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Scholarships

Best Scholarships for High School Seniors – 2024 [With Application Tips]

Written by Medha Pandey

Updated on: 17 Jan 2024

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It is the final year of high school, so you are a step closer to becoming a college student. This year is crucial as you prepare for college-level courses. You might feel excited and anxious at the same time. 

Along with the demanding syllabus of college, comes the steep difference in the cost of education. However, securing academic scholarships can be a practical approach to meet the educational cost of college up to a certain extent. There are four major types of scholarships that you, as a High School senior can apply for:

  • Merit-based scholarships are awarded based on academic achievements.  
  • Essay-writing scholarships are awarded to students demonstrating unique views and ideas on a topic through impressive essays. 
  • Athletic scholarships are for students excelling in sports. 
  • Art or creative scholarships are for students with exceptional talent in visual arts, music, dance, theater, or creative writing. 

In this article, we will list the best scholarships for high school seniors and provide helpful tips for applying.

Why are scholarships important for High School seniors?

Scholarships mainly provide financial aid to help high school students achieve their academic goals stress-free. The two major ways scholarships help High School seniors are:

  1. Scholarships provide Financial-aid

Upon reaching high school students might go through some mixed feelings. Students at this stage prepare themselves for college. Some students might have also decided about the colleges they want to be in, but the families can’t afford the finances for college, and for those students, full-ride scholarships come across like a magic wand. They cover their entire college degree expenses from books to food.

The scholarships with a financial aid program for students to help pay for their college degree expenses, either fully or partially. 

Many scholarships come with prize-money rewards that help the students meet their educational need expenses at the moment.

  1. Scholarships encourage students to develop professional skills

Specific scholarships also fund academic research, educational travel, and internships for students. This encourages the students to follow their field of study passionately with money being the least of their worries. Getting hands-on experience in their fields develops professional skills in the students. 

Best merit-based scholarships for High School seniors

A student can get a scholarship based on merit from his/her school directly. Or they can search for merit-based scholarships at colleges or universities from online resources based on their skills and field of interest. 

Here’s a list of top merit scholarships for high school students: 

1. QuestBridge Match Scholarship 

Award Amount 

A full 4-year scholarship will be provided with a scholarship of $200,000.

Eligibility 

  • You should be a high school student. 
  • Eligibility depends on your academic results. The test scores, writing ability, and class rank regarding financial need are considered.  

Deadline 

Last week of September.

Click to Apply

2. The Burger King Scholars Program                             

Award Amount

$1000 to $60000.   

 Eligibility 

  • You must be a citizen of the U.S. or a Canadian citizen living in the U.S. 
  • The students must acquire a minimum GPA of 2.0 to qualify for a scholarship. Other skills, community services, and work experience are also considered.  

 Deadline

 Mid-December

Click to Apply

3. The Gates Scholarship         

Award Amount

Full cost of attendance that includes tuition fee, transportation, and more.  

Eligibility 

  • An American Indian, African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, or Pacific Islander American with a minimum of 3.3 GPA can enroll. 
  • A high school student getting in the top 10% of the graduating class is eligible for the scholarship.  

Deadline

15th September.

Click to Apply

4. The Elks National Foundation Most Valuable Student Scholarship             

Award Amount

  • The award of $1,000-$4,000 is given to the student per year in his full college career.
  • Weekend interviews are set for students who can participate and win a chance to get an award of $5,000 to $12,500 per year.

 Eligibility 

  • You must be a U.S. citizen. Apply with financial information and an essay. 
  • You are qualified based on academic achievements, financial needs, community services, and leadership skills.

 Deadline

15th November.

Click To Apply

5. The GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship 

Amount award

A scholarship of $10,000 is given for an additional 3 years. (total $40,000).

Eligibility 

  • Must be a U.S citizen with a 3.0 GPA. 
  • Must also have leadership qualities. 
  • Must be committed to civic engagement.
  • Must be in high school, graduating in 2024.

Deadline

Early January.
Click to Apply

6. Davidson Institution Fellows Scholarships

Amount award

$10,000,$25,000, and $50,000 are awarded to students who have performed well and accomplished a good piece of work. 

Eligibility 

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. 
  • No minimum age eligibility is required. 
  • The application process must be nominated by at least 2 people.

Deadline

14th February

Click to Apply

7. The Carson Scholars Fund

Award Amount

The Carson Scholars award an amount of $1,000.

Eligibility 

  • A minimum 3.75 GPA is required for eligibility. 
  • Direct application is not available for this scholarship. A student must be nominated by the educator from your school.

    The overall process is provided here

Deadline

12th January 2024

Click to Apply

❓Feeling clueless about your target GPA? Read: How to calculate GPA?

8. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship

 Award Amount

 A $ 7,500 scholarship is awarded to college students and juniors. 

Eligibility 

  • You must be a U.S. citizen with a minimum of 3.0 GPA. 
  • Your goal must be to graduate in mathematics, natural sciences, or engineering. A
  •  Goldwater Campus representative must nominate you for the scholarship. 
  • You also have to submit transcripts and recommendation letters with research essays. 

Deadline

The last Friday of January each year is the deadline for application.

Click to Apply

9. Cameron Impact Scholarship

Award Amount

A merit scholarship of 4 years is awarded to the student. It covers full tuition fees, fees, and books of the college or universities they are studying in.

Eligibility 

  • A minimum of 3.7 GPA is required. 
  • You must have qualities to have an impact on the global community. You must have a positive impact in and after college.

Deadline

Applications start from 1st February 2024 for 2025 classes.

Click to Apply

10. The Equitable Excellence Scholarship

This merit-based scholarship program has replaced the AXA Achievement Scholarship.

Amount Award

  • The authorized distribution for new awards is up to $750,000, with 100 renewable awards of $5,000 each. 
  • 100 one-time awards of $2,500 each. 
  • The top 100 applicants receive renewable awards for up to four years or until a bachelor’s degree is earned. 
  • The next 100 applicants receive non-renewable awards. 
  • A $500 gift card will be provided to each recipient’s teacher of choice.

Eligibility 

  • High School seniors in the 50 US states, DC, or Puerto Rico are encouraged to enroll in an accredited college or university for the upcoming academic year. 
  • They must demonstrate ambition and self-drive, provide a release to publicize their achievements, and have a 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale. 
  • They must also provide photographs for program promotion and information.

Deadline

Fall 2024

Click To Apply 

🏆Achieving academic excellence? Navigate the Best Merit-based scholarships for more options.

💡Need to improve your GPA to secure the best merit-based scholarship? Read: How to improve your GPA?

Best essay-writing scholarships for High School seniors

Essay writing contests or scholarships award writers through financial aid as well as publication. Writing scholarships recognize your work and provide a platform for future writing. Winners’ names are exposed to judges and can be used as publishing credit. Here are the top essay-writing scholarships for high school seniors:

1. Scholastic Art &Writing Awards

Award Amount

Up to $12500

Eligibility

Students of middle school and high school from grades 7 to 12 can enter this competition. There are 28 different categories of art and writing to get yourself enrolled in.

Deadline

Between December and January depending on your region.

Click to Apply 

2. Wiingy Future STEM Leaders Scholarship

Award Amount

  • Scholarship Amount of up to $1200. 
  • Publication of the winner’s essay and bio on their official site.
  • Even if your essay didn’t make the winning list, Wiingy features its choicest essays on its official page!

Eligibility 

  • Applicants must be currently enrolled as a school or college student in a recognized institution.
  • Applicants must be majoring in or intending to major in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) subject.
  • Must be able to submit an essay of 400-600 words on a given topic.

Deadline

Starting from Oct 2023 till Mar 2024, Wingy will select one student each month for Wiingy’s Future STEM Leaders Scholarship.

The deadline is the 31st of every month.

Click to Apply

3. Bennington Young Writers Awards

Award Amount 

  • Scholarship Amount of up to $1000.
  • Second place wins $500. 
  • The third-place winner gets $250.
  • Also, students are eligible for scholarships at Bennington College.

Eligibility 

  • Each year students from 9 to 12 grade participate in any one category of poems, non-fiction, or fiction. There is no entry fee.
  • Both U.S. and international students are invited.

            See eligibility details

Deadline

Deadline details

Click to Apply

4. Youth Scholarships- Patriot’s Pen

Award Amount

  • $500 is the prize for a winner who comes first at the state level. 
  • $5000 for the winner at the national level.
  • Get published as the winner of the session you participate in.

Eligibility 

  • It is open to students in grades 9-12.
  • Middle and high school students can participate in this essay writing competition.
  • Not necessarily have to be a U.S. citizen but a lawful permanent resident of the U.S.

            See eligibility details 

Deadline 

Midnight 31st October.

Click to Apply.

5. The Adroit Journal

Award Amount

  • The winners get an award of $200. 
  • The work of the winner and the runner-up from the secondary and undergraduate categories is published in the Androit Journal.

Eligibility

The students in secondary and undergraduate can participate in the competition. International students who have passed a year earlier can also participate.

Deadline

15th December.

Click to Apply.

6. John Locke Institution

Award Amount

  • The prize for the Junior category and subject category is a scholarship of $2000 for attending any John Locke Institution program.
  • For receiving the prize the winners are called for an academic conference and an award dinner. But these are paid.
  • An e-certificate is given to the winners who are unable to attend. Others who attend the ceremony get a signed copy of the certificate. 
  • The overall best essay winner gets a fellowship with US $10,000 for attending summer school for a year or more or getting courses for the year.

Eligibility

  • Students from around the world can participate in this competition.
  • Candidate must be 18 years old, or younger on that date.

Deadline

March 16 – April 15, 2024

Click to Apply.

7. We the Student’s Essay Contest

Award Amount

$10,000

Eligibility

  • Must be U.S.-based citizens. 
  • Students who study in middle or high school from 13 to 19 years of age can participate in this competition. 

Deadline

See details

Click to Apply

8. Jane Austen Society Essay Contest

Award Amount

  • The award for the first-place winners is a $1000 scholarship. 
  • The first-place winners also get free registration along with two nights lodging for the Annual General Meeting.
  • The second-place winner gets a $500 scholarship.
  • The winner who stands 3rd gets $250 as a scholarship.
  • Along with these prizes, the winners get a membership in JASNA. Their essays are published on the institution’s website too.

Eligibility

Students from all over the world are invited to compete in 3 divisions:

  • High School
  • College/University
  • Graduate School

Deadline

1st June.

Click to Apply

9. SPJ/JEA High School Essay Contest

Award Amount

  • The first prize winner gets $ 1,000 a scholarship.
  • The second prize winner gets $ 500 a scholarship.
  • The third prize winner gets a scholarship of $300.
  • Winners’ names are posted on the association’s website.

Eligibility

Students from 9-12 grade studying in private or public schools in the US can participate. 

Deadline

19th February, 2024

Click to Apply

10.  Calibre Essay Price

Award Amount

$10,000

Eligibility

Deadline

22nd January, 2024

Click to Apply


💡Read the December 2023 winning essay of Wiingy’s Future STEM Leaders Scholarship Program and find the top student essays for reference.

Best Athletic Scholarships for High School Seniors

A student can get an athletic scholarship from his/her school directly. Or they can search for athletic scholarships at colleges or universities from online resources based on their skills and field of interest. 

Here is the list of top athletic scholarships:

1. U.S. Sports Scholarships 

Award Amount 

Offers 50 sport-specific spots annually to ensure every player receives personalized attention in finding a suitable American school with the best financial package.

Eligibility 

  • All high school students from their junior year and senior year can apply for this scholarship. 
  • Besides, students with a minimum GPA are also eligible for this scholarship program.

Deadline 

Depends on upcoming trials. Please see the details.

Click to apply 

2. Athlete Honors Scholarship Program

Award Amount 

Every year the winner from high school students across any part of the country is awarded with the amount of $500.

Eligibility 

  • All high school students from their junior year and senior year can apply for this scholarship. 
  • Students with a minimum GPA are also eligible for this scholarship program.
  • The students applying for this scholarship program must acquire a good knowledge of Visual & Performing Arts and Dance. 

Deadline 

May 1, 2024

Click to apply 

To apply for this scholarship you need to submit a 500-word essay and Letters of Recommendation while filling out the application before the deadline.

3. Heisman High School Scholarship

Award Amount 

This scholarship program will choose 101 high school athlete students and will award them up to $10,000.

Eligibility 

  • This program applies to high school students in their senior year only.
  • The student must hold US citizenship.
  • They must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or above.
  • During the 2023–2024 academic year, students must be seniors, graduating with the class of 2024.

Deadline 

October 17, 2024

Click to apply 

To apply, visit the homepage of this scholarship program and sign up to create an account.

4. Markus Paul Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is fully sponsored by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) for high school seniors planning to pursue sports-related fields in college. 

Award Amount 

The scholarship provides a $5,000 tuition scholarship annually to Black American students preparing to coach in the Strength & Conditioning profession.

Eligibility

  • A current student with Black American heritage must complete the application.
  • Applicant must enroll in a major in Physical Education, Exercise Science, Strength and Conditioning, or similar, to become a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the collegiate or professional level. 
  • The applicant must not be a current member of the NSCA Foundation Board of Directors, Scholarship Committee, or an affiliate employee.

Deadline 

The application starts on August 1, 2024, and continues till Oct 15, 2024.  

Click to apply 

To apply for this scholarship program submit your written essay, Proof of enrollment, Academic transcript, Resume or CV, and Letter of Recommendation while filling in the application details.

Explore more NSCA scholarships

 5. TrophyCentral Sportsmanship Scholarship 

Award Amount 

The winning student will be awarded with the sum of  $1,000.  

Note: The scholarship will be paid directly to the college or university in which the winner is enrolled.

Eligibility

  • The applicant must be a high school student of a public or private school in the US.
  • The student must have a GPA of at least 3.25 out of 4.0 in the junior high school year or the first semester.
  • They must show amazing sportsmanship and start college in September 2024.

Deadline

September 2024

Click to apply 

6. Massachusetts Youth Soccer Scholarship Program

Award Amount 

Two award winners will be announced, one male and one female. They will receive a scholarship of $1,000 each. 

Eligibility

  • The applicant must be a High School senior.
  • The applicant must be a player registered with Massachusetts Youth Soccer for a minimum of two years.
  • The student should be residing in Massachusetts.
  • Often, the task requires a comprehensive essay of no more than 500 words.

Deadline 

June 2024

Click to apply 

 7. Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship

Award Amount 

The winner will get a scholarship of $1,500 which they have to use in the 2024 fall semester. The student may use the scholarship to carry out academic expenses like tuition fees, books, and supplies.

Eligibility

  • The applicant must hold the citizenship of the United States or hold the residence in one of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., or Puerto Rico.
  • They must be a high school student in their senior year, undergraduate, or graduate students.
  • The student must acquire a good knowledge of Athletics, Biology, Behavioral Science, Sports/Exercise Science, Psychology, Healthcare, Dental Health/Services, Pharmacy, Therapy/Rehabilitation, Nursing, Medicine

Deadline 

August 1, 2024

Click to apply 

8. MFMA Scholarship Program

Award Amount 

This program will announce 5 winners who will get a scholarship of $1,250. 

Eligibility

  • The applicant must be a High School senior and College Student.
  • They must be a US citizen or hold permanent citizenship of the country.
  • They must be athletes.
  • The applicant must hold an interest in Environmental Science, Architecture, Engineering, Biology, and Sports Flooring.

Deadline 

July 2024

Click to apply 

9. The BigSun Scholarship 

Award Amount 

The winner will be awarded with the sum of $500. 

Eligibility

  • The applicant must be a high school senior or must be attending a post-secondary institute.
  • All senior high-school student-athletes are eligible.

Deadline 

June 19, 2024

Click to apply 

Email a short essay of around 500-1000 words to their official mail account athleticawards@bigsunathletics.com. 

10. Brian Pearson Memorial Scholarship

Award Amount 

A scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded to one male and one female high school student annually.

Eligibility

  • The 2023 scholarship is open to students in their junior or senior year of high school during the 2023-2024 school year. 
  • Students aiming to pursue post-high school education.  

Deadline 

April 1, 2024

Click to apply 

📱Calculating your GPA? Read: How to calculate GPA?

Best art scholarships for High School seniors

Whether a student is a freshman or a senior set to graduate from high school, there are various art scholarships available. As soon as you turn fourteen, you may begin applying for high school scholarships! The top art scholarships for high school seniors are:

1. Dwain and Polly Wright Educational Scholarship

Award Amount

$500

Eligibility

  • Graduating seniors from Macon High School.
  • Students who have completed at least two English, Language Arts, or Vocational classes. 
  • Students who are accepted to a two or four-year college, university, or technical school for further education.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline 

May 1, 2024.

Click to Apply

2. Be Bold Scholarship

Award Amount

$25000

Eligibility

  • Based on these attributes, the student whose profile is the boldest will receive the scholarship.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline 

Feb 1, 2024

Click to Apply

3. American Classic Homes Scholarship  

Award Amount

$1,000

Eligibility

  • You must be a junior, sophomore, or graduating senior from high school.
  • Your age should be between 16 to 22 while in college or graduating high school.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

Jan 12, 2024

Click to Apply

4. Hunter Dean Temple Art Scholarship 

Award Amount

$1,800 each is given to 4 winners

Eligibility

  • You must be an undergraduate student from North Carolina.
  • The field of study should be the Arts.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

June 11, 2024

Click to Apply

5. Reginald Kelley Scholarship

Award Amount

$1,500, 3 winners each get a sum of $500

Eligibility

  • Subjects must include Music, arts, or science.
  • You must be a high school senior or an undergraduate student.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

 June 20, 2024

Click to Apply

6. Valley Humanities Review High School Scholarship

Award Amount

$500

Eligibility

  • Students who study at Lebanon Valley College are enrolled in undergraduate humanities.
  • High school students who are doing research in the humanities.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

 Dec 15, 2024

Click to Apply

7. Zinggia Art Scholarship 

Award Amount

$2,000

Eligibility

  • A high school senior with a minimum of 3.0 GPA.
  • A student of the U.S. or a resident of Ohio state.
  • Aims to build a career in visual arts.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

 May 3, 2024

Click to Apply

8. FormSwift Scholarship Program

Award Amount

$1,000

Eligibility

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or Canadian citizen.
  • International students can also apply. 
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

Aug 15, 2024

Click to Apply

9. The Kress Foundation Interpretive Fellowships at Art Museums 

Award Amount

$30,000

Eligibility

  • Must be pursuing art-related professional courses.
  • Must have a degree in art education, art studio, or art history.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

April 1, 2024

Click to Apply

10. Visual Arts Scholarship  

Award Amount

$5,000

Eligibility

  • The student must be a U.S. citizen who has attended a private or public school in the past two years.
  • Plans to study two to four years of visual arts major.
  • The students who have already won the scholarship earlier are ineligible.
  • For detailed eligibility criteria please click here.

Deadline

April 1, 2024

Click to Apply

✏️Wish to get ample room to exhibit art skills? Find out the Best Art Scholarships for more options.

Best scholarships for summer for High School seniors

According to the Education Data Initiative research, 84% of students receive some form of financial aid. If not financial aid, scholarships for summer sessions can fund educational research, trips, and projects to help you achieve the finest of your academic potential.

Here you go with the best scholarships for summer programs to apply for:

1. Washington University in St. Louis 

High School Summer Scholarship Program

Award

Assistance with scholarships is available based on need. A 10% discount is available to returning students and children of WashU staff. Here are more specifics on costs, need-based scholarships, and savings.

Eligibility

  • You must be a current junior high school graduate.
  • You should have an IELTS Academic score of at least 6.5 or a TOEFL iBT score of at least 90 as an overseas student.

Further guidelines about international students can be found here.

Deadline

The High School Summer Scholars Program has two application deadlines: 

Early (March 1, 2024) and regular (April 1, 2024). 

  • The early deadline and income documentation for need-based scholarships ends on March 1, 2024. 
  • The regular deadline is April 1, 2024
  • The scholarship application section and income documentation are a must for need-based scholarships. Decisions will be made by April 8, 2024.

Click to apply for the summer program

2. University of Notre Dame

Office of Pre-college Programs

Award

Students can get financial aid for their studies under the Office of pre-college programs.


Eligibility

Summer Scholars program dates are June 8-22, 2024, and June 29-July 13, 2024. High school students must be:  

  • Current sophomores and juniors, have strong academic standing and be self-motivated, self-disciplined, and mature. 
  • They must express a desire to be part of the Notre Dame community and be at least 16 by August 1, 2024.

Further application guidelines can be found here.

Deadline

  • Applications Live: October 16, 2023
  • Application Deadline: February 20, 2024
  • Financial Aid Request Form Deadline: February 12, 2024


To access the financial aid request form for Summer Scholars Session I, click this link.

To access the financial aid request form for Summer Scholars Session II, click this link.

✍️Kindly ensure that a parent or guardian fills out the form by February 12, 2024.

3. Rice University

Summer Session Financial Aid

Award

Rice undergraduates who received academic year need-based aid are eligible for institutional aid equivalent to 50% of summer tuition.


Eligibility

  • You must be a current graduate. 
  • As long as you are enrolled in Rice undergraduate courses, the Summer Rice Grant is only available for two summers. (Each summer, up to nine credit hours). 

✍️Note: The Summer Rice Grant is exclusively for Rice online, in-person, or “Rice in country” coursework and other faculty-led overseas programs during the summer, not for non-Rice summer programs.

Email fina@rice.edu with any inquiries you may have about your eligibility for a summer grant.

Deadline

Usually, the summer request form deadline spans around the last week of May.

 
Click to apply for the summer program

4. Yale University

Summer Session Financial Aid Program

Award

Summer 2024’s maximum YSS financial assistance award per student is $5,070, with students not exceeding this limit within a 10-week summer.


Eligibility

  • You should be an undergraduate student for the Summer Pell Grant Program.
  • Yale College students with a Safety Net percentage of 80% or higher will receive an application fee waiver, similar to the ISA percentage in YaleHub. 

Deadline

Session A: May 27 – June 28

Session B: July 1 – August 2

Click to apply for the summer program

5. Stanford University

Summer Session

Award

 Standford’s Summer Session offers need-based funds for students. 


Eligibility

  • You must be a high school or university student at a recognized educational institution. 
  • Available to students who missed a standard quarter or will graduate at the end of summer.

Deadline

Mostly, the last week of May. 

Click to apply for the summer program

6. Carleton College

Summer Liberal Arts Institute

Award

The Summer Liberal Arts Institute (SLAI) is a summer learning community for high school students in Northfield, Minnesota, allowing them to explore the liberal arts at a top 10 private residential college. Students learn from top-ranked faculty, earn college credit, and develop research skills.


Eligibility

  • You must be an undergraduate with a strong inclination toward discovering your discipline and the practical applications of your courses.

Deadline

Round 1 Deadline: February 5, 2024

Round 2 (Final) Deadline: March 11, 2024

Click to apply for the summer program

7. University of Pennsylvania

Penn Summer Abroad Fellowship and Scholarship Program

Award

Under the Penn Summer Abroad Fellowship and Scholarship Program, students can get funds to study abroad, exponential learning, and exploration of their disciplines. 


Eligibility

  • You must be an undergraduate pupil at Penn or another US university with accreditation.
  • You should be able to fill out the online application form which includes 
  • An essay application
  • Letter of recommendation
  • Application to more than one program (if needed)
  • Additionally, for each type of scholarship program, there are specific requirements which you can find here

Deadline 

Deadlines vary depending on the scholarship program you choose.
1. The William A. Levi Travel Fellowship – January 31st, 2024

2. Fund for Education Abroad – Application opens: Mid-November

                                                  Application closes: Early January

                                                  Scholars announced: Early April

Click to apply for the summer scholarship


8. Emory University

Pre-college Program

Award

Award amounts cover tuition, granted on a rolling basis, with notifications sent via email to applicants. Acceptances must be returned via email.

Eligibility

  • You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.
  • International students are not allowed.
  • You must complete the Pre-College Financial Aid application, application items, and application fee, and submit your parent’s current tax return.

Deadlines

Financial Aid applications usually close by April 15.

Click to apply for the summer scholarship 

📱Calculating your GPA? Read: How to calculate GPA?

🎗️Pursuing higher education? Read Best Scholarship for College Students.

Scholarship application tips for High School seniors

Looking for a perfect scholarship program for High School seniors is a task. But no worries, here are some tips that might be helpful to you in your scholarship journey.

Start looking early

Somehow, at some point in time, we all end up in this last-minute situation. You should not wait to become a high school senior and then start looking for scholarships. Ideally, you should start looking for opportunities as soon as you enter grade 8 of middle school. 

So that the rest is planned well. You will also have enough time to filter the scholarship and find the perfect one for yourself.

Know where to look

Finding a scholarship can be like exploring a treasure map, and this article will help you to navigate the journey. Just like you found this article through an online search, you can: 

  • Seek advice from your school counselors about some local scholarships.
  • Learn about grants and resources from the State’s financial aid website.
  • Search in your local area for scholarships.

Create your target list

Again, a more important piece of advice will be: Stay organized. Keep track of the deadlines for all the scholarships you are considering applying for. To keep yourself organized and on top of the application process, make a calendar or spreadsheet.

Looking for a scholarship is not a one-time process. Students must be consistent and dedicated to this process. To have the best chance at winning a scholarship students must keep searching, apply often, and be updated.

Think outside the box

In this article information about a variety of scholarships is provided, that are suitable for High School seniors. But, don’t be limited to them, explore and find scholarships that are suitable and specific to your hobbies and requirements.

Personalize and proofread your application

That personal touch is as important as other application items for your scholarship. Your skills, views, ideas, needs, and goals should underline your personality.

Besides, do proofread your application without fail. Pay attention to every detail. Who knows if you’ve made the silliest of mistakes only to ruin your chances!

Starting early is crucial for finding high school scholarships. Seek advice from school counselors, State’s financial aid website, and local area websites for local scholarships. Stay organized by tracking deadlines and using a calendar or spreadsheet. Explore scholarships specific to your hobbies and requirements. Personalize and proofread your application to highlight your skills, views, ideas, needs, and goals. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Best Buy scholarship for high school seniors?

The Best Buy Children’s Foundation is offering $1,000 scholarships to high school students in grades 9-12, aiming to support post-secondary education, solid grades, and community service or work experience, as part of the Best Buy Scholarship Program.

What is the easiest type of scholarship to get?

The scholarship that aligns with your interests and best potential is the easiest to get for you. For example, if you’re good at writing essays, the Wiingy Future STEM Leaders Scholarship is very easy to apply for.

Also, Merit-based scholarships, awarded during the acceptance process, are often the easiest to obtain for colleges, especially private schools, as they don’t require a separate application.

Which scholarship gives the most money?

Elks National Foundation and Davidson Fellows Scholarship program offer up to $50000 in scholarships in the USA.

Is senior year too late for scholarships?

No, senior year is not too late for a scholarship! Many universities and institutes offer scholarships to high school seniors as discussed in this article. 
This is the year when you brush up on your major skills and prepare to get into a good college for university studies. Yes, had you been able to begin your hunt a little early, it would have been much easier to secure a scholarship, but be “better late than never!” 

Written by by

Medha Pandey

Reviewed by by

Prerit Jain

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