Smart Futures for Small Business Scholarship
The Smart Futures for Small Business Scholarship program will offer $250-$1,000 to eligible small business employees who intend to enroll in a full-time or part-time artificial intelligence (AI) certification program in the United States by September 1, 2026, and complete it by December 31, 2026.
Smart Futures for Small Business Scholarship
The program is administered by Scholarship America® and supported by the American Express Foundation. Scholarship America is the nation’s largest designer and manager of scholarships and other education support programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals. Eligible applications are reviewed by Scholarship America’s evaluation team and may be shared with American Express to facilitate the administration of the program.
Eligibility
Applicants to the Smart Futures for Small Business Scholarship must:
- Be a legal resident of the United States (U.S.) and at least 18 years of age
- Be a small business* employee in the U.S.
*Small business is defined as an independent company that is for-profit and has 500 or fewer employees. Franchises are not eligible for this program. - Plan to enroll in a full-time or part-time AI certification program in the U.S. by September 1, 2026, and complete it by December 31, 2026
- Plan to have at least $250 in eligible educational costs if enrolling in an AI certification program offered by a vendor other than an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school; or plan to have at least $1,000 in eligible educational costs if enrolling in an AI certification program offered by an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school
Employees, officers, and directors of Scholarship America, American Express, and their respective affiliates, as well as their immediate family members (spouses, parents, children, siblings, and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and individuals living in the same household, whether or not related, are ineligible to apply.
Examples of eligible AI certification programs include:
- AI for Business/Business Professionals/Business Leaders
- AI for Marketing & Sales
- AI in Business & Finance
- AI Starter Paths
- Advanced Prompt Engineering for Business Users
- Artificial Intelligence: Implications for Business Strategy
- Business Intelligence
- Data Analytics for Business
- Essential AI Skills
- Generative AI for Business Applications
- Introduction to Generative AI
- Real-World AI for Everyone
Awards
If selected as a recipient, awards ranging from $250 to $1,000 will be granted as follows:
- $250-$500 for certificate programs offered online or in person through a vendor other than an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school (determined by course invoice and awarded to the nearest $5)
- $1,000 for certificate programs offered online or in person through an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school
Awards are one-time only. Past recipients may not reapply.
Awards can be used for any education-related expenses for this specific AI certification, including tuition, books, supplies, or electronic devices. Examples of ineligible expenses include costs associated with travel, accommodations, or entertainment.
Notification
All applicants will be notified in late July.
Notifications are sent via email. When setting up your account, avoid using a work or academic email. Instead, use an active, personal email address that you will continue to have access to.
Please make sure to add studentsupport@scholarshipamerica.org as well as the program email address as safe senders in your email contact list.
Payment of Scholarships
Scholarship America processes scholarship payments. For certificate programs offered through a vendor other than an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school, award checks are made payable to the recipient and mailed to the recipient’s home address. For certificate programs offered through an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school, award checks are made payable to the school and mailed to the recipient’s home address.
Selection of Recipients
Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of:
- Financial need (self-reported information – no document uploads required)
- A professional development evaluation
- A recommendation from the applicant’s employer (small business owner)
Selection of recipients is made by Scholarship America. Not all applicants to the program will be selected as recipients. All applicants agree to accept the decision as final. Falsification of information may result in termination of any award granted.
Requirements
One online recommendation form must be submitted on your behalf no later than June 15, 2026 3:00 PM Central Time.
Your application is not complete unless all required materials are submitted electronically.
Account Help
Account Set Up
When you click “APPLY” to create your account and access the scholarship application, here are some tips for answering the the profile questions. Please note: The answers to these profile questions will not affect your application, but they are a necessary system requirement for you to be able to create a Scholarship America account.
- Your current grade level – choose your current or most recently completed grade level
- Cumulative GPA – enter your most recent GPA to the best of your memory (If you do not know, you can enter 4.00.)
- Year in school for the upcoming academic year – choose any undergraduate or graduate level
Additional program information can be found in the Terms & Conditions.
