Nomination Rules and Policies

Important dates to keep in mind:

December 17, 2025 (11:59 P.M. ET) – Nomination Deadline

This is to ensure that all students are nominated prior to the start of winter break. We encourage you to nominate your student as soon as possible to give him/her the time necessary to complete the application.

SUNDAY, January 11, 2026 (11:59 P.M. ET) – Application Deadline

                     Students must submit applications by 11:59 P.M. ET.  A finished application includes submission of a teacher recommendation and report card.

SUNDAY, January 11, 2026 (11:59 P.M. ET) – Teacher Recommendation Deadline  

Requests for recommendation letters are student-driven and must be sent prior to the student submitting the application. At least one teacher must submit a recommendation by January 11, 2026 at 11:59 P.M. ET in order for the student to be considered for a scholarship.

Nomination Requirements

All accredited schools in the United States are invited to nominate a student for the Carson Scholars Fund’s scholarship program. Unless otherwise notified by a Carson Scholars Fund staff member, your school can only nominate one student each year.

Schools can determine the method for selecting their nominee. Some schools form a committee of educators/counselors to select a qualified candidate or hold an informal essay contest to determine the nominee. For more information about how schools nominate students, view our Nomination Tips and Essay Questions. Please make sure that participants and their parents/guardians understand that they are not Carson Scholar Award recipients during any school-sponsored applicant selection process prior to submission of the full application. Submission of an application is not a guarantee of an award.

When choosing your nominee, please consider the following:

• Only students in grades 4-11 are eligible.
• Only school officials (teachers, counselors, administrators) can submit a nomination.
• Unless informed otherwise by a staff member of the Carson Scholars Fund, your school can only nominate one student.
• Nominees must have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.75 or above on a 4.0 scale in the combined academic subjects. For complete details, view our GPA Calculation Rules and Policies.
• Nominees must be actively engaged in volunteer work and/or community service above and beyond what is required.
• A student can only be nominated if she/he has not previously been awarded a Carson Scholars Fund Award. Previous scholars are eligible to apply for our Carson Scholar Recognition Program. They will receive information about this application via email.
• Students’ SSN or TIN will be required when requesting a payout of scholarship funds.

If any of these nomination rules are not followed, we reserve the right to disqualify all nominees/applicants from your school.