10 Financial Education Scholarships and Competitions for Students
You’ve taken a personal finance course. And passed with flying colors. Now what? Don’t waste your newly acquired money knowledge. What if you could win scholarship money and other prizes? The good news is you can!
Apply to financial education scholarships and competitions.
Improve your financial literacy knowledge and receive scholarship money and other rewards. Win-win. Literally. To flex your financial knowledge, start with these 10 opportunities.
No. 1: TheLending Achievers Scholarship
Award: $2,500
Deadline: Quarterly
How to apply: Submit an essay to the TheLending Achievers Scholarship
Eligibility: High school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students
That’s us! TheLending is a free standards-aligned financial curriculum that supports students' education via the TheLending Achievers Scholarship. Recipients must demonstrate their achievements in creating opportunities for themselves and others by submitting a personal essay.
No. 2: Credit Sesame Financial Literacy Scholarship
Award: $2,500
Deadline: Twice annually
How to apply: Submit an application for the Financial Literacy Scholarship
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students
Credit Sesame is empowering people to take charge of their credit and loans to help them reach their financial goals. Through promoting financial literacy for students, the company offers two chances each year for students to fund their academic futures. Check the website for the next deadline in 2021.
No. 3: SIFMA Foundation’s Stock Market Game
Award: Various awards and prizes
Deadline: Annually in the spring
How to apply: Register for the Stock Market Game
Eligibility: Elementary, middle, and high school students
The SIFMA Foundation is an educational nonprofit that is dedicated to fostering knowledge of financial markets. SIFMA hosts the Stock Market Game, which is an online simulation of the global capital markets for students in grades 4-12. Students are given hypothetical investment portfolios to manage. Teachers can enter their entire class for the competition.
No. 4: SIFMA Foundation’s InvestWrite
Award: Various awards and prizes, like laptops, trips, and pizza parties
Deadline: Annually in the spring
How to apply: Register for InvestWrite
Eligibility: Elementary, middle, and high school students
InvestWrite is a national essay competition. It was created as a culminating activity for SIFMA’s Stock Market Game — offered exclusively to teacher and student participants.
No. 5: BankMobile Foundation Annual Financial Empowerment Scholarship
Award: $1,500
Deadline: Annually in July
How to apply: Submit an application to the BankMobile Foundation
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students
This BankMobile Foundation scholarship recognizes students devoted to financial empowerment. Financial empowerment can better someone’s life and ultimately lead to financial freedom. The prize is awarded to student trailblazers who are increasing financial opportunities for others in their community.
No. 6: PNC Student Lending Scholarship
Award: $2,000
Deadline: Annually June 1 and December 1
How to apply: Register for the Student Lending Scholarship
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
In order to enter for a chance to win the PNC Education Loan Center Achiever Scholarship, students must create a financial literacy account. That’s it! Applications are eligible for the two subsequent drawings within 12 months of registering. After entering, take a look at the free personal finance tools and resources.
No. 7: AdvancePoint Capital’s Financial Literacy Scholarship
Award: $1,000
Deadline: Annually in August
How to apply: Submit an essay to AdvancePoint
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
AdvancePoint Capital is urging students to take their financial life seriously. The only requirement for the Financial Literacy Scholarship is the submission of a 1000-word essay exploring the student’s financial experiences. Applicants must answer the following questions:
- Why is it important to be a financially literate student?
- What is your plan to prepare for student costs?
- How will the scholarship aid your studies?
No. 8: U.S. Bank Student Union Scholarship
Award: $20,000
Deadline: Annually in October
How to apply: Register for the U.S. Bank Student Union Scholarship
Eligibility: Undergraduate students
The more students learn, the more they’ll be rewarded. That’s the premise behind the U.S. Bank Student Union Scholarship. There are increasing award levels for completing financial literacy lesson plans. Check the website for the 2021 deadline, once it’s available.
Three lessons – enter to win up to $5,000
Six lessons – enter to win up to $10,000
Nine lessons – enter to win up to $20,000
No. 9: Active Life Scholarship for Financial Literacy
Award: $1,000
Deadline: Annually in December
How to apply: Submit an application for the Active Life Scholarship
Eligibility: College students
The Active Life Scholarship rewards financial literacy knowledge. The award is designed to encourage students to adopt positive financial behaviors — in college and beyond. Applicants must be current undergraduate or graduate students or adult learners. To apply, submit an application and briefly answer a few questions.
No. 10: Youth Financial Literacy Foundation Scholarship Program
Award: $5,000-$30,000
Deadline: Annually in December
How to apply: Submit an application for the YFL Scholarship
Eligibility: High school seniors and first-year college students
The Youth Financial Literacy Foundation provides financial education across the nation. The YFL Scholarship Program rewards students for their financial knowledge and skills. Each year, the program awards more than $600,000 in scholarships. Applicants must complete essay prompts and a quiz. Students with the highest exam scores and strongest essays will receive a tiered scholarship, ranging from $30,000 to the first place winner to $5,000 to the 65th place winner.