

To successfully apply for a scholarship from the Roothbert Fund, applicants must submit the following materials:

• The Roothbert Fund Application Form
  A scanned copy of an official transcript from the applicant’s current or most recent institution.
• Three autobiographical essays
• Three letters of recommendation
• The application contains more detailed information. You can save an application in progress.  

Application Timeline

November 1st: The Roothbert Fund online application is available to the public.

February 1st: Completed applications, including letters of recommendations and academic transcripts, must be submitted online by February 1st at 11:59pm.  

March: Throughout the month of March, select candidates will be invited to interview with the Scholarship Committee. Interviews are typically held in person (virtual interviews are considered on a case-by-case basis) in New York, NY, Washington, DC, Philadelphia, PA, and New Haven, CT.

Please note that interviews are a required part of the application process. Applicants are encouraged to consider carefully whether or not they will be able to attend an interview at one of these locations on short notice. The Fund does not reimburse transportation/travel expenses incurred by applicants during the interview process.

April: Awards are announced in late April. Recipients will be notified by mail.

August: The scholarship will be delivered directly to the grantee’s institution by late August.

Note: Fellows are eligible to apply for a renewal for every year they continue their degree program. The Fund does not grant renewals for the pursuit of more than one academic program (e.g., If a fellow applies for a 3-year Masters program and receives a fellowship, the fellow is eligible to apply for renewals to fund all 3 years. However, the Fund will not support an additional academic program after the completion of the Masters program).

Fellowship Requirements

In accepting an award from the Roothbert Fund, recipients must:

• Maintain a high standard of work and conduct
• Provide transcripts to the Fund yearly
• Attend one Pendle Hill Weekend each year on grant. Pendle Hill is a Quaker study center just outside of Philadelphia. Retreats are held twice a year – in June and September. Led by former grant recipients, these retreats aim to foster thought provoking discussion as well as community among the Roothbert network.
• Complete 7 hours of additional Roothbert Fund programs, such as Playing in the Spirit, Fellowship Pods, and Social Hours.
• Keep a close relationship with the Fund through correspondence and visits
• Advise the Fund promptly of any change in his or her academic/financial situation
• Accept our awards as subject to revocation if, in the opinion of the Fund, the recipient fails to meet the terms of acceptance listed above. Every year a Roothbert Fellow is on grant, they are required to attend a weekend meeting at Pendle Hill, a Quaker study center just outside of Philadelphia. Pendle Hill retreats are held twice a year, in June and September. led by a former grant recipient and foster thought provoking discussion as well as community among the Roothbert network.