NFIB

Attention Budding Business Owners
11/02/2005

With the holidays right around the corner, that means one thing in particular for high-school seniors: It’s almost time for graduation. As they prepare to graduate, many will look for scholarships, grants and loans to finance their college dreams. The NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation is preparing to help make those college dreams a reality for more than 400 future business leaders across the country.

Applications are now available for the 2006 Young Entrepreneur Awards. This scholarship program, sponsored by the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation, is designed to set future small-business owners on the path to entrepreneurship. A minimum of 400 award recipients will attend the university, college, community college or vocational/technical institute of their choice with $1,000 in tuition assistance from the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation. One outstanding student will receive a $10,000 award, and four regional winners will receive $5,000 each.

The Young Entrepreneur Award program debuted in 2003 when it awarded 100 scholarships to enterprising high-school seniors. Since then, it has grown momentously thanks to support from small-business leaders, corporations and foundations nationwide.

Students interested in the Young Entrepreneur Award will be asked to demonstrate their entrepreneurial achievement by answering a short, personal question defining their efforts. Applicants will also compose an essay about the importance of free enterprise and provide standardized test scores, GPA and class rank. Each applicant also must obtain the nomination of an NFIB member after Jan. 2, 2006.

Applications will be accepted Jan. 2, 2006, through March 15, 2006. School officials, applicants and parents should contact Chantel Bartlett at (800) NFIB-NOW for more information.