PHILADELPHIA, PA — Eighteen graduating high school seniors, including two students from Chester County, have received a combined $360,000 in college scholarships through the Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program, one of the Philadelphia region’s longest-running privately funded scholarship initiatives.
The awards, presented at The Franklin Institute, provide each recipient with a four-year scholarship worth $20,000 and come amid continued competition for higher education funding as college costs remain a challenge for many families.
Program organizers said more than 540 students from 188 schools applied for the scholarships this year. Recipients were selected based on essays, leadership experience, character references and demonstrated community involvement.
The scholarship program, now in its 57th year, is funded by the Green Family Foundation and Firstrust Bank. Over the past five years, the initiative has distributed more than $1.7 million in scholarship funding, bringing total awards since its inception to more than $2.6 million.
Among this year’s recipients are Chester County students Asher Pitofsky of Delaware County Christian School and Josh Weinstein of Downingtown S.T.E.M. Academy.
Richard J. Green, executive chairman and owner of Firstrust Bank and a trustee of the Green Family Foundation, said the program was established to continue the legacy of Samuel A. Green, the bank’s founder, through investment in future community leaders.
“This program was started by Firstrust Bank, and named in honor of its Founder, Samuel A. Green, who believed one of the most powerful ways to strengthen a community is by investing in its young people,” Green said.
Applicants were asked to submit essays addressing how they would use their college education to make a meaningful impact in their communities, a theme that remains central to the program’s selection process.
The event also featured remarks from 2024 scholarship recipient Foram Shah and keynote speaker Evan Ehlers, founder and chief executive officer of Sharing Excess, a nonprofit focused on reducing food waste and addressing food insecurity.
“You are entering a world with enormous challenges — but also enormous opportunities to improve the lives of others,” Ehlers told recipients. “What gives me hope is knowing there are young people like the SAG Scholars already stepping forward with compassion, courage, and a sense of responsibility to their communities.”
The 2026 scholarship class includes students from Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia and New Castle counties. In addition to scholarship funding, recipients received commemorative gifts recognizing the colleges and universities they plan to attend.
The Samuel A. Green Scholarship Program was established to honor the legacy of Samuel A. Green, who founded Firstrust Bank in 1934. The program recognizes students who demonstrate academic achievement, leadership and a commitment to community service.
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