Storage.com, an online directory and provider of search engine optimization (SEO) packages for self-storage facilities, has launched a college-scholarship contest open to students across the nation. The company will award three $2,500 scholarships to applicants who submit the best essay and possibly even supporting video.
The contest is open to anyone who will be attending an accredited college or university this fall, including high school seniors and currently enrolled college students. Those students’ parents are also welcome to apply.
“Giving back to our many, many self-storage renters that have a need for self-storage in college was a key reason for building the annual Storage.com scholarship program,” said Bill Hipsher, CEO. “Going to college can be stressful on so many fronts, [with] logistics and financial aid being two major stresses. The Storage.com scholarship can alleviate some of the stress on both of those fronts.”
Applicants must submit a 250- to 400-word essay to be considered for the scholarship. They may also submit a one- to two-minute video to supplement their written piece. "The video supplement to the scholarship application is strongly encouraged," Hipsher said. " Technology makes adding a video to the submission so easy today. The video portion allows our judging panel with an opportunity to get to know a bit more about the applicants via video and not just the written word."
Essays submitted by current high school and college students must answer the question: “Given that you already have the necessities for college, if you could only take what fits into a backpack with you to college, what would you bring?” Submissions from parents and guardians must answer the question: “In a perfect world, when your child moves out for college, what are you going to do with their bedroom?”
A committee of reviewers made up of self-storage professionals will determine the top 20 essays from each of the applicant categories and pick the three winners after a second round of judging. During the process, essays and videos will be available for public review on Storage.com, with opportunities for social sharing, promotion and voting. Social votes may be used as a tiebreaker, giving the public a chance to weigh in on who they believe is most deserving, company officials said in a press release.
The application period will close on July 31, with winners being notified on Aug. 15. Additional details and requirements are available on the company’s website.
Storage.com was designed to help storage businesses compete more effectively in the online marketplace and allow potential customers to search for self-storage in their area, according to company officials. The website integrates with a facility’s property-management software. For those operating without such software, it offers inventory-management tools. It also delivers exclusive reservations to operators and provides an SEO package.
