Bird Dog Foundation Annual College Scholarship Essay Contest
Offered by The Bird Dog Foundation, Inc.
About this scholarship
The Bird Dog Foundation Annual College Scholarship Essay Contest awards three one-time scholarships to college-bound high school seniors who research and write about wildlife conservation, hunting, sporting dogs, outdoor heritage, or another subject listed in the official guidelines. First place receives $2,000, second place $1,500, and third place $1,000. The competition is open to U.S. citizens in twelfth grade who will enter an accredited college or university as freshmen. Residents of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Arkansas may enter directly. Seniors from another U.S. state may qualify through their own or a parent’s or relative’s affiliation with a field-trial association, bird-hunting organization, sporting-dog club, or comparable group and must document that connection. Applicants submit an original 900- to 1,000-word essay on an approved topic, a bibliography with at least five sources, and the required cover sheet. At least three bibliography sources must be books or periodicals rather than websites. Entries may be delivered, mailed, shipped, faxed, or emailed according to the official packet; an electronic version is ultimately required for judging. The recurring deadline is April 15 each year, and mailed entries must be postmarked by that date. Winners provide proof of college registration before the Foundation sends the scholarship to the institution.
Eligibility
- Be a United States citizen and a current high school senior
- Plan to enter the freshman year at an accredited college or university
- Reside in Tennessee, Mississippi, or Arkansas, or document a qualifying bird-dog, bird-hunting, sporting-dog, or field-trial affiliation in another U.S. state
- Not be an employee or official of the Bird Dog Foundation or a relative of an employee or official
- Write an original 900- to 1,000-word essay on a topic accepted in the official rules
- Provide a bibliography with at least five sources, including at least three books or periodicals
- Include the required cover-sheet information with the submission
- Submit the complete entry by the annual April 15 deadline