GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program

The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program is run by the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute in partnership with GE Aerospace. It was created to carry President Reagan's ideals forward by investing in a new generation of values-driven, civic-minded leaders. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation & Institute is the only nonprofit organization President Reagan personally established, and it sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California, the largest and most visited presidential library. It also operates a policy institute a block from the White House and education programming that reaches students from middle school through college. Seniors who show leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship compete for $10,000 a year, renewable for four years and $40,000 total, plus a place in the Reagan Foundation's scholar retreat and alumni network. Reviewers look at what a student has actually led in school, at work, or in the community rather than at test scores; the floor is a 3.0 GPA and a plan to enroll full time at an accredited four-year US college. Homeschooled students, students in US territories, and students at schools on American military bases abroad are all eligible. Applications typically open in November and close January 5. Semifinalists then submit a transcript, one recommendation, and a values statement, finalists interview virtually in the spring, and renewal each year requires a 3.0 and participation in Foundation events.

How hard is the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.

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 rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
• Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
• Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
• Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 3 GPA
• More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

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 GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program?

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
• ✓GPA of 3 or higher (unweighted)
• ✓Open to U.S. citizens

What the application takes

• Essay required. The prompt centers on personal leadership.
• 1 letter of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
• Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is January 5, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 5 each year. Applications open November.

Semifinalist materials: transcript, recommendation, values statement

Late winter 2026

Finalist virtual interviews

Spring 2026

Application typically opens

November 2026

Application due

January 5, 2027

Recipients announced

Late spring 2027

Common questions about the GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program

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• Bandera Electric Cooperative Scholarships
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• Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative Scholarships of Excellence
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• California Credit Union Foundation Student Scholarship
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Lists this award appears on

• Merit Scholarships
• Renewable Scholarships (Multi-Year Awards)
• Scholarships With January Deadlines