George E. Jonas Scholarship
Thanks to the generosity of the Georges Lurcy Trust and CRS alumni and friends, LAJF offers college scholarships to CRS alumni. The scholarship fund is dedicated to the memory of George E. ("Freddie") Jonas, founder and benefactor of Camp Rising Sun.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE for the Special Offering of
the John Litsios Scholarship
While we typically offer GEJ Scholarships during the summer, due to unforeseen circumstances, we are accepting applications specifically for the John Litsios scholarship for the current 2025-2026 academic year.
The deadline to apply is January 31, 2026.
This award is intended for CRS alumni or former staff members who are current undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a career in the sciences and who we believe will be exemplary at helping others.
Please note that this off-cycle scholarship offering is open only to undergraduate or graduate students who are currently enrolled in a United States college or university. Incoming freshman who are commencing their studies in the fall of 2026 should apply for a GEJ Scholarship in June when our normal application process begins for the 2026-2027 academic year. International alumni as well as American alumni are eligible, as long as their college/university studies are taking place in the United States.
Submit a GEJ application based on your current level of study:
To be eligible to receive a scholarship, we must have your consent to discuss your financial aid package with a representative at your college/university on your behalf. Please download and complete the financial aid consent form and then upload it with your online application form.
Please contact us by email at business@lajf.org if you have any questions.
Applications for the regular GEJ Scholarship program for the 2026-27 academic year will open in late June 2026. To sign up to receive a notification about when the applications for the GEJ Scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year are available, please complete this form.
GEJ Scholarship Eligibility
Alumni of Camp Rising Sun (including former staff members) are eligible to apply. You must be an undergraduate or graduate student in a college or university in the United States during the academic year 2026 - 2027. International alumni as well as American alumni are eligible, as long as their college/university studies during 2026 - 2027 will be in the United States. You may also apply as a high school senior planning to enter college. Members of the LAJF Board of Directors, Members of the Advisory Council, and non-seasonal LAJF Staff (and the immediate family members of all named above) are ineligible to apply.
WHAT EXPENSES MIGHT A GEJ SCHOLARSHIP COVER?
If you are awarded a scholarship, the money will NOT be sent to you. It will be sent to your college/university to cover part of what you will owe the college for tuition and other things such as college-provided housing and college-provided meals. A GEJ Scholarship cannot be used to pay for anything that you purchase from any source other than the college. For example, it cannot be used to cover travel between home and college, nor can it be used to pay for housing or food that you obtain from non-college sources. Nor can it be used by the college/university to reduce any scholarship or grant they would otherwise award you.
AMOUNT AND TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP
The total amount of money available for GEJ Scholarships varies from year to year. In the past, scholarship awards have ranged from about $1,000 to about $5,000. It is within the discretion of the Scholarship Committee and the LAJF to determine how scholarship funds are distributed. Scholarships are awarded, for one year only, however there is no limit to the number of years you can apply as long as you continue to meet the eligibility requirements.
CRITERIA FOR SELECTION
In reviewing scholarship applications, our prime interest is in gaining a good sense of the applicant's intellectual ability, character, financial need and an evaluation of the applicant's experience at Camp and future promise for fostering the values of Camp Rising Sun. A good application will be complete and convey clearly and specifically the impact of the CRS experience, and also provide clear goals for the future and a pathway towards them.
Because the money available is limited, some CRS alumni who are well qualified might nevertheless be unable to obtain a Scholarship. We intend our awards to have an impact by filling a crucial support gap for a successful candidate.
Criteria for Special Scholarships
As part of the GEJ Scholarship program, special scholarships have been established in the names of some of our outstanding alumni. Candidates for these special scholarships must meet all the criteria for a GEJ Scholarship as well as the criteria for the special scholarship. Each GEJ Scholarship applicant will be considered for the following special scholarships; applicants do not need to apply separately to be considered.
In 2014, the Pete Seeger Scholarship was established as part of our program. This Scholarship is awarded each year to an alumnus/alumna who exemplifies Pete Seeger's courage, integrity and humanity, and who over time, we believe will help others more than we help him/her. While musical ability and achievement might be among the candidate's talents, they are not essential to the award. Selection for the award will be based on the following specific criterion: In the years since attendance at Camp and in their plans for the future, candidates will have been activists within their communities, demonstrating commitment towards social justice, environmentalism, or other activities consistent with Pete's engagements over his life; and will show their valuing of service to others and to living a life likely to touch and improve the lives of others.
In 2018, the John Litsios Scholarship Fund was established in honor of one of Camp Rising Sun's most dedicated alumni. A camper from the first decade of Camp, John also served as Camp Director, was a member of the Board of Directors, and served on the Members Advisory Council into his 96th year. As an engineer, John used his technical background to help maintain the buildings and grounds of Camp over the years. GEJ Scholarship applicants studying polytechnics, science or engineering-related fields will be eligible to be named a John Litsios Scholar.
The Irwin Nydick Memorial Medical Scholarship was established in 2025 to honor Dr. Nydick, a renowned cardiologist and active CRS alumni. Dr. Nydick spent his first of seven years at CRS in 1939, and remained involved in Camp throughout his life, including as a member of the Board of Directors and the Members Advisory Committee. The Irwin Nydick Memorial Scholarship will be awarded to a promising and humanitarian future physician who exemplifies Dr. Nydick’s character and commitment to improving medical care, especially within the underserved community.
All scholarship awards are for a single year and scholarship recipients may reapply in subsequent years.
Decisions reached by the Scholarship Committee are final.