America's Junior Miss Scholarship

It is hard to believe that a local competition once held annually to recognize and praise a thing of beauty, in particular, flowers, is now a national competition for young women, with an emphasis on qualities other than beauty. The America's Junior Miss Scholarship is now a $50,000 cash scholarship awarded to the winner of the America's Junior Miss pageant. The competition is held each year in Mobile, Alabama, the birthplace of the pageant. Female high school seniors are judged in five categories: scholastic, interview, talent, fitness, and self expression.

Starting at a local level, girls who are juniors in high school can join the program and compete to go on to the state level. Each state then crowns a representative who competes for the America's Junior Miss Scholarship in a nationwide competition. The America's Junior Miss program is dedicated to the education and fostering of self esteem in young women. For this reason, many scholarships are offered not only to the winner of the pageant, but to many of the other contestants. In addition to the scholarships given by America's Junior Miss, hundreds of scholarships are granted by many colleges and universities themselves.

High school juniors who would like to join the program and compete for scholarships can apply in the counties in which they live. In order to contend for the America's Junior Miss Scholarship, or in competitions at any level, there are certain criteria that must be met. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens, graduate high school the year following the pageant, and have never been married or had children. There is no cost to apply for or join the America's Junior Miss, but participants are taken on a first come, first serve basis.