The Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship will award a cash gift of $5,000 as well as $1,000 in Sigma products to one talented high school senior to advance his or her education and goals toward obtaining a career in the photography industry.

Applications were accepted online from November 15, 2010 to February 28, 2011. Online voting occurred from March 1, 2011 to April 1, 2011. Sigma executives will choose and announce the scholarship winner on April 18, 2011. To view the five finalists submissions, click here.

This scholarship contest illustrates Sigma’s five decades of technological advancement and innovation in the industry, and our family-owned company’s desire to empower and support up-and-coming photographers. The scholarship winner will be selected based on his or her ability to deliver outstanding photographs with the superior caliber of image quality for which the Sigma brand has become known.

Eligibility
The Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship is open to all high school seniors who will graduate in 2011 and seek higher learning. Applicants must aspire to obtain a degree or certificate in a photo-related field such as photography, photojournalism, graphic arts, design, visual arts, art history, etc. Sigma will take appropriate steps to verify that contestants meet the eligibility requirements, including asking contestants to provide proof of their educational status when necessary.

Family members of Sigma Corporation of America employees, dealers and affiliates are not eligible to apply.

Application Process
Applicants are required to submit an application, which includes a brief essay and three to five images that have a connecting theme, in order to be considered for the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship.

The essay must be between 300 and 800 words, describing the applicant’s methodology and thematic intent. This material will complement the applicant’s images and help the judges better understand the student’s process of capturing and selecting the photographs.

The entire package will be judged based on creativity of subject selection, overall technique and, most importantly, image quality. Students are not required to use Sigma equipment to shoot the photo essay.

Please click here for official scholarship contest rules.

Selection Process
Applications and materials will be accepted from 12:00 a.m. ET on November 15, 2010 to 5:00 p.m. ET on February 28, 2011, and the winner will be announced April 18, 2011.

All images and essays will be posted online on this site for public voting. Visitors to the site will be invited to vote for their favorite images and essay from March 1, 2011 to April 1, 2011. Students will be notified when the public voting opens and are encouraged to share the site link with their friends and family to request support. Sigma believes that opening up the contest to a public vote offers contestants the opportunity to promote their work to as many friends and acquaintances as possible, which is a critical part of every photographer’s success.

The public, online votes will select the top five finalists for the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship.

A judging panel comprised of Sigma executives will then determine the final scholarship winner. The winner’s name will be announced on April 18, 2011.

For official scholarship contest rules, click here.

Applicant Terms and Rights:
By applying for the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship and submitting the necessary materials, all students verify that the information is factual and the images provided are original. Sigma Corporation of America reserves the right to discard any materials and reject any applications that are suspected of being fraudulent or offensive, and cannot be held liable for content submitted and posted under this agreement.

All applicants who are under the age of eighteen must receive permission from their parents to vie for this scholarship and provide Sigma Corporation of America with permission to post their first and last name, images, and essays online to be voted on by the public. Applicants maintain all of the rights to their images, but will not be compensated for Sigma’s use of these images. The winner of the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship will allow Sigma Corporation of America to use his or her images on the company’s Web site and in promotional materials pertaining to the scholarship and its publicity at no cost.

The winner of the Sigma Corporation of America Scholarship will receive a $5,000 check from Sigma Corporation of America within 30 days of the announcement that he or she has won the contest. The winner will also receive a $1,000 Sigma gift card that must be used within one (1) year of being issued. There are no prizes for second or third place, and there are no scholarship substitutions or cash redemptions.

For official contest rules, click here.