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Merit-Based ScholarshipsWorth a shot

Elks Legacy Award

Offered by Elks National Foundation · Free to apply

Award
$4,000 ($1,000/yr over 4 years)
renewable in later years
Deadline
February 2, 2027 at 11:59 a.m. Pacific
deadlines recur around February each year
Estimated odds
1 in 20
Solyo estimate, not a published rate
Application effort
~5 hrs
about $60 of expected value per hour

The Elks Legacy Award pays $4,000 over four years to graduating high school seniors who are the child, grandchild, step-child, step-grandchild or legal ward of a living Elks member. With 350 awards a year it is one of the largest membership-linked scholarship programs in the country, and because the grandchild path counts, far more families qualify than realise it. For the 2026 contest the SAT and ACT requirement is waived. Note the deadline is 11:59 in the MORNING Pacific time, not at night, which trips people up every year. This is a different award from the Elks Most Valuable Student scholarship.

How hard is the Elks Legacy Award to win?

Real competition, but not a lottery. The time cost is low enough relative to the award that a qualified student comes out ahead by applying.

Estimated odds
roughly 1 in 20 applicants
Modelled applicant field
~7,000 students
Awards each cycle
350
Payoff per hour of work
$60 / hr

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

  • More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
  • Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
  • Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
  • Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Elks Legacy Award?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

  • Open to high school seniors
Confirm these before applying
  • Requires a living Elks member relative: parent, grandparent, step-parent, step-grandparent or legal guardian. The Elk must have joined on or before April 1 2023 and paid Lodge dues for the last two contiguous years.
Good to know
  • The SAT and ACT requirement is waived for the 2026 contest.

What the application takes

  • Essay required.
  • Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is February 2, 2027 at 11:59 a.m. Pacific. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 2 each year. Applications open September 1. The cutoff is 11:59 a.m. Pacific, in the morning, not 11:59 p.m. Submit the day before to be safe.

Applications open
September 1, 2026
Applications close
February 2, 2027 at 11:59 a.m. Pacific
Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

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Common questions about the Elks Legacy Award

How much is the Elks Legacy Award worth?

The Elks Legacy Award awards $4,000 ($1,000/yr over 4 years) and is renewable in later years. 350 awards are made each cycle.

When is the Elks Legacy Award deadline?

The current deadline is February 2, 2027 at 11:59 a.m. Pacific. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around February 2 each year. Applications open September 1. The cutoff is 11:59 a.m. Pacific, in the morning, not 11:59 p.m. Submit the day before to be safe.

When do Elks Legacy Award applications open?

Applications open September 1, and close February 2, 2027 at 11:59 a.m. Pacific. The cutoff is 11:59 a.m. Pacific, in the morning, not 11:59 p.m. Submit the day before to be safe.

Who is eligible for the Elks Legacy Award?

Key requirements: Open to high school seniors.

Does the Elks Legacy Award require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay and a transcript. Expect to spend about 5 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Elks Legacy Award?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 20 applicants, against a modelled field of ~7,000 students. The pool stays that size because an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants and an official transcript is required. At 5 hrs of work, that is about $60 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the Elks Legacy Award free to apply?

Yes. The Elks Legacy Award is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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Lists this award appears on

Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.