The 2024 iOme Challenge college student essay competition is still open for registrations, and the deadline for submissions has been extended to May 19, 2024! The Challenge Question and submission guidelines are available at iOmeChallenge.org.
What is The Challenge?
The goal of the iOme (I Owe Me) Challenge is to raise awareness about financial security in retirement, especially for younger generations. Student teams from across the country respond to the annual iOme Challenge Question in the form of an essay (5,000 word max or about 10 pages/single spaced). Students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to participate.
THE PRIZE:
The winning team shares a financial prize of $5,000 and is invited to present their essay at a symposium in Washington, DC, as well as meet with policymakers on Capitol Hill. The Faculty Advisor wins a $1,500 prize and is also invited to DC.
A travel stipend is provided for attending the DC event.
2024 Challenge Question:
The 118th Congress has appointed you as a member of the 2024 Independent Commission on Retirement Security. The retirement system needs to be re-evaluated and a comprehensive approach developed to modernize efforts in support of more efficient and effective programs that will motivate Americans to plan and save for retirement.
Your job as a member of Generation Z is to bring a new perspective to the Commission and to develop a comprehensive proposal to improve one or all of the three pillars of the nation’s retirement system–Social Security, employer-sponsored retirement plans, and personal savings–for all generations, in order to improve their chances of living a financially secure retirement. Your proposal should include both broad policy solutions, as well as policies that target the needs and challenges of specific segments of the population you believe the commission should prioritize.
Please see the complete Challenge Question and instructions at iOmeChallenge.org
Deadline and Important Dates:
The deadline for submissions HAS BEEN EXTENDED to May 19, 2024. The winner will be announced in late May, and the winning team will be invited to present their essay at a forum in Washington, DC on June 20, 2024.
We hope you will consider developing a team or encouraging your students to do so. You will be providing students with an opportunity to explore these issues and share their findings with a national audience. Small teams and teams of one are accepted.