Crossword Maker Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Crossword Maker
BrightSprout supports equal access to education and celebrates creative problem-solving. Instead of choosing a winner by essay, the BrightSprout Crossword Scholarship honors the student who submits the strongest original crossword puzzle. Each spring hundreds of current and prospective college students enter; one puzzle is selected as the grand-prize winner. Below are the full details, requirements, and step-by-step instructions for entering.
Overview
- What wins: A single entrant who produces the highest-quality 15×15 newspaper-style crossword on My Crossword Maker.
- Prize: $1,000 toward tuition for the annual winner, plus a lifetime My Crossword Maker subscription for the winner. Finalists and semi-finalists each receive a lifetime My Crossword Maker subscription as well.
- Entry timing: The published puzzle and completed application must be submitted by May 1, 2026.
Who may enter
- Eligibility: Open to current undergraduate students or incoming undergraduates who will be enrolled at a U.S. college or university for the Fall 2026 term (semester or quarter). Enrollment will be confirmed with the school before any award is released.
- Ownership: Crosswords must be the entrant’s own, original work and must not have been published anywhere previously (including personal websites).
- Platform requirement: Entries must be created and publicly published on My Crossword Maker following the instructions below.
Puzzle requirements and judging tips
- Size and style: Only 15×15 newspaper-style crosswords will be eligible. Standard/other puzzle formats are not eligible.
- Theme: Your puzzle must center on the prompt My Hobby/Interest — show what you’re passionate about through the grid and clues.
- Words and fill: Puzzles should contain no more than 78 words. Generally, puzzles with fewer black squares and a professional, newspaper-style construction score better with judges.
- Title: Give your puzzle a title; a good title can help communicate your theme.
- Originality: Do not submit puzzles previously published elsewhere.
- Save feature: My Crossword Maker saves progress automatically so you may work in multiple sessions.
How to enter (step-by-step)
1) Build the puzzle
- Create a free My Crossword Maker account.
- From your account, choose “My Puzzles” then “Create Newspaper Puzzle” and set the grid to 15×15.
- Construct your crossword to meet the requirements above (newspaper-style, theme “My Hobby/Interest,” ≤78 words, add a title).
2) Request a publish fee waiver (“unlock”)
- Before publishing, email scholarship@mycrosswordmaker.com to request that the publishing fee be waived for your entry.
- Include in that email: the email address you used for your My Crossword Maker account and the title of your completed puzzle.
- You should receive confirmation that your puzzle is unlocked within 24 hours.
Note: The contest is free to enter. Do not pay to publish your puzzle. If the site prompts you for payment after you’ve requested an unlock, stop and contact scholarship@mycrosswordmaker.com.
3) Publish your puzzle
- After you receive the unlock confirmation, publish your puzzle from your My Crossword Maker dashboard by clicking “Publish.”
- Double-check all clues and answers before publishing — once published the puzzle will be publicly available online.
4) Complete the official application
- After publishing, submit the short online application form (linked on the contest page) before the deadline: May 1, 2026.
- Make sure the email address on the application is correct; all contest communications will be sent to that address.
Other important details
- Only puzzles publicly published on My Crossword Maker following these steps will be considered.
- If you win, BrightSprout will verify your Fall 2026 enrollment with your institution before releasing the $1,000 scholarship.
- If you encounter problems at any step, email scholarship@mycrosswordmaker.com for assistance.
We look forward to receiving your original, themed 15×15 newspaper-style crossword. Good luck!