Our 2022 Essay Challenge is open now! Apply for your chance to earn a $5,000 college scholarship.

We’re gearing up to award six promising high school seniors a total of $30,000 through our annual Essay Challenge scholarship program! Now through April 22nd, seniors in AK, AZ, CA, WA, and WY can earn $5,000 for college by submitting an essay answering this question: What does financial success mean to you? 

Advice from Grayson, last year’s $5,000 scholarship winner.

Grayson won $5,000 after submitting his essay. Now, he’s a student and member of the debate team at Pomona College.

Nuvision’s Essay Challenge helped him take finances more seriously.

“The 2021 essay challenge that I participated in truly helped me understand my financial situation by convincing me to reevaluate my own financial standings and education,” he said. “Soon after I submitted the essay, I started reading into financial education with books such as ‘Why Didn't They Teach Me This in School?’ with the goal of getting a fuller grasp of how I can best navigate my finances.”

Grayson suggests that participants of this year’s challenge “really interact with the prompt” and take a strong position. He also advises incoming freshmen to think hard about how they will fund their education.  

“For upcoming college freshmen, I would really recommend looking into several places to find money to support their education,” he said. “If that comes from scholarships, that's awesome! If it comes from loans, make sure that interest rates are discussed, and that there is some kind of plan to pay off any loan that you plan on taking out.”

Ready to apply? Here's what you need to do: 

To apply, seniors will need to write a two-page essay on what financial success means to them and how they plan to reach their personal goals. They will also need to meet the following requirements: 

• Minimum cumulative 2.25 GPA
• Be a resident of AK, AZ, CA, WA, or WY
• Provide one letter of recommendation
• Provide a transcript for all HS & college courses taken
• Write a 2-page essay on what financial success means to them and how they plan to reach their personal goals. 
• Submit application material before the April 22nd deadline

Students can apply today at our Essay Challenge website here. To view the full application form and essay prompt, click here. Nuvision membership is not required to enter.

Nuvision is committed to giving students a head start on their future.

Every year, we watch students come away from the Essay Challenge with a better grasp on money management and a greater desire to achieve success. Simply asking students to think through financial issues, which they may never have considered before, equips them to take on the challenges that lie ahead. We’ve run the Essay Challenge program for years in California and Alaska, but this year we are thrilled to expand it to every state we serve. 

If you know a high school senior, we encourage you to pass this information along. The $5,000 prize can make a huge difference in a student’s ability to afford all the expenses that come with college. Even more, the financial skills students pick up through our program will impact them for years to come, from their first job after graduation to retirement.  

For more information on the Essay Challenge, visit the program website here.