The Harper Entrepreneurship Scholarship is for up-and-coming business leaders who seek to build lasting companies.
Harper is a proud supporter of the entrepreneurial spirit of college students across the country. Both Harper cofounders grew up in families of small business owners and witnessed firsthand the drive and tenacity it takes to run your own company. As such, we intend to give back to the next generation of ambitious entrepreneurs with the Harper Entrepreneurship Scholarship – a $500 prize awarded semiannually.
Congratulations to our Fall 2017 scholarship winner: Michael Naber of the University of Southern California! Founder of Kiros.
Congratulations to our Spring 2017 scholarship winners: Paul Couston and Rohit Kalyanpur of UIUC! Founders of Optivolt Labs.
To be eligible:
- You must be a current student at a community college, 4 year university, or graduate school as of September 30, 2018.
- You may not be related to any of Harper’s staff or extended family.
- International students, including students from a college or graduating from a school outside the United States, are also eligible to apply.
- We reserve the right to verify date of college enrollment and graduation.
How to enter:
- Create a business plan about a business venture you are currently working on or intend to work on. You may submit as an individual or a group of up to four others. Only one of the group needs to be a current student.
- The business venture can describe any business model and be in any industry. We will judge the business plan based on how well thought out it is as well as its commercial viability and originality. Please include sections covering:
- Executive Summary
- Market Opportunity
- Business Detail
- Competitive Analysis
- Design and Development Plan
- 3 Year Financial Projections (high level and simple is fine!)
- Here’s a good resource on general business plan structure
- Business plans can be in PDF, Word, or PowerPoint format. Please keep the business plan to 20 pages or less including pictures, graphs and diagrams.
- Send your entry to info[at]joinharper.com by September 30, 2018 with the email subject line “Harper Scholarship Entry”
- Make sure to include your full name, state, and school within your submission.
We will notify and announce the Fall 2018 winner on October 23, 2018. The Scholarship Program begins accepting applicants on February 1, 2018.
Scholarship Deadline: September 30, 2018
Commonly asked questions:
Will I have a better chance of winning if the plan I submit is of an actual business I am pursuing?
No. This scholarship is to encourage students that aspire to entrepreneurship. We won’t penalize applicants who are not running the business described in their plan.
When and how will I be notified if I win?
We will notify the winner of the Fall 2018 scholarship on October 23, 2018 at the email address we have on file.
If I win, how will I receive the scholarship?
Check via Certified U.S. mail.
Can I submit more than one entry?
No. Only one entry per individual or group will be accepted per deadline. However, if you did not win in a previous season, you can absolutely apply again in the next season.
I am a student as of September 30, 2018, but a member of my business plan team is not. Can I still apply for the scholarship?
Yes. As long as at least one member of your business plan team is a current student as of the date specified, you are eligible to apply for the scholarship.
DISCLAIMER: Harper Partners, LLC and any related subsidiaries will not re-use, forward, or share the personal information of applicants in any way. All information submitted to Harper Partners, LLC in relation to the Harper Entrepreneurship Scholarship is to be kept strictly confidential and used solely for the purpose of determining a winner.
If you’d like to learn more about the type of funding Harper provides, check out our guide to factoring companies. We also regularly update our extensive collection of entrepreneur resources and business loan information.