2021 National Scholar Chessplayer Award Applications Now Being Accepted

If you are a high school junior or senior looking for scholarship money, read on!

If you are a current US Chess member, you are eligible to apply for a 2021 National Scholar Chessplayer Award if you:

1. Played in at least 25 Regular-rated US Chess or FIDE games (not to include online games) during calendar year 2019 (entire year) AND 2020 (through November 23). Games with a time control less than game-30 delay-0 do not count toward the 25-game requirement. 
2. Have shown outstanding achievement in academics and chess. 
3. Completed at least one year of chess-related community service since you started the ninth grade.
4. Can articulate in an essay (of 500 words or less) how your being selected as a 2021 Scholar Chessplayer would enable you to further your education, improve your chess, and continue contributing to the chess community for the next five years of your life. 

A total of five awards are available at $3,000 each for a total of $15,000 in scholarship money. Previous recipients of this award are not eligible. These scholarships, awarded annually by the U.S. Chess Trust, the National Scholastic Chess Foundation (NSCF), and US Chess, recognize and encourage outstanding high school students who promote a positive image of chess. 

Applications should be submitted using the online form: https://forms.gle/1736swttxB7vYnin8

Documents (.doc, .pdf and other usual extensions) can be attached to the applications via this form. 

Your completed application must include the following:

• Submitted application form via https://forms.gle/1736swttxB7vYnin8
• Your uploaded high school transcripts showing all courses and grades. 
• Evidence listed in the form or uploaded that you have played at least 25 US Chess or FIDE rated qualifying games during the 2019 and 2020 (through November 23) calendar year. 
• A list and brief description of your best chess accomplishments. 
• Examples of your community service since ninth grade or later. 
• A letter of recommendation from a teacher in a current or former school you have attended in ninth, 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. 
• A letter of recommendation from a chess coach or tournament director.
• A letter of support from someone other than a parent or guardian, bearing witness to the nature, duration, and impact of your chess-related community service. We also encourage you to submit newspaper articles or web-based stories as evidence. 
• Your essay uploaded in the application form of no more than 500 words describing how your being recognized as a Scholar Chessplayer would help you continue contributing to the greater US Chess community over the next five years of your life. 
• OPTIONAL: A recent color photograph of yourself, either a headshot or full-length. 

Deadline for submitting the application form is March 1^st, 2021 11:59PM PST. 

Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the selection committee.

Awards will be announced at the US Chess 2021 SuperNationals and online at uschesstrust.org.

If you have any questions regarding this form, or if you need technical assistance in completing it, please contact Korey Kormick at US Chess at korey.kormick@uschess.org and write “2021 Scholar Chessplayer Award” in the subject line.