Parents
Can I participate for my son or daughter?
Yes, as a parent you can register with CKSF and compete to try and win scholarships for your children. When you win, the award must be transferred to your child's CKSF account. (Return to top)
How are the scholarships awarded?
CKSF scholarship awards may be used at any post secondary school (college, university, trade school, etc). After CKSF validates the winner an electronic claim form becomes available in the winner's account. The form must be competed in its ENTIRETY. Scholarship awards are processed and disbursed quarterly. CKSF writes the check payable to the student's college or university for deposit into the student's account. (Return to top)
Is personal information held confidential?
The Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation holds your personal information confidential and does not share any information that can be tied to you without your permission. You grant permission only when participating in specific "opt-in" scholarships. (Return to top)
CKSF Scholarships are FREE to students
You do not have to pay because someone has donated the money to make each CKSF scholarship possible. This is why it is important to thank the scholarship sponsor, even if you don't win. (Return to top)
Register ONCE - Have access to all CKSF scholarships forever
A one-time registration lets you participate in CKSF scholarship competitions for the rest of your life. Registration takes approximately five minutes, then we will email you each time a new scholarship is available for which you qualify. All you have to do is keep your profile information updated and accurate. (Return to top)
It is all done with simple online quizzes
We have replaced applications and essay writing with quick online quizzes. The quizzes are generally 15-25 multiple choice questions that take less than 15 minutes to complete. You get 500 points for each correct answer and lose 1 point for every second it takes to complete each question. (Return to top)
What are tournament style competitions?
Most CKSF scholarship contests have multiple rounds. After the first round, the top highest scores are advanced to the championship/awarding round. (Return to top)
How are the scholarships funded?
Each scholarship has a sponsor. A sponsor is an individual or organization that provides CKSF funding to make each scholarship competition possible. Sponsors are selfless people willing to give away money to someone they do not even know and help make higher education possible. This is why it is important to thank the scholarship sponsor, even if you don't win. (Return to top)
New quizzes every month
CKSF offers many scholarships throughout the year. New scholarships are added each month, and scholarships on many different topics are available. New scholarships appear in students’ accounts 15-30 days prior to scholarships’ start dates. Students will find all of their available scholarships on their "My Scholarships" page in their accounts. (Return to top)
Available 24 hours a day
There is a specific time frame or "window" when each CKSF quiz is available. During this window, the quizzes are available 24 hours a day. Students can participate anywhere they have internet access (school, library, home, etc). (Return to top)
No limit to the number of quizzes you can take
New quizzes become available every month. You may participate in as many quizzes as you want. You may continue to participate until you reach $5,000 in CKSF awards. (Return to top)
Are dial-up participants at a disadvantage?
CKSF has made an effort to account for different internet connections. For each question the clock starts when the website is fully loaded and stops once you click the "submit" button. (Return to top)
What if I miss a quiz or want to retake a quiz?
At CKSF we get so many requests to retake quizzes and/or extend dates that there is no fair way to accommodate everyone. As a result, once scholarships dates are posted we become obligated to stick to them. CKSF cannot be responsible for technical issues that may affect the delivery of the scholarship content. (Return to top)
How do I know if I win?
The eligible participant with the highest score for each CKSF contest is the winner. You can view the results of CKSF contests on the homepage or from inside your account. Results are updated every three hours, so you may not see your name immediately after you take a quiz. CKSF will notify the winner via email after the contest has ended. CKSF makes every effort to award the rightful winner. Software runs in the background of each quiz to check for any suspicious activity, inconsistencies and people participating with multiple accounts. (Return to top)