Quinnipiac University to Award $92,000 in Scholarships to Winners of 2025 Junior Achievement Innovation Challenge

HARTFORD, Conn. – April 14, 2025 - Quinnipiac University and Junior Achievement of Southwest New England (JA) announced today that the winners of the 2025 Junior Achievement Innovation Challenge will each receive a Presidential Merit Scholarship from Quinnipiac valued at $23,000 per year, totaling $92,000 over four years of full-time undergraduate study.

The scholarships will be awarded to members of the winning team in the competition’s “Tournament of Champions” finale, which will take place from 4-6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 22 at the Carl Hansen Student Center Piazza at Quinnipiac University, 275 Mount Carmel Ave.

“We are proud to support the talented student innovators participating in the 2025 Junior Achievement Innovation Challenge,” said Holly Raider, dean of the Quinnipiac University School of Business. “By providing generous financial support, Quinnipiac is reinforcing its role as a leader in education, especially for students interested in entrepreneurship and business.”

The JA Innovation Challenge gives high school students hands-on experience in business planning and problem-solving. Throughout the academic year, teams from schools across Connecticut—including Berlin High School, Connecticut River Academy, East Hartford High School, Farmington High School, Manchester High School, New Britain High School, Newington High School, Terryville High School, Tolland High School and Torrington High School—identify real-world challenges, develop solutions and pitch their ideas in high-energy competitions.

The “Tournament of Champions” will feature student presentations, keynote speakers and a reception, bringing together students, educators and business professionals to recognize innovation and entrepreneurship. A panel of judges, including local business leaders and Quinnipiac representatives, will evaluate the final team pitches.

“We are excited to welcome these future leaders to our campus,” said Tom Ellett, chief experience officer at Quinnipiac, “These scholarship awards are a testament to Quinnipiac’s dedication to investing in ambitious students who show boundless potential.”

Jeremy Race, president and CEO of Junior Achievement of Southwest New England, said, “We are truly grateful for Quinnipiac’s generous support. These scholarships will help foster the academic and entrepreneurial growth of JA students, giving them the chance to continue developing their skills in a university setting. This is a great opportunity for the winners to turn their innovative ideas into real-world success.”

To qualify for the scholarship, students must meet all admissions criteria at the time of application and maintain full-time undergraduate enrollment status. If a recipient qualifies for another Quinnipiac tuition award exceeding $23,000 per year, they will receive the higher of the two awards. Scholarships are not combinable and apply to tuition only.

About Quinnipiac University
Quinnipiac is a private, coeducational institution located 90 minutes north of New York City and two hours from Boston. The university enrolls 9,400 students in 110 degree programs through its Schools of Business, Communications, Education, Computing and Engineering, Health Sciences, Law, Medicine, Nursing and the College of Arts and Sciences. Quinnipiac is ranked among the top 100 in The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse “2025 Best Colleges in the U.S.” and is also recognized by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review’s “The Best 388 Colleges.” The university is expanding innovative programs for both traditional and adult learners, developing dynamic corporate partnerships, and is completing a significant capital expansion on its main campus, including a state-of-the-art new School of Business and an interdisciplinary science and innovation hub. For more information, please visit qu.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook and follow Quinnipiac on X @QuinnipiacU. 

About Junior Achievement of Southwest New England
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to equipping young people with the knowledge and skills to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and financial decisions. JA programs are delivered by volunteers from the business and community sectors and provide real-world, hands-on experiences in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. JA reaches more than 3.3 million students annually in over 100 U.S. markets and another 5.2 million students in 100 countries worldwide. Visit jaconn.org.
Media Contacts
Junior Achievement of Southwest New England
Kate Tedford
Director of Philanthropy
860-986-7487
ktedford@jaconn.org

Quinnipiac University
John W. Morgan
Associate Vice President of Public Relations
203-206-4449
John.Morgan@qu.edu

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