The Royal Cup scholarship competition began in January of 2020, when thirteen high school students competed to win a full tuition scholarship to Warner University. The event evaluated students based on their Christlike character, academic achievement, and participation in community service. Students demonstrated this through portfolios and resumes prior to the event, as well as interviews with faculty and staff and an essay written during the event. The three highest-scoring students won a full tuition scholarship; all other students that participated won an increased academic scholarship.
By 2021 the event had already changed significantly. Rather than an event that took place on a Friday evening and a Saturday morning, 2021 saw the Royal Cup shift to an all-day Saturday event. The scope of the event grew as well. On January 30, 2021, 54 high school seniors attended the Royal Cup event to compete. With the scope growing, the stakes grew as well. The decision was made that only the top scoring student would win the full tuition scholarship, with second and third place winning slightly lower, but still significant, scholarships. Though the schedule of events has been tweaked slightly each year, the one day model that was used in the 2021 Royal Cup proved itself to be highly successful, and each year following has reflected that.
That is the history of the Royal Cup scholarship competition, but why is this event so significant to the Warner community? In other words, why should you care about the 2025 Royal Cup? First of all, if you are a high school senior–or the parent of one–looking to attend Warner, the answer should be obvious! If you are interested in attending Warner, meet the criteria required for entry (which you can read here), and you have not yet applied, it is time to do so now. The last day to turn in all of the required materials is February 22, 2025. The event itself takes place on March 1, 2025. You will want to make sure that you give yourself as much time as possible to create a great application.
If you are a part of the Warner community but not a high school senior looking to participate, the Royal Cup should still matter to you, because it is one of the best representations of the heart of why we do what we do at Warner. This is seen in two ways. First, it represents our desire to give a quality, distinctly Christian education to all of our students, even those who wouldn’t normally be able to attend. The Royal Cup is the most dramatic example of our desire to assist students with the cost of higher education; there are few privileges for a young student like a full tuition scholarship. In reality, we are working to make high-quality, Christian education more accessible every day. Warner offers an institutional scholarship to every traditional student who enrolls here. The Royal Cup scholarship competition is not only a day where one student wins a large scholarship, but a day for remembering our commitment to every student.
Second, the Royal Cup scholarship competition represents our commitment to academic rigor and producing competent graduates. During the competition, the best of the best of our applicants are given an opportunity to showcase their academic prowess and get rewarded for it; however, that isn’t the only factor that gets revealed throughout the course of the day. Through the competition process, students are also evaluated based on their spiritual maturity and involvement in service. In other words, adapting our mission statement, the Royal Cup scholarship competition allows us to find students who excel in Christlike character, intellectual maturity, and being equipped for service.
This being the 6th annual Royal Cup scholarship competition, the benefits of the Royal Cup described above have had the chance to prove themselves to be more than hypothetical. We have seen how the students who participate in the Royal Cup have been leaders on our campus, academically and spiritually. As they impact our campus, we are blessed to know that we are impacting them back. Don’t just take our word for it; here are two brief testimonies from previous Royal Cup winners:
“The Lord blessed me abundantly when He brought me to Warner University. Without the Royal Cup, I wouldn’t be at this school, but I can’t imagine my life any other way. Warner has given me the most amazing friends, a nourishing academic experience, and drawn me closer to God. I am forever grateful and can’t wait to see how He works in students this year!” – Emma Self, 2024 Royal Cup winner
“Since winning the 2023 Royal Cup my life has changed massively. I am so blessed to be at Warner, all of my professors have a genuine care for their students and I have seen myself grow exponentially since the Royal Cup. The Royal Cup gave me an opportunity to meet many great people who I now consider close friends. I never thought I would win, I just prayed, did my best, and God blessed me.” – Thomas Aponte, 2023 Royal Cup winner
As the day of the event rapidly approaches, be in prayer for the 2025 Royal Cup. Pray for the students and their families, and pray for those judging the competition to have wisdom and discernment. It will be our joy to announce the winner to the community later this spring.