Pearson Prize

Application available: December 3, 2012

National deadline:  February 11, 2013, 11:59 p.m. EST (Letter of reference is due online March 1, 2013, 11:59 p.m., EST)

Eligibility requirements:

• You are currently enrolled and pursuing a degree full-time at an accredited career college, two-year or four-year college or university.
• You have more than 30 credits accumulated by June of the year you apply.
• You have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above.
• You are not directly related to a Pearson employee.
• You have not received a Pearson Prize grant or fellowship before.
• You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Award summary and conditions:  The Pearson Prize for Higher Education is a two‐tiered award meant to both identify students who are giving back to the college community and to help them continue their work.

Schools at all levels are the cornerstone of communities. In higher education, a college--be it two‐year or four‐year--makes the community around it more vibrant. Students create projects, support causes, organize groups, and contribute time. Their efforts pay immediate dividends in local communities and provide lifelong benefits for our society as these individuals go out and engage the world. College students are by their very nature brave and imaginative, and their actions make their communities better in a way that their transcripts can never fully reflect.

This year, working with the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, the Pearson Foundation is identifying 70 students to receive the Pearson Prize in support of their school works and their commitment to the local community. The Pearson Prize has two tiers:
•    Pearson Prize Scholars (20—Ten from four-year and ten from two-year schools) receive $10,000, paid over two years.
•    Pearson Prize Grantees (50—twenty-five from four-year schools and twenty-five from two-year schools) receive $500, awarded in a single year.

The Pearson Prize for Higher Education offers more than a financial reward. After a student receives the Pearson Prize, he or she enters into an ongoing support network of current and past Pearson Prize winners. All Pearson Prize Scholars receive a digital portfolio and access to online tools to tell their stories through the Pearson Foundation's leadership programs. All Pearson Prize winners gain access to unique student resources and opportunities from Pearson, a leader in education.

Application process: electronic

Application materials:

•    letter of recommendation (All Pearson Prize applicants are required to submit a one page recommendation letter as part of their application. The letter should be in a PDF (or other compatible format) and feature the name, address, contact number and signature of the person providing your recommendation.  The application instructions indicate how to upload the letter.  The recommendation letter should come from a person who can verify the information provided in response to the application questions. The recommender must be someone other than a family member or friend.)
•    responses to the provided essay questions.  Below are the questions from the 2009-10 application:

1. Tell us your story, tell us about you. Why do you believe you deserve to be awarded the Pearson Prize for Higher Education? What is it that makes you uniquely deserving of this award? (Please limit your answer to 500 words or less)

2. How have you worked to improve your local campus and/or your local community? What projects or programs have you worked on or implemented to help improve your campus and/or community and what results have your actions resulted in? Be as specific as possible. (Please limit your answer to 500 words or less)

3. How would receiving the Pearson Prize help you progress in your life? What would receiving the award mean to you or your community? (Please limit your answer to 500 words or less)

4. Is there any other information you think the Pearson Prize review committee should know about you? If so, what would you like to share with us that you have not addressed already? (Please limit your answer to 500 words or less)

Faculty Representative:  Keith Raether

National committee interview:        

Selection process:  Applicants will be notified about whether or not they are selected to move to Round Two by April 30, 2013 with recipients notified by May, 2013.  All Pearson Prize recipients will attend a special Pearson event where they will be formally recognized for their achievements.  This event will be held during late summer 2013—more details on location and date will be provided upon notification of award.  Travel costs and related expenses will be covered by Pearson for all Pearson Prize recipients.

Announcement date:  July, 2013

Contact information: 
       
http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/youth-engagement/programs/pearson-prize.html