Your high school graduate could win $2,500 for college

You've remained steadfast in your commitment to saving for retirement. Participating in your employer's retirement program helps you plan for a successful future. Now, you can help your high school senior jump-start theirs.

Nationwide and the National Association of Counties want high school seniors to understand the importance of saving early for retirement.

To get them started, Nationwide will award four college scholarships - each worth $2,500 - to four high school seniors whose parents or grandparents participate in a NACo Deferred Compensation 457 plan.

Throughout their decades of partnership, Nationwide and NACo have remained committed to helping you plan for retirement and your family's future.

How to apply:
Complete an online application. As part of the application, your high school senior will be asked to write a short essay. Please keep the response to 500 words or fewer, and the student should answer in his or her own words.

Essay Question:
As a graduating High-School senior, develop a financial wellness strategy that builds wealth from high school to the end of your professional career. Build your financial strategy beginning in your teens, through Early Career, Mid-Career, and Late Career. As part of your financial wellness strategy, you must include a Deferred Compensation 457b Plan. You also can include any other financial solutions, best practices, or steps that allow you to secure financial independence.

(Please note: You may use AI as a resource, but you may be disqualified if more than 50% of your response is AI produced).

Apply now

Terms and conditions

Eligibility requirements:
Graduating high school seniors who are legal U.S. residents are eligible to apply. Please keep the following criteria in mind:

  • The applicant’s parent, grandparent or legal guardian must be enrolled in and have a current employee funded 457(b) Plan offered through the NACo Deferred Compensation Program.
  • Applicants must enroll in a full-time undergraduate course of study no later than the autumn term of the 2026-2027 school year or at an accredited Trade School or two or four-year college.
  • Immediate family members of NACo employees, members of the NACo Defined Contribution and Retirement Advisory Committee or its governing board of directors, staff of individual state Association of Counties that are members of the LLC and Nationwide employees are not eligible to apply; this program is not offered outside the United States.
  • The application and entry must be submitted online between March 2 and April 30, 2026.

Judging criteria:

  • Scholarship entries will be reviewed by a committee of associates from both Nationwide and NACo; scholarship recipients will be chosen based on the content of their entry
  • All entries submitted will become property of Nationwide and may be used for educational and/or marketing purposes; the original author will be credited

How scholarship recipients will be notified:

  • Scholarship recipients will be notified in June 2026
  • The winner must enroll in an accredited institution by the autumn term of the 2026-2027 school year
  • A check payable to the institution will be mailed directly to the institution of each scholarship recipient during the fall of 2026

Nationwide Retirement Solutions (Nationwide) partners with the National Association of Counties (NACo) to provide counties and their employees with a competitive deferred compensation program. As part of this partnership, Nationwide pays a fee to NACo in exchange for NACo’s exclusive endorsement, marketing support, and program oversight of Nationwide products made available under the program. For more information, including fees paid, Nationwide encourages you to visit www.nrsforu.com. Nationwide, the Nationwide N and Eagle, Nationwide is on your side, and other marks displayed in this message are service marks of Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company and/or its affiliates, unless otherwise disclosed. Third-party marks that appear in this message are the property of their respective owners.

© 2026 Nationwide.