Avoiding Probate Pitfalls Scholarship
Scholarship Sponsored by Alden Probate Attorney
Introduction
Alden Law is offering the Estate Planning Essentials: Avoiding Probate Pitfalls Scholarship to help students deepen their understanding of estate planning’s role in protecting family finances and ensuring orderly asset transfers. One $1,000 award will be granted to a student whose submission demonstrates clear knowledge of strategies that reduce probate risk and promote financial security.
Scholarship overview
Estate planning matters at every life stage. Thoughtful use of instruments like trusts, joint ownership, and beneficiary designations can simplify asset transfer, preserve privacy, and potentially minimize estate tax exposure. Probate, by contrast, can be time-consuming and expensive. This scholarship asks applicants to explain how common estate-planning techniques prevent probate-related problems, using research, data, and/or personal examples to support their arguments.
Essay prompt
Title: Estate Planning Essentials: Avoiding Probate Pitfalls
Write a 1,000-word essay taking an informative and persuasive approach to how estate planning tools can be used to avoid typical probate complications. Discuss mechanisms such as trusts, joint tenancy, beneficiary designations, and other strategies that streamline asset distribution, protect privacy, and may reduce tax liability. Support your position with credible research, statistics, case examples, or personal reflection. Essays that do not meet the 1,000-word requirement will not be considered.
Award
- Amount: $1,000
Eligibility
- Minimum GPA: 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
- Must be currently enrolled in, or planning to enroll in, an accredited undergraduate, graduate, or community college program in the United States.
- High school seniors or recent graduates who have not yet started college must include an official acceptance letter from the institution they will attend.
Required application materials (PDF only)
All documents must be submitted as PDFs and follow the exact file-naming conventions below. Submissions not in PDF format or not named correctly will not be reviewed.
- Essay: FirstName_LastName_AldenLaw_Scholarship_2026.pdf (1,000 words)
- Resume (include contact information): FirstName_LastName_Resume.pdf
- Transcript: FirstName_LastName_Transcript.pdf
- College acceptance letter (if applicable): FirstName_LastName_AcceptanceLetter.pdf
How to submit
Email all required PDF files as attachments to gs@aldenlawfirm.com. Ensure each file is named exactly as specified above.
Deadline
All materials must be received by February 26, 2026.
Questions
If you have questions about eligibility or submission requirements, contact gs@aldenlawfirm.com.