NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Mensa Scholarship Program is open to anyone who will be attending college or graduate school in the United States during the academic year 2014-15

The deadline to apply is Jan. 15, 2014. The fine print notes that applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time.

The scholarship program bases awards entirely on essays written by applicants. No consideration is given to grades or financial need.

Scholarship amounts vary from $300 to $1,000, and essays are submitted online at http://www.mensafoundation.org/scholarships .

Within Redwood Empire Mensa, they will have at least two scholarship awards, the Chod Harris Scholarship ($500) and one of two other scholarships ($300).

In addition, local winners and other applicants are considered automatically for regional and national scholarships with amounts ranging up to $1,000.

Applicants need not be Mensa members, but there are some additional scholarships awarded solely to members.

While many scholarships are unrestricted as to field of study or level of post secondary education, other scholarships are awarded for study in particular fields, such as aeronautics/aerospace, fine arts, liberal arts, journalism, mathematics, mediation, teaching writing and graduate study in history.

Applicants need not know for sure where they will be attending college/graduate/professional school in 2014-15.

They must be planning to enroll (or continue) in an accredited program, but if they don’t yet know
where they may be accepted, they can still apply for scholarships.

The foundation verifies enrollment in an accredited program (full time/part time) during the academic year 2014-15 and sends checks directly to scholarship winners.

More information is available at http://www.mensafoundation.org/scholarships .