Scholarship & Fundraising
Travel Scholarships
Calling all artists, photographers, writers and creators! Don’t miss out on the chance to participate in the ACIS Travel Scholarship Contest with prizes up to $2,500.
Fundraising Ideas
From peer-funding to car washes, ACIS’ fundraising page provides you with a mix of innovative and traditional methods of fundraising for your upcoming trip.
2026 Travel Scholarship Contest
Theme: Common Ground
Educational Travel so often brings us to unfamiliar terrain yet challenges us to find connection through common ground. What does finding common ground through travel look like to you?
The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2026.
Eligibility
The travel scholarship contest is open to US students aged 11-20 interested in educational travel.
Prizes
Winners will receive a credit off their current ACIS tour, or an ACIS travel voucher for money off a 2026-2027 tour.
- One Grand Prize: $2,500 ACIS Travel Scholarship Certificate
- Five Runner-Ups: $1,000 ACIS Travel Scholarship Certificate
Entries
Entries can come in any form, art, photography, essay, poem, video, song, or anything else you can think of!
How to Enter
Students must submit a Student Scholarship Entry Form with their entry. They may mail their entry to ACIS Scholarship, 330 Congress St, Suite 5, Boston, MA 02210, or email it to contest@acis.com. Video or song entries should be posted on YouTube and the link to the video must be included on your entry form. Writing entries should be a maximum of one page and video or song entries should be a maximum of three minutes. All entries must be the original work of the student.
Travel Scholarship Form
Student Scholarship Entry Form (PDF)
Send your Entry to:
contest@acis.com or
ACIS Travel is Education Scholarship
330 Congress Street, Suite 5
Boston, MA 02210
Have Questions?
For the quickest response, use our online chat. Or, you may email contest@acis.com.
Scholarship Winners
View the winning submissions of our 2025 scholarship recipients!
Scholarship FAQs
What is the Travel is Education Scholarship Contest?
The ACIS Travel is Education Scholarship competition offers students the chance to be rewarded for their creative expression and interest in the world.
Who is eligible?
The contest is open to US students who are 11-20 years old and interested in educational travel.
How do I enter?
Students must submit a Student Scholarship Entry Form with their entry. They may mail their entry to ACIS Scholarship, 330 Congress St, Suite 5, Boston, MA 02210, or email it to contest@acis.com. Video or song entries should be posted on YouTube and the link to the video must be included on your entry form. Writing entries should be a maximum of one page and video or song entries should be a maximum of three minutes. All entries must be the original work of the student. Any incomplete or unsigned Student Scholarship Entry Forms will not be accepted. The Scholarship Contest deadline is January 31, 2026 (postmark).
Where do I send my entry?
Email your entry and form to contest@acis.com, or mail them to: ACIS Travel is Education Scholarship 330 Congress Street, Suite 5 Boston, MA 02210.
What are the entry guidelines?
Our judges are preparing to be dazzled by your creativity. We will accept art, photography, essays, poems, videos, songs, or any other type of artistic expression you can think of that relates to our theme. Writing entries should be a maximum of one page and video or song entries should be a maximum of three minutes. For artwork, we will accept either original artwork or reproductions (i.e. color photocopies or black and white copies of drawings), as entries will not be returned.
Will my entry be returned?
Entries become property of ACIS and cannot be returned for any reason. We understand your desire to keep original artwork, and encourage you to submit high-quality copies.
How are the entries judged?
Entries will be judged on creativity and originality in expressing an idea related to the theme. All judges’ decisions will be final.
What is an ACIS Travel Scholarship Certificate?
ACIS Travel Scholarship Certificates are scholarships that may be used toward any ACIS program. Winners may deduct their scholarship prize from their ACIS trip fee.
When will the winners be announced?
Awards for the 2026 contest will be announced (and posted online) by the end of February 2026. Winners will be sent written notification along with their ACIS Travel Scholarship Certificates. Only winning entrants will be contacted.
What if I win a scholarship and I have already paid in full for my trip?
If you have already paid for your trip and you are awarded a scholarship, you will receive a refund from our Traveler Support team. If you have any specific questions regarding your account, our Traveler Support team is available via chat and accounts@acis.com.
Who do I contact with additional questions?
Use our online chat feature for the fastest response. Or you can email contest@acis.com.
Fundraising Ideas
Raising funds for your ACIS trip has never been easier! Start with creating an ACIS personal fundraising page. Your page is simple to set up and allows you to ask family and friends for contributions directly to your trip balance. Plus, there are a myriad of more traditional ways to raise money towards your trip as an individual or as a group effort—check out our suggestions below for inspiration.
Personal Fundraising
There’s no better gift to receive than a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience, and ACIS makes this easy! Just set up and share the link to your customized personal fundraising page, where friends, family and community members can make contributions directly to your trip balance.
To get started, log in to your online My Account and look for the My Fundraising link.
This brings you to your personal fundraising dashboard, where you can customize your page. Set a fundraising goal, upload a picture of yourself and include a personal statement about why the trip is important to you.
Once you’ve saved your changes, you’ll end up with an inspiring, shareable fundraising page like this one. Copy your unique URL, and share it with family and friends via email or social media. Convey your enthusiasm, and encourage them to invest in this exciting opportunity you have. Any gift, big or small, brings you that much closer to your destination!
You can revisit your personal fundraising page at anytime to see who has contributed and how close you are to your goal.
Traditional Fundraising
Recycling
Through the EcoPhones Recycling Fundraiser, you can turn used working or non-working electronics such as cellphones, laptops, inkjet cartridges and more into money for your trip.
Bake Sale
This is a good tried-and-true one to collaborate on with your fellow travelers. Ask your local grocer, craft fair coordinator or sports coach if you can set up a bake sale table at their store or event.
Create a Recipe Book
Collect 50-100 favorite recipes on 8.5×11 paper (perhaps theme the recipes to the destination where you’ll be traveling). Add a cover page and table of contents, make five copies to produce five demonstration books and take orders. Then make as many copies as you need to fill the orders.
Raffle Something Cool
Ask family or friends if they would donate something homemade (artwork, quilts, knitted items, pottery, woodwork, fancy baked goods) or offer your yard, house or childcare services. Advertise the raffle, the drawing date and your ACIS travel plans, and sell tickets at school or at local fairs and events.
Car Wash
Another classic one to collaborate on as a group. Ask a church leader, school principal or store owner if you can use a small section of their parking lot and a water faucet for a fundraising car wash, and make sure to advertise it well.
Parents Night Out
Invite parents to drop off younger kids at your school for the evening and charge a fee per child. You and your group can organize games, movies and snacks to entertain the kids while their parents enjoy an night out.
Hold a Marathon Event
Commit to walk around a track, play soccer or chess, sing, dance, jump on a trampoline or some other activity and collect pledges by hours or miles completed.
Dinner and a Movie
Host a dinner and a movie at your school and charge for tickets or ask for donations. You could choose a movie to match your travel destination and perhaps even bake and sell treats that go along with that theme.
Mardi Gras Masked Ball
Host a Mardi Gras themed ball at your school’s gym or auditorium. Sell tickets and provide snacks and refreshments for an extra charge.