The Fraser Institute hosts an annual Student Essay Contest to promote student participation in economic discourse on current events and public policy. This contest affords students the opportunity to have their work peer-reviewed and published early on in their academic career. In addition, we offer exciting cash prizes for the top five winning submissions!
The Fraser Institute's 2024 Student Essay Contest is now closed. Thank you to all the students who submitted their work. We look forward to reading your essay and your contributions to economic and public policy discourse. Due to the volume of submissions, we will announce winning essays in early fall 2024. All participants will receive an email in regards to the status of their submission.
We will be announcing our 2025 Student Essay Contest prompt in early 2025. To be the first to know about the 2025 Student Essay Contest click the subscribe link below:
Subscribe for 2025 Student Essay Contest Updates
Learn more about essay contest requirements and submission process by reading our Contest Rules and FAQ Student Essay Contest.
Categories and Prizes:
| Prizes | High School | Undergraduate | Graduate |
| 1st Prize | $1,500 | $1,500 | $1,500 |
| 2nd Prize | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| 3rd Prize | $750 | $750 | $750 |
| 4th Prize | $500 | $500 | $500 |
| 5th Prize | $250 | $250 | $250 |
Useful Links
2024 Essay Contest Winners
| 1st Place ($1,500) | |
|---|---|
| High School Category | Jackson Rosenhek, The Crescent School |
| Undergraduate | Matt McFarlane, Dalhousie University |
| Graduate | Christopher Klune, Autonomous University of Barcelona |
| 2nd Place ($1,000) | |
| High School Category | William Hou, St. George's School |
| Undergraduate | Sean Li, University of British Columbia |
| Graduate | Anais Blanchard, HEC Montreal |
| 3rd Place ($750) | |
| High School Category | Muhammad Naseer, Glenview Park Secondary School |
| Undergraduate | Saqib Syed, University of Calgary |
| Graduate | Joel Philie, University of Calgary |
| 4th Place ($500) | |
| High School Category | Vivek Nair, Sir Winston Churchill Secondary |
| Undergraduate | Joseph Cressatti, McGill University |
| Graduate | Shenglan Chen, York University |
| 5th Place ($250) | |
| High School Category | Zara Mian, J. Percy Page School |
| Undergraduate | Callum McAllister, University of British Columbia |
| Graduate | Hairs Ahmad, University of Calgary |
Previous winners archive:
2024 Student Essay Contest Winners
2023 Student Essay Contest Winners
2022 Student Essay Contest Winners
2021 Student Essay Contest Winners
2020 Student Essay Contest Winners
Stay Connected
Subscribe Now
Join the Fraser Institute's Student Programs mailing list to receive information on upcoming student seminars, webinars and other exciting opportunities.