This challenge comes as part of the “Get Schooled” campaign, a national movement financially backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, that aims to heighten the demand for educational reform by increasing the need for action against high drop out rates and under qualified graduates.

According to a press release, MTV General Manager Stephen Friedman said, “Our hope is that this ‘challenge’ will empower students to take advantage of opportunities that can open doors to high education.”

While the cooperation of leading media content providers and non-profit organizations is rare, the collaboration between MTV and College Board came as no surprise to Ben Lebowitz, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’11. “The process is incredibly daunting and the thought of ‘I have no chance’ is one that has definitely crossed my mind when thinking about applying for scholarships,” Lebowitz said.

“I think the MTV/College Board collaboration is an interactive and smart idea for college students to really think about how they would create a more intuitive and enticing way to apply for loans.” Lebowitz said. “With college tuitions across the country rising every year, it is becoming increasingly difficult for students to pay for school. This challenge seems like it will help college students from low- to middle-income families really find the money they need to stay in school and graduate with a degree that will leverage them into a dream job.”

Amy Aronson, Ph.D., assistant professor of journalism and media studies at FCLC, agreed with Lebowitz. She said, “Any initiative dedicated to helping young people afford to go to college is a good thing. It’s challenging enough to manage the admission and the tuition itself for college; the forms and red tape to apply for financial help should not stand in the way of any student who wants and deserves to go.”

However, she did stress concerns about the organizations involved and their long term commitment to assisting the students, not only throughout their college career, but post-college, by guiding them to financially manage their transition into the working world and repay student debt.

“I think the organizations involved here need to commit themselves to the project of college financing and to the student’s needs thoughtfully, fully and across an appropriate time horizon. It shouldn’t be just a PR thing for the moment,” Aronson said.

Ashley Breda, FCLC ’11, shared similar concerns about the intentions behind the contest. “This whole concept seems a little funny to me; I wonder why MTV and College Board couldn’t just ask for students’ opinions and frustrations with this particular subject then formulate a professional concept and immediately jumpstart this concept into action. This would allow more students the chance to easily obtain scholarships and aid than just one, lucky winner.”

The deadline for all innovative ideas closes Dec. 17. From there, three finalists will be chosen and given the opportunity to work with Frog Design—a global firm headquartered in San Francisco that employs more than 500 experts in design, strategic analysis and technology to aid leading companies in bringing to life their ideas and products.

The finalists will be allotted two weeks time to collaborate with Frog Design to further build their idea. Afterwards, one individual or team will be announced the winner and the recipient of a $10,000 scholarship. With the backing of MTV, College Board and the Gates Foundation, the chosen individual or team will receive a $100,000 development budget.