End of Year Expenses $500 Amazon eGift Card

Giveaway Rules

Sweepstakes Period: The End of Year Expenses $500 Amazon eGift Card Giveaway (the “Sweepstakes”) begins on November 1st, 2026, at 9:00 AM Pacific Time (“PT”) and ends at 8:59 AM PT on December 31st, 2026 (the “Sweepstakes Period”).

Entry Method: Entries must be submitted via: https://www.ascentfunding.com/scholarships/end-of-year-expenses (the “Entry Form”).

Prize: One (1) winner will receive a $500 Amazon eGift Card prize (the “Prize”), with an approximate retail value (ARV) of $500. See amazon.com/gc-legal for restrictions.

Drawing Date: On or about December 31st, 2026, after the Sweepstakes Period (the “Drawing Date”).

The Sweepstakes is subject to the Official Rules below (“Official Rules”). By entering, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules. The odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Sponsor. The Sweepstakes is sponsored and administered by Ascent Funding, LLC, 501 W Broadway, Suite A150, San Diego, CA 92101 (“Sponsor,” “Ascent,” “we,” “our,” or “us”). Sponsor’s computer system is the official timekeeping device for all purposes related to the Sweepstakes, including determining whether an entry was received during the Sweepstakes Period.

2. Eligibility. The Sweepstakes is open only to legal residents of one of the fifty states or the District of Columbia who are at the time of entry:

Students age 14 or older enrolled at least half-time in a high school, degree program, or technical skills training program; or

parents or legal guardians of an eligible student.

If the student entrant is under 18, entry must be submitted with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, and Sponsor will require additional parental/guardian verification before awarding any prize.
The following individuals are not eligible to enter or win:

• employees, officers, directors, agents, and representatives of Sponsor and its parent companies, subsidiaries, and affiliates;
• employees, officers, directors, agents, and representatives of any advertising, promotion, fulfillment, or judging agencies involved in the administration of the Sweepstakes; and
• members of the immediate family (spouse, parent, child, sibling, step-relations) or household members of either of the foregoing.

Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Sweepstakes.
This Sweepstakes is void where prohibited or restricted by law.

3. How to Enter. During the Sweepstakes Period, eligible individuals may enter by completing and submitting the Entry Form.
To submit a valid entry, entrant must:

• complete all required fields on the Entry Form;
• confirm eligibility;
• agree to these Official Rules; and
• if the entrant is under 18, provide any required parent/guardian consent.

Limit: One (1) entry per person during the Sweepstakes Period, unless Sponsor expressly states otherwise in the applicable promotion materials. Entries must be received during the Sweepstakes Period to be eligible. Proof of submission is not proof of receipt. Entries that are incomplete, inaccurate, late, corrupted, or generated by script, macro, bot, or other automated means are void. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify any person who:

• submits multiple entries beyond any stated limit;
• attempts to enter using multiple email addresses, identities, devices, or other methods;
• tampers with the entry process or operation of the Sweepstakes; or
• otherwise violates these Official Rules.

Entries submitted by a disqualified person will be void. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an entrant, the authorized account holder of the email address submitted with the entry will be deemed the entrant, subject to verification.

4. Entry Information; Privacy. To administer the Sweepstakes, Sponsor may collect information such as entrant’s name, email address, mailing address, city, state, zip code, student’s school information, student’s education level and expected graduation year, student’s date of birth, and whether the entrant is a student or parent/guardian.
Sponsor will use entrant information:

• to administer the Sweepstakes;
• to verify eligibility;
• to contact potential winner(s);
• to fulfill the prize;
• to conduct related promotional and outreach activities as described below; and
• for purposes described in Sponsor’s Privacy Policy

Personal information submitted in connection with the Sweepstakes will be handled in accordance with Sponsor’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By entering and agreeing to receive communications from Sponsor, you may receive communications about the Sweepstakes and related offers. You may opt out at any time using the unsubscribe link in those communications.
Sponsor may use aggregated, de-identified information about entries (such as participation by school or geographic area) to analyze trends and to conduct outreach to schools, educators, or related organizations to promote awareness of the Sweepstakes and similar opportunities. Sponsor will not disclose information that directly identifies any individual entrant to third parties without consent (including parental consent if applicable), except as described in these Official Rules, the Privacy Policy, or as necessary to administer the Sweepstakes.

5. Winner Selection. On or about the Drawing Date, Sponsor will select one (1) potential winner in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period. Odds of winning depend on the total number of eligible entries received.

6. Winner Notification and Verification. The potential winner will be notified by email using the contact information provided at entry. To be confirmed as the winner, the potential winner must, within five (5) business days of Sponsor’s first attempted notification (or such longer period as Sponsor may permit in its sole discretion):

• respond to Sponsor’s notification;
• verify eligibility;
• complete and return any required affidavit, declaration, release, tax form, or other requested documentation; and
  if applicable, provide parent/guardian verification and signature.

If a potential winner:

• cannot be contacted;
• fails to respond within the required timeframe;
• fails to provide required documents;
• is found to be ineligible; or
• otherwise fails to comply with these Official Rules,

that potential winner may be disqualified, and Sponsor may select an alternate potential winner in a random drawing from the remaining eligible entries. Sponsor is not responsible for undeliverable emails due to spam filters, incorrect email address provided by entrant, or other issues outside of Sponsor’s control.
If the winner is under eighteen (18) years of age, Sponsor will require a parent or legal guardian to sign on the winner’s behalf to accept the Prize.

7. Prize. The Prize is one (1) $500 Amazon eGift Card, with an approximate retail value of $500. Sponsor will deliver the Prize to the verified winner within approximately sixty (60) days after winner verification is completed. The Prize is:

• non-transferable; and
• subject to substitution by Sponsor with a prize of equal or greater value if the advertised Prize becomes unavailable for any reason.

No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded.

8. Taxes. The winner is solely responsible for all federal, state, and local taxes and any other costs or expenses associated with acceptance and use of the Prize, except to the extent expressly stated otherwise by Sponsor. Sponsor may require the winner to submit a completed IRS Form W-9 and may issue an IRS Form 1099 for the value of the Prize, as applicable. Consult your tax advisor for guidance as tax treatment may vary depending on how the Prize is used. Sponsor does not provide tax advice.

9. Winner Publicity. Except where prohibited by law, acceptance of the Prize constitutes the winner’s permission for Sponsor and its designees to use the winner’s name, city/state, school name, likeness, photo, submitted quote, and/or biographical information for promotional, editorial, marketing, and publicity purposes related to this Sweepstakes, and future sweepstakes promotions, in any media now known or later developed, worldwide, without additional compensation, notice, review or approval. If the winner is under the age of majority in their state of residence, Sponsor will require a parent or legal guardian to sign a publicity and/or release form on the winner’s behalf. No promotional use of a minor winner’s name, likeness, or other identifying information will be made until Sponsor has received the required parent or legal guardian release form. For clarity, this section does not give Sponsor ownership of entrant-submitted personal information beyond the publicity rights expressly described above or the uses described in these Official Rules and the Privacy Policy.

10. Promotion Partners; Social Media; Co-Marketing. This Sweepstakes may be promoted, advertised, or shared by third parties, including schools, nonprofits, media outlets, creators, affiliates, influencers, or other promotional partners (“Promotion Partners”). Any Promotion Partner promoting the Sweepstakes must clearly and conspicuously disclose any material connection to Sponsor as required by applicable law. Unless Sponsor expressly states otherwise in the applicable promotion materials:

• Sponsor is solely responsible for administering the Sweepstakes and awarding the Prize;
• Promotion Partners are not sponsors, administrators, or prize providers of the Sweepstakes; and
• information submitted by entrants is provided to Sponsor, not to Promotion Partners, unless expressly disclosed at the point of collection.

If the Sweepstakes is promoted with a co-sponsor, such co-sponsor will be clearly identified in the applicable promotion materials and these Official Rules may be updated accordingly. This Sweepstakes may appear on websites, social media platforms, or other media channels, including but not limited to Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, TikTok, or YouTube. The Sweepstakes is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with any of those platforms unless expressly stated otherwise.

11. General Conditions. Sponsor’s failure to enforce any provision of these Official Rules does not constitute a waiver of that provision. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend, modify, or terminate the Sweepstakes, or any part of it, if Sponsor determines that the Sweepstakes cannot be conducted as intended due to error, fraud, technical failure, tampering, unauthorized intervention, or any issue related to compliance with applicable laws or regulations. If the Sweepstakes is canceled, suspended, or terminated before the scheduled end of the Sweepstakes Period, Sponsor may, where permitted by law, select the winner in a random drawing from all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to the action taken or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsor or otherwise take such action as Sponsor determines is reasonably necessary to comply with applicable law.
To the extent permitted by law, this will be the sole remedy available to entrants under such circumstances. All federal, state, and local laws and regulations apply. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

12. Release; Limitations of Liability. By participating in this Sweepstakes, each entrant agrees, to the maximum extent permitted by law, to release and hold harmless Sponsor, Promotion Partners, and each of their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, representatives, agents, successors, and assigns (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any claim or cause of action arising out of participation in the Sweepstakes or receipt, use, or misuse of the Prize, including but not limited to:

• Claims you may not know about at the time of entry;
• technical failures of any kind;
• lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, damaged, garbled, or undeliverable entries, notifications, or communications;
• unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Sweepstakes;
• errors in the administration of the Sweepstakes or the processing of entries;
• printing, typographical, or other mistakes in any Sweepstakes-related materials; and
• injury, loss, or damage to persons or property.

Nothing in these Official Rules excludes liability to the extent such exclusion is prohibited by law.

13. Disputes; Governing Law. Except where prohibited, all issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation, and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of entrant and Sponsor in connection with the Sweepstakes, shall be governed by the laws of the State of California, without giving effect to any choice of law or conflict of law rules. Except where prohibited by law, any dispute arising out of or relating to the Sweepstakes or these Official Rules shall be resolved individually, without any resort to any form of class action, and exclusively in the state or federal courts located in San Diego County, California. To the extent permitted by law, entrant waives any right to claim punitive, incidental, consequential, or indirect damages, and any right to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased, except for actual out-of-pocket expenses.

14. Official Rules and Winner List. For a copy of these Official Rules or the name of the winner, send a written request with your name and mailing address to:
Ascent Funding, LLC
Attn: Giveaway Winner List Request
501 W. Broadway, Suite A150
San Diego, CA 92101
Specify the name of the Sweepstakes and if the request is for a copy of the Official Rules and/or the winner list. Requests must be received within three (3) months after the end of the Sweepstakes Period. Limit one request per person, per household.

15. GMAC Role. The $500 Amazon eGift Card Giveaway is funded, hosted, managed, and administered solely by Sponsor. Graduate Management Admission Council (“GMAC”) is a Promotion Partner only and does not sponsor, fund, oversee, manage, or administer the Sweepstakes. GMAC does not endorse or recommend Sponsor’s products or services, and the co-branding, joint communications, or other activities regarding the Sweepstakes must not be interpreted as an endorsement or recommendation of Sponsor. Entrant information will only be provided to GMAC where consent has been given. All questions regarding eligibility, status, award determinations, and program operations must be directed to Sponsor.