scholarship
scholarship

Win an ACLU Youth Activist Scholarship for $12,500!

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is offering 16 of the nation’s most committed, young civil liberties activists $12,500 each toward their first year in college.

Winners will also become part of an elite class of scholar-activists who will be invited to participate in ongoing activities with the ACLU, including activist trainings at the ACLU offices in New York City and Washington DC.

To qualify for the scholarship you must:

  • Have demonstrated a strong commitment to civil liberties through some form of activism
  • Be a high school senior planning on entering an accredited college or university as a full-time, degree-seeking student
  • Have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale at the time of graduation
  • Not be a current ACLU client or witness in a legal case

To be considered for the ACLU Youth Activist Scholarship your local ACLU affiliate must nominate you for consideration.

Please contact your local ACLU affiliate and ask for the Youth Scholarship Coordinator. This person will explain the application process to you in detail, ask you some questions about your involvement in civil liberties activism and, if you qualify, send you scholarship application forms and counsel you on how to proceed.

Affiliate contact information is here.

Judges will evaluate applications based on the following criteria (in order of importance):

  • The strength and depth of the candidate’s contributions to civil liberties
  • Demonstrated leadership
  • The likelihood of the applicant continuing commitment to civil liberties in the future
  • Commitment to academic excellence
  • Demonstrated financial need

Past scholarship winners were recognized for a wide variety of civil liberties activism. Learn more about last year's winners >>

If you are passionate about fighting for and protecting Constitutional rights, contact your local ACLU affiliate and apply for the ACLU Youth Activist Scholarship!

Submission deadlines vary by state. Check with your local ACLU affiliate for more information.

  


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