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mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship

Offered by mikeroweWORKS Foundation · Free to apply

Award
Varies (typically $5,000-$10,000)
one-time award
Deadline
October 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT
deadlines recur around October each year
Estimated odds
1 in 2,000
Solyo estimate, not a published rate
Application effort
~6 hrs
about $1 of expected value per hour

Students entering accredited trade programs of two years or less, including welding, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and diesel tech, can win awards commonly between $5,000 and $10,000 from Mike Rowe's foundation. Grades play no part: the application asks for short written answers, a 45 to 60 second video, two references from a boss, supervisor, or teacher, and a signed S.W.E.A.T. Pledge about work ethic. Four-year bachelor's programs are excluded, so this fits only students headed to a certificate or two-year technical program. Submissions are reviewed in rounds through the year, and the window closes October 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Expect several hours on the video and the pledge questions, and plan for the reference letters to take time.

How hard is the mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship 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
~6,500 students
Payoff per hour of work
$1 / 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
  • Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
  • Fewer rivalsRestricted to specific intended majors
  • More rivalsA five-figure award attracts a bigger field

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 mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship?

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 seniors, current college students, and adult learners
  • Open to U.S. citizens
  • Planning to study Skilled Trades
Confirm these before applying
  • Must be a high school senior, high school graduate, or GED holder enrolled or enrolling in an approved trade-related program
  • Only accredited programs of two years or less qualify; four-year bachelor's degree programs are excluded
  • Requires signing the S.W.E.A.T. Pledge and answering short questions about it
  • Requires a 45-60 second video submission
  • Requires two references, accepted only from a boss, supervisor, or teacher
Good to know
  • No minimum GPA and no standardized test scores required

What the application takes

  • Essay required. The prompt centers on personal leadership.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is October 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around October 31 each year. Submit early: the foundation decides in rounds during the year, so waiting for the October close puts you in the last one.

Applications reviewed in rounds
Through the year
Final submission date
October 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT
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 mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship

How much is the mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship worth?

The mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship awards varies (typically $5,000-$10,000).

When is the mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship deadline?

The current deadline is October 31, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. PT. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around October 31 each year. Submit early: the foundation decides in rounds during the year, so waiting for the October close puts you in the last one.

Who is eligible for the mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship?

Key requirements: Open to high school seniors, current college students, and adult learners; Open to U.S. citizens; Planning to study Skilled Trades.

Does the mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay. Expect to spend about 6 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants, against a modelled field of ~6,500 students. The pool stays that size because an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants and restricted to specific intended majors. At 6 hrs of work, that is about $1 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship free to apply?

Yes. The mikeroweWORKS Work Ethic Scholarship 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.