Don't Text and Drive Scholarship
Offered by Digital Responsibility
About This Scholarship
Digital Responsibility, a nonprofit founded by Silicon Valley tech professionals, runs four $1,000 scholarships each year on technology-and-health themes — this one alongside its Digital Privacy, E-waste, and Technology Addiction Awareness awards. The initial entry is about as light as it gets: a 140-character message about the dangers of texting while driving.
Only the top ten entries advance to the finalist round, where they're asked to write a 500-to-1,000-word essay on the topic; one winner receives the $1,000 award. Eligibility is unusually broad — high school, college, and graduate students all qualify, as long as you're a U.S. citizen or legal resident. There's no GPA requirement, no income requirement, and no transcripts.
The current deadline is September 30, 2026. It's a small award with a single winner, but the barrier to entry is a couple of minutes, which keeps the effort-to-payoff math reasonable.
Eligibility
- High school students (any year), college students, and graduate students
- U.S. citizens or legal residents
- No age limit; homeschooled students eligible
- Initial entry is a short message (roughly a tweet's length) — no full essay unless you reach the final round
How To Apply
- Complete the short online form at digitalresponsibility.org with your 140-character message about why texting and driving is dangerous
- If selected as one of 10 finalists, submit a 500-1,000 word follow-up essay
- Winner is chosen from the finalist pool after the September 30 deadline
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this really no-essay?
The entry stage is just a one-sentence message. Be aware that the ten finalists are asked for a 500-1,000 word essay before the winner is picked — so it's essay-free to enter, not necessarily to win.