FBA Civics Essay Contest
ListedCompetition
- Award
- Published scholarship prizes: first $1,500, second $1,250, third $750. The closed-cycle FAQ describes these as prior prizes; the 2027 prize/payment terms are not published.
- Deadline
- The 2026 contest is closed. FBA says the new prompt will be posted in January 2027; the 2027 entry deadline is not published.
- How to apply
- When the contest opens, submit the annual-prompt essay and completed official entry form online. Published rules require a Word document, maximum 1,000 words excluding endnotes/bibliography, double spacing, 12-point Cambria or Times New Roman, one-inch margins and a student-name filename. The 2027 prompt and entry form are not posted.
- What you'll need
- A separate scholarship application
- An essay
- Who can apply
- Grades 9 to 12 at public, private, parochial or charter schools, or homeschool equivalent, in the United States and territories. Prior winners may re-enter until graduating.
- Good to know
- Judged on constitutional understanding, clarity/theme, grammar/composition and citations. Extensive AI drafting, plagiarism, off-topic or improperly formatted essays can disqualify an entry. FBA retains publishing rights and may copyright/reprint submitted material. The 2027 prompt will be released in January; no finalist announcements are planned under the current FAQ.
- Details
- WritingCivics