No purchase necessary. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. As an industry leader, Nelnet provides college planning and financing resources to thousands of students and parents each year. Now we’re providing even more by giving away $1 million to 760 students!
- 10 MONTHLY Grand Prize scholarships, each worth up to $25,000
- 750 First Prize scholarships, each worth $1,000
It’s easy to enter – no essay required. U.S. students age 16 or older, as well as parents, legal guardians and high school guidance counselors of eligible students can enter daily. Entries for the final Monthly Grand Prize drawing must be received by August 7, 2008. See Official Rules for complete details.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS FOR NELNET $1 MILLION SCHOLARSHIP GIVEAWAY
Who is Nelnet and why are they giving away $1 million? Nelnet is an education planning and financing company dedicated to making college more affordable for students and families. Each year, we award scholarships to deserving students, and we are excited to introduce this school year our first fully national program, which will help pay for the college expenses of 760 students. (See Official Rules for details for eligibility.)
Do I have to take out a student loan or use any of Nelnet’s other products to qualify or improve my chances for winning? Absolutely not – eligibility for this sweepstakes is in no way tied to any current or future use of Nelnet’s products or services. There are some eligibility criteria, but they are in no way related to using Nelnet as a loan or service provider.
Who can enter the giveaway? The eligibility requirements are similar to those for any giveaway program. For example, you must be a U.S. citizen and legal resident upon graduation. You must also be at least 16 years old and be a high school junior or senior planning to attend a college that participates in the federal loan program, or an undergraduate college student attending a college that participates in the federal loan program. (See Official Rules for general eligibility criteria.)
What kind of marketing should I expect from Nelnet if I enter this giveaway? You will automatically receive a ‘thank you’ e-mail for entering. Nelnet will also begin to send you a monthly e-newsletter with helpful information and advice about planning and financing your education that is customized according to your year in school. Periodically, a Nelnet product will be featured, but you have no obligation to purchase anything and can opt out of receiving the e-newsletter if you don’t find it helpful. In addition, you may occasionally receive e-mails or mail from us or other companies. This will always be done in accordance with our privacy policy. (See Official Rules and Privacy Policy for details.)
If I win, what can I use the money for? The scholarship money can only be used to cover the cost of your education and will be provided in a check co-written to you and your school. You will not receive any cash; the money must go directly to your school. The money must be used to pay current tuition costs and may not be used to pay off pre-existing student loans. (See Official Rules for details.)
What are the drawing dates and how many winners are there? The drawings are held monthly and include more than 750 winners! Here are the basics (please reference the rules for more details): One $25,000 Grand Prize winner will be chosen monthly, and at random, from November to August. In addition 375 $1,000 First Prize winners will be chosen twice a year. Grand Prize drawings will be held on or about the following dates: 11/9/07, 12/14/07, 1/11/08, 2/15/08, 3/14/08, 4/11/08, 5/9/08, 6/13/08, 7/11/08, and 8/8/08. First Prize drawings will be held on or about 1/11/08 and 4//11/08. Visit our winners’ announcement page.
What are my chances of winning? Your odds of winning depend on how many entries we receive. You can improve your odds of winning by entering daily. Also, we guarantee two winners from every state. (See Official Rules for details.)
You say there is no essay required – why is that? There are a number of scholarship opportunities available to students, many of which have specialized eligibility requirements and a detailed application process, including a written essay. Nelnet decided to simplify the process and give every student an equal chance of winning without the need to submit an essay or other detailed personal information.
How are winners selected? Prize drawings are completely random, with winners selected from the aggregate of all qualified entries received by 11:59:59 p.m. the day before the scheduled drawing date. Drawings will be handled by Promotion Fulfillment Center, an independent judging organization whose decisions are final on all matters pertaining to this giveaway. All non-winning entries will be rolled over into the remaining Grand and First Prize drawings.
How was the $25,000 Grand Prize amount decided? The amount of the Grand Prize awards was selected based upon the average cost of a year of college expenses. If the total annual cost of a winner’s tuition, fees, books, supplies and equipment is actually less than $25,000, then the winner will receive enough money to cover just those expenses.
How many times can I enter? You can enter daily. The limit is one entry per valid student e-mail address per day.
What if I’m a high school junior and don’t know what college I’ll be attending? If you’re selected as a winner, you can let us know the specific college at a later date. And just to be safe, we’ll contact you in April 2008 and April 2009 to ensure your information is up-to-date.
What does Nelnet do with my personal information? Nelnet may share information within our affiliated companies in order to better understand and provide solutions for your educational and financial needs. This enables us to selectively contact you about products, services and promotions that we believe will be of interest to you. We may also share this information with service providers and unaffiliated third parties. Please see our Privacy Policy to learn more about how we may share your information and how to manage your privacy options.
Sorry to keep repeating this – but please see the rules for more detailed information. These are just our most frequently asked questions!
If you have additional questions that we have not addressed here, please e-mail us at the following e-mail address: scholarships@nelnet.net. We will not be able to respond to individual e-mails but we will be able to note the frequently asked questions to update this page, and we appreciate your help to make sure everything is clear to you and others.
