Jerry Seinfeld Scholarship from the Funny Guy

jerry-seinfeld-scholarship
Jerry Seinfeld Scholarship

UPDATE: 3/9/2018
Apparently – The Jerry Seinfeld Scholarship Program is not being offered at this time.

Jerry Seinfeld scholarships are given to those students who have displayed outstanding academic progress and have financial need and not a fun scholarship for being funny. As opposed to the popular and funny character in the television series, “Seinfeld,” Seinfeld scholars are largely good people who need a hand trying to get through school. Established in 2000 by the truly funny comedian Jerry Seinfield and his family, the program has provided funding to many students in New York City at over 175 schools in which the Seinfeld scholarship is available. Created in collaboration with an organization called PENCIL which works to build relationships between business leaders and schools, the Jerry Seinfeld scholarship represents an excellent opportunity for students in the New York area.

While Jerry Seinfeld began his career as a comedian, interested applicants should understand that this is not a joke and they should take their applications very seriously. The applicant pool for the Seinfeld scholarship is going to be fairly big, so making sure that an application stands out is going to be incredibly important. This is going to be best achieved by balancing a strong submission and personal activities which will be weighed carefully by the selection committee. These are going to include leadership roles, volunteer activities and other extracurricular activities in local communities.

The award amount for the Seinfeld scholarship goes as high as $10,000. It is designed specifically to cover additional funds which have not been met through other funding sources, excluding student loans. On top of access to financial assistance, recipients of the award will also be given other forms of help including college prep programs, mentoring services and various service activities. Having this sort of support will really help a student through the school year and relate what they are learning in the classroom to their future careers. Various service activities will also help a student out with applications for not only school but also employment, showing a clear dedication not only to getting work done but going above and beyond what is required of an individual.

Eligibility for the Seinfeld scholarship is pretty well-defined on the website. Only United States citizens are able to apply for the program and they must be graduating in June of the year in which they are requesting financial assistance. All applicants are expected to have a grade point average of no less than 85 on a 100 scale and be planning to attend college the following fall immediately following graduation at an accredited university. The university selected by an applicant cannot be a community college but rather must be a four-year institution. Applicants should also be able to show a strong need for financial assistance and the total income of their family should be no more than $60,000 a year. Finally all applicants must file a FAFSA request and be a legal resident of New York, alien or native. Application material is made available online as of December 1 and the deadline will be announced the following year. As a result all applicants should pay close attention to the website to be sure they do not miss the announcement date.

The Seinfeld scholarship does not accept applications from all schools in New York, and often focuses on particular areas of interest. For example in 2010, applicants applying for the 2011 academic year had to be graduating from high schools in the Queens borough of New York City. Because of the occasional variation in where applications are coming from students would be well advised to look over the particulars of a given year’s application guidelines before submitting an application. While the program may have been offered for graduates in Queens for 2011 awards, 2012 awards could come from the same area or somewhere else in the city. It is important to pay attention to this especially because it would be a waste of time for anybody from an ineligible borough to apply for the program when their energies could be put to use applying to programs they are actually eligible for. So always pay attention to website when applying and, should your area be selected as one of interest, good luck in the application process.

* Funny and Fun Scholarships

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