Scholarship Application – Rules and Info

Accepting applications beginning January, 2027. Deadline for Applications is April ??, 2027.

There are TWO parts to the application.  A paper mail-in part, and a digital part.  Do both of them. Read this entire page before emailing with questions, please.

Everything mailed in must be postmarked by the above date.  If postage is printed out, the date will be on that.  If you use stamps, just ask the mail clerk to stamp the envelope when they take it.  Everything submitted electronically must be submitted by this date.  Anything after this will not be accepted.  No exceptions.

What’s my email?  shawn@newtonpens.com

Application Info

1. For US residents only (US military bases and things similar to that DO count, so please do apply).
2. Scholarship award size will vary- $500, $1,000, $1,500, or $2,000.  It depends on how much we raise in the year, and the applications we receive.
3. Must have at least 2.5 gpa.
4. Must have SAI no higher than $10,000.
5. Students can be from any type of school: public, private, religious, home school, etc.
6. Scholarships are for high school graduates going into secondary school ONLY. Not for current college students or students returning to college, or any other sort of student.
7. Student must be signing up for full time classes – college of their choice – study of their choice.  4 year, 2 year, trade, fine arts, liberal arts, technical, barber, beauty, welding, electrical, plumbing, mechanics, ANY type of secondary school.
8. Scholarship checks will be mailed directly to your college/school, with instructions to apply it to either one or two semesters, which is up to you.  If you win a scholarship I’ll ask you how you want the money awarded.

WRITING PROMPT & some advice

1. Tell us a little about yourself and an amazing or traumatic thing that happened to you, and how that has helped shape you, or how it directed you into the area you want to go.  Our life experiences shape us.  That’s what we want to hear about.
2. DO NOT INCLUDE your name in the essay.  “My name is Shawn Newton, I’m from Hot Springs, Arkansas, and I want to be an art teacher when I grow up.”  Disqualified.
3. GET SOMEBODY TO PROOF READ YOUR ESSAY.  If it’s hard for your teachers to read, it’ll be hard for us, too.  And your teachers WANT to help you with this.  Don’t be nervous to ask for help with your essays.
4. If you want to thank us for considering your application, please do so separately from your essay.  A small note or card is fine.  It won’t affect your score.
5. Don’t tell us about your future career in the school you’ll be attending.
6. Don’t define what your career choice is.
7. Don’t include your resume, your list of achievements, or extracurricular activities.  That does not make an interesting essay for us to read.
8. Don’t use AI.  OMG just please don’t.  If you’re worried about writing a bad essay, then relax, because a bad essay written by a human is a million times better than a “good” essay written by AI.  We threw away at least 10 essays this year that were all almost exactly the same.
9. Don’t use AI.
10. GET SOMEBODY TO PROOF READ YOUR ESSAY.

Something I told my kid years ago when he was staring at a blank page and didn’t know how to start an essay, was to record himself talking, even if it was just a bunch of loose thoughts. Then when he had done that, I had him write an outline going over the points he mentioned in his recording, organize the outline so everything was in the right order, and then write the essay. It was quick and easy.  You know your own story, and you’re good at telling it.  Be yourself and just tell it.  🙂  

1- You will submit this part in the mail:

1. Your High school transcript.  Just print it out.  I don’t need an official printout because some schools charge for that.
2. Two letters of recommendation. Can be mailed with your application, OR directly from whoever writes it.  A teacher, a school official, an employer, a volunteer organization, or somebody else.  Not family.  Not a peer.  Get letters from people who know you, who you’ve worked with, etc.  Have them include their contact info when they sign these – a name and email. If your letter of rec doesn’t have contact info from the person who wrote it, your whole application will be discarded.
3. Your essay PRINTED OUT – with NO contact info printed on it.  Your application will be discarded if you don’t follow this direction.
4. Your contact info: A card or piece of paper with your name, email, phone, and mailing address.

You will send all of this to: Newton Pens Scholarships PO BOX 6084 Hot Springs, Ar. 71902

2- Digital application:

 

Your application will be discarded if:

1. Essay does not meet minimum/maximum word count of about 450-550 words.
2. Does not include your transcript.
3. Does not include two letters of recommendation with contact info on them.
4. Does not have any contact info.