First entry period winners include students at University of Minnesota and University of Nevada
The U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program awarded $17,500 in scholarships to three students in the first entry period of the year, rewarding young people who completed free, gamified financial education modules available at usbank.com/scholarship. The program has run for more than 13 years, and the second entry period for the 2026 scholarship is currently open until Oct. 30, 2026.
Program at a glance
| Grand prize | $20,000 |
| Entry period deadlines each year | June 30 (entry period 1) and Oct. 30 (entry period 2) |
| How to enter | Complete gamified financial education modules at https://www.usbank.com/scholarship |
| Program running since | More than 13 years |
What is the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program?
The U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program is a sweepstakes that awards scholarship money to college and college-bound students who qualify by completing free, gamified financial education lessons.
In 2025, the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program awarded seven scholarships totaling $55,000, including a $20,000 grand prize, and distributed nearly $40,000 in additional gift card incentives to students who completed individual challenges throughout the year.
How do students enter the U.S. Bank scholarship sweepstakes?
To enter the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program sweepstakes, students complete gamified financial education lessons available through the U.S. Bank partnership with Zogo (visit www.usbank.com/scholarship to register).
Each lesson covers a different personal finance topic, and students can explore areas they already know or branch out into subjects they've never studied. Completing challenges also unlocks gift card rewards.
Each module generally takes one to two minutes to complete. The more modules a student finishes, the more entries they earn for the grand prize drawing.
Who won the first entry period U.S. Bank scholarship?
The U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program awarded three scholarships totaling $17,500 for the first entry period of 2026.
Brian Lin, a sophomore at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities majoring in business and marketing, won $10,000. Breanna Wright, a sophomore at the University of Nevada-Reno studying anthropology and cultural studies with a minor in debate, won a $5,000 scholarship. A first-year student at Johnson County Community College in Olathe, Kansas, won $2,500.
Lin, the $10,000 scholarship winner, qualified for the drawing by finishing over 75 modules. Completing module milestones unlocks scholarship entries.
What do the scholarship winners say?
Lin was thrilled when he got an email saying he won $10,000 from the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program, but his parents were wary that it was a phishing attempt.
"Once we confirmed that it was real, they were jumping through their shoes – they were even happier than I was,” said Lin, whose parents run a restaurant in his hometown of Hutchinson, Minnesota. “With this scholarship money, I can focus more on my education instead of trying to juggle multiple jobs.”
Wright, a University of Nevada student and Las Vegas native, estimated she’s applied for dozens if not hundreds of scholarships to help pay for college since she was in high school. Not only was she surprised when she won $5,000 from the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program, she also appreciated that it didn’t require the usual time-consuming application and personal essay, and she learned key life skills in the process.
"It feels like scholarships are everywhere and nowhere at the same time. I’d applied for so many and never heard back,” she said. “With (the U.S. Bank scholarship), I was learning new things as I was completing the modules and it really felt like it was worth my time.”
Wright said she particularly liked the modules that covered personal loans and what an annual percentage yield and annual percentage rate are.
“The modules really did a nice job of helping to break down [financial] concepts as they apply in real life,” said Wright, who plans to serve in the Peace Corps after college.
Lin said that while he thought he already had a pretty good understanding of personal finance, he still learned new things, particularly about various kinds of insurance and how policies actually work.
“Whenever I had free time, I’d do a module instead of scrolling through TikTok,” he said. “I usually can’t remember what I was looking at on TikTok 10 minutes later, so doing this instead really paid off.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I enter the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship sweepstakes?
Visit usbank.com/scholarship to apply and then download the Zogo app with a unique access code provided during this process. The more modules you complete, the higher the scholarship award you are eligible for. No purchase or U.S. Bank account is required to participate.
How much money can I win from the U.S. Bank scholarship?
The U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program awarded seven scholarships totaling $55,000 in 2025, including a $20,000 grand prize. Students can also win gift card rewards by completing individual challenges throughout the year.
Do I need to be a U.S. Bank customer to enter the scholarship?
No. Students accepted to or enrolled in college or trade school in the U.S. (and meet other eligibility criteria described in the official rules) can participate, regardless of whether they bank with U.S. Bank. For more information, see the Official Rules.
When does the second entry period of 2026 U.S. Bank Student Scholarship open?
The second period of the 2026 U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program is currently open and will close on Oct. 30, 2026. Details are available on the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program website.
How many modules do I need to complete to qualify?
Entrants must complete at least 25 modules to qualify for the first tier ($2,500). Entrants can earn up to seven entries per promotional period, which is directly tied to the number of "milestones" that they reach.
Start building your financial future
The U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program has run for more than 13 years, rewarding students who invest a few minutes in their financial education with a real shot at meaningful scholarship money. The lessons are free, the time commitment is small, and the payoff can be significant.
Visit the U.S. Bank Student Scholarship Program website (usbank.com/scholarship) to explore the modules, start earning entries, and take a step toward both financial literacy and financial freedom.
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