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C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition

Offered by C-SPAN · Free to apply

StudentCam is C-SPAN's national video documentary competition for students in grades 6 through 12. Students work alone or in teams of up to three to make a 5 to 6 minute documentary on the year's theme, which for 2027 is "Mr. Speaker, I Rise To...", about an issue students want Congress to address. High school entries are judged in East, Central and West regions based on the school's state. C-SPAN awards $100,000 in total to the top 150 documentaries: a $5,000 grand prize, four first prizes of $3,000, 16 second prizes of $1,500, 32 third prizes of $750 and 97 honorable mentions of $250. Team winnings are split evenly. Entries are uploaded to a video host and the link is submitted through an online entry form. Students in public, private and home schools are all eligible. Winners are announced on C-SPAN in March. With 150 winners each year, this is one of the more winnable national contests for students who like video.

Other deadlines near this one

How hard is the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition 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 200 applicants
Modelled applicant field: ~30,000 students
Awards each cycle: 150
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

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 C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition?

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

Good to know

Documentary must run between 5:00 and 6:00 minutes (not counting end credits)
Individuals or teams of up to 3 students; prize money is split evenly
Winners of more than $600 must provide a Social Security number on a W-9 to receive the cash

Personalized matching

Does your student actually qualify?

Not sure your student clears every rule above? 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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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 January 20, 2027 at 11:59 PM Pacific. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 20 each year. Five to six minutes of finished video takes several weekends; start filming by early December.

Documentary upload and entry form due: January 20, 2027 at 11:59 PM Pacific
Winners announced: March 17, 2027

Remind me before Jan 20 Apply on the official site

Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.

Common questions about the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition

How much is the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition worth?

The C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition awards $250 to $5,000 (split among team members). 150 awards are made each cycle.

When is the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition deadline?

Who is eligible for the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition?

Key requirements: Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, high school juniors, and high school seniors.

Does the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition require an essay?

No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 30 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 200 applicants, against a modelled field of ~30,000 students. At 30 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 C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition free to apply?

Yes. The C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Competition 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.