Mensa Education & Research Foundation Scholarship Program The Mensa Education & Research Foundation college scholarship program bases its awards totally on essays written by the applicants. There is no requirement for applicants to be Mensa members nor is consideration given to grades, academic program, or financial need. There are three requirements for applicants: The applicant must currently be a resident of a participating American Mensa local group's area. The applicant must be enrolled in a degree program in an accredited U.S. institution of higher learning during the academic year following the application date. The applicant must submit an application and essay of not more than 550 words explaining their academic and/or vocational goals. NOTE: Each year, the list of participating groups may change. The Mensa Education & Research Foundation scholarship program is very large in the geographic area it covers - usually about 75% of the United States; the number of applications - approximately 4,000 to 6,000 in recent years; and the amount of money available for awards - nearly $60,000 this past year. The MERF scholarship program is operated by about 400 volunteers around the country with support by the Foundation Director and American Mensa's office staff. How the scholarship program works