Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest
Offered by Regions Bank
About this scholarship
The 2026 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest awards four $8,000 scholarships in each calendar quarter: two for written essays and two for video essays. The third-quarter application is open through September 30, and the fourth-quarter contest runs October 1 through December 31. Applicants must be legal U.S. residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, or Texas. They must be at least 16, have a GPA of 2.0 or be in good standing, and have at least one year or 18 semester hours remaining before undergraduate graduation. A student not yet in college must begin freshman study no later than the 2027-2028 academic year. Eligible entrants submit an online quarterly application plus an original English-language essay about a person they know in their community who inspired them in an extraordinary way. The entry may be a written essay of no more than 500 words or a video of no more than three minutes. Artificial intelligence may not be used to create the entry. One entry is allowed per person per quarter, and a contestant may win only once. Awards are paid to a nonprofit accredited U.S. college for undergraduate education expenses. The direct ISTS application uses program key “RidingForward.”
Eligibility
- Be a legal United States resident of one of the 15 eligible states listed in the official rules
- Be at least 16 years old at entry
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 or be in good standing
- Have at least one year or 18 semester hours remaining before undergraduate graduation
- If not yet in college, begin freshman study no later than the 2027-2028 academic year
- Submit an original English written essay of 500 words or fewer or a video essay of three minutes or fewer
- Do not use artificial intelligence and submit no more than one entry per quarter
- Submit by September 30, 2026 for Q3 or during the October 1-December 31 Q4 window