LendKey and Member Student Lending award $20,000 in college scholarships

LendKey and Member Student Lending have named 10 students from seven credit unions as winners of their 2026 scholarship program, with each recipient getting $2,000. The awards, announced July 30, support students attending or planning to attend accredited four-year colleges and universities.

Why it matters: - The scholarship program puts money directly toward higher education costs for credit union members. - Ten students received $2,000 each, reducing the financial burden of college for families across the country. - The awards also reinforce the role credit unions can play in member education support beyond traditional banking services.

What happened: - LendKey and Member Student Lending announced the winners of their 2026 college scholarship program on July 30, 2026. - The program awarded 10 merit-based scholarships worth $2,000 each, for a total of $20,000. - Winners were members of participating credit unions and were selected for academic excellence, leadership and community involvement. - Eligible students attended or planned to attend accredited four-year colleges or universities.

The details: - Applications were open from May 1 through May 31, 2026. - LendKey said the program received a record number of applications this year. - The recipients came from seven credit unions across the country. - Winners included students from New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union, Glendale Area Schools Credit Union, Greater Alliance Federal Credit Union, Canyon View Credit Union, Merck Employees Federal Credit Union, TopLine Financial Credit Union and AgFed Credit Union. - Two winners came from Canyon View Credit Union. - Two winners came from Glendale Area Schools Credit Union. - Two winners came from TopLine Financial Credit Union. - New Orleans Firemen’s Federal Credit Union said it encouraged its membership to apply for the first time this year and saw dozens of student-members submit applications. - The credit union said it was pleased one of its students received a scholarship and thanked LendKey for its support of affordable education.

Between the lines: - The program gives LendKey and Member Student Lending a visible way to strengthen ties with credit unions and their members. - The record application count suggests growing demand for aid tied to credit union membership. - The awards also fit both organizations’ broader push to expand access to higher education while supporting local lenders.

What's next: - LendKey said it will continue its annual scholarship program as one of the ways it helps students reach educational goals. - The company also said it will keep working with credit union communities on education access and affordability. - Member Student Lending said its network and loan platform remain focused on offering private student lending solutions to students and families.

The bottom line: - The scholarships are a small-dollar but high-visibility example of how credit unions and lending partners can share resources to support students and their communities.**