Biannual Scholarship: College and Higher Education Essay Writing Contest Dealing with Current Legal Issues in Debt Relief – $5,000. in Prizes Each Spring and Fall**
**CURRENT CONTEST SPRING 2023:
The Spring 2023 Scholarship Essay Contest is Now Open and Accepting Essays and Applications. The Deadline is June 15, 2023. Instructions are on 1st Page Below; the Essay Topic and Application are on the 2nd Page (click one of the red buttons below); examples of past winning essays are on the 3rd page (click brown button below). The Essay Topic for the Current Spring 2023 Contest (please find on 2nd Page by clicking a red button) deals with appropriate legal and policy protections for homeowners who fell into arrears on their residential home mortgages due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We encourage all college and higher education students to apply. Our goal is to encourage the next generation of scholars to help deal with current issues pertaining to debt relief. GOOD LUCK!!!
Click Here for Essay Topic and Application
In an effort to help college and/or graduate school students meet their educational costs, the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. is pleased to offer incoming and existing college and/or graduate school students an opportunity to win a total of $5,000. in prizes each Spring and Fall consisting of a $3,500. (1st prize), $1,000. (2nd prize) and $500. (3rd prize). The biannual scholarship and selection for the three (3) scholarship awards is based on an essay contest where the contestants take a position on a relevant topic that is assigned dealing with specific legal and policy issues pertaining to debt relief. (Please click the Red Button above labeled Click Here for Essay Topic and Application for the {A} Application and {B} Essay Topic). The biannual essay topic changes each six (6) months. Details on eligibility and the application process for the Current Essay Contest can be found below. For contestants wishing to review essays submissions to past contests, that were awarded scholarship prizes please click the Brown Button for “Past Essay Winners”.
- Eligibility
- The Entry Process – “The Essay”, “The Cover Letter” and “The Application” Submissions
- The Deadline For The Current, Fall 2023 Essay Contest
- A Message for All Contestants
- Deciding on This Year’s Winning Essay
- Requirements for the Winners
- About Ronald D. Weiss and Law Office Of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C.
- 2022 Fall Contest Scholarship Winners
- Winners of Recent Spring 2022 Scholarship Contest (closed on May 15, 2022)
- Winners of Previous Fall 2021 Scholarship Contest
- Winners of Past Spring 2021 Scholarship Contest
- Previous Winners:
Eligiblity
In order to be eligible to apply for the scholarship, applicants must fit the following criteria:
- Good Standing – Be in good academic standing with your current educational institution.
- Age – If under 18, have the permission of your parent or guardian to apply.
- Country / Citizenship – There is no restriction on students outside of the United States or non-citizens of the U.S. entering the contest.
- Language / Laws – The submissions, including the essay, must all be in English and the essay must be based on U.S. laws and policies.
- Recognized Academic Institution – The academic institution to where the applicant is currently enrolled and/or enrolled next year, needs to a recognized educational institution currently offering an academic educational curriculum to a body of students. However, the educational institution can be outside of the United States, and the student can be taking courses on-line or on a part-time basis. To qualify, the program in which the student is enrolled needs to be at least six (6) months in length and result in a certificate or degree.
The Entry Process – “The Essay” and “The Application” Submissions
Submissions of each applicant’s entry materials involve filling out the materials in the portal found by clicking the brown button labeled: Click Here for Essay Topic and Application The materials are in two parts: {A} “The Essay Topic” and {B} “The Application”. While the contest is based on the Essay, the Application questions give basic identification and contact information and help the judges with additional information that may help to assess the entire candidate. Both parts — the Essay and the Application — will be explained below. (Explanations and Instructions for the {A} the Essay sections are in PINK, and those for the {B} Application are in PURPLE).
At the end of the portal on the 2nd page of this Scholarship section, Click Here for Essay Topic and Application , there is a in a GREEN section, a “SUBMIT” button that would automatically email us your completed Essay and Application. To the extent the applicant prefers not to submit by portal, submissions of the Application and Essay for the Scholarship essay contest can also be sent as a Microsoft word document (or in a standard emailed format that most computers can open) by sending to weiss@ny-bankruptcy.com. The entry package needs to be submitted by the contest deadline (see below).
{A} The Essay –
The Essay must deal with the Current Essay Topic for the most current biannual contest which appears by clicking the buttons saying: Click Here for Essay Topic and Application . The Scholarship Essay should contain the following:
{B} The Application – –
The Application, contained in the portal, please see brown button labeled as Click Here for Essay Topic and Application , as opposed to the Essay, asks for identification information and short questions about the applicant’s education. Short, voluntary descriptive questions also ask about personal circumstances, activities, accomplishments, hardships, challenges, aspirations and career goals. Answers to most of the short questions, here, are NOT required and if an applicant is uncomfortable answering any question(s) it will NOT penalize their Essay and overall submission. The only parts of the Application that are definitely needed by us, are very basic — the identification questions, contact information and the consent question. In the consent question (which just requires that an applicant fill in a circle next to the question), the applicant agrees that if they are one of the winners, that they will allow their essay and photo to be displayed on our website to encourage future potential applicants to apply. The rest of the Application (which is optional), may allow the applicant to share aspects of their life and educational circumstances, that may help our judges’ consideration, where essays are otherwise close in quality, and other aspects — such as information about the person’s accomplishments, challenges, goals and perspectives — may play an incremental role in helping our judges’ decision. The Application should contain the following:
- Identification Information – The applicant’s name, phone, email and address.
- Consent Question – This consent question, which is the only truly mandatory part of the Application, consents to the applicant’s essay being posted on this web site, if they are one of the winners of the essay contest. The applicant also needs to consent to a photo of themselves being posted on this web site with a large display check, that we will send to the essay contest winners (along with an actual check). The purposes of these postings is to encourage other students to participate in our educational scholarship essay contest.
- Educational Information – The educational institution where the applicant is currently enrolled and/or where they will be enrolled next year; the program that they are in or will be in; and the degree that they are working towards and/or that they would soon be awarded.
- Accomplishments and/or Activities – Any activities, accomplishments, hobbies, experiences and/or interests which are meaningful to you. Part of this information is asked in questions where answers are checked off, but there is a portal which asks for a short amount of information, approximately 200 words to describe meaningful activities/interests that describe you.
- Educational Goals and Career Aspirations – What are your goals, plans and aspirations in terms of your future education and career. Part of this information is requested in a portal which asks for a short amount of information of approximately 200 words about your educational and/or career goals.
- Hardship or Challenge or Other Information About Yourself – Hardships or challenges that the applicant and/or their family have experienced, if applicable, and how you have dealt with them or strived to overcome them. These can be broadly based, economic, demographic, language, educational, and family hardships. Part of this information is requested in a portal which asks for a short amount of information of approximately 200 words about any challenges or hardships that have affected you and/or your family.
The Deadline For The Current Spring 2023 Essay Contest
The deadline for submissions for the current Spring 2023 Essay Scholarship Contest is: June 15th, 2023.
The date of the submission entry will be considered the date we actually receive the essay by email. We will receive your completed Application and Essay by email after you press the “SUBMIT” button, at the bottom of page 2 of this Scholarship Section (in a GREEN section), which is at the end of the portal Click Here for Essay Topic and Application. We are aware that there is still a lingering Covid-19 pandemic that is affecting parts of the world. Therefore if you have been affected by a Covid Hardship that delayed your submission, we would consider moving the deadline by up to (2) weeks for persons showing proof of a Covid-19 hardship.
A Message for All Contestants
Thank you for participating in this biannual essay writing contest. We are honored and humbled by the many promising students who have participated in the Essay Writing Scholarship Contest offered by our law office since we started it in 2014 and the many excellent essays that these talented students have submitted. If you do not win the current essay contest, please do not be discouraged and please try again in six months since the the contest is offered biannually, every Spring and Fall. But if you are the Winner, a BIG kudos to you and a sincere Thank You for your winning submission. All winning essays will be proudly displayed on this website together with an image of their authors, in tribute to the promise, energy and intelligence of current and future scholars and their potential to tackle our society’s legal, policy and economic challenges.
Deciding on This Current Contest’s Winning Essays
The following factors will be considering in determining the the three (3) winners of every biannual essay writing contest:
- Demonstrated understanding of the issues raised;
- Originality;
- Quality of writing; and
- The applicant’s demonstrated the potential for success in a field related to law.
Three (3) winners for each biannual essay writing contest are chosen with the 1st prize being $3,500., the 2nd prize being $1,000. and the 3rd prize being $500. The prizes are sent to the three winners of each contest approximately one to two months after the end of a contest. We ask that winners send us a picture of themselves with a large “presentation check” that we will mail together with the actual award check and allow us to post their photo with their winning essay to encourage future students to participate.
All decisions are final and are subject to the discretion of the staff of the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. where our attorneys are the judges and read every essay.
Requirements for the Winners
Winners must respond to the emails and/or calls of our office and acknowledge that they are the applicant. They must give us their current address for us to send the display check and the real award check. The winners must take a picture of themselves with the display check and send the picture to our office via email. Winners need to agree to allow us to post on our website the picture of themselves with the display check. This is needed to encourage future applicants to the scholarship. Winners also must agree to allow us to display their winning essay on our website. Again, the purpose of this posting of the essay is to encourage further participation in the scholarship by students applying for future scholarships that our office would offer.
About Ronald D. Weiss and Law Office Of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C.
The Law Office Of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. was formed in 1993 and concentrates in bankruptcy law, foreclosure defense, debt negotiation, mortgage modification, tenant defense and all forms of debt relief. Our office serves clients with legal services throughout New York State. The founder of Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. is Ronald D. Weiss, Esq. who graduated New York University School of Law in 1988 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1989. Mr. Weiss and his staff have always valued education and still have faith that in the hands of good, caring people, the legal system can make life better for hard working, ordinary people.
2022 Fall Contest Scholarship Winners
2022 Fall Contest Scholarship Winners
Congratulations to our Fall 2022 Scholarship 1st winner, Aya-Alkhayri!
Congratulations to our Fall 2022 Scholarship 2nd winner, Brayden Tarble!
Congratulations to our Fall 2022 Scholarship 3rd winner, Kaylan Sanders!
Winners of Recent Spring 2022 Scholarship Contest (closed on May 15, 2022)
Winners of Recent Spring 2022 Scholarship Contest (closed on May 15, 2022)
Congratulations to our Spring 2022 scholarship first winner, Stacy Bediako!
Congratulations to our Spring 2022 scholarship second winner, Aaron Chan!
Congratulations to our Spring 2022 scholarship third winner, Kylie Marozsan!
Congratulations to our Previous Fall 2021 scholarship first winner, Stephanie Adams!
Congratulations to our Previous Fall 2021 scholarship third winner, Matthew Larkby!
Congratulations to our Previous Fall 2021 scholarship second winner, Kyle Mann!
Winners of Past Spring 2021 Scholarship Contest
Winners of Past Spring 2021 Scholarship Contest
Congratulations to our 2021 scholarship first winner, Emily Palmer!
Congratulations to our 2021 scholarship second winner, Richard Hollenbach!
Congratulations to our 2021 scholarship third winner, Makayla Shoults!
Picture Gallery of Past Scholarship Winners…We Are Proud of You!!
Picture Gallery of Past Scholarship Winners…We Are Proud of You!!Previous Winners:
Congratulations to our 2019 scholarship winner, Dennis Howard!
Congratulations to our 2018 scholarship winner, Jody Skaggs!
Congratulations to our 2017 scholarship winner, Zachary Einsig!
Congratulations to the 2016 Scholarship Winner, Nick Plotkin!
Congratulations to the 2015 Scholarship Winner, Rebecca Chang!
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