SmartAsset High School SmartStart Personal Finance Scholarship

Funded by
$5,000
1 winner$5,000
Awarded
Application Deadline
Jun 1, 2023
Winners Announced
Jul 1, 2023
Education Level
High School
Eligibility Requirements
Education Level:
High school senior
GPA:
3.0 or higher

SmartAsset’s mission is to help people get better financial advice, which it does by matching people with financial advisors and guiding them to educational content and calculators. It also means playing an active role in youth financial literacy. Since 2019 SmartAsset has mentored local high students in financial literacy with its SmartStart program, with the goal of empowering young people with the knowledge and skills to manage their finances. And now, SmartAsset is expanding its efforts with scholarships to support high school students interested in furthering their financial education.

As a fintech company focused on personal finance education, SmartAsset aspires to help high school students with financial need by supporting them throughout their college journey.

The rising cost of college tuition leaves many students with no choice but to take out student loans to afford a degree, leaving tens of millions of Americans saddled with debt. This scholarship aims to support high school students who are interested in furthering their education and getting a college degree.

This scholarship provides financial support to high school students with an interest in personal finance. Any high school senior who has a 3.0 GPA or higher, is planning to attend college, and is interested in continuing their financial education may apply for this scholarship.

To apply, please answer the following essay prompt with a 700-1,000 word essay:

What is the best piece of financial advice you have received and how do you plan to utilize that advice throughout your college career and beyond?


Selection Criteria:
Ambition, Need, Boldest Bold.org Profile
Published January 11, 2023
Essay Topic

What is the best piece of financial advice you have received and how do you plan to utilize that advice throughout your college career and beyond?

700–1000 words

Winning Application

Christopher Livingston
Morehouse CollegeAtlanta, GA
One particular piece of money-related advice that has essentially affected my demeanor is the importance of setting destinations and budgeting. It was my personal support teacher who imbued in me the noteworthiness of these sharpens, emphasizing their benefits not because they were in the midst of my college for a long time but besides as I move into the workforce and meander into independent living. Budgeting plays a basic portion in directing a person's reserves suitably. It licenses individuals to track their compensation and costs, make taught choices, and prioritize their contributions. My personal finance teacher emphasized that making a budget progresses money-related teaching and empowers individuals to create sound financial choices. Throughout my college a long time, I organize to actualize a comprehensive budgeting procedure. I will categorize my costs, such as instructive fetched, perusing fabric, lodging, food, transportation, and beguilement, and allocate specific wholes to each category. This approach will ensure that I meet my cash-related commitments while still permitting a little adaptability and enchantment. College isn't because it was an academic journey but as well a fortunate time to form principal budgetary aptitudes. By grasping the guidelines of objective setting and budgeting, I point to creating mindful monetary affinities that will serve me well in the longer term. During my college career, I organize to give time to ask almost and apply for grants that alter my academic achievements and personal interface. This proactive approach will increase my chances of securing money-related offer assistance and diminish the burden of understudy credits. Whereas looking for after I consider, I, in addition, anticipated requiring part-time businesses to supplement my compensation and choose up down to soil association. By making a budget and taking after it, I will ensure that my benefits cover principal costs without influencing my academic execution. Recognizing that data is control, I will successfully explore openings to move forward my financial capability amid my college for a long time. I will go to workshops, classes, and online courses that give encounters into budgeting, contributing, and person-back organization. This nonstop learning get-ready will prepare me with the fundamental capacities to create taught cash-related choices past college. As I approach the conclusion of my college travel and set out on a proficient career, the measures of objective setting and budgeting will stay critical. With a clear set of cash-related targets, I will endeavor to set up a solid budgetary foundation and orchestrate it for the long run. I believe they do not, but on the occasion that understudy credits got to be a parcel of my cash-related reality, I will make a repayment orchestrate that alters my budget. By setting aside a committed allocation of my pay, I will work towards paying off my credits profitably, minimizing charmed collection, and fulfilling financial adaptability. In show disdain toward the truth that it may show up inopportune, arranging for retirement early on can be a clever budgetary move. I will examine retirement speculation stores plans and consider starting a retirement fund as long as conceivable. By taking advantage of the vitality of compound charmed and long-term theory strategies, I can maximize my retirement reserve funds and ensure a comfortable future. In addition, I will seek ways to increase my wage through side hustles or wanders. By diversifying my sources of salary, I can construct a more secure financial foundation and have the adaptability to seek after openings and climate monetary challenges. Another perspective of monetary arranging that I proposed to join is crisis finance administration. Life is unusual, and unforeseen costs can emerge at any time. By setting aside a parcel of my wage for emergency support, I can make a security net to handle unanticipated circumstances without disturbing my budget or depending on credit. Besides, I will prioritize obligation administration and point to minimize the utilization of high-interest credit cards or credits. I will center on paying off exceptional obligations methodically, beginning with those carrying the most elevated intrigued rates. By lessening obligations, I can progress my credit score and have way better get to favorable budgetary openings in the future. Furthermore, I will investigate different venture alternatives to develop my riches and secure my money-related future. Whether it's investing in stocks, genuine domain, or retirement accounts, I will conduct careful inquiries about, look for proficient counsel and make educated choices based on my hazard resistance and monetary goals. In conclusion, the standards of objective setting and budgeting have had a significant effect on my attitude toward individuals back. Through cautious arranging and monetary teaching, I point to explore college, secure monetary help, pick up viable encounters, and ceaselessly improve my financial education. These hones will not as it were advantage me amid my college for a long time but will moreover lay the establishment for a monetarily secure and affluent future. By grasping budgeting procedures, seeking additional income openings, overseeing obligations, building crisis finance, and exploring speculation alternatives, I will endeavor to form a strong monetary establishment that will bolster my goals and desires. Eventually, by embracing these monetary standards, I am certain that I will be well-prepared to confront the challenges and openings that lie ahead in my individual and proficient life.

FAQ

When is the scholarship application deadline?

The application deadline is Jun 1, 2023. Winners will be announced on Jul 1, 2023.