Megan Hardy won't be there when classes resume at Washington State University at Pullman on Jan. 7. She'll be attending a football game instead.

But because she has the opportunity to win a $100,000 scholarship at the game, she said her parents don't mind her skipping classes.

Hardy is one of five finalists who will go to the BCS National Championship game in Florida on Jan. 7 as part of the Dr Pepper Challenge. She was selected from among ten others who submitted videos talking about their future careers and how the scholarship would help them meet their goal.

There's still one more hurdle left before Hardy can compete for the top prize in a football-throwing contest, but she's already guaranteed herself a $2,500 scholarship and a free ticket to a football game.

"I'm really just grateful to get anything," said the 2012 Southridge High School graduate.

Hardy's father, Jerry Hardy, suggested his daughter enter the contest as a way to pay for her education at WSU where she is a freshman studying elementary education. She was selected for the next round based on the number of votes her video garnered online through the contest's website, Facebook page and Twitter.

Her mother, Wendy Hardy, said her daughter enjoys children and became interested in a teaching career after working in a grade-school classroom during her senior year at Southridge High. Hardy herself said she'd like to teach abroad.

A $4,000 scholarship from WSU is helping pay for some of her college along with some financial help from her parents, but Hardy is otherwise paying for her education by working and taking out loans.

Hardy isn't guaranteed to be one of the two college students in the football contest quite yet. There will be a throwing competition between the five finalists prior to the halftime event to determine who competes for the top prize.

But Hardy said she'd be happy to just get to the last stage, as the runner-up is guaranteed a $23,000 scholarship.

Not that she and her family aren't training for her to do her best, though.

Hardy said her dad went to Home Depot to make a target to practice with.