The American Legion/Tuition assistance
American Legion Oratorical Contest
Amount variesNot guaranteedLimited number available
A public speaking contest on the Constitution, open to any student in years nine to twelve including home schooled students. More than 203,500 dollars was shared in 2026, and it is awarded at every stage rather than only to the winner. You start at a local contest, so the entry point is close to home.
More than 203,500 dollars in 2026, shared between quarter finalists, semi finalists and finalists, so reaching a later round is worth something rather than nothing. Neither page states what an individual award is, so no figure is given here.
Dates set each term. Check the official page
What you need
The official page does not list required documents. Check the official page before you apply, since a provider can ask for paperwork it does not publish.
How to apply
- 1Find the American Legion post or department for your areaYou enter through the department covering where you live or where you go to school, and only one. Local contests happen first and are the part with the nearest deadline.
- 2Write an oration on the ConstitutionIt has to be about some aspect of the Constitution with emphasis on a citizen's duties and obligations. The same oration is used at the national contest as at the department one, so it is written once.
Where this comes from
- Official source
- https://www.legion.org/get-involved/youth-programs/oratorical-contest/how-to-participate
- Last checked by SCRN
- 2026-10-11Verified null days ago
- How it was verified
- Checked against the official page by a person at SCRN
- Source level
- Provider verifiedRead from the provider's own page.
- Deadline
- term basedSet by each department, which is the state level organisation, so there is no single national date. Contests run through the winter and the national final is in spring. Ask your nearest post in the autumn, because the local contest is the one with the earliest date.
- How often
- annual