Gary Willhardt PhD, President of  the Edward Arthur Mellinger Educational Foundation, Inc.

Welcome to our website.  The Mellinger Foundation was created over a half century ago as a private philanthropic foundation committed to providing scholarships to prospective college students. During our existence we have given away over $35 million dollars to several thousand men and women to help them on their journey to a college degree.

We encourage you to apply.  There is no application fee; each scholarship costs you and your family nothing.  You do not have to repay your scholarship cost; it is a gift, costing you only the time you spend filling out the application.

The Edward Arthur Mellinger Educational Foundation was founded in 1959 to honor Mr. Mellinger who was an early proponent of the telephone industry. He was an executive in various companies in this country and in Europe. Philanthropic organizations focus on the welfare of humanity; centuries ago they began when individuals saw the need of charitable giving to help others escape from want.

We all know that in our time college costs have risen beyond the understanding of most of us.  The trustees and employees of the Foundation take this condition very seriously as college students find themselves threatened by the staggering debt they must bear even before they graduate; thus we believe our mission today is more important than ever before.

If you are an undergraduate student and live in one of the following counties in Illinois (Warren, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Mercer or Fulton), please consider applying.