The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund at CHI Memorial Foundation is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 school year.
The MELSF awards scholarships to children who have either lost a parent to breast cancer, have a parent who is currently undergoing treatment for the disease, or have a parent who is a breast cancer survivor.
Applications are available at maryellenlocherscholarshipfund.grantplatform.com.
Current college students or high school seniors within a 50-mile radius of Chattanooga are eligible to apply. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20, 2026. Recipients will be announced in Spring 2026.
The MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund was founded as an independent nonprofit in 2002 by MaryEllen Locher, a long-time news anchor and health reporter for WTVC in Chattanooga, who lost her battle with breast cancer in 2005. The fund has awarded more than $1.3 million in scholarships to nearly 660 students since its inception. The awards are designed to ease the emotional and financial burdens faced by families dealing with breast cancer.
Funds for scholarships are raised through special events, individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and private grants. Many local and regional high school sports teams have organized Pink Out fundraisers to honor/recognize breast cancer patients. Funds generated from these events are donated to the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund.
Schools that have sponsored Pink Out events in previous years include Ooltewah, Sale Creek, Lookout Valley, Bradley Central and Cleveland high schools, and Silverdale Baptist Academy. To schedule an event, reach out to Jamy Beal with CHI Memorial Foundation at (423) 495-4438 or jamy.beal@commonspirit.org.
The CHI Memorial Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and all contributions made to the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund are tax-deductible.
- Online donations to the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund can be made at SupportMemorialFoundation.org/donate.
- Checks can be mailed to CHI Memorial Foundation, 2525 de Sales Avenue, Chattanooga, TN 37404.
Please make a notation on the memo line to direct the funds to the MaryEllen Locher Scholarship Fund.