The BBB Trust Scholarship recognizes young leaders who exemplify Trust and Ethics in their daily lives. The BBB is excited to celebrate the High School class of 2026. Each of our recipients receive a $1,500 college scholarship.

The deadline to apply is Thursday, March 26, 2026.

Please read the application instructions in full before submitting your application. We ask applicants to collect the information they need and then submit everything at once.

Eligibility:

-Applicants must be a current High School Senior or equivalent (class of 2026)

-Applicants must live within the 80 counties served by the Better Business Bureau of Michigan (all Michigan counties except Monroe, Lenawee and Hillsdale).

-Applications must be submitted by the application deadline. Late applications will not be considered.

-Direct family members of BBB staff or board members, and members of their household, are not eligible for this scholarship.

-Scholarship winners will be required to provide proof of acceptance and enrollment at a college or university and their FAFSA SAI before funds are paid.

Application Process:

Please ensure you have all the information you need BEFORE you complete and submit the application.

-Complete the online application form, filling in each information section to the best of your ability.

-Please list the college or university you plan to attend. Attending a Michigan-based College or University is not a requirement, but those who do will receive additional points from the judges. Note: proof of acceptance and enrollment will be required before any awards are made.

-Applicants are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as early as possible. The application asks if the student’s FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI) is $30,000 or less. Students who have not yet received the results from their FAFSA can estimate their SAI at https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/. However, all award finalists will be required to provide proof of SAI from the FAFSA before the award is made.

-The application asks if the student will be the first in their family to attend college. For purposes of this scholarship, family is defined as grandparents, parents and siblings.

-Applicants are asked to list their extracurricular activities. This may include, but is not limited to, teams, clubs, volunteering or employment

-Applicants are then asked to briefly (about 300 words) explain why the noted extracurricular activities are important to them.

-Using an example(s) from your life and experience, write an 800-1000 word submission that shows how you personally demonstrate, or have demonstrated, the characteristics of Trust and Ethics. Your application will be judged based on how your written submission reflects your understanding and practice of these virtues in your own life.

Note: It is suggested you write your submission offline, then paste it into the application window or upload it in the application.

Use of AI:

The BBB would like to encourage the ethical and appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI tools may be used for grammar suggestions and clarity. However, the core content, personal examples, and full paragraphs must be written by you. Essays relying on fabricated examples or AI-generated personal stories are not eligible for this scholarship.

This is a scholarship built on Trust and Ethics, and we are looking for recipients who live that in their lives and within this application. Award decisions will be made with this in mind.

Judging Process:

The selection of scholarship recipients will be within the sole discretion of the judges. Applicants will first be reviewed by a panel consisting of BBB staff members, who will select a list of finalists based on written submissions. These finalists will be presented to a panel of judges composed of local business and nonprofit leaders, who will select the scholarship recipients. Judging will be based on the scoring criteria below, with 50% of the student’s score coming from the main written submission and how well, in the judge’s opinion, it demonstrates the applicant’s understanding and display of Trust and Ethics in their lives.

Scoring Breakdown:

Written Submission- 50% (0-100 points)

Financial Need- 25% (0 or 50 points)

Extracurricular Involvement- 10% (0-20 points)

Attending a Michigan College or University- 10% (0 or 20 points)

First to Attend College- 5% (0 or 10 points)

All awards are made without regard to race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, or national origin.

Finalists, as selected by the judges, will be asked to provide proof of college acceptance/enrollment and FAFSA SAI before final awards are made.

Winners will be celebrated at the 2026 BBB Trust Celebration, scheduled for August 13, 2026 at LMCU Ballpark in Grand Rapids. By submitting an application, you agree that the BBB may release your name and other information provided in your application (other than contact information) if you are selected as one of the scholarship winners. BBB will also be asking winners to participate in a check presentation that will include photographs and video for use in publicizing the award.

Questions can be directed to Troy Baker at troyb@mi.bbb.org