Form a team. Create a vibrant campaign. Advocate for a sustainable fiscal future.

Thank you for your interest in the Up to Us Campus Competition! Applications for the Fall 2023 cohort are now closed. If you would like to be notified once the application opens for the Fall 2024 cohort, please submit the interest form.

2024 Up to Us Competition InTEREST FORM 

Skills you'll gain in just 3-5 hours/week : 

  • Project Management
  • Digital Marketing
  • Event Planning
  • Campaign Management
  • Team Building & Problem Solving

Prizes: 

  • $10,000 grand prize for winning team
  • $1,000 for top 10 teams
  • A funded, in-person Clinton Global Initiative University experience for the Top 10 Team Leaders
  • Access to apply to exclusive scholarships for select Harvard Business School Online courses
  • Access to apply to exclusive summer internship & funding opportunities

Note: This year, the Up to Us Competition will take place exclusively during the Fall 2023 semester.

List of Teams

more than inflation

Up to Us Is a Movement

We are a movement of a generation, for a generation! Raising awareness and taking action to ensure a strong future by addressing our nation’s fiscal challenges

How it works

A semester of action. A lifetime of skills.

Up to Us is a program that empowers students to educate peers on our long-term national debt, how it could affect their economic opportunities, and what our generation can do to have a voice in raising awareness of our fiscal challenges! 

FALL 2024 INTEREST FORM

What are the benefits of joining the Competition?

Up to Us is committed to the success of all teams who join the movement and bring the conversation to their campus and community. All teams have access to the resources, training, and on-going support to be successful and further harness their experience and skills for long-term leadership. By joining this cohort of emerging leaders, you can help shape the economic future our generation will ultimately inherit. Up to Us offers you the opportunity to be the voice of your generation and to create a meaningful impact on your campus community.

  • Every student/team who competes in the Up to Us Campus Competition will receive the necessary funding to execute creative and effective campaigns.
  • Access to leadership and project management training through live trainings and at your fingertips through our Crew2030 platform means you can develop your skills when, where, and how you want
  • Unparalleled access to thought-leaders in public policy, fiscal policy, social entrepreneurship, and more, as well as an opportunity to meet your peers and fellow emerging leaders
  • Dedicated staff support to ensure your team and campaigns are as efficient and effective as possible
  • An invitation into the Up to Us Alumni Network (and its varied perks!), upon completion of the Competition

What is the time commitment?

Time commitment is minimal and flexible based on the impact you are hoping to create. Successful teams are able to commit 3-5 hours a week to building and executing their campaign over the course of 8-weeks during the fall semester.

How will campaigns be judged?

Student campaigns will be judged by competition organizers and a diverse panel. Campaigns will be scored on a variety of criteria including the success of key campaign activities and the creativity and vision behind those activities.

"My overall experience with Up to Us was amazing and I learned a lot of valuable information about the national debt and career skills I can use in future positions."

Jordan Kenny
San Francisco State University
Jordan Kenny SFSU

Perks & Prizes

During the Up to Us competition, students build critical skills in leadership, strategy development, and community engagement. The experience also serves as an impressive resume builder. In case that’s not enough, the competition offers students and alumni the opportunity to take advantage of prizes like all-expenses-paid trips, access to policy leaders, summer internship & funding opportunities, and more.

Campaign Funding, Training, & Support

Up to Us is committed to the success of all teams who join the movement and bring the conversation to their campus and community. All teams have access to the resources, training, and on-going support to be successful and further harness their experience and skills for long-term leadership. Campaign support includes, but is not limited to:

  • Every student/team who competes in the Up to Us Campus Competition will receive the necessary funding to execute creative and effective campaigns.
  • Access to leadership and project management training through live trainings and at your fingertips through our Crew2030 platform means you can develop your skills when, where, and how you want
  • Unparalleled access to thought-leaders in public policy, fiscal policy, social entrepreneurship, and more, as well as an opportunity to meet your peers and fellow emerging leaders
  • Dedicated staff support to ensure your team and campaigns are as efficient and effective as possible
  • An invitation into the Up to Us Alumni Network (and its varied perks!), upon competition of the Competition

Competition Prizes

In addition to the perks received throughout the competition, all teams who successfully execute their campaigns gain access to exclusive prizes, experiences, and more based on their final ranking. 

  • All Team Leaders: All Team Leaders and Members get access to this year's weekly virtual training calls featuring Up to Us and Clinton Global Initiative University Alumni, skills-building training, and networking.
  • First Place Team: $10,000 cash prize and access for the team leader and up to 5 members of the winning team to attend an in-person Clinton Global Initiative University experience and all prizes listed below
  • Top 10 Teams: $1,000 cash prize, a funded, in-person Clinton Global Initiative University experience for the team leader, and an exclusive “Career Package" that includes: Acclaim digital badges, a letter of recommendation upon request, and priority access to Harvard Business School Online Courses (applications will be prioritized in the reviewing process over teams that did not make it in the Top 10)

Travel, food, lodging, and conference fees will be covered for all applicable events and trips.

Professional & Leadership Development

Up to Us believes in the power of our community and looks to further invest and amplify the amazing work our teams and alumni contribute to the world. Participants, faculty advisors, and alumni gain access to incredible professional and leadership development opportunities, including:

Travel, food, lodging, and conference fees will be covered.

  • $5,000 Civic Engagement Scholarship: The Up to Us Civic Engagement Scholarship ($5,000) is given to applicants pursuing low or no-wage internships (not offered for full-time employment or for other Up to Us internships) in topics related to civic engagement, economic or fiscal issues, or other Up to Us relevant themes. Applicants must submit a letter of completion from the internship and submit a blog post to Up to Us upon completion of the internship. Open to all students who complete at least one Up to Us program and alumni across all years.
  • Harvard Business School Online Course Scholarships: Up to Us offers full scholarships to select HBS Online courses to all students who complete an Up to Us program and alumni across all years. Applicants must apply through the Up to Us application, not the HBS Online Application.
  • Net Impact- Up to Us Economic & Fiscal Policy Internship: This program engages one Up to Us student in fiscal policy by providing them with first-hand research experience at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) in Washington, DC. This is a paid internship opportunity. This program is open to all students who complete at least one Up to Us program, as well as alumni across all years who meet the noted qualifications.

Links to apply and additional information will be emailed directly to Up to Us participants and alumni from February through April. 

Rules & FAQs

Who can apply?

Students who are located in the United States and are enrolled at a college or university in the United States are welcome to apply to participate in Up to Us. 

To receive prize money, each participant must have a valid tax ID number and be at least 18 years old. (Exceptions: if your state of residence is Alabama or Nebraska, you must be at least 19 years old; if your state of residence is Mississippi, you must be at least 21 years old), and must be at least 18 years old at the time of travel in order to attend conferences or other trips.

Not a current student on a college campus? There are more ways to engage and make an impact. Consider signing the pledge and hosting an event in your community.

Employees of Net Impact, the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, CGIU and members of their immediate family, defined as parents, children, siblings, and spouse and/or those living in the same household are not eligible to participate.

Can more than one team per school apply?

Yes, multiple teams from one school are allowed. If someone is a Team Leader or Team Member on one team, they CANNOT be a Team Leader or Team Member on the other team. Pro-Tip: Use the circumstance to your advantage! Are there any opportunities for collaboration?

How many members can each team have?

It is encouraged to have at least 3 team members. A Campus Advisor is required. Additionally, successful teams can enlist support beyond core team members. The core team members must be enrolled in classes at the same school.

Is there a partisan-based political agenda?

Absolutely not. While the topics are political in nature, Up to Us remains non-partisan and encourages collaboration no matter where you stand politically. The purpose of Up to Us is to raise awareness of our country’s long-term fiscal challenges and how they could affect our economic future and to encourage students to make their voices heard on these critical issues. The competition is the product of a partnership between three nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations dedicated to engaging the next generation of leaders on important issues.

More questions?

If you were not able to find the answer to your question on this page, please contact us and we will get back to you as soon as possible.

Past Winners

Launched in 2012, Up to Us started as a pilot program on 10 college campuses and has since reached more than 225,000 students on more than 400 unique campuses in all 50 states. Each year, one team prevails as the Competition winner, walking away with $10,000 and national recognition for their efforts. Do you have what it takes to win? 

Fall 2022 Winner: Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University, led by Anastasia Poulos (Class of 2024), is the winning team of the eleventh Up to Us Campus Competition. Their campaign included a range of events focusing on key fiscal and economic policy issues around midterm elections in November. The team organized classroom presentations, partnered with dozens of campus groups, and held events at which students submitted letters to their U.S. Senators - urging them to address the national debt. In addition, the Stony Brook team's social media campaign engaged and educated thousands of voters with important fiscal facts and creative themes such as "The Debt Ceiling Tuesday", "Wealth Wednesday", and "Fiscal Friday."

Read more about the Fall 2022 Winners here. 

2021 - 2022 Winner: Stony Brook University

The Stony Brook team, led by Julia Brandenstein '22, promoted fiscal sustainability through targeted events, classroom presentations, campus partnerships, and creative social media content that reached more than 10,000 people during the spring 2022 semester, Teammates educated fellow students about the impact of America's $30 trillion and rising national debt, conducted outreach to more than 35 elected officials in New York, and hosted a discussion with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer that covered economic equality and the connection between America's fiscal outlook and a stronger economic future. The team also launched a podcast, Dishin' with Democracy, about fiscal, economic, and personal finance issues that featured a conversation with New York legislator Jason Richberg about innovative policy solutions that would transcend partisanship. 

Read more about the 2021 - 2022 Winners here. 

2020 - 2021 Winner: Baruch College

The Baruch team, led by Nayancie Matthews, ’22, built a campaign to drive fiscal change and address the policy priorities of their fellow students and New York City. Teammates engaged city and local officials, including establishing a partnership with the New York City Comptroller to discuss the city’s budgeting and debt challenges. They generated over 5,000 interactions during the fall 2020 semester through targeted events, classroom presentations, campus partnerships and creative social media content. The team created an opportunity pipeline for two students to work with local city officials. Additionally, the Baruch Debate Team provided student participants with an opportunity to discuss policy issues and receive live fact checks and feedback from city officials.

2019 - 2020 Winner: Mesa Community College

Mesa Community College (MCC) in Mesa, Arizona is the winning team of the eighth annual Up to Us Campus Competition! The team from MCC, led by Shelby Lynch (MCC Class of 2020, Arizona State University Class of 2022), developed an innovative and multi-faceted campaign to raise awareness about the national debt and spark dialogue about building a sustainable economic future for all Americans. Throughout the fall 2019 semester, the team partnered with 22 campus groups and engaged more than half of their fellow students on campus through targeted events, awareness surveys, classroom presentations, campus partnerships, and creative social media activations. 

2018 - 2019 Winner: Oakland University (MI)

The winning team from Oakland Univeristy in Rochester, Michigan, partnered with dozens of OU student organizations to expand their reach and engaged hundreds of students on the national debt through voter registration drives, classroom presentations, media partnerships and creative events. The team integrated the idea of being “fiscally fit” into their conversations and presentations. The Oakland team created a boot camp that allowed students to test their physical fitness before taking a fiscal fitness test; held a pledge signature drive that used a giant beach ball as a visual representation of inflation; and led a national debt awareness parade through the Oakland campus. For the finale, the team hosted an Ultimate Fiscal Fitness Challenge featuring a gameshow-style competition between student leaders, allowing them to show off their new-found fiscal knowledge and explain why young people should care about the national debt.

2017 - 2018 Winner: SUNY Old Westbury

The winning team from State University of New York (SUNY) at Old Westbury was led by junior Evan Rufrano. He led his team in a creative campaign that included creating a "Debt Boulevard" on campus - an interactive walkway of fiscal policy and national debt statistics. The team also hosted an interactive lecture series with distinguished professors and a debate with a panel of speakers across the political spectrum. One of Evan's takeaways from the experience was "This issue will impact our future, but the debate about the national debt too often omits the voices of young people. Through this Competition we were able to amplify the voice of our generation, calling on lawmakers to make responsible fiscal decisions today that will preapre us for a better tomorrow."

2016 - 2017 Winner: Jackson State University

The winning team from Jackson State University was led by Terrence Dillon, a junior, originally from Chicago, Ill. Leveraging the popularity of beloved television game shows, the Jackson State University team hosted events such as “Debt Jeopardy,” “Wheel of Debt,” the “Debt is Right,” and other interactive game nights to explain the current fiscal situation to nearly 1,000 of their peers throughout the course of the competition. Read More

2015 - 2016 Winner: College of William & Mary

The William & Mary team members include Sruveera Sathi (team leader), Hannah Cannon, Aastha Uprety, Octavia Goodman and Merci Best. The team’s innovative campaign involved several events, including a “Great Debt-bate” that brought together four political groups on campus to discuss fiscal policy, a dance workshop to “dance the debt away,” and a forum featuring young innovators in the fields of healthcare, education, and defense. To promote their campaign, the team employed creative methods such as a “Money doesn’t grow on trees” art installation, in which they hung fake dollar bills with educational facts about the national debt on trees around campus. The team also traveled to the Virginia state capitol as part of a larger school effort to meet with the governor and state senators. Read More

2014 - 2015 Winner: Stockton University

The Stockton University team members include Angelo Bechara (team leader), Maryam Sarhan, Brad Ross, Louis Chevere and Victoria Muraoka. The team’s innovative campaign included a life-sized Monopoly game, a “dorm storm” in which team members brought fiscal awareness to students directly in their on-campus residences, appearances on local radio shows, and a visit to Capitol Hill to meet with a Congressman representing their state. Read More

2013 - 2014 Winner: University of Texas - Pan American

The five-student team, lead by Fabiola Urgel Santa-Ana, from the University of Texas - Pan American (now The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley). “I told my team that we are so going to win this, so everyone will know about UTPA and where Edinburg is,” Urgel said. “That win gave me the sense that, if I did this, imagine what I can accomplish. It opens your eyes to more things, widens your potential and gives you strength, a sense that I can conquer the world, or at least to recognize all the possibilities in front of me.”

2012 - 2013 Winner: University of Virgina

The U.Va. students – Lena Shi, Joshua Lansford, Alan Safferson, Ryan Singel and Amara Warren – created a dynamic and innovative campaign to earn them the first-ever winning spot. The team spent roughly 550 hours organizing 20 major events, including a rally at the Rotunda; a “HOOs Talking about the National Debt" discussion led by three faculty experts; screening a documentary film about the debt, “I.O.U.S.A.”; four flash seminars, each led by a U.Va. professor; a dinner on health care spending; presentations to classes and student groups; and a savings workshop, to name a few. 

The team brought U.S. Sen. Mark Warner to U.Va. on Feb. 11 to discuss the debt. After speaking with a crowd of more than 500 people, Warner, a Virginia Democrat who sits on the Senate Budget Committee, praised the team as an example of what college students can achieve, saying, “The U.Va. students got me energized, ready to go back to the Hill and keep fighting.”

There are no sides, only solutions in the Up to Us movement

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