Dr Pepper, a brand of Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) Plano, Texas, announced its annual Tuition Giveaway program, accepting entries exclusively via TikTok. To date, the Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway has provided more than $12 million in tuition to deserving students across the country.
By hosting entries on TikTok this year, the brand invites students to tap into their creativity reaching them on a platform in which they are highly engaged. Students can win up to $100,000 in tuition during the 2021-22 college football season.
"We're pleased to have had awarded over $12 million to deserving college students in partnership with Scholarship America as part of our annual Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway," said Derek Dabrowski, vice president of brand marketing for Dr Pepper, in a statement. "This year, we're excited to tap into a culturally relevant platform, connecting with students where they're already engaged and consuming entertainment, with the hope of reaching even more to support their education ambitions."
Starting, Sept. 18 and running through Oct. 13, Dr Pepper is accepting video submissions on TikTok through the #IDeserveTuitionContest hashtag challenge. Students are encouraged to share, in the most creative way they can, why they deserve tuition. The challenge features a custom sound build throughout the video and, when the beat drops, creators then showcase why they deserve tuition, how it will impact their lives, and how it will help them achieve their personal and professional goals. Creators also need to incorporate the #IDeserveTuitionContest hashtag into their videos.
Applicants also could be surprised with additional tuition dollars from Dr Pepper partners: Bill Nye, TikTok's foremost nostalgic science educator; TikTok creator Alex Presley; reality star and business leader Mark Cuban; social experiment comedians AreYouKiddingTv; TikTok comedian Adam W; sports entertainment content creators Dude Perfect and more.
"I'm excited to team up with Dr Pepper for their annual tuition give-away," Nye said in a statement. "It gives students a chance to follow their dreams and pursue careers as scientists, engineers, physicians, or any profession for which they have passion. It's fantastic."