Happy Sunday! How’s your weekend? Fortunately for most of you, you’re getting an extra day off this week in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. What are you planning to do with your extra time? Be sure to set aside some of it to work on your scholarship applications!
This week, I want to let you know about three great scholarship opportunities that should definitely be on your radar screen. There are several thousands of dollars from Walmart and the Sam Walton Foundation; $10,000 for the peace essay contest, and $1,000 from the Burger King scholars program. All of these scholarships have upcoming deadlines, so be sure to check them out ASAP.
1. Walmart Scholarships: $3,000 – $13,000
Say what you will about Wal-Mart, but the company’s foundation — the Sam Walton Foundation — is one of the largest supporters of scholarships in the nation. The Foundation offers a variety of different scholarships, all of which have deadlines at the end of the month:
The Sam Walton Community Scholarship is a $3,000 award for graduating high school seniors with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and demonstrated financial need.
The Wal-Mart Associate Scholarship is a $3,000 award for Wal-Mart associates and their dependents. Applicants must be high school seniors with at least a minimum GPA of 2.5 and demonstrated financial need.
The Wal-Mart Higher Reach Scholarship is a $3,000 award for Wal-Mart associates who want to go back to school after having been out for at least one year.
The Walton Family Foundation Scholarship is a $13,000 award paid out over four years. Applicants must be dependents of Wal-Mart with a minimum ACT test score of 22 on SAT score of 1030, and demonstrated financial need.
Click the link above for entry rules and online applications. See website for deadline.
2. National Peace Essay Contest: Non-Violent Civic Action: $1,000 – 10,000
The National Peace Essay contest gives high school students the opportunity to win up to $10,000 for writing a three-part research paper on the subject of non-violent civic action. Each state will select a first-place winner, who will earn a $1,000 and a trip to Washington for a five-day awards program. The program will promote understanding of international peacemaking. To enter the contest, applicants must be in 9th through 12th grade and a resident of the United States. Apply by submitting a 1,500-word essay addressing the question:
Under what conditions will nonviolent civic actions most likely achieve justice, end conflict or lead to positive political and social change?
Essays must cite international examples, one successful and one unsuccessful, where nonviolent methods were used to foster significant social and political change. Essays should also make recommendations for how citizens, nations and the international community can best support nonviolent efforts to promote peace and equality. See website for deadline.
3. Have it Your Way Foundation, Burger King Scholars Program: $1,000
The BURGER KING Scholars Program is an initiative of the Have It Your Way Foundation, which awards $1,000 to financially needy high school seniors planning to attend undergraduate school the following fall. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $12 million in scholarships. Applicants must be U.S. or Canadian students who work at least 10 hours per week at a part-time job, are involved in community service activities, and maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5. Applicants must be able to demonstrate financial need. See website for deadline.
If you would like to learn more about college scholarships, please visit the Financial Aid Finder’s section on scholarship information. Let us show you how to navigate the scholarship application process, write killer scholarship essays, take advantage of scholarship search engines, and win weird & unusual scholarships.
Good luck with your scholarship applications this week!
