Investor Advocacy Scholarship

Ponzi schemes and other investment frauds continue to plague retail investors. These schemes increasingly involve complex products and investments including stocks, bonds, real estate and crypto currency. The team at Securities Fraud Attorneys believes that shareholders deserve absolute transparency from the companies that they invest in, especially about the costs, risks and people involved in the investment. Additionally, we think that investors should be well-educated on potential warning signs to look out for when deciding where to put their hard-earned money and the way many disputes are resolved including class action litigation, securities arbitration and SEC whistleblower claims.

Securities Fraud Attorneys is led by Scott Silver, a passionate investor advocate and nationally recognized securities and investment fraud attorney. As chair of the Securities Fraud Group for the American Association of Justice and a board member of PIABA (Public Investors Advocate Bar Association), Scott routinely lobbies for investor rights. A member of the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 Lawyers, Martindale Hubbell AV Preeminent Rating, Scott and his team has recovered millions of dollars for defrauded investors through class action litigation, securities arbitration and SEC whistleblower claims.

For these reasons, along with the fact that investment opportunities are becoming more readily accessible to younger people every year, we are proud to announce the 2026 Investor Advocacy Scholarship! This is a single, $1,000 scholarship that will be awarded to a current or incoming college student who passionately believes in advocating for and educating investors. If you are interested in applying, make sure to read the Eligibility and Application Requirements sections below, and be sure to submit your application before the August 31, 2026 application deadline.

Award Amount: $1,000

Eligibility

The scholarship is open to any current high school senior, vocational student, college student, or graduate student who is a legal resident of the United States residing in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and who is enrolled in a vocational program or two to four year post-secondary institution for the Spring 2026 Semester.

Employees of Securities Fraud Attorneys, their immediate families (parent, child, sibling, and spouse), and persons living in the same households of such individuals (whether related or not), are not eligible to participate in the competition.

Candidates for this scholarship should have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher and be in good overall academic standing.

Application Requirements

• The candidate must fill out the form below with all necessary information
• The candidate must submit a 750 -1,000 word essay response to the prompt: Describe why you think investor advocacy is important and how it could be improved going forward.
• Please note that all essays will be checked for AI writing. If AI writing is deemed present in the essay, the application will be denied.
• The candidate must submit a professional resumé that lists their experience, both professional and academic.
• The candidate must submit a transcript from their current school. First-year college students, graduate students, or individuals who have recently transferred schools may submit an unofficial transcript from their current school, as well as the most recent official transcript from their prior school. High school students can submit proof of acceptance to their college or university.
• Preference will be given to students either from or attending secondary school in the state.

The recipient of the Investor Advocacy Scholarship will be chosen during the month following the scholarship deadline.

We will not be available to answer scholarship-related questions by phone. Please submit any questions using this contact form.