John F. Kennedy: Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Eligibility:Any U.S. high school student (grades 9-12)
Deadline: All essays must be submitted by Jan. 7, 2012
Requirements: Students must write an essay no more than 1,000 words long telling the story of a political figure who chose to do what was right instead of what was easy. Essays must be factual and backed with research from at least five sources.
Winner(s): According to the organization’s website, the first place student receives “$10,000 — a $5,000 cash award and $5,000 to grow in a John Hancock Freedom 529 College Savings Plan. The winner is invited to the Profile in Courage Award ceremony to accept his/her award. The ceremony is held in May at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston.”
Second place receives $1,000 in cash, and third place receives a $500 cash prize.
Eligibility: Applicants must be African-American high school seniors
Deadline: Jan. 9
Nov. 1 (If student would like the application to be sent to other scholarship programs)
Requirements: Applicants must be African American students who, “excel academically, exhibit exceptional leadership potential, participate in community service activities and demonstrate financial need”. Applications can be found on the website.
Winner(s): According to the organization’s website, every year at least “ten students will be designated Ron Brown Scholars and will receive $10,000 annually for four years, for a total of $40,000. The recipients may use the renewable scholarships to attend an accredited four-year college or university of their choice within the United States. Ron Brown Scholarships are not limited to any specific field or career objective and may be used to pursue any academic discipline.”
Other scholarships are also available to students. “There are 5 million scholarships world-wide,” Mr. Dennis Robinson (Counselor) said. “There are whole books solely about scholarships.”
Websites such as http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/ are also available for searching for scholarship and financial aid opportunities. Student Scholarship Search is free to everyone.
