When it comes to scholarship essays, students are often tasked with writing about an obstacle they overcame or a dream for their future.
But what if they could snag some extra cash by sharing their love for Sabrina Carpenter, ideas for spicing up “Love Island” or vision for the future of “The Bear”?
That is now a reality, thanks to bold.org, which has launched a number of pop culture-based contests, including a $500 “Bear Fan Scholarship.” Through July 2025, fans of the Chicago-based FX show can submit 200 to 600 words describing their perfect ending to the Emmy- and Golden Globe award-winning series. The scholarship is open to high school and college students at any level with any GPA, and entries are accepted online each month on a rolling basis. The next deadline is Sept. 30.
The fully remote bold.org scholarship company was started in 2019 by founders based in Colorado, Florida and Puerto Rico. In addition to creating its own custom scholarships, the company assists donors with developing their own awards. It also provides students with free access to a database of thousands of scholarships.
Social media team lead Penelope Gregory, based in Chicago, conceived the “Bear Fan Scholarship.”
“I like to keep in touch with what is trending,” she said. “I definitely felt like ‘The Bear’ is something that I was seeing a lot on social media. And there was the Emmys, where it set records.”
Gregory also said the small staff at bold.org was “captivated” by the show.
“Even in our company meetings, everyone said they were watching it, and we saw how deeply it resonated with audiences. The storylines, the characters and especially the celebrity stardom of Jeremy Allen White is something that we felt our fans and our students would really resonate with.”
Gregory said bold.org doesn’t have any other Chicago-related scholarships at the moment, but students who are fans of the Chicago Bulls and video games might be a good fit for the “NBA 2K25 Fan” scholarship, which doesn’t require an essay.
Gregory also said bold.org would be interested in adding professional athletes from Chicago to its current list of celebrity partners who collaborate on scholarships.
Since its inception, bold.org has given out nearly $10 million in scholarships. And so far, the company has received hundreds of entries for the Bear Fan Scholarship. The winner will be selected based on passion, creativity and storytelling, Gregory said.
And what is her perfect ending to “The Bear”?
“I know it’s cheesy, but for everyone to be happy, that’s the best ending,” she said. “It’s a pretty stressful show sometimes, so a nice, blissful ending would be great.”
