To enter the 2015 Donna W. Foss Scholarship Contest you must Write an essay and focus on the theme: “A Proud American, What it Means to Me.” First place award is $5,000. First runner-up is $2,500 and second runner-up award is $1,000.

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Rules:

1. The essay MUST be the contestant’s original work. (Finalists’ essays will be scanned for plagiarism)
2. Contestants may enter one time only. (Per contest)
3. Essays must be a 1500 word minimum. (Cover page, title and footnotes do not contribute to HOW TO ENTER Section 2
the overall word count - 1499 word count is not acceptable - all rules are firm)
4. Quotations may be used sparingly and sources must be clearly identified. (you may use any form of citation as long as credit is given where due)
5. All entries must be double spaced, in English, and in an easily readable 12 pt. font (Times New Roman, Arial, etc. no script or other “fancy” fonts please)
6. Contestants may not identify themselves, their schools, cities, or state within the essay. (no reader should be able to say “oh, I know who that is!)
7. Entry must be received by the stated deadline as indicated above. Entries must be sent in an MS Word file as an attachment. Do not copy either the text of the essay or the cover sheet into the body of the email.
8. The cover sheet is to be page one of the attached essay, not a separate attachment.
9. Identify the attachment with your last name, first name. (not the essay itself, just the file)

Judging:

• Creativity
• Theme Development
• Clarity of Ideas,
• Mechanics (Grammar, Spelling, Punctuation, Sentence Structure, etc.)

Eligibility:

• You must be a high school student (9th through 12th grade) in a public, private, alternative, parochial school, or a home study program.
• You must be a U.S citizen currently studying in the United States or in an American military school out of the country.
• You can be a recent high-school graduate as long as the “deadline” of the current contest falls within 12 months after graduation
• You can not be a previous Joe Foss Institute scholarship recipient.