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About the Students of Integrity Scholarship

From eligibility requirements to deadlines, here is general information you need to know to apply for our BBB scholarship. 

The 2027 scholarship is accepting applications from Minnesota and North Dakota students attending accredited high schools who are seniors in the 2026-2027 school year. All entries must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. Friday, October 30, 2026. 

Better Business Bureau Serving Minnesota and North Dakota awards scholarships to high school students who have demonstrated integirty, leadership, and ethical values. Scholarship money is awarded directly toward winners’ post-secondary education expenses (tuition or room/board only) at any accredited institution. This is a one-time non-renewable scholarship. The recipient is required to be enrolled in an educational institution beginning the first fall quarter/trimester/semester immediately following high school graduation. Learn more.

The BBB scholarship is primarily based on a written essay which must convey how the student has demonstrated integrity and ethical decision-making skills to overcome a challenge in a business-type setting (ie: school projects, school or community leadership, volunteering, extracuriculars or clubs, or jobs/internships). To guide the essay, students are encouraged to show specific examples of how they've used one or more of the UncommonSense principles in their essay.

At least one scholarship starting at $2,500 will be awarded in 2027.

1. Eligibility

Only Minnesota and North Dakota students from accredited high schools who are seniors in the 2026-2027 school year will be accepted. To qualify for the scholarship, students must:

  • Be a graduating senior enrolled in a Minnesota or North Dakota high school (if selected, recipients must sign an electronic affidavit verifying enrollment – provided by BBB)
  • Not be a BBB employee, intern, Board of Director or their family member.

2. Deadline

All 2027 scholarship applications must be submitted through the online form between September 21, 2026 and October 30, 2026. No applications will be accepted through other forms or after October 30.

3. Judging

Students of Integrity Scholarship applications will be reviewed by an independent panel of judges of local business and community leaders selected by BBB. Judging will be based mainly on the content of the essay, although future plans and goals, your reference letter, and outside activities will also be used by the judges in making their final selections.

All scholarship award recipients will be asked to participate in a short video produced by the BBB Communications team. This video will be recorded in January 2027.

4. Application contents

The successful application will include several elements:

  • Applicant information – basic contact information about the applicant
  • Essay – the bulk of the application is based off an up-to 1,000-word essay about how the applicant overcame a challenge by applying one or more of the UncommonSense principles.
  • Extracurriculars – a list of all extracurricular activities in which the applicant participates
  • Post-secondary plans – a short written paragraph about the applicant's post-secondary plans and goals
  • Letter of recommendation – a recommendation written by a school official, employer, or community leader