Kansas Securities Commissioner John Wine, State Bank Commissioner Miki Bowman, and Kansas Insurance Commissioner Ken Selzer announced the opening of the 2018 Kansas Financial Scholars Essay Scholarship Contest today. The contest will run from January 8 through March 27, 2018.

Students participating in the contest will have the opportunity to win one of nine possible awards ranging from $250 to $2500. The teachers of participating students are eligible to win gift cards ranging from $100 to $150.

Students who choose to participate in the competition will be asked to write a two-part essay. Part 1 requires students to select one of two financial challenges and write a 1 to 2-page essay on the chosen topic. In Part 2, students will analyze and detail the financial decisions they are making now in preparation for their future.

Complete contest rules can be found at www.ksc.ks.gov/EssayContest.

“Financial education and planning are important tools to help students to succeed in their careers,” said Ken Selzer, CPA, Kansas Commissioner of Insurance. “This scholarship contest is a great example of Kansas state agency cooperation in helping Kansas students to succeed in those life skills.” 

To be eligible, students must be in their senior year and attending a Kansas public or private school or homeschool. They must plan to attend a Kansas technical school, college or university after high school graduation. Lastly, students are required to participate in at least one of the following agency-sponsored programs: EverFi/Kansas Financial Scholars Program, The Stock Market Game or the Personal Finance Challenge.

“As interest in these financial programs has grown, so has participation in the scholarship contest,” said Securities Commissioner John Wine. “To date, more than 300 students have submitted essays to our judges and over $23,000 in scholarships has been awarded to Kansas high school seniors.” State Bank Commissioner Miki Bowman added, “We are very pleased to continue supporting programs that provide students with a background of financial knowledge to begin building toward their futures. Our scholarship draws upon the knowledge students acquire through these programs and provides them an opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned. We look forward to reviewing the essay submissions for this year.”

Teachers, parents or students may inquire with the Director of Investor Education at Shannon.Santschi@ks.gov or 785-296-1055 to sign up today for one of the complimentary prerequisite programs.