John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest

Amount:
$10,000
Deadline:
January 17, 2026
Awards Available: 18

Scholarship Description

The John F. Kennedy Library Foundation invites U.S. high school students to describe and analyze an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born.

Scholarship Details

  • Required essay of 700 to 1,000 words
  • Essay must be the student’s original work
  • A minimum of five varied sources, such as government documents, letters, newspaper articles, books, and/or personal interviews, must be used

Eligibility Criteria

  • Open to high school students in grades 9-12, including correspondence/GED programs and U.S. citizens attending schools overseas.
  • Previous winners and finalists are not eligible.
  • Employees of John Hancock Financial Services and their families are ineligible.

Application Process

  1. Write an original essay analyzing an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917.
  2. Ensure the essay is between 700 and 1,000 words and includes a minimum of five varied sources.
  3. Essays must be submitted by January 17th at 11:59 PM (EST).

The contest is open to United States high school students in grades nine through twelve attending public, private, parochial, or home schools; US students under the age of twenty enrolled in a high school correspondence/GED program; and US citizens attending schools overseas.

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