BrightSprout Crossword Scholarship Competition

Every year, BrightSprout awards a $1000 scholarship to the student who builds the best original newspaper-style crossword puzzle. Applicants choose their own theme, construct a 15×15 grid, and publish it on My Crossword Maker. No essay, no personal statement, no fee. Pick your subject, start building, and show us a puzzle worth solving

Awards
Winner: a $1,000 tuition scholarship and a lifetime subscription to My Crossword Maker
Finalists and semi-finalists: a lifetime subscription to My Crossword Maker
The scholarship is paid directly to the recipient’s institution rather than to the student, upon confirmation of fall enrollment.

Submission Requirements
Each applicant submits one original 15×15 newspaper-style crossword, created and published on My Crossword Maker. Your puzzle should be themed around one of your own hobbies or passions.

Submissions must be original, written solely by the applicant, and previously unpublished, including on a personal website or blog.

Eligibility
Incoming and current undergraduates who will be enrolled at a US or Canadian college, university, or trade school for the Fall 2027 term
International students enrolled at an eligible US or Canadian institution
Previous recipients may submit again but are not eligible to win a second award
Students personally acquainted with a member of the BrightSprout selection committee are not eligible
We confirm enrollment with the recipient’s institution before disbursing the award, and may request proof of enrollment or acceptance.

Application Process
1. Create your puzzle
Create a free account on BrightSprout’s crossword maker. Once you are logged in, click your profile button in the top right, then My Documents. In the left panel, click New, then Newspaper Crossword. Set up your puzzle in a 15×15 grid.

Newspaper-style puzzles only. Standard puzzles are not eligible. Confirm that your grid matches the example below before you begin writing clues.

Your puzzle should be themed around one of your hobbies or passions, and this is the part where we want to see you shine. Pick the subject you know better than anyone else in the room, whether that is jazz drumming, competitive sourdough, base jumping, retro video games, or vintage ceramic buttons.

Competitive submissions follow professional newspaper crossword conventions. Construction takes time. My Crossword Maker saves your work automatically, so you can complete a puzzle across several sessions.

2. Request an unlock
Publishing on My Crossword Maker ordinarily requires a paid subscription. We waive this fee for applicants, but each puzzle must be unlocked manually before publication.

Email scholarship@brightsprout.com with:

The email address associated with your My Crossword Maker account
The title of your completed puzzle
You will receive confirmation within 24 hours.

3. Publish your puzzle
Once you have received unlock confirmation, review your clues and answers a final time, then click Publish. Your puzzle will be published to the web at no cost.

4. Submit your application by May 1, 2027
Complete the application form below. Verify that your email address is correct, as all correspondence regarding the competition is sent to the address provided on the form.

Applications received after May 1, 2027 will not be considered.

Evaluation criteria
The BrightSprout selection committee evaluates submissions on the cleverness of the theme, clues, and answers, together with overall construction and grid design. Winners and finalists are announced in June 2027. The committee’s decision is final.