High School Seniors Can Now Apply for 2026 College Scholarships!

Both the Vito J. Pitta Scholarship program and the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council Division A Scholarship program are now accepting applications for the 2026 competitions.

Since the start of the union’s scholarship program over 40 years ago, it has provided over 1,255 of our members’ children with the financial support necessary to pursue their dreams of a college education.

Scholarship winners receive awards of $12,000 apiece, paid in increments of $3,000 for each of the four years of college. Last year, $432,000 was awarded to 38 talented high school seniors, bringing the program’s total grants to over $10.8 million.

The Vito J. Pitta Scholarship Program:

To be eligible to enter the Vito J. Pitta Scholarship competition, applicants must be registered dependent children of members who are employed in hotels, casinos, concessions or clubs that make contributions to this particular scholarship fund. Most IWA and GRIWA shops and most casinos participate in the Vito J. Pitta Scholarship program.

Local 6 Clubs participating in the Vito J. Pitta Scholarship Program include: 

The Brook, Century Association, 101 Club, Colony, Cornell, Cosmopolitan, Harmonie, Harvard, Knickerbocker, The Links, The Lotos, The Metropolitan, The New York Athletic, New York Yacht, Penn, Players, Racquet & Tennis, River, Union, and University. 

Applicants must be high school seniors who will graduate in 2026 and plan to attend an accredited four-year college or university in the fall of 2026.

2026 Vito J. Pitta Scholarship Eligibility Information Form

To find out if your child is eligible to compete for the 2026 Vito J. Pitta Scholarship award, please complete the following Eligibility Information Form and submit it to the Scholarship Program office as soon as possible. You may print the form that appears here and mail it to the address on the form, or you may contact the Scholarship Fund by visiting https://www.hotelfunds.org/scholarship/.

(NOTE: Most non-Division A hotels participate in this program. A list of clubs that participate appears above. Children of HTC members employed in Division A hotels have a separate scholarship program and are not eligible for the Vito J. Pitta Scholarship program. An Eligibility Information Form for Division A Scholarships and a list of Division A hotels are also published in this article.)

Please remember this Eligibility Information Form is not a competition application. As soon as the Scholarship Office receives your information form, your eligibility will be reviewed and you will be advised immediately. If your child is eligible, you can pick up a 2026 Scholarship Competition Application packet at the Scholarship Fund Office or one will be mailed, or e-mailed to you if you so request. 

If a competition application is issued to your child, please note that the completed application must be received by the Scholarship Program Office no later than Monday, April 6, 2026. To avoid delays with postal mail, it is highly recommended that you return it in-person. Applications that are emailed or faxed cannot be accepted, as original signatures are required on the form.

The Division A Scholarship Program:

Children of Hotel and Gaming Trades Council members employed in Division A hotels are NOT eligible for the Vito J. Pitta Scholarship competition. Instead, they have a separate scholarship program. Applicants for the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council Division A Scholarship Competition must be high school seniors who will graduate in 2026 and plan to attend an accredited four-year college or university in the fall.

Hotels participating in the Division A Scholarship Program include: 

6 Columbus, 11 Howard, 1234 Broadway, AKA NoMad (formerly Roger), Americana Inn, Arthouse (formerly NYLO), Atlas V 110, Bancroft Hotel Condo, Belleclaire, Concorde, Courtyard Fresh Meadows, Dryden East, Euclid Hall, Executive Hotel Le Soleil New York, Extended Stay America LaGuardia, Fairfield Inn Fresh Meadows, Fitzpatrick Grand Central, Fitzpatrick Manhattan, High Line, Hudson Yards Hotel (formerly Cachet Boutique), LaGuardia Hotel, Le Meridien Central Park, Life Hotel, Parc Coliseum, Ruxton Towers, San Carlos, Sanctuary, Shoreham, Stonehenge 70 (formerly Bradford), Tempo Apartments, Travel Inn, voco the Franklin New York.

2026 Division A Education and Scholarship Fund Eligibility Information Form

Applications are now available for the 2026 Division A Education & Scholarship Fund. The program is open to children of eligible members of the Hotel & Gaming Trades Council who are employed in eligible Division A hotels. A list of eligible Division A hotels can be found above. Applicants must be graduating high school seniors who are planning to attend an accredited four-year college or university in the fall of 2026. Only children of HTC members employed in Division A hotels may be eligible for Division A scholarships. Children of HTC members employed in non-Division A hotels may be eligible for Vito J. Pitta scholarships. Read more about the Vito J. Pitta scholarship in the previous section.

To find out if your child is eligible to apply for a Division A Funds Scholarship, you must complete the following Eligibility Information Form. This Eligibility Information Form is NOT an application for the scholarship program. As soon as your information is reviewed, you will be advised immediately. If your child is eligible for a 2026 Division A Funds Scholarship, an application will be emailed to you. To avoid delays with postal mail, it is highly recommended that you return the application in-person. Applications that are emailed or faxed cannot be accepted, as original signatures are required on the form.

All applications are due by Monday, April 6, 2026.

Applying for the Awards:

Parents and/or students must fill out the appropriate eligibility information form and submit it to the correct Education and Scholarship Fund office. The eligibility information forms are not applications for scholarships – but rather the first step to take to obtain an application. 

• 2026 Vito J. Pitta Scholarship Eligibility Information Form
• 2026 Division A Education and Scholarship Fund Eligibility Information Form

After eligibility is determined, the programs will distribute applications. Completed applications must be received by the correct Education and Scholarship Fund office no later than Monday, April 6, 2026.

Competition Notes:

Our scholarship programs are highly competitive. Many factors are taken into account in determining the winners of these scholarship awards, including students’ academic records, community involvement, financial need, and extra-curricular activities. The winners are chosen by a selection committee of professional educators each spring. The union and management have no say in the determination of the winners.