It's November: most of the leaves have fallen, the weather is getting colder, and some of the biggest family holidays of the year are approaching. Most of us have settled into the current school year by now as well, so it's a great time to look through and maybe apply to some scholarships. Here are just a few to consider before you go back home for Thanksgiving dinner:
Amount: $36,000
Deadline: Nominations due December 18th, Applications due January 4th
Age/Grade: 13-19 years old
Other Requirements: Self-identify as Jewish, resident of the United States.
The Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards celebrate tikkun olam, or "repairing the world," by supporting leadership among Jewish teens.The Awards honor Jewish teens between ages 13 and 19 who have engaged in service projects in which they have demonstrated their leadership skills within their community. $36,000 is provided to 15 recipients to further their education or philanthropic projects. Teens may be nominated by a community member who is not a part of their family or may apply themselves. Teens must not have been compensated for their community service in order to be eligible.
Amount: 1st place $500
Deadline: Feburary 1st
Age/Grade: Grades 3-12
Student between grades 3-12 will respond in an essay to a prompt based on the student's grade level. Elementary students (grades 3-5) will write a 400-700 word essay in which they "Identify an organization that might implement your proposed solution and write a letter to the leader of that organization." Middle school students (grades 6-8) will write a 600-1100 word essay where they "write a project summary for the organization’s public relations (PR) department." High school students (grades 9-12) must write a 1000-1500 word essay in which the student will "Imagine that you are an engineer in an engineering firm poised to implement your proposed solution in a specific location and/or situation. Write a proposal to the organization that would fund this project." Further detail on each prompt can be found on the EngineerGirl website. One scholarship will given to a student in each grade category.
Amount: $25,000
Deadline: December 16th
Age/Grade: Grade 12
Other Requirement: Must be a member of a high school sports team or involved in after school sports, maintain an unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher, must be entering an accredited 4 year US college or university, and must be a United States resident.
The Foot Locker Scholar Athlete Scholarship celebrates students who have demonstrated impressive leadership not only in their sports teams, but in their classrooms and communities as well. The scholarship helps athletes pursue their dreams of attending a 4 year college or university. Applicant will be evaluated on their sportsmanship, moral character, commitment to their community, leadership skills, academic excellence, and diverse background. Winners will be announced in April of 2017.
Amount: 1st place $1000
Deadline: December 2nd
Age/Grade: Grades 5-12
Other Requirements: Must be a resident of the United States
In honor of activist, professor, and Nobel Peace Prize winning author Elie Wiesel, the National WWII Museum is holding an essay competition in which middle and high school students are asked to respond to a quote by Wiesel about his life and legacy. In no more than 500 words for middle school and 1000 words for high school, students will respond to Wiesel's quote from their own point of view as a young person coming-of-age in the 21st century. Only the first 500 entries will be accepted for each age group, so start writing!
Amount: $1000
Deadline: February 15th
Age/Grade: Grade 12
Other Requirements: Plan to attend an accredited college/university within 12 months, currently enrolled in a United States high school
More families than ever are being affected by Alzheimer’s disease, and as a result, many teenagers have personal experiences with the disease through their own families, by watching friends and neighbors, or involvement in community service. The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America, in an effort to provide an outlet for teens to express their thoughts and experiences on the disease, is offering the Alzheimer's Awareness College Scholarship. Students will submit a 1200-1500 word essay about how Alzheimer's disease has impacted their life and what they have learned about themselves, their families and/or community in coping with this disease. In addition, student will also have to submit a 200 word autobiography and their current high school transcript when applying.
Amount: 1st place $1000
Deadline: December 31st
Age/Grade: Open to students of all ages
For the Fountain Essay Contest, students will write a 1500-2500 word essay discussing the issue facing today's immigrants. Topics can include the immigrant status of you or your family members, how immigrants contribute to society, if they cause problems in society and how would you help immigrants thrive. Students around the world are encouraged to participate.
Amount: up to $5000
Deadline: February 5th
Age/Grade: High school students ages 14-19
Other Requirements: Must be a United States resident
The We The Students Scholarship Contest focuses on the ideas of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights, and in 2016 will be centered around civil disobedience. Students are asked to write a 500-800 word essay responding to the question "does peaceful resistance to laws positively or negatively impact a free society?" The essay should incorporate the aforementioned principles as well as examples supporting your conclusion. Resources regarding civil disobedience can be found on the Bill of Rights Institute website.
Amount: $1000
Deadline: January 20th
Age/Grade: Current or former high school student under 25
Other Requirement: Are or will be attending college in the United States or its' territories
Take a bit a to reflect on the person you were a year ago versus the person you are now. How have you changed and why? The My Year In Poetry Contest would like to hear. Write a poem about the past year of your life and what has affected you for the chance to win. The contest is a sweepstakes, so even if you don't consider yourself a poet, entering couldn't hurt.
Amount: $500-$3000
Deadline: December 31st
Age/Grade: 13-18
Other Requirements: Must be a United States resident
If you do consider yourself something of a writer, enter one of your stories in Story Shares Story of the Year Contest. Students submit 1000-10000 word stories for the opportunity to win a scholarship and the publication of their story. There are five categories for which you can win an award; horror/suspense, fantasy, historical fiction, for teens by teens, all of which have a $500 award, and celebrate diversity, which gives a $3000 award.
The Andrew Flusche Scholarship Contest
Amount: $500
Deadline: November 30th
Age/Grade: High school seniors and college students
Other Requirement: Must be a United States resident
For the Andrew Flusche Scholarship Contest, students will create a PSA warning against the dangers of texting and driving. Submissions will be uploaded to Youtube and be judged on creativity and persuasiveness as well as how informative the video is. Videos should be no longer than three minutes and the application for should be filled out after the video is uploaded.
Even if none of the scholarships here interest you, I would suggest looking into some more because who doesn't like free money? Good luck in your searches and your applications!
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