FMAA Scholarship Program

Overview

The FMAA Scholarship Program is an annual video contest run by the Flag Manufacturers Association of America. The program awards up to $3,500 in total scholarship funds to students who create a 45 to 60 second original video responding to a yearly prompt about the American flag. The 2026 cycle is open and entries are due Monday, May 25, 2026. Winners are selected by July 4, 2026 and notified by email.

For 2026, the prompt asks students to address how purchasing a domestically made American flag supports the values of independence, self-reliance, and national pride. The scholarship is a one-time award and is not renewable. Two awards are given: a first place and a second place entry. In 2025, the winner was Ella Trickel from Gresham, Oregon, and second place went to Trinity Jones from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

This is a video production contest, not a traditional academic scholarship. Film and video production students can use it to build their reel while earning money for school. The short format (45 to 60 seconds) rewards concise visual storytelling, similar to a spec commercial or a branded content piece.

History

The Flag Manufacturers Association of America (FMAA) co-sponsors the scholarship with the National Independent Flag Dealers Association (NIFDA). The FMAA is a trade group of US flag manufacturers committed to domestic production using American factories, American employees, and US-sourced raw materials.

The scholarship program has run annually since at least 2010, with winners listed by year on the FMAA website from 2010 through 2025. Key milestones include:

• 2010: First recorded scholarship cycle
• 2025: Winner Ella Trickel and second place Trinity Jones selected from entries answering a prompt about flag symbolism and inclusivity
• 2026: Deadline moved to May 25 (from August 31 in 2025) to align with the US semiquincentennial, with winners announced by July 4, 2026

Award Value

• Total scholarship pool: $3,500 split across two awards (first place and second place)
• One-time award: Not renewable. Winners cannot reapply in subsequent years.
• Use of funds: Award money goes toward educational expenses at the winner's college or vocational school
• No restrictions on field of study: Applicants can be enrolled in any program at a college or vocational school, including film and video production
• No stipend or cost-of-living component: The award is a fixed cash prize with no additional stipend, equipment, or tuition credit

Individual award amounts for first and second place are not specified on the FMAA website. The total pool is $3,500. Do not budget assuming you will receive the full $3,500.

Eligibility

• Must be a high school senior or older
• Must be enrolled in college or vocational school
• No GPA minimum specified
• No restriction on field of study, though the contest involves video production
• No citizenship requirement explicitly stated, but applicants must be enrolled at a US institution
• Selection method: Open application. The FMAA Board judges videos primarily on content and creativity. No faculty nomination or institutional endorsement required.

Past Recipients

The FMAA lists scholarship winners by year from 2010 through 2025 on its website. Recent confirmed recipients:

The FMAA website maintains a complete archive of winners from 2010 to 2025 at the Scholarship Winners by Year page. Each year features a first place and second place winner. The prompts change annually, covering topics from domestic manufacturing to flag symbolism and national unity.

What Made Their Application Stand Out

The FMAA Board judges videos on two primary criteria: content and creativity. The board reviews each entry for how thoughtfully the applicant addresses the year's prompt and how creatively the video communicates that message within the 45 to 60 second constraint.

Videos that perform well tend to:

• Deliver a clear, specific argument rather than vague patriotic statements
• Use visual storytelling techniques (montage, voiceover, on-screen text) rather than talking-head formats
• Stay within the 45 to 60 second runtime without padding or rushing
• Avoid political activism, as the guidelines explicitly prohibit using the video as a forum for political activism

The FMAA states that videos are judged "primarily on content and creativity" by board members. The short format rewards filmmakers who can communicate a complete idea in under one minute, a skill that transfers directly to commercial and branded content work.

Renewal Requirements

The FMAA Scholarship is a one-time award and is not renewable. Winners cannot reapply in subsequent years. Students who do not win can submit a new entry the following year, provided they remain eligible (enrolled in college or vocational school).

There is no GPA requirement, continued enrollment verification, or progress milestone reporting associated with the award. Once selected, the winner receives the scholarship funds and has no further obligations to the FMAA beyond the video release form signed at submission.

Application Process

Applications are submitted through the FMAA Scholarship Application page. The process requires three steps:

1. Create an original video of 45 to 60 seconds responding to the current year's prompt. The 2026 prompt asks: "How does purchasing a domestically made American Flag support the values of independence, self-reliance, and national pride that the country has embraced for 250 years and contribute to the growth of the American US Flag manufacturing?"
2. Complete the online application form on the FMAA website, including a video release form granting the FMAA permission to use the video entry on their website, YouTube, and Facebook.
3. Submit before the deadline: Entries are due on or before Monday, May 25, 2026.

The FMAA Scholarship Guidelines are available as a PDF on the FMAA website. Applicants should review the guidelines before producing their video to ensure compliance with content and format requirements.

Required materials:

• 45 to 60 second original video (uploaded as a YouTube link)
• Completed online application form
• Signed video release form
• Social media engagement (follow FMAA, share/retweet, comment, subscribe to YouTube channel)

What Filmmakers Should Know

The $3,500 total award pool is modest compared to dedicated film school scholarships. At a four-year film school with tuition above $40,000 per year, this scholarship will not cover a meaningful portion of costs. It works best as supplemental funding for students at community colleges or vocational schools where $1,000 to $2,500 covers a real share of tuition.

The real value for film students is the portfolio piece. A 45 to 60 second produced video demonstrates visual storytelling ability under constraints, which is the exact skill set needed for spec commercials and branded content. Treat the contest as a paid assignment that builds your reel.

The key trade-off: by entering, you grant the FMAA irrevocable permission to use your video on their website, YouTube, and Facebook without further compensation. The video becomes FMAA property. Filmmakers who want to retain rights to their work should not submit to this contest. Weigh the scholarship money against the loss of ownership before applying.

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See Also

For understanding how grants fit into a funding strategy, see Film Grants and Funding. To estimate production costs for a scholarship-supported project, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. For evaluating the cost of applying against projected returns, use the Ad Spend Break-Even Calculator.