Scholarships, Contests, Etc.

The other day, Janime asked about advice on how to find legitimate scholarships, and I said I'd do a post about it. Well, here it is. (And this is written for the laymen, so if some of the stuff I say seems a little obvious, ignore me.)

I tend to approach scholarship contests the same way I've learned to approach writing contests. There's a lot of possibility for scammers and other dishonest people to schist you out of your money, but there are actual legitimate places to enter. The quickest way to tell the schisters from the honest folks is whether they ask for money up front, or they try to sell you something in order for you to enter. Most (but not all) poetry contests are like that. Anyone can enter, and most everyone wins because the only way you can see your winning entry in a book is to buy the book. (I know. I still have the one I bought when I was 15, and looking at the 'winning' entries now is like a trip through the land of bad writing - even my own.)

Now, I can't say that I've run across any scholarship contests like that. I think for the most part, people running scholarship contests are actually trying to do something good. Even so, some of them can be little more than a pain in the behind. For instance, we investigated something called the Common Knowledge scholarship contests. I didn't get it. Neither did my daughter. So we went in search of something a little more rational.

Another way of telling if a contest is legit is whether it's backed by a name you know. The VFW is immediately recognizable as a real organization, as is Target - who backs a lot of scholarship contests, btw. Of course, the scholarship contest put on by the AFSA isn't any less legit because you've never heard of the American Fire Sprinkler Association, but it's always good to be careful until you've researched the organization. Another one is the American Backflow Prevention Association, but they seem like a real organization who just wants to promote safe drinking water by asking kids to write essays. Works for me.

Anyway, scholarship contests are easy enough to find - especially if you belong to a homeschooling organization. But even if you don't, they're usually posted online somewhere. The best place to start is: Contests and Scholarships. It's a list posted by a homeschool organization. In most cases, they give links to the scholarships themselves and I assume they've already vetted the organizations to make sure they aren't scammers.

Otherwise, here is a short list of the links we've saved in our Favorites (even though some of them are for students above my daughter's current age):

Academic Services - Signet Essay Contest - Penguin Publishers - this is only for high school seniors and juniors, but the essay topics are good practice (and good assignments for English class)

The VFW 'Voice of Democracy' Contest - grades 9-12

The VFW 'Patriot's Pen' Contest - grade 6-8

The Letters About Literature Contest - all grade levels - put on by the Library of Congress in conjunction with the State Centers for the Book. (She took third at the state level last year in this one.) The prizes aren't much, but the practice value is well worth the time. And if you place, it looks good on a college application.

Circle of Neihardt Juried Contest - I don't know much about this one, but it looked interesting and it's through Wayne State University in Detroit, MI.

NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Youth Essay Contest - K through 12.

The Ayn Rand Institute: Anthem Essay Contest - for grade 8, 9 & 10. (She entered this last year but didn't place. She'll try again this year.) There were 13000 entries last year, so the competition is fierce, but it's definitely worth the effort. I just noticed they added 8th grade to their list! Wow. Wish they'd done that two years ago.

The Ayn Rand Institute: The Fountainhead Essay Contest

US Institute of Peace - grade 9-12

The JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - grade 9-12

The Holocaust Remembrance Project Essay Contest - this year's contest guidelines will be announced after October 1st

Voice of the Future Scholarship - EL Publishers - grades 11-12

Society for Professional Journalists High School Essay Contest - grades 9-12

Optimist International Scholarship Opportunities

'A Day in Black History' Scholarship Contest - any ethnicity and any grade level

ABPA Annual Scholarship - high school age (13-20 years old)

AFSA Scholarship Contest - high school seniors only. Entrants are required to read an essay and answer questions. Each correct answer equals one entry into the contest.

Create-A-Greeting-Card $10,000 Scholarship Contest - all high school, college and university students may enter (no younger than 14)

The DaVinci Scholarship - age 16-25

'Freedom in Academia' Scholarship Contest - high school seniors

Oxy 'Cash for College' Sweepstakes - child must be between 13 and 19

The Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics Essay Contest - This year's contest opens on Sept. 1st.

The FFRF Student Essay Competitions - closed for 2008. Check back next year.

I'm sure there are more out there. I just haven't found them yet. If you know of any, please leave them in the comments, and I'll add them in here.

Remember folks, this is just my short list. Please research every contest thoroughly before entering (or allowing your child to enter).

Good luck. =o)

(Please understand that some of these contests may not adhere to your beliefs or even mine. When thinking about the expense of sending a child to college - especially when they're talking about MIT, Stanford, Princeton, etc. - remember, everyone's money spends the same.)