A leading U.S. precious metals dealer has teamed up with the nation’s leading sound money groups to award eight new students with more than $10,000 in scholarship funding.
Money Metals Exchange, Sound Money Defense League, and the Sound Money Foundation are proud to present the Sound Money Scholarship -- the first gold-backed scholarship of the modern era.
Nearly 300 applicants across 4 continents, more than a dozen countries, and more than 40 states, entered this year’s scholarship contest. Applicants were tasked with writing essays on topics pertaining to sound money, the Federal Reserve, Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), and other timely prompts. The winners are as follows:
High School/Undergraduate Division:
First Place: David Brady, Jr., Florida Southern College - $2,500
Second Place: Adrian de Leon, American Public University - $2,000
Third Place: Elijah Badgett, iLead Hybrid Exploration - $1,500
Fourth Place: Dominick Brown, Corland Jr./Sr. High School - $1,000
Fifth Place: Adelaide Garnett, Las Vegas Academy of the Arts - $500
Graduate Division:
First Place: Benjamin Seevers, West Virginia University - $2,000
Second Place: Jose Juan Gonzalez Ortiz, Babson College - $1,000
Third Place: Sarah Hinton, Johns Hopkins University - $500
This year’s blue-ribbon panel of judges for the Sound Money Scholarship comprised of Chris Powell (Gold Anti-Trust Action Committee), Tho Bishop (Mises Institute), and Dr. Paul Cwik, (Mount Olive University).
Executive director of the Sound Money Defense League Jp Cortez said, “Our yearly Sound Money Scholarship contest continues to grow. Between our sound money policy efforts, paid scholarships and fellowships, and other informational resources like the Sound Money Index and the Sound Money Review, we are proud to work alongside Money Metals to provide these services for savers, investors, and anyone interested in gold and silver as money.”
Starting in 2016, these organizations set aside 100 ounces of physical gold for a scholarship fund, at the time valued around $120,000. Today, as a result of excessive money printing and deficit spending, that gold is worth more than $440,000. Each year, the groups award tuition assistance scholarships to outstanding students who display a thorough understanding of economics, monetary policy, and sound money.
Applications for the 2026 Sound Money Scholarship are now open to high school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students with an interest in economics, specifically the free-market tradition. Applicants do not have to be economics majors to be eligible to receive this scholarship.
The deadline to submit applications for the Sound Money Scholarship is October 31, 2026.
For more information, please visit moneymetals.com/scholarship or email [email protected].
