College Scholarship 101

Foreclosure.com is offering students in grade 12 as well as those in college or grad school the chance to compete for scholarships of $1,000 (4) and $5,000 (1) based on an essay contest.

To enter, students must submit an essay on the topic “How to solve the foreclosure crisis.” The essay must be 1,000-2,500 words in length.

The deadline to enter is December 31, 2009. Students can find more information and the link to submit their essay on the Foreclosure.com How to Solve the Foreclosure Crisis web page.

There are some lovely ironies with this scholarship offer. First, we have to assume that foreclosures are GOOD for Foreclosure.com. Second, the winning ideas will be sent to the President and to the Congress. NOW I feel better. Finally, how about this for a solution? Houses should fall in price to the point where the average homeowner can afford the average house. It’s a radical thought, I know.

The DO SOMETHING AWARDS 2010 offers students age 25 and younger the chance to win grants of $10,000 (4 awards) and $100,000 (1 award) for a cause they believe in. To enter, students must tell how they’ve worked to improve the lives of others.

A few of the judging criteria are:

“The applicant has identified a problem and clear ways to combat it.”
“The applicant has extensively and tangibly improved the lives of others.”
“The applicant is the “best-in-class” in his/her issue.”

Please note that while the DO SOMETHING AWARDS offers the chance to win big money, you’ll be winning it not for yourself, but for an organization you believe in. OK, so why do I even mention it here? Well, it just seems like an interesting opportunity for any young person, and I have to believe that winning one of these awards would look GREAT on any college (or grad school) application.

The deadline to enter is December 15th, 2009. You can find more information, read about past winners, and find the link to begin your application on the DO SOMETHING AWARDS 2010 web site.

The 2009-2010 SEVEN Fund Essay Competition offers high school seniors and college students the opportunity to compete for a prize of $10,000.

To compete, students must write and submit an essay of 2,000 words or less. The essay must address a way in which grass-roots and entrepreneurially oriented approaches can help to reduce poverty. In other words, how can the poor generate wealth, as opposed to simply having it given to them.

The sponsors offer as an example an article written by Jeff Chu, “Rwanda Rising: A New Model of Development” (Fast Company Magazine, April 2009).

The deadline to enter is December 7, 2009. More complete information and a link to submit your essay can be found on the 2009-2010 SEVEN Fund Essay Competition web site.