The California Assn. of Collectors Educational Scholarship Foundation (CACESF) scholarship contest is open to current high school juniors and seniors who are enrolled in a California high school and will be attending any accredited public or private college, university, or trade school within 12 months of graduation.

Essay prompt: All applicants must write an original essay on the following topic: The importance of establishing and maintaining good financial credit during your college years.

Essay guidelines: Entries must be typed, 12-point font, double spaced, and between 700 and 1,000 words. All essays must include the word count at the top of the document. Please DO NOT put your personal information on any page.

Please note: All entries are the property of the California Association of Collectors Educational Scholarship Foundation and may be printed, distributed, and/or published in full or in part at the discretion of the Foundation. The applicant and the parent or guardian understand and agree that photographs or video images of the applicant may be taken at CACESF meetings they attend, that those images shall be the property of CACESF. These images may be distributed, posted or published at the discretion of the Foundation. The applicant and the guardian further understand that media outlets may be invited to meetings and those outlets shall be permitted to print a broadcast from that meeting.

The three semi-finalists will be selected by a panel of scholarship readers and notified of their selection. All three semi-finalists will be required to attend the annual meeting of the California Association of Collectors in October (expenses paid for student and one parent). Semi-finalists will read their essay and be evaluated by a panel of judges who will determine the final placing. The decision of the judges is final.