Local mattress startup Tuft & Needle is accepting applications through June 30 for its recently launched college scholarship program, designed to provide funds to students who are fixing, or want to fix, a problem.

Called the Tuft & Needle Fixer’s Scholarship, the program will award $5,000/year to one student from ASU, GCU, NAU and U of A. Winning students will also receive a Tuft & Needle mattress, if needed, and a pillow.

To apply, students are required to write a 500-word (or less) essay about a problem they want to fix and the process they would take to set out to fix it. Incoming freshmen, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students with a current GPA of 3.0 are all invited to submit an entry.

Students have until June 30 to email their essay and transcripts to scholarships@tn.com

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Tuft & Needle founders John-Thomas Marino and Daehee Park started their company when they realized the mattress industry was broken — they were determined to do something about it. The two hope to inspire students to do the same.

This is the basis of their Fixer’s Scholarship program, aiming to provide necessary college funds – and a good night’s rest – to those students who are fixing, or want to fix, a problem.

For more scholarship details, visit Tuft & Needle’s website.

Photos courtesy of Tuft & Needle.