Scholarship from Life Happens – creating a positive impact for students affected by loss

At Ameritas, we understand that life happens. Sometimes things are going great and then disaster strikes. Sadly, many families don’t have life insurance in place for when the worst becomes real.

We wanted to do something about that. That’s why we partnered with Life Happens, a nonprofit organization that helps people make smart insurance decisions, to help fund a scholarship for students that needed life insurance but didn’t have it.

We hope our contribution gives individuals the support they need to get their degree and make a difference.

About the scholarship

The Life Lessons Scholarship is a $5,000 university scholarship for students who have been negatively impacted by the death of a parent, and for whom a life insurance policy would have helped offset some of that hardship.

Eligibility

In order to apply, applicants send either a 500-word essay or a 3-minute video to Life Happens explaining how the death of a parent or guardian affected their lives financially. They also explain how life insurance would have helped prevent the financial hardship they found themselves in. To be considered eligible, applicants must:

● Be a legal resident of the United States, Washington, D.C., or Puerto Rico.
● Be between 17 and 24 years old.
● Have experienced the death of a parent or legal guardian.
● Be enrolled in or accepted to a college, university or trade school in any of the above locations.

Reviewers take their time looking through all applications and carefully select those that best meet the spirit of the scholarship. In addition to all the above criteria, reviewers will also base their final decisions on the following:

● How compelling the student’s experience is.
● How much the experience affected the student’s ability to reach their financial goals.
● How determined the student is to get their degree.

2021 scholarship recipient

We’re very pleased to announce that Morgan Portis of Pike Road, AL, is the 2021 Life Lessons scholarship recipient.

Morgan’s father didn’t have a life insurance policy, so his passing in October 2020 put severe financial strain on her and her family. The Life Lessons Scholarship will relieve some of Morgan’s financial stress and give her the freedom to get back to living the life she wants to live. With the scholarship, Morgan will finally be able to kick start her lifelong dream of going to medical school.

Past scholarship recipients

● 2020 scholarship recipient: Estevan Hernandez – Estevan struggled financially after he lost both his parents at a young age. He was able to secure the Life Lessons Scholarship in 2020, giving him enough support to pursue his degree while providing for his two daughters at the same time, without the constant worry of financial loss.

● 2019 scholarship recipient: Chassidy Walworth – Chassidy’s life was thrown into turmoil after a long custody battle between her parents. Uncertain about her financial future, Chassidy became the 2019 Life Lessons scholarship recipient, allowing her to pursue her double degree in mass communication and marketing without added financial pressure.

Applying to the scholarship from Life Happens

Thanks to another healthy round of contributions from a cohort of generous sponsors, the Life Lessons scholarship was again made available to qualified applicants this year.

Applications will be reviewed during the late spring months, with recipients being announced in July.

Members of Ameritas Mutual Holding Company can register to become an official reviewer, giving them a role in assessing the shortlist of applications and casting their vote for one of the finalists.

If that sounds like something you’re interested in, fill out the entry form with your name and email address to register and vote for this year’s recipient.

Fulfilling life with life insurance

Life happens. We get that. That’s why we’re committed to giving back to our local communities through education and training, arts and culture, health-related services, sustainability, and financial stability.

For more information about the Life Lessons Scholarship, check out the Life Happens website.