Foresters Financial has increased the value of its Competitive Scholarship awards for members and their families across Canada, the US, and the UK as applications open for the 2026–2027 academic year.
The fraternal benefit society, which operates as The Independent Order of Foresters, has awarded thousands of scholarships since launching the program, supporting post-secondary education for members’ families in all three markets.
In 2025 alone, Foresters distributed $1.4 million in scholarships to more than 520 students.
Under the latest changes, individual Competitive Scholarship awards in North America will rise to $2,500 from $2,000. In the UK, awards will increase from £1,000 to £1,250. The higher amounts are designed to provide additional financial support while still recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement.
“At Foresters, supporting our members and their families is central to our purpose,” said René Zanin (pictured), chief legal, administrative and membership officer at Foresters. “Education can open doors to opportunity and we are proud to enhance our scholarship program to continue to help students pursue their goals while continuing to strengthen their communities.”
According to the company, applications for the 2026–2027 Competitive Scholarship program are now open. The benefit is available to Foresters members and their families and applicants must either be members themselves or have a parent, legal guardian, grandparent, or spouse who is a Foresters member.
In Canada and the US, new applicants must be 24 or younger, hold a minimum GPA of 3.2 (roughly an 80% average), have completed at least 50 hours of volunteer service in the two years before the application deadline, and be enrolling in a minimum two‑year, full‑time undergraduate program at a recognized college or university.
In the UK, new applicants must be in their final year of secondary school or already in post‑secondary education, have completed at least 50 volunteer hours in the two years before the deadline, and meet minimum academic criteria, including A‑level or AS‑level grades of C (or equivalent), GCSE grades of 5/C (C in Northern Ireland), or module marks of 55–59 for post‑secondary students. They must also be enrolled in at least a two‑year, full‑time undergraduate program at an accredited UK university, or at a vocational or technical institution, beginning in autumn 2026.
Returning scholarship recipients are subject to slightly different requirements. They must complete at least 15 volunteer hours in the year before the application deadline, maintain minimum module marks of 50–55 (or institutional equivalent), and remain in full‑time studies for the academic year for which they are applying.
To help ensure impartiality, the selection process is administered by International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS), an independent specialist. Applicants are evaluated on community service, academic performance, and an essay, weighted 50%, 25%, and 25%, respectively.
Foresters’ move to increase individual award amounts comes as tuition and living costs continue to climb in all three of its core markets.
In Canada, Statistics Canada data showed undergraduate tuition fees rising again for the 2025–2026 academic year, with most programs seeing year‑over‑year increases before rent and food are taken into account. In the UK, the tuition fee cap for most domestic undergraduates is set to move from £9,250 to £9,535 a year for courses starting in September 2025, while student support has not kept pace with housing and other expenses. In the US, average published tuition and fees at four‑year institutions have continued to trend higher in real terms over the past decade, with overall college costs pushed up further by housing, transport, and food inflation.
That backdrop is increasingly relevant. Education‑linked member benefits are showing up more often in holistic planning conversations alongside life, savings, and protection products, particularly for younger families focused on long‑term affordability.
Within the fraternal benefit society segment, Foresters’ Competitive Scholarship now sits at the higher end of scholarship offerings.
WoodmenLife’s Focus Forward Scholarship program, for example, has awarded about $3.7 million to 5,800 students since 2017 — roughly $370,000 per year — across a large US membership base. Modern Woodmen of America and other fraternals also run scholarship schemes tied to membership and community involvement, generally at smaller individual or aggregate award levels.
By contrast, Foresters has reported annual scholarship outlays in the seven‑figure range and has now increased individual award values across three countries. That scale makes the Competitive Scholarship a more visible component of its overall member value proposition, which may influence how advisers position fraternal life products versus traditional stock‑company offerings.
The program has also received third‑party recognition. It was recently named one of America’s Best Loyalty & Rewards Programs in the insurance category by USA Today and Plant‑A Insights Group, reflecting its role in member engagement as well as financial support.
Foresters positions the Competitive Scholarship as part of a broader suite of member benefits funded through its fraternal structure. As a Toronto‑based fraternal benefit society, Foresters reinvests a portion of profits into programs such as scholarships, community grants, volunteer initiatives, and wellness tools for more than one million members across North America and the UK.
Member benefits include the Foresters Go wellness app, community volunteer grants, legal document preparation services including will creation, and specific supports such as orphan benefits and orphan scholarships for children of deceased members. Individuals generally become members when they purchase an eligible life insurance product underwritten by The Independent Order of Foresters; once coverage is in force, they can register to access benefits and program information.
Alongside financial benefits, Foresters continues to fund large‑scale community projects.
Working with non‑profit partner KABOOM!, the organization had built 177 playgrounds by 2025, including recent projects in East Scarborough, Ontario, and Blue Island, Illinois. In Arlington, Texas, more than 500 members and volunteers took part in a 2025 event to assemble and donate 100 new bicycles to local children.
