The VFW is dedicated to promoting patriotism and investing in our future generation. If you are a democracy-loving high school student interested in a $35,000 college scholarship or a patriotic middle school student interested in winning $5,000, these scholarships may be for you.

Voice of Democracy

Established in 1947, our Voice of Democracy audio-essay program provides high school students with the unique opportunity to express themselves in regards to a democratic and patriotic-themed recorded essay. Each year, nearly 25,000 ninth through 12th-grade students from across the country enter to win their share of more than $1 million in educational scholarships and incentives awarded through the program.

The national first-place winner receives a $35,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. A complete list of other national scholarships range from $1,000-$21,000, and the first-place winner from each VFW Department (state) wins at least a scholarship of $1,000. Before submitting your essay, download the 2024-2025 entry form and find your sponsoring local VFW Post as applications must be turned in by midnight, Oct. 31st.

Entry forms available online and paper entry forms are available in Guidance.

Since 2013, The National Space Club and Foundation has offered the opportunity for a student to give the keynote address at the National Space Club and Foundation's annual Goddard Memorial Dinner, one of the space industry's most prestigious gatherings. The student must intend to pursue a career in the Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) fields, be academically strong and excel in public speaking.

In addition to speaking at the Goddard Memorial Dinner, the individual selected will also receive a scholarship, in the amount of $20,000. This scholarship is awarded to a U.S. citizen, and is open to seniors in High School through graduate students studying at an accredited educational institution in the United States, who has definite plans to pursue a career in the STEM fields.

Conditions of Eligibility

• The applicant must be a U.S. citizen.
• The scholarship is open to seniors in high school through graduate students.
• The applicant must have the intention of pursuing a career in the STEM fields and plan to attend an accredited U.S. college or university to follow a course of study to pursue a career in the STEM field, with a preference for those with space related interests.
• The applicant can only use the $20,000.00 scholarship towards tuition for the 2025-2026 academic year.
• The applicant must not have previously spoken at the Dr. Robert H. Goddard Memorial Dinner.

Please Remember

• Completed application and video must be uploaded to the National Space Club and Foundation website by November 1, 2024 at 11:59:59 PM EST.
• The unofficial transcript and letters of recommendation must be combined into a single PDF; this can be done using a scanner or by going to a print shop like Kinkos. Please note, the National Space Club reserves the right to request original stamped/signed copies of the transcript at any point during the application process.
• If chosen to continue, the recipient must be available to speak with the NSCF executive committee for a live audition via video conference in early January 2025.
• The recipient must be available to speak at the 2025 Goddard Memorial Dinner on March 21, 2025. Travel and lodging for the recipient and one guest will be provided by the National Space Club and Foundation.
• Scholarship check will be provided to the college or university made payable to the applicable college or university no later than June 27, 2025.
• Non-recipients will not be notified; winner will be notified December 9, 2024. Applicants may check www.spaceclub.org for announcement of the scholarship winner.

To apply, you must complete the online application.

For more information about the National Space Club and Foundation Keynote Scholarship, please contact National Space Club and Foundation at 202-547-0060 or email scholarship@spaceclub.org.

The Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program is the largest undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities. In addition to the monetary award, Cooke Scholars receive comprehensive educational advising, significant cohort-based programming, and graduate school funding, as well as a thriving network of nearly 3,200 fellow Cooke Scholars and Alumni.

Each award is intended to cover a significant share of the student’s educational expenses – including tuition, living expenses, books and required fees. Awards vary by individual, based on the cost of tuition as well as other grants or scholarships he or she may receive.

This highly competitive scholarship includes:

• The opportunity to graduate with as little debt as possible. The award, which is last dollar funding after all institutional aid, can provide as much as $55,000 per year to pursue a bachelor’s degree at any accredited undergraduate institution
• Ability to pursue any area of study
• Personal advising about selecting a college and navigating financial aid
• Multifaceted advising about how to transition to college and maximize the college student experience

Eligibility Requirements:

Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

• Senior standing – Complete four years of high school in the U.S., a U.S territory or on a U.S. military base and plan to graduate in spring 2025.
• Fall College Enrollment – Intend to enroll in an accredited four-year college beginning in fall 2024.
• GPA – Earn a minimum, cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.75 or above.
• Demonstrate Unmet Financial Need – We will consider applicants with family annual gross income up to $95,000. During the selection process, the Foundation will conduct a full financial review which will take into account all income and assets of the student and the student’s parents.

Selection Criteria

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation reviews each College Scholarship Program application individually with the assistance of a committee of educational professionals from across the nation.

The criteria used in the selection process are:

• Academic ability and achievement: Maintains a strong academic record and receives outstanding recommendations from teachers, shows a desire to be challenged, and demonstrates enthusiasm for learning. Eligible applicants must have a minimum, cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.75.
• Leadership: Motivates others, takes initiative, and contributes positively to the community.
• Persistence: Exhibits determination when faced with obstacles, goal-oriented, and confronts challenges with an ability to adapt to change.
• Unmet financial need: We will consider applicants with a maximum annual gross income of $95,000. Last year’s cohort of new College Scholarship recipients had a median family income of approximately $40,000. During the selection process, the Foundation will conduct a full financial review which will take into account all income and assets of the student and the student’s parents.

How to Apply:

Go To Scholarship Application

DEADLINE: NOVEMBER 14, 2024

Growing up with a disability comes with ample challenges that can beset one’s dreams of attaining a higher education. The Platta Law Firm represents everyday people that develop disabilities as a result of unfortunate accidents.

Eligibility

The scholarship is open to high-achieving students who meet two key criteria:

1. Medical record of disability.
2. Applicant must be an enrolled student at an accredited college, university, or high school in the United States.

By submitting an application, you agree you have read our Terms & Conditions. All entries must be submitted by November 15th, 2024.

To be eligible for the scholarship a student must:

A) Be between the ages of 14-25 and be attending school in the Fall of 2025.

B) Submit a response to the essay prompt.

Scholarship Deadline: November 30th, 2024 ($2000)

To be eligible for the Common App Scholarship a student must:

A) Be in Grade 11 or Grade 12
B) Be attending college or university no later than October 1, 2025.
C) Have achieved a GPA of 2.5 or greater during their last academic year.
D) Answer ONE of the essay prompts found below.

Below is the full set of Common App essay prompts for 2024-2025:

Choose one topic below and write an essay that is under 700 Words

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

https://scholarshipguidance.com/common-app-scholarship-application

DEVELOPING FUTURE LEADERS

Every year, at least twelve (12) $25,000 scholarships are awarded to students based on academic success, community service and financial need. The Chick-fil-A Community Scholars also participate in the Chick-fil-A Scholars Program, a one-year engagement that includes mentoring and leadership development alongside our Chick-fil-A True Inspiration™ Scholars. Through this program, we recognize remarkable individuals who share our dedication to caring for others and caring for their communities. It is our pleasure to support the academic journeys of these future leaders.

DEADLINE: OCTOBER 30, 2024

Scholarship Guidelines

The Chick-fil-A Community Scholars Scholarship program enables students to achieve their dream of attending college.

launchapply.scholarsapply.org

Buy-Rite Beauty has always made a point to promote the hairstylist, cosmetology & beauty industry as a growing career field. From working directly with local salons to donating products to beauty schools, supporting the industry has always been a staple of our business.

Buy-Rite Beauty will be awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a hairstylist or cosmetology student who best exemplifies our core beliefs. We want to hear about their most meaningful achievement and how it relates to your future within the beauty industry.

How it Works

The contest is open to U.S. residents. No purchase necessary. All participants must have applied to or be enrolled as full-time beautician, esthetician, or cosmetology student. Entries are limited to one submission per person. Immediate family members of Buy-Rite Beauty employees are excluded from this contest.

Submissions are now being accepted. Please email over to scholarship@buyritebeauty.com.

All essay submissions must be received by 11:59 pm EST on November 1st, 2024.

Guidelines

To apply, students will submit an essay detailing their most meaningful achievement and how it relates to their future within the beauty industry.

• The essay should be between 500-1000 words.
• The file name should be your full name, state, and date of birth. For example, Chipper-Jones-GA-4-24-1972.
• All submission emails must contain the student's full name, date of birth, email address, postal address, the school they are currently enrolled in and/or applied to, and a phone number to contact.

Judging

Buy-Rite Beauty will select the winner based on the best essay as determined by our internal panel of judges. Selection criteria will include, but is not limited to:

• Compelling and engaging description of the essay topic.
• Thematic consistency throughout the submission around the central thesis.
• Proper spelling and grammar usage throughout the submission.

Buy-Rite Beauty will select the winner during the month of December and will announce the winner on the website pending notification of the student and his or her family.

Information available at : https://www.buyritebeauty.com/scholarships/

Established in 1992, The Builders Scholarship Foundation uses investment income from the scholarship endowment fund to create scholarships for outstanding individuals preparing for a career in construction within the area served by the association (Missouri, Kansas, and the surrounding area). Through members’ generous donations, the fund now exceeds $1,000,000.

How to Apply

To be eligible, applicants must plan to be a full-time college student at a school in the Heartland of the United States in the Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 semester studying in a construction-related program (construction management, engineering or architecture). The deadline to apply for the Fall 2025/Spring 2026 scholarship is Thursday, Oct. 31, 2024. Recipients will be announced at the anniversary event to be announced at a later date, with checks issued for the following Fall 2025-Spring 2026 academic year at $1,750 per semester. Click the "Apply here" button below for the application.

Apply here!

For general scholarship inquiries, please contact: Pam Wheeler pwheeler@thebuildersagc.com

DEADLINE: OCT. 31, 2024

The Youth Awards were founded in 1998 by the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. Now entering their 26th year, the Youth Awards honor Latinx high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community and for their excellence in various categories including: Community Service, Education, Engineering, Entrepreneurship & Business, Green Sustainability, Healthcare & Science, Media & Entertainment, Public Service & Social Justice and Technology.

Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients are selected in each category and receive a one-time grant to fund their college education or to fund a community service effort that tackles a social issue.

Once selected, recipients will be celebrated in 10 virtual ceremonies and will become part of our broader HHF network of 200,000 professionals and fulfill our unique cycle of leadership where we meet America's priorities in the classroom and workforce.

The Youth Awards program is the main pipeline to Hispanic Heritage Foundation's (HHF) system of talent that prepares and positions Latinx youth through the award-winning Latinos On Fast Track (LOFT) program as they transition from high school, to college, to graduate school, and into their careers. Follow LOFT on Facebook, X and Instagram.

Eligibility

• Be currently enrolled in high school or home school program and graduating in the spring of 2025
• Must have a minimum unweighted 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale or 7.5 on a 10.0 scale
• Must enroll at an accredited higher education institution in 2025-2026
• Be of Hispanic heritage (includes Spain, Brazil, Philippines)
• If selected, attendance to the virtual regional awards ceremony is mandatory

Categories

• Community Service
• Education
• Engineering
• Entrepreneurship & Business
• Green Sustainability
• Healthcare & Science
• Media & Entertainment
• Public Service & Social Justice
• Technology

How to Apply:

Go To Scholarship Application

DEADLINE: NOV. 3, 2024

Since 2015, millions in the world have been looking, feeling and doing good in BOBS from Skechers…to date, we’ve given over $11 million to help save and care for more than 2 million shelter dogs and cats! A proud partner of Petco Love and their amazing network of 4,000 animal welfare organizations, Skechers makes a donation for every BOBS item we sell nationwide.

Our first Paws for a Cause scholarship program last year was a huge success, garnering attention for our winners on CBS, Cosmopolitan and social media - and we’re looking for two new college students who want to use their creative talents to give back to animals in need! Imagine your dog or cat print on a BOBS from Skechers shoe sold in the United States that’s helping to save the lives of shelter animals…if you have a fun print idea and a great story about your experience with a shelter animal, we want to hear from you!

The BOBS from Skechers Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship will offer:

• A $10,000 college scholarship from the Skechers Foundation for the 2025/2026 academic year
• Your designed print produced on BOBS from Skechers shoes sold in the United States in 2025
• Three individual virtual mentoring sessions with Skechers corporate leadership and/or design team
• A $200 gift card for Skechers product at Skechers retail stores or skechers.com
• A pair of BOBS from Skechers shoes
• If a local animal welfare organization of your choice meets the criteria of our donation partner, we will endeavor to make a donation in your area

Submissions must be received by October 31, 2024; scholarship recipients will be notified in November 2024.

One entry per category (up to one dog and one cat design) only, please. Duplicate submissions will be deleted and not judged.

TWO EASY STEPS

1) Using the following list of shoe/swatch templates and examples, design your most unique, appealing, emotional, creative dog or cat mosaic pattern (or one design for each category) for the following style. Please submit a shoe image (in Vector.ai format) and a swatch (in Vector .ai format) at 300 DPI or higher, 100MB maximum file size per image. Mosaic patterns should be a 10 inch x 10 inch repeat print file.

Here are a few tips on what works well in designs:

• All-over designs/prints
• Multicolor prints with a neutral background
• "Stadium prints" so animals are large enough to be clearly visible (see our samples below)
• Multiple breeds of dogs and cats

And one tip on what to avoid:

• Dogs or cats doing "human" things (playing sports, etc.)

You can check out Skechers.com to see examples of our current collections, but we encourage you to express yourself. (No AI!)

• See shoe dimensions
• View dog & cat swatch samples
• Download your shoe template for your pattern
• View dog & cat shoe samples
• Download your swatch template for your pattern

2) Add a brief written description of your design, and a story about your best shelter pet memory or what the BOBS from Skechers collection means to you. If you prefer to record a video, we are okay with that too.

Please note that due to the volume of entries, we aren’t able to comment on each application individually – but we will review all entries submitted. Thanks for entering the BOBS from Skechers Paws for a Cause Design Scholarship – we look forward to seeing your unique BOBS design!

Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarships

Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation works to ensure that every child in the U.S., especially those most at risk, grows up with dependable access to enough nutritious food to enable them to lead a healthy, productive life. As part of its commitment, Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation wants to engage and reward students who have made a significant impact against hunger and are driving awareness and mobilizing youth to be catalysts for innovative models and solutions to eliminate childhood hunger. The scholarship is named for the Foundation's founder and former president, Steve Brady, who was an unstoppable champion in the fight to end hunger.

The Foundation is looking for students, ages 5 to 25, who are using their creativity, academic studies (like STEM), and organizational skills to help fight hunger in their communities. The Foundation would like to learn about the communities scholars serve and how they engage others in these efforts. National Scholarship winners receive a $10,000 scholarship and a $5,000 grant for their hunger-related charity.

In addition, National winners will attend an all-expenses-paid trip to the Foundation’s annual fundraising event, the Sodexo Charity Classic Presented by PepsiCo, on May 5-7, 2025 in Frisco, Texas. They will meet top global and national food, beverage, supplies, equipment and facilities management companies who support the Stop Hunger mission.

Application deadline is November 5th.