2026 DAVID HUDAK MEMORIAL ESSAY CONTEST FOR FREETHINKING, FIRST-IN-FAMILY COLLEGE STUDENTS

2026 David Hudak Memorial Essay Contest for Freethinking First-In-Family College Students:

Freedom From Religion Foundation serves as the nation's largest association of freethinkers (atheists, agnostics, non-religious individuals) and works as a state/ church watchdog to uphold the constitutional principle of state/church separation.

This essay competition is sponsored by the FFRF, a 501(c)3 educational nonprofit established nationally in 1978. This contest is one of five national essay competitions sponsored by the organization annually.

All eligible entrants are offered a full one-year complimentary student membership, which includes a digital version of 10 issues of Freethought Today, (FFRF's newspaper, which publishes winning student essays), and a complimentary book or premium. 

Students may only enter one FFRF contest annually and may not enter a contest if they have previously won an award in that particular contest.

AWARDS:

• First Place Award: $3,500 

• Second Place Award: $3,000 

• Third Place Award: $2,500 

• Fourth Place Award: $2,000 

• Fifth Place Award: $1,500 

• Sixth Place Award: $1,000 

• Seventh Place Award: $750 

• Eighth Place Award: $500 

• Ninth Place Award: $400 

• Tenth Place Award: $300 

• Optional Honorable Mention(s): $200 

2026 David Hudak Memorial Essay for Freethinking First-In-Family College Students:

ELIGIBILITY: Open only to individuals ages 17-21, who will be attending or are currently enrolled in a North American college or university in fall 2026, and whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed an associate’s (2-year) or bachelor’s degree (4-year) from an accredited college or university. If you will be graduating from college in the spring or summer 2026, you remain eligible to enter this contest.

TOPIC: Why white supremacy goes hand-in-hand with Christian nationalism.

PROMPT: Write an essay about the inherent white racism in Christian nationalism. You may wish to write about it from a historic or a political perspective, but please be sure to include why it is a threat to our secular democracy and to you as an individual, or to your own community or ethnic or racial minorities in the United States. Include something about your own experiences with or reactions to white Christian nationalism.

WORD COUNT: 350-500 words. 

Fill out application and submit your essay no later than 11:59 pm CDT, June 1, 2026.

Winners will be notified no later than mid August, 2026.

SUBMISSION RULES: Please fill out online submission form. Please choose your own title, do not use the topic of the essay as the title. Include links to quotes, studies or major facts relied upon, or footnote. Our judges will score your paper more favorably if you follow these instructions.  

AI POLICY, WARNING:You will be asked to warrant that AI is not used in writing the text of your essay beyond grammar or spell check. While you may wish to use AI in any research, be advised that using AI exclusively for research or relying exclusively on AI to generate your ideas will likely detract from the merits of your essay and result in a lower score. We’d rather see typos or minor grammatical errors than template language. Such reliance is usually obvious: because it results in our receiving a series of repetitive, similar essays all making the same general arguments.

The famed 19th century freethinker Robert G. Ingersoll said it best: “I do not borrow ideas. I have a factory of my own.” We are not looking for regurgitation of facts or opinions using group data. This is a personal essay. We are asking you to think deeply about the topic and are seeking your own thoughts, expressed in your own words and derived from your own unique experiences. You’re a lot smarter and more creative than a bot! FFRF monitors for plagiarism and AI.

AGREEMENT: By entering the competition, you agree to permit your name and winning essay to be printed in full or in part in Freethought Today, FFRF's newspaper; ANNOUNCED IN A NEWS RELEASE, and POSTED ONLINE AT FFRF's WEBSITE. You also agree, if you win an award, to promptly provide FFRF with a high-resolution photograph of yourself suitable for reproduction with your winning essay . 

REQUIREMENTS:Winners may be asked to send verification of student enrollment. Students will be disqualified if they do not follow instructions, including word count and deadline. You may not re-enter this contest if FFRF has previously awarded you for an essay in the college grad contest. If you have previously entered but did not win, you may submit another essay in this contest. You may only enter one FFRF contest annually.

BANISH MANGLISH: FFRF encourages you to please use inclusive language, rather than language that presumes everyone is male. For example, try "humanity" or "humankind," rather than"mankind." 

If you have any questions or concerns, please email FFRF at ltreu@ffrf.orgor call (608)256-8900.

ELIGIBILITY: Open only to individuals ages 17-21, who will be attending or are currently enrolled in a North American college or university in fall 2026, and whose parent(s) or legal guardian(s) have not completed an associate’s (2-year) or bachelor’s degree (4-year) from an accredited college or university. If you will be graduating from college in the spring or summer 2026, you remain eligible to enter this contest.

All eligible entrants will be offered a full one-year complimentary student membership, which includes a digital version of 10 issues of Freethought Today (FFRF's newspaper which publishes student essays), and a complimentary book or premium. 

OTHER FFRF SCHOLARSHIP Opportunities:
2026 William J Schulz Memorial Essay for Freethinking College-Bound High School Seniors
2026 Kenneth L Proulx Memorial Essay For Freethinking Ongoing College Students
2026 Cornelius Vander Broek Memorial Essay Contest for Freethinking Graduate/"Older" Students (to age 30)