The Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), in partnership with Edvest 529, Wisconsin’s direct-sold 529 college savings plan, and the Wisconsin Coalition on Student Debt (the Coalition), on Wednesday announced that the 2025 Money Smart Wisconsin Scholarship Contest is now accepting essay submissions from graduating Wisconsin high school seniors until midnight on March 7.
All Wisconsin high school seniors who are graduating this spring and plan to attend a Wisconsin college or university this fall are encouraged to participate in the scholarship contest. Students must complete an application and write an essay answering this year’s money smart questions for a chance to receive a scholarship, in the form of a $1,000 contribution to a new or existing Edvest 529 account.
Members of the Coalition will review and score the students’ essay submissions based on how well the students have estimated their higher education costs, identified funding sources for paying for those costs, including explaining how the financial aid process works, and formulated plans for managing their finances, schoolwork, and any job responsibilities while staying focused on their academic and career goals.
Scholarship recipients will be notified during Money Smart Wisconsin Week, a financial literacy awareness and education campaign, taking place April 5–12.
