CatholicVote-backed Constitution Scholarship to award $50,000 in grants to students studying nation’s founding

CatholicVote is encouraging students to study the nation’s founding principles through a new cycle of The Constitution Scholarship, which will award a combined $50,000 to 19 winners.

The CatholicVote Education Fund offers the program in partnership with the Restoration of America Foundation as part of an effort to expand civic education among students nationwide and deepen their understanding of the freedoms safeguarded by the Constitution.

Josh Mercer, vice president and co-founder of CatholicVote, said current political trends have heightened the importance of that mission. 

“With the rise of democratic socialist candidates, there has never been a more urgent time to encourage young people to understand the virtues of truth, justice, and liberty,” he told Zeale News. “We think it is important for the next generation to understand how the Constitution was created to defend our God-given rights and to defend the common good. We strongly urge Catholic students to enter this scholarship contest.”

To be eligible, students must complete free online courses offered through Hillsdale College. The program offers scholarships of $2,000, $3,000, $5,000, and $10,000, and the level of funding depends on coursework requirements.

The courses cover the Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court, the Federalist Papers, the presidency, Congress, and the nation’s founding principles.

Applicants must also be U.S. citizens, at least 16 years old, and current high school, homeschool, college, university, or trade students.

Applications for the winter cycle are due Jan. 31, 2027.

More than 520 students applied during the summer 2026 cycle, collectively spending nearly 13,000 hours studying the Constitution. Winners from that round will be announced in October.

More information about scholarship opportunities is available here.