Students Win $300 for Best Graduation Cap in NJ Contest

More Than Bootstraps just launched its fifth annual Graduation Cap Contest, inviting students across New Jersey to turn their creative cap designs into cash prizes while supporting others climbing the college ladder.

The contest is open to anyone graduating from high school, college, graduate school, or beyond. Students simply snap a photo of their decorated cap and submit it for free through June 30.

The grand prize winner takes home a $300 Costco gift card. Second place receives a $100 KFC gift card, and third place gets a $25 Target gift card. The first 25 entries score two free hot beverage coupons from Wawa just for participating.

After entries close, the real magic happens. From July 1 through July 21, anyone can vote for their favorite cap designs at $1 per vote. Every dollar goes directly toward producing More Than Bootstraps' annual student planner, a free resource that helps first-generation students stay organized throughout the academic year.

More Than Bootstraps supports students who are often the first in their families to pursue higher education. College students from Princeton University, Passaic County Community College, and Kean University mentor high school juniors and seniors in Passaic and Plainfield as they navigate college applications and decisions.

The organization has served Passaic students for six years and expanded to Plainfield in January 2025. Founded by educators who understand the unique challenges facing first-generation students, the program provides mentoring, programming, and support that goes beyond telling students to pull themselves up by their bootstraps.

The Ripple Effect

What started as a simple celebration has grown into a community fundraiser that keeps giving back. Winning cap designs get featured in the annual planner distributed to students throughout the year, offering daily inspiration to the next wave of college-bound students.

The contest transforms personal achievement into collective support. When community members vote for their favorite designs, they're celebrating one student's success while funding resources for dozens more navigating the same journey.

Founder Audrey Fisch sees the contest as more than competition. "If you are proud of graduating from high school or college and want to celebrate your accomplishment, this contest is for you," she said. "Share your decorated graduation cap, inspire others and celebrate this important milestone."

Every decorated cap tells a story of hard work, late nights, and obstacles overcome, and now those stories can help write the next chapter for students just starting out.