AncestryProGenealogists Scholarship (applications due by 30 November)—open to aspiring or practicing professional genealogists.

The AncestryProGenealogists Scholarship Program provides four scholarships that will cover tuition, round-trip standard economy airfare (Ancestry may substitute appropriate ground transportation for awardees who live within 300 miles of the applicable institute), and hotel expenses for one individual each to attend one of the four institutes listed:

• Genealogical Institute on Federal Records (Gen-Fed), Washington, D.C.
• Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP), Pittsburgh, PA or Amherst, NY
• Institute of Genealogy and Historical Research (IGHR), Athens, GA
• Salt Lake Institute of Genealogy (SLIG), Salt Lake City, UT

The scholarships will be awarded to qualified applicants who demonstrate a commitment to genealogy as a profession, a desire for professional development, and the ability to communicate that commitment in writing.

AncestryProGenealogists is the official research firm of Ancestry.com, the world’s largest online resource for family history. With family history experts, lecturers, and award-winning authors, AncestryProGenealogists has the expertise to provide a wide range of services, from finding a single document to untangling complicated family trees.

Abbreviated Rules

Applicants are asked to submit the following via the AncestryProGenealogists online form or mail:

1. Applicant’s Full Name
2. Email
3. Mailing Address
4. Phone Number
5. Institute Preference: Rank the four U.S.-based genealogical institutes based on your preference for attendance, from highest (1) to lowest (4): Gen-Fed, GRIP, IGHR, or SLIG. For GRIP, IGHR, and SLIG, specify which course you would like to take. Gen-Fed offers only one course.
6. Resume: Your current resume, irrespective of any genealogical experience.
7. Essay: Describe your experience to date, aspirations as a genealogical professional, and how attending your top-choice institute/course will benefit your career. Essay must be no less than 500 and no more than 700 words.

Application form will be available October 1, 2018. Applications may be submitted on or after October 1, 2018. Electronic entries must be received no later than 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, November 30, 2018. Mailed items must be postmarked by November 30, 2018 and received no later than December 5, 2018. A panel of AncestryProGenealogist professionals will review and select by January 31, 2019, four winning essays from the pool of eligible entries. The Grand Prize winner will receive tuition to his or her first choice institute, plus travel and hotel costs, up to a maximum of $2,000. The Second, Third, and Fourth Prize winners will receive tuition, plus travel and hotel costs, up to $2,000 for each awardee, to their first choice institute, unless already chosen by a higher place awardee, in which case the next applicable and available choice will apply. The judges’ decisions with respect to the selection of the awardees and the interpretation of the Official Rules will be final. The names of the four selected recipients will be announced on www.progenealogists.com/scholarship by March 1, 2019. Official Rules available here.

By submitting your application, including any personal information contained therein, you attest that the information provided is true and correct and that the essay is original work by you. You also agree to be bound by the Official Rules and consent to the collection and use of your personal information in accordance with Ancestry’s Privacy Statement, available here, which provides in part that Ancestry or AncestryProGenealogists may contact you via the information you’ve provided for other future opportunities sponsored by Ancestry or AncestryProGenealogists. Please see the Official Rules before submitting your application.

Please direct inquires to scholarships@ancestry.com.

Application Address

Upload applications using the online form: www.progenealogists.com/scholarship

Or send printed applications to:

Application Timeline

• Applications due December 31, 2017.
• Recipients notified on or after January 31, 2018.
• Announcements made March 1, 2018.

Qualifications and Limitations

• Applicants must be aspiring or practicing professional genealogists.
• Applicants must be at least the age of majority in their state of residence at time of entry.
• Applicants must be residents of the 50 United States, and Washington D.C. Void where prohibited by law, and void for residents of all U.S. overseas territories, commonwealths, possessions, and military locations.
• Applicants may submit only one application for this year’s contest.
• Winning applicants must know and have all pre-requisites for a course. Please see the applicable institute’s website for information on courses and pre-requisites.
• Scholarship is not available to employees of Ancestry, Alliance Sweepstakes, or any of their respective affiliated companies, their immediate family members or members of their households.

Recipient Responsibilities

• Recipients, upon notification of scholarship award, must provide AncestryProGenealogists a current photograph and short biographical sketch (maximum 100 words) for publicity purposes.
• To receive an award, recipients must sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability and Publicity Release.
• Recipients are asked, upon completion of the institute, to provide AncestryProGenealogists a description of their institute experience (general information, key learnings, notable experiences, etc.), of 100 to 250 words, for publicity purposes.
• Any scholarship funds received under this program are not excludable from a recipient’s income. Accordingly, recipients are responsible for reporting and paying all applicable local, state, and/or federal income taxes. Winners will receive a Form 1099 for the applicable prize amount.

2019 AncestryProGenealogists Scholarship Winner

Congratulations to Linda Tseitlin winner of the 2019 AncestryProGenealogists Scholarship for IGHR. She will be taking Course Twelve — DNA as Genealogical Evidence with Blaine Bettinger in July. Linda has been discovering forgotten family stories and unravelling her own family history mysteries for more than 35 years. Her areas of research have included France, Germany, Ireland, Quebec, New England, New York City, and Chicago/northwest Indiana. Exploring her husband’s roots and client work have exposed her to Russian, Polish, Lithuanian, and Jewish genealogy. A graduate of Wellesley College, Linda earned certificates from the program in Genealogical Research at Boston University in 2016 and from the ProGen Study Group in 2018. She studied Fundamentals of Forensic Genealogy at the Genealogical Research Institute of Pittsburgh (GRIP) in 2018. She lives on the historic North Shore of Massachusetts.

Linda’s top choice for the AncestryPro scholarship was Course 12 at IGHR: DNA as Genealogical Evidence. Since the Board for Certification of Genealogists has approved new standards incorporating DNA, she wanted to take a hands-on course in using DNA in client reports and proof arguments. She hopes to return to IGHR to take Course 3 — Advanced Methodology and Course 4 — Writing for Genealogists.

Previous Recipients

2018 — Peg A. Ivanyo

2017 — Denyce Peyton