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American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest

Offered by The American Legion · Free to apply

Award

Up to $25,000 (state winners $2,000+)

one-time award

Deadline

December 1, 2026

deadlines recur around December each year

Estimated odds

1 in 2,000

Solyo estimate, not a published rate

Application effort

~25 hrs

about $0 of expected value per hour

Speakers prepare an 8 to 10 minute oration on the U.S. Constitution plus a shorter assigned-topic speech, then advance from a local American Legion post through district and state rounds to the national finals. The national champion receives $25,000, the runner-up $22,500, and third place $20,000, and every state winner who reaches the national contest collects at least $2,000. Entrants must be under 20, enrolled in grades 9 through 12, and may compete in only one state. Entry runs through a local post beginning in the fall and most posts close around December 1, with post contests in December, district rounds in January, and state finals in February or March before spring nationals. Each state department sets its own calendar, so call a nearby post in September or October.

How hard is the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.

Estimated odds: roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants
Modelled applicant field: ~45,000 students
Payoff per hour of work: $0 / hr

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors
Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card)
Age 19 or younger

Confirm these before applying

Compete in the state where you legally live or attend school, and in only one state
Entry begins at a local American Legion post; deadlines are set locally, so contact a post early in the fall

Good to know

Must be under age 20 on the date of the national contest
Must be enrolled in grades 9-12 at a public, parochial, military, private, or home school
Students who graduate early remain eligible if they have not yet enrolled in college

What the application takes

No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is December 1, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 1 each year. Applications open September, through a local post. State departments and local posts set their own entry dates, so contact a post in September or October; some close local contests in early December.

Local post entry opens: September 2026
Post entry closes: December 1, 2026
Post and district contests: December and January
State finals: February to March
National finals: Spring

Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

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Common questions about the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest

How much is the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest worth?

The American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest awards up to $25,000 (state winners $2,000+).

When is the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest deadline?

When do American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest applications open?

Applications open September, through a local post, and close December 1, 2026. State departments and local posts set their own entry dates, so contact a post in September or October; some close local contests in early December.

Who is eligible for the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest?

Key requirements: Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors; Open to U.S. citizens or permanent residents (green card); Age 19 or younger.

Does the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 25 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants, against a modelled field of ~45,000 students. At 25 hrs of work, that is about $0 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest free to apply?

Yes. The American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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Lists this award appears on

Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.