Crossword Maker Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Crossword Maker

The 2024 Crossword Scholarship is now open!  Please submit your crossword by the deadline: May 3, 2024.

• See the 2023 Crossword Scholarship winner, finalists & semi-finalists, and solve all winning puzzles.
• View results online from 2022,  2021, 2020, 2019 and 2018.
• HELPFUL TIP: For great tips on assembling a winning puzzle, read our interview with the 2023 winner.

About the BrightSprout Crossword Scholarship

BrightSprout believes in education for all students–no matter their background. Making a successful crossword puzzle is incredibly challenging. We want to reward the creative thinking and hard work that goes into writing crosswords with our annual Crossword Scholarship.

Each year, we award a great prize to one talented student. Instead of the typical essay, our crossword scholarship is awarded to the best  puzzle-maker. To apply, students must create and submit one 15×15 newspaper-style crossword puzzle on My Crossword Maker according to the instructions below.

Awards and Prizes

Our annual scholarship winner receives a $1,000 tuition scholarship and a free, lifetime subscription to My Crossword Maker. Up to five finalists will also be awarded a free lifetime subscription to My Crossword Maker. Semi-finalists will receive an honorable mention on our website.

Eligibility and Rules

The Crossword Scholarship competition is open to all current or incoming undergraduate students who will be enrolled for the fall 2024 semester or quarter. We verify enrollment with the winner’s school before dispersing the award.

To be considered for the competition, all crosswords must be original, written solely by the applicant, and not previously published elsewhere. Additionally, they must be created and published publicly on Crossword Maker following all instructions and guidelines outlined below.

How to Apply for the 2024 Crossword Scholarship:

1: Create Your Crossword Puzzle

First, make a free account on My Crossword Maker. Once you log into your account, click on “My Puzzles” in the navigation bar and click the “Create Newspaper Puzzle” button. Finally, set up your puzzle in a 15X15 grid.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Make sure to create a newspaper puzzle (see below). Standard Puzzles will not be considered for the scholarship.