The Leap Live & Learn Scholarship 2026
Your brain works hard. Your housing should, too.
About the Scholarship
At Leap, we don’t just open doors to homes; we open doors to futures. The Live & Learn Scholarship Program is our way of investing in the residents who are focused on their academic future while we handle the rest.
If you’re a Leap resident with big ideas and a GPA to match, we’ve got $50,000 in total funding to award to nine students, and you could be one of them!
Award Details
We’re awarding nine scholarships to students who can tell a great story and offer even better solutions.
| Placing | Award Amount | Winners |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | $15,000 | 1 Winner |
| 2nd Place | $10,000 | 1 Winner |
| 3rd – 5th | $5,000 | 3 Winners |
| 6th – 9th | $2,500 | 4 Winners |
Eligibility
To be considered for the Leap Live & Learn Scholarship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Applicants must be an active lease holder qualified with Leap Guarantor Waiver Policy at a participating student housing community.
- Applicants must be currently enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student at an accredited college or university.
- Location: Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited United States Institution.
- Enrollment Timing: Your active enrollment dates must occur after the scholarship application deadline.
- Applicable Term: This scholarship cycle is specifically for the Fall 2026 academic term, typically beginning in August or September).
- This scholarship is open to all college students, including undergraduate and graduate levels.
- Domestic and international students are welcome to apply, provided they meet the other eligibility requirements.
How to Enter
We want to hear your voice, whether it’s on the page or on the screen. Choose one prompt and one format to submit.
You can choose to do a written essay or a video submission. See below for submission guidelines.
STEP 1: CHOOSE A PROMPT
Option 1: Imagine building an AI tool for your property management team to help residents overcome a specific hurdle.
Pick one issue to solve:
- Mental Well-being: Feeling isolated or struggling to adapt to a new environment.
- Financial Stress: Feeling overwhelmed by moving costs or falling behind on payments.
- Accessibility: Having physical or neurodivergent needs the apartment doesn’t meet.
- Roommate Friction: Experiencing lifestyle clashes or “house rule” disagreements.
What “red flags” should your AI look for to indicate a resident needs help? More importantly: At what exact moment does the AI stop, and a human take over to make that resident feel at home?
STEP 2: SUBMIT HERE
Submission Guidelines
Written Submissions:
- The essay should not be less than 400 words, nor should it exceed 800 words.
- The final essay must be submitted as a PDF file.
- Standard professional writing expectations apply.
We believe in innovation, but we value your story more. Following current university standards, here is how you can — and can’t — use AI:
- Use AI as a writing coach: It’s great for brainstorming outlines, checking your grammar, or asking, “Does this sentence make sense?”
- Do not use AI as a ghostwriter: Copy-pasting AI-generated text is considered plagiarism. If the essay doesn’t sound like you, it isn’t for us.
- AI detection tools will be used during evaluation. If your submission is flagged as purely AI-generated, it will be disqualified.
Video Submissions:
All videos must be uploaded to Vimeo.
- Duration: Minimum of 90 seconds; maximum of 5 minutes.
- Audio Quality: Professional grade; narration or on-screen speech must be crisp and clear.
- Visuals: Flexibility to use on-screen talent, animations, or B-roll, provided it aligns with the “Clever & Minimal” brand voice.
- Privacy Settings: Ensure the video is set to “Public” or “Anyone with the link” to allow for seamless sharing.
- To Share Your Video With Us:
- 1. Select the video from your Vimeo Library.
- 2. Click the Share button (top right).
- 3. Select Copy link to share.
Here is how you can — and can’t — use AI:
- Use AI as a Production Assistant: It’s great for brainstorming your script outline, suggesting visual concepts, or using AI-powered tools to clean up background noise.
- Do not use AI as a Creator: Do not use AI-generated avatars, “deepfake” imagery, or AI-cloned voices to tell your story. If the video doesn’t represent your unique perspective and effort, it isn’t for us.
- If your submission is flagged as being purely AI-generated or synthesized, it will be disqualified.
Accessibility Considerations
To ensure your message is accessible to all members of our scholarship committee, please adhere to the following:
- Captions/Subtitles: All videos must include burned-in or allow closed captions on the platform. This ensures that the content is accessible to judges who are D/deaf or hard of hearing, or those viewing in a noise-sensitive environment.
- Audio Clarity: If you are providing a voiceover, ensure there is a clear distinction between the narration and any background music. High-contrast audio (where the voice is significantly louder than the music) is required for clarity.
- Visual Descriptions: If your video relies heavily on text on screen or complex charts, please ensure your narration describes these elements so that the content is understandable through audio alone.
- Avoid Flashing Lights: To prevent issues for viewers with photosensitivity, please refrain from using strobe effects or rapid, high-contrast flickering.