2025 Bank Day Scholarship Program
Bank Host Resources

Internal Links Monica McDearmon

Thank you for completing the 2025 VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program bank interest form. On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about the program.  Can’t find what you’re looking for? Feel free to contact Monica McDearmon with questions.

Program Timeline

December

  • Resources for bank hosts will be available from the VBA

January

  • Student registration opens – bank hosts begin soliciting student registrations

February

  • Student registrations continue
  • Bank hosts remind schools about the program
  • Bank hosts work on plans for gatherings and any supplemental resources they will provide
  • February 28 – student registration deadline*

March

  • Banks host gatherings for students and send supplemental resources to registered students
  • March 3 – students receive program details from the VBA and access to the resource webpage from the VBA
  • March 28 – Bank Day resource window closes; student essays are due to VBA by 5:00 p.m.

April

  • By the end of April - Honorable Mention and Regional winners announced

May

  • By May 2 - Statewide Runner-Up and Statewide winner announced

*The deadline is flexible for banks hosting later in March.

Role of the Host Banks vs. VBA

Bank Hosts Will… The VBA Will…
  • Using templates provided by the VBA:
    • Solicit student registrations through connections at local schools.
    • Send email reminders to registered students about the program resource window;
    • Send email reminders to students about essay deadlines; and
    • Communicate with all registered students about access to the student resource webpage.
  • Host students – ideally in person – in March.
  • Provide supplemental resources to your specific list of registered students.
  • Provide resources, templates and support to bank hosts.
  • Collect student registrations and communicate registration lists/student contact information to host banks.
  • Communicate with all registered students in the weeks leading up to the program about access to the student resource webpage.
  • Create content for and provide access to student resource webpage.
  • Collect essays from students, coordinate judging and award scholarships.

Student Participation Criteria

2025 Student Registration Link: https://forms.office.com/r/SgdDztqqxq

Please remember that you will be contacting schools yourself to find students who are interested in participating in Bank Day. Below are some participation criteria reminders:

  • Student(s) must currently be enrolled as a high school senior.
  • Student(s) must hold a 3.0 or higher GPA.
  • Student(s) must be a resident of Virginia.
  • Student(s) must attend a high school in Virginia.
  • Homeschool students are eligible to participate, assuming he or she is equivalent to a high school senior and meets the above criteria.
  • A child of a bank employee is allowed to participate, assuming he or she meets the above criteria.
  • You may host as many students as you are able, either in person or virtually. 

Essay & Scholarship Information

$28,500 in college scholarships will be awarded by the Virginia Bankers Association Education Foundation to twelve students across the Commonwealth.

  • Six honorable mention winners, each winning a $1,000 scholarship.
  • Six regional winners, each winning a $2,500 scholarship.
  • One of the regional winners will also be named the statewide runner-up winner, earning an extra $2,500 scholarship for a total of $5,000 in college scholarships!
  • One of the regional winners will also be named the statewide winner, earning an extra $5,000 scholarship for a total of $7,500 in college scholarships!

2025 Essay Requirements and Information

School & Student Outreach Resources

Pass along this link to students interested in registering to come to your bank for Bank Day.

Tips for contacting schools:

  • Identify the public and private schools in your area. Click here for a list of high schools in Virginia by city and email Monica McDearmon for a list of Title 1 schools.
  • Once you’ve identified which schools you would like to contact, please keep in mind the following tips while planning your day:
    • Find teachers with a financial education passion. Seek out teachers who are already integrating personal finance lessons into their current curriculum or are teaching the one-credit course on economics and personal finance, business, family and consumer science, and math classes – you’ll find a friendly partner there!
    • Communicate your intentions. Some teachers may be skeptical of your intentions, suspecting that you’re trying to market or promote bank products. Stress your goal is to educate and not to market. And stick to it. The more you can assure them of your intentions, the better. Remind them that Bank Day will be great preparation for the students as they go off to college or enter “the real world” and that there will be a total of $28,500 in scholarships available for 12 students.
    • Understand the realities and pressures that teachers and students face. Make your initial contact early enough for them to be able to plan with the appropriate people at the school.  Provide detailed information and try contacting them again if they do not get back to you after a few days. 

Tips & Schedule Ideas for Bank Day Gatherings

Banks will host a gathering* for students in March providing an opportunity for students to meet with bankers, hear about ways your bank supports your community, meet the other students and ask questions. 

Whether you’re hosting students in person or virtually, be sure to stay in touch with the VBA! Keep us updated on your plans for Bank Day and contact us with any questions you have during the planning process – we’re here to help!

*Please note that student attendance at the gathering is required. 

Dos and don’ts

Remember the following when planning your Bank Day gathering:

  • Do plan around your schedule. Bank Day can be held on any day, as long as you give the students enough time to write and submit their essays before the deadline. 
  • Don’t lose their attention. Keep each session to a 30-40 minute time slot and allow for breaks. Include a variety of activities for all learning styles. Try to keep your discussions somewhat connected to their world. 
  • Do use a soup-to-nuts presentation. The VBA provides turnkey PowerPoint presentations for this purpose, which can be adapted for your bank. It will keep you on topic and allow you to cover important industry and financial literacy topics. (see the Resources for Bank Day Gatherings section below)
  • Don’t “sell”. This is a learning opportunity for the students. If the schools get wind of a sales pitch involved in Bank Day, they may not send students in the future. 
  • Do play a game. Keep the games interactive and engaging. (see the Resources for Bank Day Gatherings section below for ideas)
  • Don’t bash the competition. We want your students to understand the role and value of your bank as well as the banking industry as a whole.
  • Do enjoy yourself! The students are more appreciative than you know! During your gathering, keep the following in mind: keep it real with real-life experiences; focus on “must-know” information versus “good-to-know”; and know that students are listening – even when you think they are not. Go into your Bank Day with the goal of having the students remember one or two key things from their visit, and you won’t be disappointed.

Tips & Schedule Suggestions

In-Person Virtual

Things to consider for an in-person gathering:

  • Check with the students’ schools about field trip policies and/or schedule conflicts before planning your in-person gathering.
  • Include a variety of activities for all learning styles and try to keep the discussion somewhat connected to their world.
  • If a banker is not able to join your gathering “live”, pre-record a message to share with students.

Things to consider for a virtual gathering:

  • Host your virtual gathering after school hours to allow for more students to attend.
  • Record your virtual gathering to share with any students who were not able to attend “live”.
  • Use virtual meeting features such as polling, breakout rooms, etc. to keep the students engaged.

Schedule suggestions for an in-person gathering:

  • At the start of your day, identify goals and objectives and establish rules and guidelines. 
  • Discuss the Bank Day essay topic early in the day and mention it throughout their visit. Have printed copies of the essay planning document and essay guidelines available for each student (see Essay section above to download and print those documents).
  • Take a branch tour so the students can meet bankers, see the teller line, the drive-through window, vault, etc.
  • This is a great way to get your bank’s senior leadership involved! Using the customizable Careers in Banking PowerPoint template (see the resources section below), have members of your bank discuss their stories and how they got into the industry.   
  • Lunch with Banker Contact and Senior Banker - Involve your CEO or manager in the program if possible or consider having the students have one-on-one lunches with emerging bank leaders to discuss career paths in the banking industry.
  • Student Survey – Have the students complete a survey about their experience before they leave for the day. This will give you valuable feedback about your program (a sample survey is available in the resources section below). This is also an opportunity to send the students home with useful information from the bank and/or a souvenir of the day with your bank’s logo on it (see gift ideas below in the resources section).

Schedule suggestions for a virtual gathering:

  • At the start of your meeting, identify goals and objectives and establish rules and guidelines.
  • Discuss the Bank Day essay topic early in the meeting and mention it throughout the gathering. Provide a link to the essay planning document and essay guidelines in the chat feature for students to access (see the Essay section above for the link to both of these documents).
  • Share a virtual branch tour so the students can see the teller line, the drive-through window, the vault, etc.
  • This is a great way to get your bank’s senior leadership involved! Using the customizable Careers in Banking PowerPoint template (see the resources section), have members of your bank discuss their stories and how they got into the industry.
  • Student Survey & Dismissal – Have the students complete an online survey about their experience before the meeting ends. This will give you valuable feedback about your program (a sample survey is available in the Resource section below). 

Tips for Department Visits:

  • Introduce representatives from each department the students will visit. Allow the representative to explain what he or she does at the bank with reference to how the job relates to the mission of the bank and how it affects the community. It is also a great time to discuss the bank’s financial literacy efforts*.

  • Banks can split the group of students into smaller groups to visit a certain department.  

  • After their visits, consider having the students make a short presentation/share key takeaways with the larger group about what they learned in their departments.  

  • Sample department activities include: 

    • Commercial Lending Department – If possible, arrange to take the students on a customer call or arrange for a visit to/from a business client in the community.

    • Human Resources Department – Have the students complete a sample job application.  Discuss appropriate interview attire and run through a sample interview. Provide information on what you look for in potential candidates and steps students can take to become a banker.

    • Loan Department – Have students review the loan process, the importance of good credit, and the importance of saving in order to become a qualified borrower*.  The students could complete a mock loan application to gain an understanding of what is asked during the process.  Stress the fact that banks contribute to the community through lending*.

    • Marketing Department – Explain how banks are involved in the community*. Include what organizations the bank supports, the personnel the bank provides to attend and volunteer at community events, etc. Also, discuss the bank’s presence on social media and other communication channels.

Download a Sample In-Person Bank Day Schedule Here!

Tips for Virtual Department Visits:

  • Introduce representatives from each department. Allow the representative to explain what he or she does at the bank with reference to how the job relates to the mission of the bank and how it affects the community. It is also a great time to discuss the bank’s financial literacy efforts*.

  • Use breakout rooms to split the students into smaller groups to virtually visit with bankers from different departments.  

  • After their virtual visits, consider having the students share key takeaways with the larger group about what they learned in their departments.  

  • Sample department activities include: 

    • Commercial Lending Department – If possible, arrange for a business client from the community to join the virtual meeting to discuss their banking relationship.

    • Human Resources Department – Walk students through a sample job application.  Discuss appropriate interview attire and share basic interview tips. Provide information on what you look for in potential candidates and steps students can take to become a banker.

    • Loan Department – Have students review the loan process, the importance of good credit, and the importance of saving in order to become a qualified borrower*.  The students could complete a mock loan application to gain an understanding of what is asked during the process.  Stress the fact that banks contribute to the community through lending*.

    • Marketing Department – Explain how banks are involved in the community*. Include what organizations the bank supports, the personnel the bank provides to attend and volunteer at community events, etc. Also, discuss the bank’s presence on social media and other communication channels.
*This information will be key to provide in order for the students to successfully complete their comprehensive essay. *This information will be key to provide in order for the students to successfully complete their comprehensive essay.

    Resources for Bank Day Gatherings

    When it comes to high school students, there’s no such thing as over-communication. Consider using the customizable templates when contacting your students in late February/early March to share Bank Day details.

    Customizable Introductory Email to Students
    Student Confirmation Email Template

    A few suggestions to keep in mind when reaching out to your group of students:

    • Email this to the student and also copy their parent/guardian as well as their school contact on the communication. 
    • Require them to respond and confirm they’ve received the email.
    • Send a text message to the students using the cell phone number provided on their registration form, reminding them to check their email for important Bank Day updates*. 
    • If you do not hear back from a student:
      • We suggest calling them to confirm their attendance plans.  
      • You can also call their school contact to confirm attendance plans. 
    • Email your students the morning of your Bank Day gathering with last-minute reminders, including the address of where they will attend Bank Day and a phone number they can call in case of emergency.

    *Students will give permission for the bank host to text them when registering for the program – please check the student registration list from the VBA for these approvals.

    2025 Essay Requirements and Information

    Consider providing copies of the following documents for your students during their gathering.

    customizable Presentation Materials

    Careers in banking presentation materials

    • 2025 Careers in Banking PowerPoint
      • During this presentation, you will introduce students to a variety of careers in banking, with the opportunity to share the presenter’s story of how they became a banker. This presentation includes customizable slides with information about the banker’s background, their experience in banking, and information about the bank as well as slides on the perks of being a banker.
    • ABA Bankers and Banking - What's in It For You? PowerPoint
    • ABA Bankers and Banking - What's in It For You? Presentation Guide
      • During this presentation, you’ll introduce students to the importance of developing a relationship with a bank and explain some of the services banks offer young people. Students will consider a variety of scenarios in which teens like themselves need help. At the end, students will identify their own personal banking needs.
    • ABA Becoming a Banker - PowerPoint
    • ABA Becoming a Banker - Presentation Guide
    • ABA Becoming a Banker PowerPoint - PDF
      • During this presentation, you will introduce students to the many careers in the banking sector, talking with them about six distinct career paths. Students will learn: why each job is important, the challenges of the job, how careers within the banking industry call upon a variety of skills beyond just an affinity for finance, and will be able to relate these opportunities to their interests. At the end, students will have the opportunity to formulate interview questions.

    Gift Bag and/or prize ideas

    • $2 bills
    • Candy bar wrapped with a voucher for opening a savings account, 
    • funded by the bank
    • Reusable grocery totes
    • Pencils
    • Pens
    • Keychains
    • Candy or healthy snacks (avoid chocolate and peanuts)
    • ID cases
    • Tervis Tumblers or similar
    • Sticky notes
    • Drawstring backpacks
    • Pop sockets
    • Smartphone screen sweeps
    • Hand sanitizer bottles
    • Cell phone power bank

    Supplemental Resource Ideas for Bank Hosts

    Please note that sending supplemental information to students is optional! 

    Supplemental information should focus on ways your bank supports and engages with the community you serve. Examples include:

    • A contact at the bank who is available to answer questions students may have after the date of your gathering.
    • Pre-recorded messages from senior leadership.
    • Media mentions, articles, and/or press releases showing ways your bank has supported the local community.
    • Pictures and/or videos of bankers at community events.
    • Links to your bank’s social media channels where community support and involvement are highlighted.

    Bank Day Student Resource Webpage Information

    The Bank Day Scholarship Program will include banking industry content provided by the VBA on a resource webpage. 

    Students will have access to a VBA-created Bank Day resource page that will house relevant information that students will need to research to complete their essays for a chance to win college scholarships. Access to this resource page will be available to students beginning March 3. Resources will cover a variety of banking industry topics, career opportunities in banking and ways banks support their communities.

    • Scholarship amount information, program timeline and essay information
    • Recognition of Bank Day Hosts
    • Resources: Watch
      • A library of videos created by bankers from across the Commonwealth and the VBA staff
    • Resources: Read
      • Articles written by bankers, VBA staff, VBA Associate Members and industry experts
    • Resources: Listen
      • Podcasts and interviews from industry experts including ABA Banking Journal and the Federal Reserve
    • Understanding student loan information provided by VBA Associate Member College Ave.

    You will be able to access the Bank Day Student Resource site here beginning in February 2025.

    Bank Day Press Kit

    Reminder – students will sign a photo release on their Bank Day registration form. The VBA will alert your bank of any students who are not able to have their picture taken.

    By participating in the Bank Day program, your bank will be provided with the following press opportunities by the VBA:

    • Media alerts and a press release will be sent to the VBA’s media contacts with the participating banks listed.
    • Inclusion of the bank’s participation on the VBA’s social media channels.
    • Coverage of the event in various VBA publications, including Virginia Banking Monthly and Virginia Banking Annual.
    • Chance to build relationships with local high schools that could lead to other financial literacy partnerships, like Get Smart About Credit Day.
    • Opportunity to give back to your community and show students more about the banking industry and careers in banking.
    • Optional – Consider inviting a member of the press or your local legislator to join you at some point during your Bank Day gathering.

    VBA Bank Day Scholarship Program Seal/Logo
    Download a QR Code for the Student Registration Page Here!

    Customizable Media Outreach Resources

    A customizable press release and media alert will be available here soon!

    Bank Day FAQs

    Do we have to host the students for a certain amount of time?

    No! Banks can host students for any amount of time.    

    Can we discuss the essays with the students?

    Yes! We encourage you to discuss the essay topic and guidelines frequently throughout their gathering.  It is also helpful to provide copies of the essay guidelines to students on the day of their gathering. Please see the essay planning document for students’ use throughout the program. Feel free to give tips, but keep in mind the students need to write their own essays without assistance. 

    Does the two-page essay limit include the title page and works cited page?

    No! Those pages are not included in the two-page limit. 

    Can homeschooled students participate in the program?  

    Yes!  As long as the student is currently the equivalent of a high school senior, has a cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher, and is a resident of Virginia, he or she is eligible for Bank Day. 

    Do students have to sign a photo release to have their picture taken?  

    Yes! Part of the registration process through the VBA is a student photo release.  The VBA will notify you of any students who are not able to have their picture taken on Bank Day.

    Do we have to hold our Bank Day on March 18, 2025?  

    No! You can host students any day that works with your schedule in March, keeping in mind that all student essays are due to the VBA by 5:00 p.m. on March 28, 2025, regardless of their actual shadow date. 

    Does the VBA need to know the specific details of my bank’s plans? 

    Yes! Students, parents and school staff often contact the VBA with questions about Bank Day details.  It is extremely helpful for the VBA to have your plans on file to be able to respond to these inquiries.

    How will I know which students are registered with my bank for Bank Day?

    Students register for Bank Day through the VBA. Once the VBA has a completed student registration form, we will email you an updated roster for your bank.

    Can we offer our own scholarship in addition to the ones VBA distributes?

    Absolutely! Some banks offer a scholarships to participating students separate from the VBA Bank Day scholarships.  The VBA will send your bank copies of the students’ essays to judge them to your criteria and select your winner. 

    Should we have a conversation with the students about confidentiality and common courtesy?

    For in-person Bank Day gatherings, absolutely! For some of these students, this is their first time behind the scenes in a place of business.  Gentle reminders before you begin your day will ensure that students know the expectations of being guests at your bank.