We’re not quite giving away something for nothing here, but as far as opportunities go, a full-tuition scholarship in exchange for three short essays and one letter, is a pretty phenomenal deal.
Here are five things you need to know about the Dream BIG scholarship program:
1. The scholarship ISN’T for students. It’s for you.
If you work in retail, you can apply for this scholarship program. You can work in a corporate office, own your own store, work in a distribution center, a store, from your own home or a satellite office. As long as you are employed by a retailer, full-time or part-time, this scholarship is for you. Any level, any position – sales associate, senior director, loss prevention manager, pharmacist, designer, marketing coordinator – just to name a few. Start your application here.
2. It’s competitive.
The applications we got last year were seriously impressive. To apply for Dream BIG you have to submit three essays about your retail career aspirations, why you love retail and your biggest inspiration. You also need a letter of recommendation from someone who works in the retail industry and knows you well. Pulling together a great application takes time. The judges are looking for passion, originality and high quality writing. But if you’re lucky enough to be selected as a recipient you’ll be in great company. Our recipients from 2013 were the brightest and best out of hundreds of applications. You can hear from some of them in this video:
3. It’s a full ride.
We’re not giving you some money toward a degree – we’re giving you a full-tuition scholarship for a bachelor’s or master’s program (including an MBA) with the University of Phoenix. And because of the flexibility of the University of Phoenix programs, you can continue to work and live at home while you study.
4. It’s judged by retail leaders.
CEOs of retail companies and other industry leaders are going to read your essays and find out what your retail career aspirations are and why you love retail. They know their stuff. They’re looking for people they might hire one day, people who have passion and enthusiasm for the industry they love too. This is your opportunity to shine and make a seriously good impression. No pressure.
5. It’s just one way we’re helping to promote the GREAT careers in our industry.
Here at NRF, we’re retail advocates. It’s what we do and it’s why we’re here. We know that talented, driven and ambitious people thrive in retail, and there are thousands of career paths in retail that provide growth and professional satisfaction to millions of retail workers. If you love retail as much as we do, we want to help you advance your career. Apply for Dream BIG now!
