2026 Compassionate Caregiver Scholarship

Congratulations to our 2025 scholarship recipient, Misha Farji! Find out more about our previous winners here. 

Entrusting your care to someone else can be daunting, especially for those who are most in need of help. If a caregiver is negligent, not only is that trust broken, but damaging outcomes, such as medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, or medical negligence, can occur. At Duffy & Duffy, PLLC, we have seen firsthand the damaging effects an indifferent caregiver can have, but we have also seen the incredible effects a compassionate caregiver can have. 

To promote and celebrate kindness and generosity in our community, we are excited to once again offer the Compassionate Caregiver Scholarship for 2026! This $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to one student who displays a deep understanding of why empathy and acute awareness are so important when caring for another person, regardless of whether that person is in a nursing home or hospital.

This scholarship is open to any student who meets the eligibility requirements listed below. All application materials must be submitted by the August 31, 2026 deadline.

Application Deadline: August 31, 2026

Award Amount: $1,000

Eligibility

• The scholarship is open to any current high school senior, vocational student, college student or graduate student who is a legal resident of the United States residing in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and who is enrolled in a vocational program or two to four year post-secondary institution for the Spring 2027 semester.
• Employees of Duffy & Duffy, PLLC, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and persons living in the same households of such individuals (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate in the competition. 
• Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must fill out the form below with all necessary information
• The candidate must submit a 750-1,000 word essay response to the prompt: Discuss the importance of compassion and acute awareness when caregiving for someone. Are there any aspects of caregiving that we as a society could improve?
  • Please note that all essays will be checked for AI writing. If AI writing is deemed present in the essay, the application will be denied.
• The candidate must submit a professional resumé that lists their experience, both professional and academic.
• The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students, graduate students, or individuals who have recently transferred schools may submit an unofficial transcript from their current school, as well as the most recent official transcript from their prior school. High school students can submit proof of acceptance to their college or university.
• Preference will be given to students either from or attending secondary school in New York, but all are encouraged to apply.

The recipient of the 2026 Compassionate Caregiver Scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline. 

For all scholarship-related inquiries, please use this contact form. We are unable to answer scholarship questions by phone, email, or through any other contact forms listed on this website.