While it’s great to win a number of $500 or even $1000 scholarships, winning a large, multi-year scholarship significantly lessens the financial burden of attending college. The problem with these scholarships? There aren’t too many, and those that are available are highly competitive. What’s up with that? An anomaly to this general rule is the Seinfeld Scholarship Program. While the Seinfeld Scholarships are competitive, the criteria greatly limit the number of people who can apply; if you fall within this criteria, though, you’re in luck. The Seinfeld Scholarship awards a number of four-year scholarships that can cover up to $10,000 of a student’s unmet need. The Program also offers a number of other services to the Scholars, including access to college prep programs and service opportunities.

What does the application process look like for the Seinfeld Scholarship Program?

To apply for a Seinfeld Scholarship, you must be a United States citizen or legal resident who is a senior at a NYC public high school. This year, only applications from students graduating from a Queens public high school in the spring of 2011 will be accepted. Your GPA must be an 85 or above, you must be planning to attend a four-year college, and you must have a demonstrated financial need (with a total family income of less than $60,000). The Program will select the winners from a wide selection criteria, which include two letters of recommendation. The Program looks for students who are committed to community service and exhibit academic excellence.

The deadline for this program is February 4, 2011.

Semi-finalists, who will be announced in March, must go through an interview process, and the winners from this round will be announced in April. From pictures on the website, it also appears that the Scholars attend a breakfast where they will meet Jerry Seinfeld himself. If you fit the criteria, this is certainly not a scholarship to miss out on!

If you would like to contact the program, do so at: