In May of 2025, the joint Scholarship Committee of the Scots’ Charitable Society and the Scottish Cultural League of New England (formerly the Woman’s Auxiliary) concluded their review of candidates for undergraduate scholarships for the academic year 2025 – 2026.  We are pleased to announce that scholarships were awarded to 37 candidates who submitted their completed applications and attended interviews with the Committee.   The total amount given by the two organizations was $83,750.  These awards were presented at our annual awards ceremony to publicly honor those students who have demonstrated scholarship, writing ability, and community service and to wish them well in their future studies. 

In addition to the core scholarships, the committee awarded a number of special, privately-funded awards in specific fields:  The MacPherson Award for an engineering student, the Lockhart Award for a student athlete, the best essay award, the MacLeod Award for a student in the creative or performing arts, and the Dion-Nicol Award for nursing. We are proud to be able to support these students from schools as near as the Berklee College of Music and as far away as the University of St. Andrews.

Founded in 1657, the Scots’ Charitable Society is the oldest secular charitable organization in the Western Hemisphere, and was originally charged with providing aid to fellow Scots in the Massachusetts Bay Colony who were indigent or in poor health. As the social safety net expanded, the number of such needy Scots and descendants of Scots declined, and the Society changed its primary focus and in 1942 began providing undergraduate scholarships to students of Scottish descent living in the six New England states. 

The Scottish Cultural League of New England (formerly the Woman’s Auxiliary Board of the Scots’ Charitable Society) was founded in 1876 to aid in the work of the Scots’ Charitable Society.  Originally, its members directed the domestic affairs of the Scots’ Temporary Home located on Camden Street in Boston.  The home was established “for the purpose of giving shelter to our needy countrymen, who may be either in distress or perplexity, where they may remain for a short time before proceeding on their journey or obtaining situations here.” It is noteworthy that in 1882, the Superintendent of the home was John Quincy Adams II with assistance from his wife, Frances. Like the Scots’ Charitable Society, the organization focused on relief given to women and children of Scottish descent in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; but now the Scottish Cultural League of New England provides scholarships to students of Scottish descent in the six New England states.

Both organizations welcome new members intent on continuing the tradition of Scots helping Scots.

Application forms for the 2026 – 2027 school year will be posted on the Society’s web site, https://scots-charitable.org in January, 2026.