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

• Essays can be no more than 1,000 words but must be a minimum of 700 words. Citations and bibliography are not included in the word count.
• Essays must be the original work of the student.
• Essays must have a minimum of five sources.
• Essays must describe an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official who served during or after 1917, the year John F. Kennedy was born. The official may have addressed an issue at the local, state, or national level. 
• John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, and Edward M. Kennedy are not eligible subjects for essays.
• All students must list the name of their nominating teacher on the registration form. The role of a nominating teacher is to provide students with support and advice during the writing of their essay. Nominating teachers are also asked to read students' essays to make suggestions for improvement before they are submitted to the essay contest.
• Nominating teachers can be former or current teachers, but must still be teaching at the same high school as the essay participant. 

Scholarship Amount: Up to $10,000

Application Deadline: January 17, 2025