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by Suada Kolovic

Are you a poetry ninja? If so, then we’ve got the scholarship for you: Scholarships.com’s Haiku Ninja Facebook Scholarship!

The Haiku Ninja Facebook Scholarship will go to the Scholarships.com fan that creates the best haiku detailing how our site is helping them combat the college admissions process and score some serious financial aid. Love our scholarship search? Tell us why! Is our financial aid section really helping you out? Send us an example! Think our college prep section is the best? Give us a shout out! The trick is you must convey your feelings in only three lines and 17 syllables – five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line and five syllables in the third line – and post it on our Facebook page. We always love hearing from our users so get creatively concise and you could earn $1,000 for college!

Step 1: “Like” Scholarships.com on Facebook.

Step 2: Post a haiku on our wall about how Scholarships.com is helping you prepare for and afford college. Once you do this, you are automatically entered to win a $1,000 scholarship.

Step 3: You may enter as many times as you want but please limit your haiku entries to a reasonable amount per day. From there, the Scholarships.com Team will determine which haiku best exemplifies what our site is all about and which applicant is using our resources most effectively. You must also adjust your privacy preferences to allow Scholarships.com to message you should you win.

This scholarship competition is offered by Scholarships.com and is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook.

Starts: June 1st

Ends: June 30th

Amount: $1,000 for one first-prize winner; Scholarships.com hats and t-shirts for second- and third-prize winners

The Scholarship of the Week for this week is the Fleet Reserve Assocation Americanism Essay Contest, a scholarship essay contest for students in high school and junior high.  Contestants need to write a scholarship-worthy essay of 350 words or less on the theme "what the United States flag stands for."  Applicants should submit their completed scholarship application packet to their nearest FRA branch, which does not necessarily need to be in their home state.  Essays are first judged at the local level, with winners progressing to regional and national finals.

Prize:

The Grand National Prize is $15,000 U.S. Savings Bond, with $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 Savings Bonds awarded to the first, second and third place winners in each grade category. Certificates and other prizes are awarded at the branch and regional levels, as well.

Eligibility:

All students entering grades 7-12 in the fall, as well as home schooled students at an equivalent grade level, are eligible for this scholarship.

Deadline:

Entries must be postmarked by December 1, 2008.

Required Materials:  

 
1. A 350-word essay response to this year's prompt
 
2. A completed cover sheet, which can be downloaded from the FRA contest website
 

by Emily

Are you an aspiring YouTube star?  Does making your own music video sound like fun?  Does winning up to $5,000 in scholarship money for making your own music video sound even better?  If so, competing for this week's Scholarship of the Week might be for you!

The "Speak New Words" Music Video Contest will award first, second, and third place winners with prizes of $500 to $5,000 to help pay for school or other expenses.  To enter, create your own music video highlighting 13 character traits you consider essential for change and upload it to YouTube, then register your original lyrics with the "Speak New Words" website.  If you are interested in art, music, or poetry contests, this is a great scholarship opportunity for you!

Prize:

There will be one $5,000 grand prize awarded to entrants ages 13-20, and one awarded to entrants aged 21+.  Runners up in each age group will receive a $1,000 prize for second place and a $500 prize for third.

Eligibility:

U.S. citizens ages 13 and up.

Deadline:

September 7, 2008. 

Required Materials:

An original music video 1-4 minutes in length uploaded to the appropriate website and YouTube group.  See the contest details for more information.

Further details about the application process can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Once the search is completed, students eligible for this scholarship award will find it in their search results.

The Financial Service Centers of America, Inc. (FiSCA) is sponsoring a scholarship for high school seniors who are ready to head off to college—with money in their pockets. Since 1986, this organization has been representing financial service centers from around the country and helping them with the regulations and politics of financial aid.

FiSCA will award scholarships to at least two students from each of five geographic regions in the U.S. The essay requirement is pretty short and straightforward, 100 words max about a person or event that has influenced the student’s life. After completing the essay, students will need to fill out a two-page application and send in their transcript along with two letters of recommendation to the regional administrator. That’s it!

Prize:

1. At least ten grants of $2,000 or more.

Eligibility:

1. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, national residents or permanent residents. 2. Applicants must be high school seniors. 3. Applicants may not be children or grandchildren of FiSCA employees, officers or owners.

Deadline:

Applications must be postmarked by April 3, 2008

Required Material:

1. A completed application 2. An essay of no more than 100 words about a person or event that has influenced the student 3. A transcript that includes first-semester senior grades and test scores 4. Two letters of recommendation

Further details, including information about applying for the award and contacting the scholarship provider, can be found by conducting a free scholarship search. Once a student has completed the search, this scholarship will appear in their "My Scholarships" section--provided the student is eligible.

by Emily

Putting in a couple years at a community college can be a great way to save money while still working towards your goal of receiving a bachelor's degree.  However, even though your first two years of school might be cheaper, transferring to a four-year college or university can quickly become expensive, especially if you're planning on attending a prestigious private college.  Outstanding students transferring from community colleges do have options for financial aid, though.  One of the most generous scholarship opportunities available is this week's Scholarship of the Week, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship.

Prize:

Up to 50 students will receive awards of up to $30,000 a year for their junior and senior years of college.  Award amounts will be calculated based on unmet financial need.

Eligibility:

Students must be currently attending college at a two-year community college and planning to transfer to a four-year college or university in the fall of 2009.  Students who have received an associate's degree since spring 2004 who are planning to go back to school full-time in 2009 are also eligible.  Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved sophomore status by December 31, 2008.  Students previously nominated for a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship are not eligible.  Students are nominated by a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation representative at their community college.  Contact information for these representatives can be found on the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation website.  Individual community colleges may have additional requirements for nominees.

Deadline:

Completed application packets must be submitted to the Jack Kent Cooke foundation by January 20, 2009, using the online submission system found on the scholarship website.  Schools must finish their nomination forms and submit them by 3 PM on January 26, 2009.

Required Materials:

Completed online scholarship application, including the student's financial information, official transcripts, two letters of recommendation, parent financial information forms, and attached income tax forms for students and parents.  Materials must be submitted online as PDF attachments or mailed to the address provided by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.  Students must be nominated by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation representative at their community college, who must complete and submit a nomination form.

Further details about the application process can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Once the search is completed, students eligible for this scholarship award will find it in their search results.

by Emily

Photography is a fun hobby, but can be a difficult profession to break into. Whether you're going for studio photography or professional photojournalism, much of your success depends on building a portfolio and gaining exposure for your work.

Amateur photographers who are interested in receiving not only a college scholarship, but also industry recognition and professional internship experience, should be sure to check out this week's Scholarship of the Week, the College Photographer of the Year contest.

In addition to scholarship money, the student with the best portfolio will also receive the opportunity to intern with National Geographic, a potentially career-launching award. Winners in individual categories are also awarded equipment and educational opportunities from Nikon, the Poynter Institute, and the Missouri Photo Workshop. With sponsors including National Geographic, Nikon, and the National Press Photographers Foundation, entering the College Photographer of the Year competition will help you gain exposure in the photography and photojournalism industries, and you may get some cash out of the deal, as well.

Prize: First prize: $1,000; Second prize: $500

Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in any college or university worldwide are eligible. Entrants may not have worked as professional photographers or paid interns for longer than two years prior to entering the contest.

Deadline: September 27, 2009

Required Material: A scholarship application, available on the College Photographer of the Year website, and a portfolio of photos taken between September 1, 2009 and August 30, 2009. Complete application instructions will be available Sunday, August 30.

Further details about the application process can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Once the search is completed, students eligible for this scholarship award will find it in their search results.

by Emily

Environmental issues are becoming increasingly important to people and governments worldwide.  Not surprisingly, many scholarship opportunities exist for students committed to improving their environments and the lives of those around them.  One such scholarship is this week's Scholarship of the Week, The Brower Youth Awards.

Since 2000, the Earth Island Institute has been sponsoring the Brower Youth Awards, which recognize young activists for environmental and social justice with $3,000 monetary awards and other resources to further their education and activism.  The awards were created in memory of David Brower, an environmental activist and the founder of the Earth Island Institute.  Students interested in applying should be between the ages of 13 and 22, and should be able to show previous leadership in an activist or community service campaign that has had a demonstrable impact on environmental or social welfare.

Prize:

$3,000 plus a trip to California for the awards ceremony and a wilderness camping trip, and the opportunity to continue working with the Earth Island Institute on future projects

Eligibility:

Students ages 13-22 who reside in North America and are current youth activist leaders 

Check out the Coca-Cola Scholars Program for a chance to win big bucks. Coca-Cola's famed four-year scholarship is one of two awards offered by the company. It is one of the most sought after and lucrative scholarships around.

There are two rounds to this competition, and students who make it past the first will be asked to submit additional materials to scholarship administrators. Winners will be invited to Atlanta to receive their prizes and to complete an interview.  

Prizes:

1. 50 scholarships worth $20,000 each 2. 200 scholarships worth $10,000 each

Eligibility:

1. Applicant must be a full-time high school senior attending a U.S. high school (or be home schooled in the U.S.) 2. Applicant must plan to attend an accredited college or university 3. Applicant must be a U.S citizen, U.S. national, permanent resident, temporary resident (legalization program), refugee, asylee, Cuban-Haitian entrant, or humanitarian parolee 4. Applicant must have a 3.0 GPA 5. Applicants cannot be a child or grandchild of a Coca-Cola employee, an officer or owner of a Coca-Cola bottling company, or any bottler or company divisions or subsidiaries

Deadline:

October 31, 2007

Required Material:

1. A completed, admittedly lengthy, application. Students will have to submit information that includes school involvement, GPA, work experience etc. 2. Students who are selected to compete in the second round will be asked to submit additional materials.

For additional award opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search.

by Emily

Here's an essay contest especially suited for all those history buffs who can't get enough of World War II documentaries on the history channel, as well as the English majors and budding political scientists fascinated by propaganda campaigns.  If you're interested in researching and writing about the invasion of Poland in 1939, you could win $2,000 in scholarship money through this week's Scholarship of the Week.

In recognition of the 70th anniversary of the Nazi-Soviet invasion of Poland, the Kosciuszko Foundation and the Polish Army Veterans of America are sponsoring an essay contest for American students ages 18-22.  On September 1, 1939, after waging a sustained propaganda campaign, the Nazis invaded Poland from the east, and on September 17, 1939, the Soviets invaded from the west without a formal declaration of war.  The Historical Essay contest asks students to research these events in Poland, paying particular attention the propaganda used by the Nazis and Soviets leading up to each invasion and the impact the 1939 invasion of Poland had on the international community.

Prize:

First prize: $2,000

Second prize: $1,000

Eligibility:

Must be a current U.S. resident and between the ages of 18-22 as of September 1, 2009 

by Emily

In addition to being a day off from work or school, today is designated as a day to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and his immense contributions to the Civil Rights movement.  America has taken tremendous strides toward equality in the past several decades, in large part due to King's activism in the 1960's.  While honoring King, now is also a good time to keep in mind some of the other major contributors to the civil rights movement.

This week's Scholarship of the Week gives high school students an opportunity to do just that.  High school seniors have a chance to win two $2,500 scholarships by writing a scholarship essay of 1,000 words or less about Jackie Robinson, the first African American player in Major League Baseball, focusing on his contributions to the Civil Rights movement and the way he broke racial barriers in his career.   The Jerry Malloy Negro Leagues Committee Scholarship is sponsored by the Negro Leagues Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research.

Students respond to one of two prompts: "What influence or impact did Jackie Robinson, as the first African American to play modern day Major League baseball, have on the Civil Rights Movement?" or "What are the comparative aspects of the historical breakthroughs of Jackie Robinson in baseball and Barack Obama in politics?"  Formatting guidelines and a list of potential references can be found on the contest website.

Prize: Two $2,500 scholarships

Eligibility: Current high school seniors who are planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution.  Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 at the end of their junior year and must be planning to graduate this academic year.

Deadline: February 19, 2010

Required Material: A completed scholarship application, found online, a list of high school and community activities you have been involved in, a letter of recommendation from someone in your high school (a teacher, counselor, or school administrator), and a 1,000 word essay response to one of two essay prompts.

Further details about the application process can be found by conducting a free college scholarship search on Scholarships.com. Once the search is completed, students eligible for this scholarship award will find it in their search results.