scholarships for college students essay

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Best Writing Scholarships in 2024

Showing 159 scholarships that match your search.

Immerse Education

The Immerse Education Essay Competition provides the opportunity for students aged 13-18 to submit essay responses to a pre-set question relating to their chosen subject. 10 winners will receive a 100% scholarship, with runner-up prizes also awarded. 100% Scholarship Award For Cambridge, Oxford, Sydney & London Summer School Essay Competition.

Categories: Critical Essay

Organization: Immerse Education.

Deadline: January 04, 2025.

Additional awards: Runner-ups: 50% of scholarship.

Categories: Critical Essay.

Apply now →

Creative Writing Award

The winner will be offered the opportunity to occupy during her or his first academic year the residence room where J. D. Salinger lived; and Leadership standing in the Ursinus writing community. The winner will be expected to join the previous award winners in reading subsequent creative portfolios, and will help the Office of Admission in selecting the next winner. Award winners are also expected to be prominent members of Ursinus’ Literary Society, The Lantern, and the creative writing community.

Categories: Critical Essay, Journalism, Nonfiction, Novel Writing, Personal Essay, Playwriting, Poetry, Portfolio, Research, Screenwriting, and Short Fiction

Organization: Ursinus College.

Deadline: January 15, 2025.

Categories: Critical Essay, Journalism, Nonfiction, Novel Writing, Personal Essay, Playwriting, Poetry, Portfolio, Research, Screenwriting, and Short Fiction.

The Sub Pop Loser Scholarship

Sub Pop Records is extremely proud to offer a grand total of $15,000 in college scholarship money to three eligible high school seniors. To apply you must submit a one-page essay using any combination of our questions as a guide (or write something completely your own, be inspired and creative!). Applicants must be residents of Washington or Oregon in pursuit of higher education.

Categories: Personal Essay

Organization: Sub Pop Records.

Deadline: March 23, 2025.

Additional awards: Second place scholarship of $5,000, third place scholarship of $3,000.

Categories: Personal Essay.

Islamic Scholarship Fund Program

Students who are Muslim or active members of the Muslim community may apply for the Islamic Scholarship Fund. The ISF awards multiple scholarships each year ranging from $3,000-$10,000, though the amounts and number of recipients will vary. Students must submit applications including essay questions, work samples, and letters of recommendation, and must also be majoring in an ISF-supported field related to media or politics.

Organization: Islamic Scholarship Fund.

Deadline: March 21, 2025.

Additional awards: Multiple awards of varying amounts will be given.

BBB Torch Talk Scholarship

BBB Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to educating consumers on a variety of marketplace issues; this scholarship is in pursuit of that goal. Applicants must attend high school in Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington or Western Wyoming, and will submit a 500-word essay for BBB’s online magazine Torch Talk on one of the given topics.

Organization: Better Business Bureau.

Deadline: March 16, 2025.

Flag House Scholarship Award

Do you know of an unsung history-maker in your community? Is there an organization in your community working to keep the legacy of a historically significant, but often overlooked, individual alive and relevant? Identify a person living or from the past whose professional work, activism, or personal story has made a significant impact on you or your community. Describe why their story is unique and explain how they have changed history. Response should be limited to 350 words.

Categories: Research and Critical Essay

Organization: The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House.

Deadline: March 26, 2025.

Categories: Research and Critical Essay.

Unpublished Writer's Award

The winner of this award receives $1,000, an invitation to accept the award at our annual awards ceremony, promotion on our website, and a feature of their work in our Magajournal and quarterly newsletter. Applicant must email an original, unpublished fiction work (short story or novel excerpt) not to exceed 2,000 typed words on double-spaced pages

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing

Organization: Go On Girl! Book Club.

Deadline: March 31, 2025.

Additional awards: Invitation to awards ceremony, promotion through website and publications.

Categories: Short Fiction and Novel Writing.

Incight Scholarship

The INCIGHT scholarship is open to students in Washington, Oregon, and California who have a documented disability. Applicants must complete two detailed essay responses (video essays also welcome) in order to be eligible. The number of awards and total amount awarded will be determined during the selection process, and winners will be notified in June.

Organization: INCIGHT.

Deadline: April 01, 2025.

Christine B. Dexter Scholarship

The Christine B. Dexter Scholarship was established in honor of Christine B. Dexter after her passing from stomach cancer in 2008. This scholarship awards undergrad students a $2,000 scholarship towards their fall tuition. All recipients demonstrate a history of community service and resilience through their cancer journey.

Organization: Christine B. Foundation.

Marguerite Young Endowment Fund

The Marguerite Young Endowment Fund was established at The Pittsburgh Foundation to provide scholarships for students who plan to study theology. Candidates must be attending a Protestant seminary as a master of Divinity candidate, preparing for full-time ministry and/or be a seminary intern at a Protestant Church. Application must includes proof of this, as well as a personal essay.

Organization: The Pittsburgh Foundation.

The AAF-Greater Evansville Scholarship

The AAF-Greater Evansville awards scholarships to deserving high school and/or college students yearly in April. To be eligible, students must plan to pursue a career in advertising, marketing, public relations or graphic design. Application varies yearly but includes various education details and personal statements.

Categories: Journalism

Organization: American Advertising Federation of Greater Evansville.

Categories: Journalism.

Aspiring Literary Scholar Award

The winner of this award receives $1,000, an invitation to accept the award at our annual awards ceremony, promotion on our website, and a feature of their work in our Magajournal and quarterly newsletter. Candidate must submit an essay not to exceed 800 words on the topic "The Power of The Written Word."

Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship

The Dr. Jerry Pournelle Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics.

Categories: Research, Personal Essay, and Critical Essay

Organization: The Heinlein Society.

Categories: Research, Personal Essay, and Critical Essay.

Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship

The Dr. Yoji Kondo Scholarship may be awarded to a candidate of any gender majoring in engineering, math, biological or physical sciences, or “science fiction as literature” as an eligible field of study. Applicants must submit a 500-1,000 word essay on one of several scientific topics.

Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship

Project Sleep’s Jack & Julie Narcolepsy Scholarship is a national scholarship program to support students with narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Students must complete an application form that includes a response to the esssay question: "If you could go back in time and speak to yourself on the day you were diagnosed, what would you say? Write a letter to yourself on that day."

Organization: Project Sleep.

What are writing scholarships?

Writing scholarships are financial awards given to students based primarily on written work, though other factors are usually taken into consideration as well. Most writing scholarships involve a prompt or series of prompts to which applicants must respond. Some writing scholarships — especially those that award large amounts of money — require applicants to submit past writing samples, or even a full portfolio.

The good news is that, with so many writing scholarships to choose from, you don’t have to apply for any that are “out of your league.” Indeed, though most students have heard of writing scholarships, you may not realize just how many different varieties there are! Here are five of the most common types of writing scholarships, all of which you can find in this directory.

1. Personal essay scholarships

Personal essay scholarships involve writing on a topic related to your own experience. You’ll often see personal essay prompts like, “How have your experiences influenced your choice of major?” and “What are your career aspirations and how do you plan to achieve them?” Other prompts may ask you to write about a role model, a life-changing event, an aspect of your identity, etc. Suggested length is usually about 500-1,000 words, but varies depending on the level of detail requested and how many essay questions are provided.

Just about every scholarship these days has a personal essay component of some kind. This is because personal essay responses both demonstrate writing skills and give the judges a clear sense of each applicant’s goals. No one wants to throw away money on an aimless student — so if you’re applying for a personal essay scholarship, make sure to convey both your writing abilities and your ambitions in your work!

2. Critical essay scholarships

Critical essay scholarships are more in line with what students might consider  “academic” essays. The prompts typically ask applicants to analyze works of literature. However, unlike open-ended English class essays, most critical essay scholarships provide a very specific prompt (e.g. “Examine The Great Gatsby in the context of its World War II-era revival”).

Critical essay scholarships can also involve non-literary subject matter. Some may ask applicants to evaluate a historical event or figure; others may ask them to defend their stance on a political or legal issue. Though the line between critical and personal essays can sometimes blur, for the purposes of this directory, we define critical essays as those that use evidence from an external source to prove a point.

3. Short fiction scholarships

Short fiction scholarships include scholarships for short stories, one-act plays, poetry, and any other form of fiction that isn’t a novel or full-length script. Short fiction scholarships tend to be easier to find than long-form fiction scholarships, since most judging panels don’t have time to read more than a few thousand words per entry. Therefore, if you write fiction and you’re hoping to nab yourself a scholarship, this category is the way to go! (That said, if you’re a hardline novelist, some places will accept a sample chapter or two as short fiction entries.)

4. Journalism scholarships

Journalism scholarships are for students interested in pursuing a career in news, magazine, and/or online journalism. These scholarship applications almost always ask for writing samples to show the candidate’s interest. Depending on the organization, they may prefer topical news reports, informative articles, thinkpieces, or a mix. Some journalism scholarships provide a prompt and ask applicants to write a new article, but the focus is usually on samples. Speaking of which…

5. Portfolio scholarships 

Portfolio scholarships are the most rigorous kind of writing scholarship, requiring a substantial body of work from each applicant — usually 5-10 pieces of writing, if not more. The upside is that awards for portfolio scholarships tend to be pretty sizable, and may even cover your entire tuition!

If you decide to apply to a portfolio scholarship, make sure you have several strong pieces of work in your oeuvre, and consider writing a few new pieces as well. What you shouldn’t do is rush through a dozen new pieces to throw together as a portfolio. If you don’t have samples at the ready from previous assignments or projects, you’ll be better off applying to a less intensive writing scholarship.

Why apply to writing scholarships?

Applying to writing scholarships is a huge undertaking, especially if you’re pursuing multiple scholarships at once. It can sometimes feel like the effort isn’t worth it, or that you have little chance of actually winning any awards. But in truth, submitting to writing scholarships is one of the best investments you can make in your education, your creative writing skills, and your professional life.

Scholarships for larger amounts do attract more applicants, but that doesn’t mean they’re impossible to land — only that you have to work a little harder to stand out. And you can definitely sway the odds in your favor by applying to lots of small scholarships ($500 or less) for which you’ll have fewer competitors. Remember that every little bit helps! For example, if you plan on taking out student loans, even a $500 scholarship could save you much more in interest down the line.

Another compelling reason to apply to writing scholarships is that oftentimes, you’ve already done the work, or the work required is minimal. For scholarships that require writing samples, you’ll simply submit what you’ve already written in the past — and even for scholarships with specific prompts, you rarely have to write more than a couple of pages. If you were seriously committed, you could apply to a scholarship every day, spending a single concentrated evening on each application.

Jumping off that thought, as English majors love to say: the more writing scholarships you apply for, the better a writer you’ll become. Writing tons of scholarship essays will make you a much more creative and efficient writer. Not only will this help with your personal writing projects, but it will also be invaluable to your education and even your career! Writing is a crucial skill for every major — you’ll always have to write papers and emails to professors, after all — and even if you don’t plan to pursue a writing-based job, you'll still need writing skills to polish your résumé.

Finally, remember that there’s a writing scholarship out there for everyone, no matter what your interests or intended field. This directory includes plenty of creative writing scholarships, yes; but there are also personal essay scholarships for future doctors, lawyers, salespeople, and so much more. You have nothing to lose by giving it a shot, so why not start searching for your dream writing scholarship today? (And if you’re unsure about your writing skills, you might benefit from some of the resources below.)

Resources to strengthen your writing skills

• 20 Writing Tips to Help You Become A Better Writer Today
• How to Stop Procrastinating and Build A Solid Writing Routine
• What is Creative Nonfiction? Memoirs, Literary Journalism, and More!
• How to Write a Memoir: Tell Your Amazing Story in 9 Steps
• How to Write a Fantastic Short Story In 7 Steps
• How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro
• 700+ Creative Writing Prompts to Inspire You
• 100+ Creative Writing Exercises for Authors

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Find College Scholarships - Essay

Search lists of scholarships by choosing a category or get matched to college scholarships you are eligible for.

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• Your Matches

Niche $25,000 "No Essay" Scholarship

• Deadline May 31, 2024
• Amount $25,000
• Offered By Niche
• State National
• Description Help cover the cost of college without writing a single essay! Niche is giving one student $25,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required! High school seniors will also be eligible to receive acceptances (and scholarships!) from our Direct Admissions partner colleges. Fill out your Niche Profile with key details like your GPA and the high school you attend, and you’ll automatically be considered. Apply below for your chance to win so you can focus on your education, not your finances. Good luck!
• Essay Required :  No
• Recommendations Required :  No
• Minimum GPA :  None
• Major All majors
• Type Generic

Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship

• Deadline April 13, 2024
• Amount 5,000
• Offered By National Center for Learning Disabilities
• State Nationwide
• Description The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship awarded over two years ($2,500 each year) to a graduating high school senior who will enroll in a two-year community college, a vocational or technical training program, or a specialized program for students with disabilities in the fall.
• Essay Required :  Yes
• Recommendations Required :  Yes
• Major Any Major

Anne Ford Scholarship

• Amount $10,000
• Description The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500/year over four years) granted to a graduating high school senior who will enroll in a full-time bachelor’s degree program in the fall. Students must have a documented learning disability (LD). Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who also have a learning disability, are encouraged to apply.
• Minimum GPA :  3.75

LEAGUE Foundation Scholarship

• Deadline April 14, 2024
• Amount Varies
• Offered By LEAGUE Foundation
• Description The LEAGUE Foundation provides financial resources for America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer high school seniors entering their first year of institutions of higher learning. The scholarship application opens annually in January and closes in April with awards distributed in the summer of each year.
• Minimum GPA :  3.0
• Find Student Loans

Laurel Hester Memorial Scholarship

Matthew shepard memorial scholarship, critical teaching needs scholarship.

• Deadline April 15, 2024
• Offered By South Dakota Board of Regents
• State South Dakota
• Description The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage South Dakota's high school graduates to obtain their postsecondary education in South Dakota for teaching, to remain in the state upon completion of their education, and to contribute to the state and its citizens by working in a critical need teaching area.
• Minimum GPA :  2.80
• Major Education

First State Manufactured Housing Association Scholarship

• Amount $2,500
• Offered By First State Manufactured Housing Association
• State Delaware
• Description Four (4) $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors, GED recipients, or students who are currently enrolled in college, technical schools or trade schools. Full or part-time registration in an accredited program is acceptable. Award recipients may reapply annually. Eligible participants must live in a modular or manufactured home in Delaware for at least one year prior to the application.

Frank O'Bannon Grant

• Offered By Indiana Commission for Higher Education
• State Indiana
• Description The Frank O'Bannon Grant is designed to provide access for Hoosier students to attend eligible postsecondary institutions. It receives its funding through appropriations made by the Indiana General Assembly. Eligibility for the grant is based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA.

Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund

• Amount $15,000
• Offered By American Bar Association
• Description The American Bar Association (ABA) awards an annual Legal Opportunity Scholarship to first-year law students. The mission of the program is to encourage racial and ethnic minority students to apply to law school and to provide financial assistance to attend and complete law school. The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants 10 - 20 incoming diverse law students with $15,000 of financial aid over their three years in law school.
• Essay Required :  Unknown
• Recommendations Required :  Unknown
• Minimum GPA :  2.5
• Major Legal Studies
• Type Minority

Sigma Tau Delta Scholarships

• Offered By Sigma Tau Delta
• Description Annually, Sigma Tau Delta offers a variety of scholarships valued at up to $6,000 each. Because these scholarship opportunities are offered exclusively to Sigma Tau Delta members, those members who take the time to submit a carefully assembled application have a significantly better chance of receiving an award. Applications are judged based on academics, service, and quality of writing. These scholarships are funded by Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society for four-year colleges and universities.
• Major English

State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) Scholarships (Need-Based)

• Amount $1,000
• Offered By SEANC Scholarship Foundation
• Description Established in 1974, the SEANC Scholarship Program Foundation awards scholarships to active and associate SEANC members, their spouses, and their dependents to attend technical schools, community colleges, trade schools, junior colleges, or four-year universities full-time.
• Type State Employees Association of North Carolina

Stephanie Nicole Ross Foundation Graduate Scholarship

• Amount $1,500
• Offered By Stephanie Nicole Ross Foundation, Inc.
• State Florida
• Description The SNRF Graduate Scholarship supports graduate students studying psychology, cognitive or behavioral science, or any related field at a college or university in the state of Florida.
• Major Psychology

Tennessee Student Assistance Award

• Offered By Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
• State Tennessee
• Description The Tennessee Student Assistance Award Program (TSAA) was established to provide non-repayable financial assistance to financially-needy undergraduate students who are residents of Tennessee. Applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment, at least half time, at a public or an eligible non-public postsecondary institution in Tennessee.

Umatilla-Morrow County Farm Bureau Scholarship

• Amount $3,000
• Offered By Umatilla-Morrow County Farm Bureau
• State Oregon
• Description Umatilla-Morrow County Farm Bureau will award up to $3,000 in scholarships to high school seniors in Umatilla and Morrow Counties who will be attending any school of higher education, including trade school, a university, or a community college. Priority consideration will be given to those with an agricultural background, FFA experience, or an intended major in an agriculture-related field. Applications are available from high school counselors in Umatilla and Morrow County schools.

Virginia Nursing Scholarships

• Offered By Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Equity
• State Virginia
• Description The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Equity offers several scholarship opportunities to help pay for nursing education.
• Major Nursing

William C. Johnson Scholarship

• Amount $6,000
• Description This scholarship is given in honor of Dr. William C. Johnson, Executive Director of Sigma Tau Delta, in recognition of his dedication to the founding of National English Honor Society. It recognizes academic excellence and outstanding service to the Society at the local, regional, and/or national level. Applications should demonstrate both academic achievement and campus, community, and chapter service.
• Minimum GPA :  3.5

Governor's Cup Scholarship

• Deadline varies
• Amount 5000
• Offered By Idaho State Board of Education
• State Idaho
• Description The Idaho Governor's Cup Scholarship provides approximately 25 awards, depending on funding, to Idaho high school seniors planning to attend an Idaho college or university.

HGA Dendel Scholarship

• Deadline April 18, 2024
• Offered By Handweavers Guild of America, Inc.
• Description The Handweavers Guild of America, Inc., offers scholarships for each academic year through the HGA and Dendel scholarship funds. Applicants will be judged on their skill and dedication to handweaving.
• Major Design

Leiber & Stoller Music Scholarship

• Deadline April 19, 2024
• Offered By The ASCAP Foundation
• Description This scholarship provides assistance to young aspiring songwriters, musicians and vocalists. The scholarship recipient is auditioned by the Young Musicians Foundation in Los Angeles.
• Major Music

Google Lime Scholarship

• Deadline April 21, 2024
• Offered By Google
• Description Google's education and scholarship programs aim to inspire and help students become future leaders in computing and technology by breaking down the barriers that prevent them from entering these fields. As part of our commitment, we've partnered with Lime Connect, a nonprofit organization that supports students with disabilities while they pursue education and promising careers, to help university students with disabilities work toward their academic goals in the field of computer science.
• Major Computer Science

Best Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Overcoming Adversity Cariño Scholarship

Eligibility criteria:.

• State : Washington
• Education Level : High school student
• Ethnicity : Latinx

Sloane Stephens Doc & Glo Scholarship

• Education Level : Must be a current high school senior or undergraduate student
• Schooling : Either studying healthcare or attending an HBCU
• GPA : 2.5 or higher

Ryan T. Herich Memorial Scholarship

• Field of Study : Political science, cultural anthropology, geography, or history
• Education Level : High school senior or 2 or 4-year undergraduate

Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship

Trees for Tuition Scholarship Fund

• Education Level : High school senior or undergraduate
• State : Georgia (Atlanta preferred)

Concrete Rose Scholarship Award

• Gender : Women
• Race/Ethnicity : BIPOC
• Education Level : High school senior or Undergraduate

Jennifer Gephart Memorial Working Mothers Scholarship

• Background : Mother

Anthony McPherson Memorial Automotive Scholarship

• Field of Interest : Automotive
• Education Level : High school or undergraduate student

Russell Koci Skilled Trade Scholarship

• Education Level : Trade school student or high school seniors interested in trade schools

TEAM ROX Scholarship

• Education Level : Undergraduate student
• GPA : 3.0 or higher
• Background : Volunteering experience

Rebecca Hunter Memorial Scholarship

• Education Level : Any
• Parental Status : Single parent

God Hearted Girls Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior
• Gender : Female
• Religion : Christianity

Dimon A. Williams Memorial Scholarship

• Family : Single-parent household

Women in Healthcare Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
• Citizenship Status : U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
• Gender : Female-identifying
• Field of Study : Healthcare

Rainbow Futures Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior or undergraduate student
• Identity : LGBTQ+
• Background : Financial need

Frank and Patty Skerl Educational Scholarship for the Physically Disabled

• Background : Has a physical disability

Ventana Ocean Conservation Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate
• Major : Ocean conservation, marine science, environmental science, marine biology, etc.

Joseph A. Monachino Memorial Scholarship

• Financial Status : Financial need
• State : Nevada

Dr. Edward V. Chavez Athletic Memorial Scholarship

• Background : Has lost one or both parents
• Passion : Sports

Tam and Betsy Vannoy Memorial Scholarship

• State : West Virginia
• Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, post- secondary trade school

Frederick J. Salone Memorial Basketball Scholarship

• Background : Plays basketball

Lemon-Aid Scholarship

• Financial Status : Low-income

Patriots Path Scholarship

• Involvement : ROTC or JROTC

Walking In Authority International Ministry Scholarship

• Experience : Volunteering

Skylar's Hope Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, or trade school student
• Desired Career : First responder (firefighter, police, EMT, etc.)

Pearlie M. Westbrooks Memorial Scholarship

• State : Mississippi
• Background : Community service involvement

M.R. Brooks Scholarship

• Family : Single parent or the child of a single parent

Brinley Heckermann Empowering Spirit Scholarship

• Background : Cheerleader and/or stunt-athlete

Jean Ramirez Scholarship

• Education : High school, undergraduate, or graduate
• Background : Immediate family of suicide victim

Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care

• Field of Interest : Healthcare, social work, government, education or a related field

About essay scholarships 

Essay-based scholarships are the most common and traditional form of scholarships available to students pursuing higher education. Though essay scholarships may seem intimidating at first glance, this type of scholarship can be invaluable to students looking to earn money through scholarships. 

An essay scholarship is a financial aid opportunity that requires students to write a short statement in order to apply. No-essay scholarships, on the other hand, do not require written statements as part of the application process. 

Students tend to gravitate towards no-essay scholarships, as they are easier to apply to in regards to both time and effort. While no-essay scholarships are a great resource as well, students should consider applying to a mix of both no-essay and essay scholarships to have the best chances of winning. 

Since fewer students take the time to apply for essay scholarships, there is less competition for them. This means that students that do apply for essay scholarships will often have higher chances of winning money than students who exclusively apply for no-essay scholarships.

Though no-essay scholarships can save time in the application process, they typically attract a large number of applicants. Both college students and high school students will usually face more competition with this type of scholarship. 

In many cases, it isn’t as difficult to apply for essay scholarships as college students imagine. The written statement is often quite short and usually hovers around 400-600 words. That’s around a page of writing or even a little less. There are even many opportunities that require even shorter essays, such as 100-300 words!

If that still sounds daunting, remember that essay scholarships will provide a prompt to write on. Most scholarships will focus on a certain aspect of a student’s life. For example, a mental health awareness scholarship might ask students to write about their personal struggles with mental health and how they have overcome those challenges in pursuit of a better education. 

Similarly, major-based scholarships, like STEM or arts scholarships, often ask students to write about why they chose to study that particular field. Typically, no additional research needs to be done to write the essay portion of the application. In nearly all cases, donors simply want to hear about who the applicant is. 

To write the essay scholarship, students only need to draw on their personal experiences or life goals to show the donor who they are as a person. High school students might focus more on their goals for the future, while undergraduate and graduate students might talk about their current studies. 

Whatever the case, both high school students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, should focus on showcasing their talents, goals, and personality in the essay. The more detailed and unique an essay is, the easier it is for the donor to feel a connection with you, making your application stand out from the competition.

Essay scholarships are available to students of all ages and all grade levels. College students and high school students alike can apply for essay scholarships. As long as the scholarship allows applicants of your grade level, you can apply.

Though some essay scholarship prompts may seem better suited towards one age group than another, students should still apply as long as they are eligible. For example, a scholarship that asks applicants to write about their major and why they chose it might seem easier to answer as a college student. 

However, if high school students are eligible, they can likely answer the prompt by writing about their intended major. Both high school students and college students should be able to write most scholarship essays.

The purpose of the essay scholarship is to allow the donor to get a better view of the applicant, so make sure to add personality and detail to your essays. You can also check out  this guide  on writing scholarship essays for exclusive tips!

Best essay scholarships

 The majority of scholarships available are essay-based, so there are plenty of opportunities to choose from. Each scholarship has its own benefits, so it's important to apply for a variety of scholarship opportunities. The highest-value scholarships can be the most helpful when paying your tuition, but they often receive the most competition as a result. To have the best chances of winning, consider smaller scholarships with fewer eligible applicants.

Essay scholarships for high school students

There are plenty of high school scholarships available for students of all grade levels. Additionally, high school students can apply for scholarships specific to their grade level.

Essay scholarships for high school freshmen 

Freshman year is the earliest students can begin applying for scholarships, meaning that applicants who start as high school freshmen can get ahead of the game. The earlier you start applying, the longer you'll have to earn college funding. The following scholarships are a great place for high school freshmen to begin their search!

• Bold Climate Changemakers Scholarship
•   M.R. Brooks Scholarship  
• "Equal Opportunity" Scholarship

Essay scholarships for high school sophomores

There are also plenty of scholarship opportunities for high school sophomores who are looking to get a jump on their scholarship applications. The scholarships below are a great way for sophomores to get started!

• Bold Community Activist Scholarship  
• CollegeXpress No-Essay Scholarship
• Bold Great Books Scholarship  

Essay scholarships for high school juniors

As upperclassmen, high school juniors have even more scholarships available to them than freshmen and sophomores. In addition to scholarships open to all high school students, juniors can also apply for scholarships exclusively open to juniors and seniors. Check out the list below and start applying!

• Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship  
• Scorenavigator Financial Literacy Scholarship  
• Janey Mae Memorial Scholarship

Essay scholarships for high school seniors

Senior year of high school is one of the most popular times to apply for scholarships. As a result, there are many scholarships created specifically for high school seniors. Since other grade levels can't apply, there are often fewer eligible applicants for senior scholarships, giving you a better chance of winning! You can check out the scholarships below to begin applying. 

• MJM3 Fitness Scholarship  
• Michael Valdivia Scholarship
• Charlotte Emery Memorial Scholarship   

Essay scholarships for college students

While it's great to start securing scholarship funding in high school, it's never too late to apply! There are plenty of scholarships for those currently in college, such as those listed below.

• Live Your Dash Entrepreneurs Scholarship
• Dr. Sharyn First-Generation in Business Scholarship   
• Chris Jackson Computer Science Scholarship  

Essay scholarships for graduate students

Many graduate students aren't aware of all of the scholarships available to them, meaning that many miss out on available financial aid. If you're a graduate student, consider applying for the scholarships below!

• Jameela Jamil x I Weigh Scholarship
• Derrick Richardson Law Student Scholarship  
• Chang Heaton Scholarship for Music Excellence

Essay scholarships for international students 

International students are often left behind when it comes to earning financial aid. With fewer government resources available, international students pursuing their degrees in the US may have unmet financial needs. The following scholarships for international students in the US are a great place to start!

•   International Studies Scholarship
• Crenati Foundation Supporting International Students Scholarship   

Essay scholarships for women 

Many scholarship donors aim to help underrepresented or disadvantaged students, such as racial minorities, low-income students, LGBTQ+ students, or women. If you're a female student, consider applying for the following scholarships!

• Taking Up Space Scholarship  
• Indigenous Women in STEM Scholarship  
• Charlotte Emery Memorial Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about essay scholarships 

How do i win essay scholarships.

The most important part of the essay application is simply finishing it. Many high school students and college students won’t even bother to apply for essay scholarships. As a result, just turning in an application that meets all of the requirements and answers the prompt places you ahead of a good chunk of your peers. 

Still, it’s good to fine-tune your scholarship essays and make sure you turn in your best work. There are several steps students can take in order to take their scholarship essays to the next level. Click here to read our full guide on how to write a scholarship essay .

First, make sure your essay stays on topic and answers the prompt. Don’t get sidetracked by tangential experiences. Read the question carefully and make an outline of what you want to write before you start writing. This can help make sure your essay is focused and coherent. Make a list of what points you want to include in your answer and in what order. Then, make sure to stick to those points.

One important point is to make sure you maintain your basic writing skills. If grammar is something you struggle with on occasion, make a plan to catch any mistakes you might make. Using a tool like Grammarly or Microsoft Word’s spell check can be very helpful in making sure no minor errors are made. You can also try reading your essay out loud, or asking a friend to look it over. Sometimes two pairs of eyes are better than one. 

Another way to elevate your essay is to open with a hook. Perhaps you have a funny story about your academic experiences that relates to the question asked. Or, you could retell the moment you decided to pursue your current major. Any impactful experience you’ve had that relates to the question asked can be a good way to open your essay. 

Opening with a hook makes your essay more memorable and makes the reader want to keep reading. If your essay sounds generic or uninspired, the donor may pass you over for someone else. Making your essay personal and engaging is a key way to make an impact on your reader and stand out from other competitors. 

Most of the time, when a donor includes an essay question, it’s because they’re looking for a specific type of student. Many donors favor students that are driven, motivated, and willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. Look carefully at the prompt for hints on what qualities the donors are looking for. 

An essay question that asks about a student’s struggle with finances, for example, is likely looking for a high school student or college student that has worked hard to pursue education despite the challenges they faced. A prompt that asks students to talk about their chosen major is likely looking for a student that is inspired and has a special interest in their field. 

A mix of your personal experiences, academic interests, and goals for the future are usually good points to work into your essay. It’s important to both answer the question clearly and help the donor understand who you are as a person. 

How do I apply for scholarships? 

Applying for scholarships is not as difficult as it seems. Most applications give clear instructions and are easy to complete. A good place to start is finding a scholarship search resource that works for you. 

One easily accessible way to find scholarships is through your school. For high school students, the guidance office may be able to connect you with scholarship opportunities. College students, including graduate students, will want to talk to their financial aid office instead. 

The advantage of finding scholarships through your school is that the financial aid or guidance office may be able to find opportunities specifically made for your school. This means the competition pool will be much smaller as you will only be competing with your classmates. 

As for how high school students and college students can apply for these opportunities, the instructions will likely depend on that specific school’s process for applying. Administrators in the financial aid or guidance office will be able to guide students through the application process. 

An alternative is using online platforms to search for and apply for scholarships. High school students and college students alike will benefit from this method, as online platforms typically allow students to apply for multiple scholarships at once. Making a free profile with  Bold.org , for example, will allow high school students and college students to quickly apply with just one click to no-essay scholarships. 

Creating a profile with online scholarship platforms allows the site to submit applications on your behalf. In addition, the information stored in the profile can be used to help find more relevant scholarship search results for each student’s needs.

For example, high school students will automatically be barred from applying to scholarships that only look at college students, and vice versa. This can help save some time and ensure students don’t waste their efforts applying for scholarships that will not consider them. 

In order to apply for a scholarship on an online platform, students simply need to create a free profile and find the scholarships they want to apply for. Their information will be sent to the donors for review. 

If there is an essay requirement, students must prepare a written statement ahead of time. Students can then paste their essays into the application on the online platform. The essay will be submitted along with the student’s personal information from their profile. 

When can I start applying? 

High school students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, can apply whenever they like. Very few scholarships exist for students below the high school level, and while some opportunities are available to recent college graduates, most are for those still in school. 

Students at any level between high school and graduate school can start to apply for scholarships at any time. High school seniors are the group of high school students that will likely have the easiest time finding scholarships they can apply for. Many donors looking to create opportunities at the high school level view high school seniors as the demographic most concerned with generating funding for college. 

Winning scholarship money while still in high school can help students in their college search. Getting an idea of how much money you will be able to spend on college is a good way to narrow down your search for the perfect school for you. In addition, winning scholarship money might make it possible for high school students to attend a college they previously thought would be too expensive. 

As a result, starting to apply for scholarships as a high school senior or junior would be a reasonable time to begin. 

Applying earlier is typically better than applying for scholarships later on. This is simply because starting to find and apply to scholarships earlier will allow students more time to apply, get their results back, and apply again. The more this cycle is repeated, the more money students typically make. 

Remember that not every scholarship you apply to will yield positive results. Therefore, applying to as many scholarships as possible will increase the possibility that a few of those applications will win. 

However, there’s nothing wrong with trying to find scholarships even before your senior year in high school. In addition, starting to apply as an undergraduate student or a graduate student is completely fine as well. There are many opportunities made specifically for college students, many of which include graduate students as well. 

It may seem counterintuitive to start applying for scholarships after committing to a college. However, winning scholarship money can help not just with creating a budget for college, but also with the expenses of continuing your college education. Each new semester means new textbooks and new school supplies, for example. 

In addition, college is a path to many educational opportunities that are usually not available to high school students. For example, many college students study abroad, whether as undergraduate students or graduate students. Saving up some scholarship money for the costs of continuing your education and taking advantage of college opportunities like studying abroad can be very helpful. 

How do I know if I’m eligible for a scholarship?

Every scholarship posting will clearly state its requirements, so be sure to read the entire description. Remember that your efforts may be wasted if you do not fit the criteria for a certain scholarship. No matter how much you excel in school, you cannot win a scholarship that you are not eligible for. 

Scholarships often tend towards very general requirements or more exclusive requirements. General scholarships are often open to students of any major and any grade level, meaning the vast majority of students will be able to apply.

Exclusive scholarships, on the other hand, are made for a more specific purpose. For example, the donor of an exclusive scholarship might want to use their money to uplift indigenous students in the medical field. As a result, the scholarship might only accept applicants that are indigenous students and focused on nursing or medicine. Students that do not match these criteria will not be considered. 

Some common restricting factors in exclusive scholarships are education level, demographic, income level, academic interest, and GPA. An exclusive scholarship might restrict the applicant pool by all or some of these criteria. 

Certain opportunities might be open to graduate students only, and not high school students or undergraduate students. Some scholarships might require students to study a particular major, such as graphic design. A more general scholarship might use an umbrella term, like the humanities, instead of a specific major. Whatever the case, be sure you have carefully read each of the requirements before applying. 

Many exclusive scholarships will be specific enough that most students will not be able to apply. For example, a scholarship open only to Asian American molecular biology graduate students will receive a lower volume of applications than a scholarship available to all STEM majors. 

However, there’s no need to get discouraged if you find it difficult to locate an exclusive scholarship that matches your needs. The multitude of scholarship opportunities available on sites like  Bold.org  means that there is a scholarship for everyone. New scholarships are created and added each day, meaning students who continuously look for and apply to scholarships are more likely to find relevant opportunities. 

In addition, it’s a good idea to apply for both general and exclusive scholarships. This helps students cast a wider net and hopefully increase their chances of winning money. 

What do I have to do to apply?

The application process for most scholarships is fairly simple, especially if students choose to apply through an online platform. 

Sometimes, the most difficult part of applying for a scholarship is simply qualifying, especially if there are many requirements. Once students find opportunities that match their needs, very little action is required.

Students will need to send some of their personal information to the donor to confirm they match the criteria listed. This is often done automatically through online platforms, or students may need to fill out a form through the appropriate school office if the scholarship is not listed online. 

If the scholarship does not require an essay, then that’s all you need to do. If the scholarship does require a personal statement, then that will be the second and final part of the application. 

The essay question, as we’ve covered, can appear intimidating but is usually answered in a page or less. Since donors simply want to hear about you as a person and your academic pursuits, staying honest and true to yourself is usually the best way to tackle the essay. 

It’s not necessary in most cases to do more research to answer the essay question. Sharing personal experiences that relate to the question can be a good way to start. Students should already have all the information they need to answer the question. The only thing left is presenting that information and any personal experiences in an orderly, coherent manner. 

To summarize, scholarships are relatively low-stress to apply to. Students will only need to submit their personal information and write a short personal essay about themselves to be considered.

Are scholarships counted as income? 

Typically, scholarships are not counted as income. 

Scholarships will remain tax-free as long as the scholarship money is used for necessary educational expenses. Necessary educational expenses include tuition fees, textbook and equipment fees, mandatory course fees, and mandatory enrollment fees. It’s important to note that housing and travel expenses do not count as necessary educational expenses. 

In other words, if failing to pay an expense would obstruct your ability to graduate with a degree, that expense likely qualifies as a necessary educational expense. 

In addition, the following requirements must be met for your scholarship money to be considered tax-free. First, the total money earned from all essay scholarships cannot be greater than the total amount your university or college charges you for your education. This rarely happens and is usually not a problem for most students. 

Secondly, the recipient of the essay scholarship money must be currently completing a degree at an accredited college or university. Third, the money cannot be given in exchange for a service or job provided. Scholarship money is not a payment or a salary; it is gift aid that is given to a student to help them pay for college. 

Lastly, the money cannot be marked for other expenses such as room and board (which are not necessary educational expenses). Typically, donors will not stipulate how the money should be spent, so this is rarely an issue. 

The most important part of the essay application is simply finishing it. Many high school students and college students won’t even bother to apply for essay scholarships. As a result, just turning in an application that meets all of the requirements and answers the prompt places you ahead of a good chunk of your peers. Still, it’s good to fine-tune your scholarship essays and make sure you turn in your best work. There are several steps students can take in order to take their scholarship essays to the next level. Click here to read our full guide on how to write a scholarship essay.

Applying for scholarships is not as difficult as it seems. Most applications give clear instructions and are easy to complete. A good place to start is finding a scholarship search resource that works for you. One easily accessible way to find scholarships is through your school. For high school students, the guidance office may be able to connect you with scholarship opportunities. College students, including graduate students, will want to talk to their financial aid office instead.

High school students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, can apply whenever they like. Very few scholarships exist for students below the high school level, and while some opportunities are available to recent college graduates, most are for those still in school. Students at any level between high school and graduate school can start to apply for scholarships at any time. High school seniors are the group of high school students that will likely have the easiest time finding scholarships they can apply for. Many donors looking to create opportunities at the high school level view high school seniors as the demographic most concerned with generating funding for college.

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• How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

Published on October 11, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

A good scholarship essay demonstrates the scholarship organization’s values while directly addressing the prompt. If you plan ahead , you can save time by writing one essay for multiple prompts with similar questions.

Table of contents

Apply for a wide variety of scholarships, make a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, tailor your essay to the organization and the prompt, write a focused and relevant personal story, scholarship essay example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Scholarships are a type of student financial aid that don’t require repayment. They are awarded based on various factors, including academic merit, financial need, intended major, personal background, or activities and interests.

Like college applications, scholarship applications often require students to submit their grades, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and an essay.

A scholarship essay shares your values and qualities in the context of a specific question, such as “How does technology affect your daily life?” or “Who has had the greatest impact on your life?”

Be wary of scholarship scams

While some applications may not require an essay, be wary of scholarship scams that do the following:

• Guarantee you scholarship money for a fee
• Claim scholarship information is exclusive to their company
• Ask for your bank or credit card information to hold the scholarship

Some legitimate companies do charge for releasing comprehensive scholarship lists or creating a tailored list of scholarship opportunities based on your profile.

However, you can always discover scholarship opportunities for free through your school counselor, community network, or an online search.

Many students focus on well-known, large scholarship opportunities, which are usually very competitive. To maximize your chance of success, invest time in applying for a wide variety of scholarships: national and local, as well as big and small award amounts. There are also scholarships for international students .

In addition to charitable foundation and corporate scholarships, you should consider applying for institutional scholarships at your prospective universities, which can award money based on your application’s strength, your financial situation, and your demonstrated interest in the school.

Check with your guidance counselor, local organizations, community network, or prospective schools’ financial aid offices for scholarship opportunities. It’s a good idea to start applying as early as your junior year and continue throughout your senior year.

Choose the right scholarships for you

Choose scholarships with missions and essay topics that match your background, experiences, and interests. If the scholarship topic is meaningful to you, it will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay.

Don’t shy away from applying for local scholarships with small dollar amounts. Even a few hundred dollars can help you pay for books.

Local scholarships may be more tailored to your community, background, and activities, so they’re likely more relevant to you. Fewer students apply for these scholarships, so you have less competition and a higher chance of success.

Some places to look for local scholarships include

• Civic organizations, such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc.
• Your church, mosque, synagogue, or place of worship
• Community groups, such as the YMCA
• Ethnicity-based organizations
• Your local library or local small businesses
• Organizations related to your intended major
• Your city or town
• Your school district
• Unions, such as SEIU, the Teamsters, CWA, etc.
• Your employer or your parents’ employers
• Banks, credit unions, and local financial institutions

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

While researching scholarship opportunities, create a scholarship tracker spreadsheet to keep track of the following:

• Scholarship amounts
• Required application materials

You can use our free Google Sheets template to track your scholarship applications.

Scholarship application tracker template

You can also include scholarship essay prompts in your college essay tracker sheet . By grouping or color-code overlapping essay prompts, you can plan to write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can also reuse or adapt your main college essay .

Even if you’re adapting another essay, it’s important to make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, stays within the word count limit , and demonstrates the organization’s values. The scholarship committee will be able to tell if you reuse an essay that doesn’t quite respond to the prompt, so be sure to tailor it to the questions asked.

Research each organization

Before writing, research the scholarship organization’s mission and reason for awarding the scholarship. Learning more about the organization can help you select an appropriate topic and relevant story.

While you should tailor your essay to the organization’s values, maintain your authentic voice. Never use false or exaggerated stories. If the organization’s values don’t align with yours or you can’t brainstorm a relevant story for the scholarship, continue searching for other scholarship opportunities to find a more appropriate one for you.

After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student.

Choose a story with the following criteria:

• Responds to the prompt
• Demonstrates the organization’s values
• Includes an authentic story
• Focuses on you and your experience, not someone else’s

A good scholarship essay is not

• A resume of your achievements
• A lengthy opinion piece about the essay topic
• An essay featuring a negative tone that puts down others

If appropriate, you can briefly address how the scholarship money will help you achieve your educational goals. You should also end with a brief thank-you.

Take a look at the full essay example below. Hover over the underlined parts to read explanations of why they work.

Prompt: Describe how working for Chelsea’s Chicken restaurant has developed leadership skills that will help you succeed in college. Give specific examples of leadership characteristics that you have exhibited during your employment with us.

As a nervous 16-year-old, I walked into Chelsea’s Chicken for my first day of work determined to make enough money to put gas in my car and buy pizza on the weekends. My only previous job was mowing my neighbors’ lawns when they were on vacation, so I had no idea what to expect. I was a bit intimidated by my new responsibilities, especially handling money and helping disgruntled customers.

However, it didn’t take me long to learn my way around the cash register and successfully address customer complaints. One day, Roger, the store manager, asked me if I wanted to join Chelsea’s Chicken Leadership Training Initiative. He said he saw leadership potential in me because of my attitude with the customers and my enthusiasm for learning new job responsibilities. It surprised me because I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I quickly agreed, and Roger handed me a three-ring binder that was thicker than my math and science textbooks put together! He told me to take it home and read over it during the following week.

In that binder, I discovered that being a leader means taking the initiative, especially when the job is undesirable. One week later, I got to practice that idea when a little kid threw up in the bathroom and missed the toilet. It smelled terrible, but I stepped forward and told Roger that I would clean it up. My coworkers thought I was crazy, but I started to believe in my leadership potential.

That night as we closed the store, Roger pulled me aside in the parking lot and told me that he could tell that I had been studying the manual. He wanted to give me more responsibility, along with a dollar-per-hour pay raise. I was surprised because I had been working there for only a couple of months, but his encouragement helped me make a connection: good leadership helps other people, and it often is rewarded. I was determined to experience more of both.

Within a month, I was ready to take the Team Leader exam, which mattered because I would receive a promotion and a much bigger raise if I passed. But, when I got to work, two of the scheduled team members had called in sick. We were noticeably short-handed, and our customers weren’t happy about it.

I walked back to the lockers, put on my vest and hat, and took my place behind an open register. Customers immediately moved into my line to place their orders. Roger looked at me with surprise and asked, “Did you forget that you’re testing tonight?” I responded, “No, sir—but what’s the use of taking a leadership test if you aren’t going to lead in real life?” Roger smiled at me and nodded.

He stayed late that night after we closed so that I could leave early and still take the test. I noticed that Roger was always staying late, helping employees learn new skills. His example taught me that leaders take the initiative to develop other leaders. He gave me a clear picture of what shared leadership looks like, making room for others to grow and excel. When I asked him where he learned to do that, he said, “From the same leadership manual I gave you!”

Chelsea’s Chicken has offered me so much more than a paycheck. Because of Roger’s example, I have learned to take the initiative to care for my family and friends, such as being the first to do the dishes without my mom asking or volunteering to pick up my friend for our SAT prep course. Now, as I prepare to enter college, I have confidence in my leadership ability. I know I’m signing up for a challenging major—Biology, Pre-Med—yet I also know that Chelsea’s Chicken has helped me to develop the perseverance required to complete my studies successfully.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

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Scholarship Essay Examples

With college tuition costs rising each year, many students apply for merit scholarships to help make college more affordable. However, merit scholarships can be competitive—and that’s where our scholarship essay examples come in. By reading our scholarship essay examples, you can learn what it takes to write an award-winning essay. 

Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for students to lessen their college tuition costs. Most merit scholarships require a brief application, usually including one or more essays. Below, we’ve rounded up our best scholarship essay examples.

Reading winning scholarship essay examples, especially scholarship essay examples about yourself, can help you begin the scholarship essay process. By reviewing essay examples, you can learn how to craft a strong essay. You’ll also get a better sense of what scholarship committees look for when they review applications.

In this guide to Scholarship Essay Examples, you’ll find tips on how to write the best scholarship essay, as well as:

• Various scholarship essay examples about yourself
• A strong scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship
• Scholarship essay examples about financial need, and more!

We’ve included scholarship essay examples specific to schools, including UC Berkeley, as well as specific programs, like the SHPE scholarship. We’ll also discuss the different types of scholarships you’ll find on your scholarship search. 

Now, before we jump into our essay examples, let’s learn more about getting scholarship money for college.

What is a scholarship essay?

A scholarship essay is an essay you’ll include in your merit scholarship applications. In many ways, your scholarship essays might resemble your college essays. So, the scholarship essay format should seem familiar. 

The best scholarship essays will highlight who you are and why you deserve money for college. Scholarship essay prompts will ask you to include various information, from details about your background to explanations of why you deserve a scholarship.

Crafting a compelling, well-written essay can help you win substantial financial awards to help cover your college tuition costs. However, not all scholarship essays are the same. Later on, we’ll review different winning scholarship essay examples to show you what kind of essays you’ll write in your application process.

Types of Scholarships

There are many different types of scholarships available to students. You can find a variety of scholarship opportunities on scholarships websites. The earlier you start your scholarship search, the more scholarships you’ll find. 

While some scholarship applications accept applicants of all backgrounds and abilities, some have very specific eligibility guidelines. So, you may not be eligible for every scholarship. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re eligible, you can find eligibility information on most scholarships websites. 

Here are a few different scholarship types you may come across in your scholarship search:

• Academic scholarships
• Merit scholarships
• Essay competitions
• Community service scholarships
• Military scholarships

Scholarship essay prompts will differ across programs. As you’ll see in our winning scholarship essay examples, the prompts can vary in word count and complexity. We’ll provide you with descriptive essay examples to help you get an idea of what to expect.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Most scholarships we’ll highlight in this article are merit-based scholarships . A merit-based scholarship is money awarded by a college or community organization based on your academic achievements. 

In contrast, a need-based scholarship is awarded based on a student’s financial need. If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to check out our scholarship essay examples about financial need. You’ll find both merit- and need-based scholarships on your scholarship search.     

To qualify for a merit-based scholarship, you generally must meet specific criteria. Scholarship committees look at your grades, academic achievements, extracurriculars, and even test scores. Need-based scholarships can have similar requirements, but they’re primarily concerned with your family’s financial status.

There are many merit-based scholarships available to help students afford college, including:

• National merit scholarships
• Gates Scholarship
• Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
• Robertson Scholarship

Check out our guides on these popular merit-based scholarships for more details. There, you’ll find tips on how to write a winning essay. Our descriptive essay examples can also help prepare you to apply to these programs After all, while prompts vary, the scholarship essay format remains fairly standard. 

Finding scholarships

In this guide, we’ll highlight some scholarships you may be eligible for. However, make sure to check out the rest of our resources to help you approach the scholarship search. 

Some scholarships we’ll discuss include:

• QuestBridge scholarship : helps low-income students attend elite colleges
• Park scholarships : for students attending NC State University
• SHPE scholarship : offers financial assistance for Hispanic students interested in STEM degrees. 

Scholarship essay examples about financial need will help you prepare for your scholarship applications. For instance, if you apply for the SHPE scholarship, you’ll include a lot of details about your background. 

You can also use scholarship search portals or scholarships websites to find other scholarships you may be eligible for. 

How do you write a scholarship essay?

While scholarship essay prompts may differ, you’ll usually stick to the same general scholarship essay format. 

One resource that can help you write the best scholarship essays and find money for college is Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae is a private lender offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional student loans. They also grant scholarships and provide aspiring college students with a scholarship search portal on their scholarships websites. Here’s what they have to say about having a winning scholarship essay format.

Organization

When writing a scholarship essay, it’s best to start with a scholarship essay format that organizes your thoughts. This will allow you to follow a plan that clearly and concisely gets your points across. You should begin your essay with a solid introduction. Then, introduce your supporting arguments and add an appropriate conclusion. 

A good scholarship essay clearly states why you deserve to win money for college with evidence to back up your argument. You’ll see how to do this in our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The best scholarship essays will be original and honest. It should be written in an inspirational and positive tone, highlighting your strengths and capabilities. 

When you feel like you have put your best foot forward, you should ask others for their feedback. This can be from a teacher, counselor, or one of our advisors here at CollegeAdvisor! Proofread your final essay and make sure you’ve caught any spelling and grammatical errors before submitting your application.

Up next, we’ll get into our descriptive essay examples and the different scholarship essay prompts they responded to. 

By looking at scholarship essay examples, you can learn what exactly makes a good essay. So, let’s look at some descriptive essay examples written by students looking to secure money for college. 

First, we will walk you through scholarship essay examples about yourself. Then, we’ll look at a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. Lastly, we will provide you with scholarship essay examples about financial need. Remember to keep these scholarship essay examples in mind when writing essays of your own!

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Let’s take a closer look at some scholarship essay examples about yourself.

Scholarship essay prompts vary quite a bit, so make sure you understand what the prompt really asks of you. That way, you can answer the question or address the prompt in its entirety.

Some scholarship essay prompts may ask how the scholarship will make a difference for you. They may also ask about any contributions you have made to your community. 

Ready to look at some winning scholarship essay examples? Check out these scholarship essay examples below.

The first of our scholarship essays is for Phi Sigma Rho. Here’s the prompt: 

How do you promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM on your campus or in your community? (300 words Max)

Phi sigma rho scholarship essay.

In my campus and community, I strive to promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM by promoting Phi Rho’s values and sharing my experiences and passion for Phi Rho.

My involvement in the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has allowed me the opportunity to promote Phi Rho and STEM. These activities have given me insight into how to successfully create a network that will support and encourage women in engineering to continue their careers. 

Within WEP, I served as a sophomore orientation leader (Envoy), mentoring first-year women and assisting with program logistics. As an envoy, I was able to promote Phi Rho ideals of friendship and encouragement. I was also able to informally recruit for Phi Rho by sharing my experiences and passion for the sorority.

Within SWE, I was the Internal Relations Chair my freshmen year and am the Director of Member Engagement this year. Both roles are related to member engagement, allowing me to promote friendship within engineering. Member engagement is important for creating a community among female engineers. Similar to my envoy position, my leadership within SWE has allowed me to share my love for Phi Rho.

Additionally, my volunteer experience with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a STEM outreach group, has allowed me to promote STEM in the community. In EA, I give presentations on engineering, speak on panels, and lead hands-on activities for K-12 students. EA has taught me strategies to promote STEM to children and teenagers.

Because of Phi Sigma Rho, I have the confidence to inspire and encourage the next generation of female engineers. I hold the values of scholarship, friendship, and encouragement in the highest regard and strive to embody those in every leadership position and volunteer role. Through SWE, WEP, and EA, I have promoted Phi Sigma Rho, its values, and STEM as a whole in both my campus and community.

This is, in many ways, a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The writer clearly highlights how they’ve engaged with Phi Sigma Rho and how their values align with those of the organization. The writer also provides specific examples of their leadership positions, skills, and accolades. 

The next two of our scholarship essay examples about yourself are for the SHPE scholarship. Here they are: 

SHPE Scholarship essay example #1

Essay prompt:.

Summarize your life experiences and any challenges that have impacted your path to higher education. (250 Words) 

Essay Example:

I vividly remember the first day of First Grade because I didn’t know the Pledge of Allegiance like the rest of my classmates. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I had never learned what the pledge was. This was the beginning of several years of disconnect. 

From receiving weird looks when I told classmates my family opened Christmas gifts at midnight, to my parents’ confusion when I didn’t want them to speak Spanish in public, both sides of my life never understood the other. As a result, I always felt out of place in school, like I was behind in some way because I didn’t share the same upbringing as my classmates. In contrast, academics felt like a level playing field, something we were all learning together in the same way.

While I couldn’t tell you who won the super bowl, I could do mathematics or read just as well, if not better, than my classmates. Socially, I always felt out of place, but academically I was always comfortable, and as a result, I tried to excel in that area of my life. That desire to succeed created the relentless work ethic I have today and the appreciation I have for education.

Despite the lack of emphasis from my parents on schoolwork, I developed this sense of responsibility and persistence to pursue an education. Although my family’s Hispanic culture made my life difficult when I was younger, it made me a more resilient person.

More scholarship essay examples

Shpe scholarship essay example #2.

Discuss your educational and career aspirations as well as your ability to complete and achieve these goals. (250 words)

Using a degree in engineering, I hope to work on improving sustainability and efficiency in the aerospace industry by creating cheaper, safer, and more environmentally-conscious options.

Recently, Pratt and Whitney designed an engine that is 16% more efficient and will release 3600 less metric tons per airplane per year. Excitingly, it also greatly reduces the noise footprint of an airplane. Innovations like these will allow the aerospace industry to evolve and improve while reducing negative environmental impact. I hope to work at the forefront of this innovation, pushing the boundaries of improved engine performance and efficiency. 

Last semester, I started working in the Experimental and Computational Convection Laboratory on campus to learn more about turbines. Some current projects in the lab involve new turbine cooling techniques and additive manufactured heat exchangers. Throughout the course of my undergraduate career, I hope to learn more about the barriers facing improved engine and turbine efficiency. Following undergraduate, I plan to attend graduate school to gain a deeper knowledge of these topics. Following graduate school, I may go into industry working on turbines and jet engines. Due to beginning research early, I believe graduate school is an attainable educational goal.

The potential ability to make a difference in the environmental impact of the aerospace industry is exciting. To accomplish this, I know studying Mechanical Engineering will give me the skills necessary to fulfill my career goals.

Both of these scholarship essay examples use specific details to highlight the writer’s strengths, experiences, and accolades. In reading these winning scholarship essay examples, we get a sense of who the writer is both as a person and as a student. 

Scholarship Essay Sample about “Why I deserve the scholarship”

Another scholarship essay prompt you may come across is “why I deserve this scholarship.” A good scholarship essay clearly highlights why you deserve to win the scholarship and provides evidence to support your argument. 

Below, you’ll find scholarship essay samples about why I deserve the scholarship. You can use these as a guide to help you tackle your own scholarship essays. 

Here’s the first of our scholarship essay examples, which was used for the Park Scholarship: 

The Park Scholarship is an investment in the potential of young people. It prepares scholars to make lifelong contributions to communities, states, nations, and the world. Tell us a story that illustrates your potential to make these lifelong contributions. (What have you done that should compel us to invest in you?) (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.)

Park scholarship essay example.

Coming from a Venezuelan family, I have always been able to connect with total strangers through Spanish. Whether I’m eating at a restaurant or volunteering, I am constantly stumbling upon other Spanish speakers. The ability to converse in their language allows me to bond with them in a way I couldn’t in English, something I do not take for granted. 

Because of my experience, I believe that learning a foreign language is an incredibly important skill. Being able to speak in a second language allows a person to understand another community and reach out to people within that community. Additionally, speaking a second language assists in appreciating other cultures. This appreciation is important for fostering open-mindedness, something America as a whole struggles with today. 

In my school district, foreign language classes are not offered until late middle school. Once in high school, many students drop the class. In addition, those who stay in the class often find that the classes provide little more than a basic understanding of the language and then become discouraged in their learning. On a larger scale, this issue affects America as a whole. Second language programs often come second in terms of funding and planning and are not encouraged as rigorously as other academic courses. As a result, many Americans are ignorant to the benefits of bilingualism and are unable to understand the viewpoint of those who are multilingual.

After my freshman year of high school, my frustration with my community’s lack of priority for second language learning culminated in my desire to take some sort of action to promote foreign language education. In my sophomore year, a classmate and I created and ran an introductory Spanish program, Spanish in the Spring, at my local library for young children in the district. I spent hours at home creating lesson plans, activities, themes, and advertisements for the program. I placed heavy emphasis on cultural aspects and the importance of the Spanish language in America and the world as a whole.

My purpose for this program was to introduce children at a young age to learning a foreign language, so their desire to learn would continue throughout their life. Through the program, I was also able to share my belief of the importance of learning a second language with the children, as well as their parents. After the final day of the program, I was thrilled when one parent mentioned their desire to learn a foreign language program themself. I felt that if I made an impact on one person or family, the entire program was worthwhile. 

Unfortunately, this past spring I was unable to continue the Spanish in the Spring program due to library scheduling restraints. However, I hopefully plan to offer the program again this spring with some changes that will improve and expand the experience. One of these changes will include the immersion of parents into the experience to encourage foreign language education as a family activity.

While this program was only offered once, the impact was immeasurable, for the children, for the cause of foreign language education, and for me.

This is another scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. In it, the writer clearly and directly answers the prompt—that is, they highlight their potential to make a lifelong impact on members of their community. 

Ready for another scholarship essay example? Here’s the next one: 

How will a ScholarSHPE impact your life and education? (200 Words)

Shpe scholarship essay example.

Receiving a ScholarSHPE will give me the gift of time and opportunities. My parents are unable to support me financially throughout college due to large amounts of accrued debt. A ScholarSHPE will reduce my financial stress and allow me to improve my overall health as a result. It will also prevent the need to work several hours a week at a part-time job to pay for tuition, books, and living expenses, which will limit what I can do academically and outside of class. A ScholarSHPE will allow me to spend more time on research pursuits, engineering extracurriculars, volunteer work, and school work, instead of long hours at a part-time job. 

This essay sample is fairly straightforward. In it, the writer follows a clear scholarship essay format, explicitly answering the prompt. 

UC Berkeley Scholarships essay examples

Let’s look at some school-specific merit scholarship essay examples. 

At the University of California – Berkeley , students can apply for a variety of merit scholarships. These scholarships can help offset the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. 

Below, we’ve included various scholarship essay examples for the UC Berkeley scholarships. These UC Berkeley scholarships can help students cover their college tuition costs. This can make the UC Berkeley tuition less of a barrier for students hoping to attend. 

You’ll find a variety of UC Berkeley scholarships that can help you afford UC Berkeley tuition. Available UC Berkeley scholarships include: 

• Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship
• Fiat Lux Scholarship
• Middle Class Scholarship
• Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship

These are just a few ways to cover the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. UC Berkeley students also receive more than $10 million per year in outside scholarships to cover college tuition costs. If you are interested in exploring non-UC Berkeley scholarships, check out this list of outside scholarship resources . 

To help you get started, check out our winning UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples. The authors of these scholarship essay examples about financial need all won money to help cover their UC Berkeley tuition.

UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples

I am grateful to realize how fortunate I am today. All the loved ones around me and their acts of kindness have given me such a great life. I also realize the sacrifices that those around me have had to give up in order for me to succeed. It is because of this that I have realized what “paying it forward” truly means. I have been given the opportunity to make an impact in my community and I have fully taken advantage of this opportunity. I have been a volunteer for the Buddyball Sports Organization, which is a non-profit sports organization dedicated to providing the opportunity for children with developmental disabilities to play sports.

Growing up, watching and playing sports has been one of my greatest pleasures of life, so teaching these less fortunate kids has been something I have enjoyed doing every single weekend. On top of this, I am also both a volunteer at the South Orangetown Ambulance Corps and the Nyack Hospital. With the desire to pursue a career in the medical field, volunteering at these places has given me a great idea of what my career could look like in the near future. While all of these volunteer activities have had a significant impact on me, little did I know that this summer would truly make a lasting difference in my life. 

This past summer, my family decided to go on a vacation to India to visit my relatives. This was the first time in my life that I was going to India and this was only because my grandmother came down with Parkinson’s disease and was extremely sick. Little did I know at that time that my visit to India would be a life-changing experience. Never could have I imagined such a filthy village. Everywhere I looked, there was garbage and to make matters worse, no one seemed to do anything to try to ameliorate the repugnant image of my home country.

While I realized on my flight home that I was not going to be able to make a difference and help my community back in India, there was nothing stopping me from doing so right here in Rockland County, New York. When I was told that I would have the opportunity to help organize and direct “Make a Difference Rockland,” I joyfully accepted! Make a Difference Rockland is a free public meet and greet for all local non-profits and other government agencies in an attempt to promote different community service opportunities within the public. By gathering all the local non-profit organizations and giving them a chance to present themselves, people learn more about all of the local community service opportunities that are available to them. This way, the community will be able to recruit volunteers and will not have to suffer through calamitous conditions.

As one of the people in charge of organizing, it was my responsibility to adequately contact, invite and help prepare for hundreds of people. Once I gathered their contact information, I had to ask each one of these places if they would be interested in joining the fair. If interested, I had to also prepare a table for them to present themselves at the fair. The feeling of bringing all of these community service groups together brought me a feeling of happiness that I will never forget. 

The best scholarship essays will teach the reader about who the writer is, what they care about, and why they deserve a scholarship. The essay above does just that—it highlights the writer’s background and describes how they give back to their community. 

Next, let’s dig into a few more scholarship essay examples. 

If you’re interested in more descriptive essay examples, keep reading. 

Reading a ton of winning scholarship essay examples is a great way to pick up on what makes them winners. Over time, you’ll start to notice how the details, tone, and flow all work together to tell a story.

Below, you’ll find a few more scholarship essay examples. Our first one is from the NC Parks Scholarship. Here’s the prompt:

What do you do to serve your community? Why do you do the service that you do? What impact have you made? What challenges or insights have your service contributions given you? (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.) 

Community-focused scholarship essay example #1.

“What are the boys like in high school?” “Is it easy to get a boyfriend?” Sighing, the other frustrated leaders and I look at each other as we read the questions posed by the younger girls. Every year at Girls’ Night Out (GNO), a program that introduces and prepares eighth-grade girls for high school, the girls question the leaders about relationships and dating ad nauseum, irritating other leaders to the point of ignoring the questions. 

Giving each question a careful and deliberate answer is often difficult, but instead of disregarding the issue, I try to offer my most sincere and honest advice. Originally, when I began as a group leader in the program I would give the same response, “You shouldn’t worry about boys. Instead, enjoy your friends, and do things you enjoy.” While that advice is true, it is often not the answer that will satisfy the girls. Through many years in the program, I have learned that advice is not “one size fits all”; it must be individualized to the person’s needs. Now, when faced with a question about dating, I respond with more questions before giving “words of wisdom”.

Many times I am able to understand the perspective of the middle school student, allowing me to give advice accordingly. Supplying proper advice about sensitive topics is one of the most impactful parts of GNO. As a role model and positive influence for the girls, I largely impact their ideas and perception of the environment when entering high school. In addition to teaching the students valuable lessons, volunteering at GNO has taught me that various perspectives may present themselves identically. To better understand those around me, it is important that I look beyond the surface for the other person’s viewpoint.

Beyond understanding other viewpoints from GNO, I have learned from other service that understanding a person’s situation is essential for providing exceptional assistance. Through Key Club, I volunteer many times a year at the local food pantry. As a volunteer, I help the recipients “shop” at the small grocery store using a point system. The process takes up a lot of time because shoppers do not always know what they want. Originally I  thought this was a poor design. I believed it would be much more efficient to just hand out the food rather than giving out points and shopping with the food pantry recipients.

Upon expressing my opinion to one of the adult food pantry staff, he explained to me that the grocery store aspect of the store taught the recipients life skills. Additionally, by giving them autonomy over what food they “bought”, they retained a sort of independence, an important skill to have if they find themselves above the income level required to use the food pantry.

The next time I volunteered I took note of the skills presented. Budgeting of points, deciding whether or not they needed something, determining the quality of the fruit, and decision-making of choosing extra food or toiletries, were all skills that those above the poverty line have ingrained. For those who have been using food pantries and other assistance for prolonged periods of time, these skills are not so natural. As a result, teaching the people means after they no longer need the services of the food pantry, they have valuable skills necessary for their independence.

From this experience, I learned an important lesson: helping people is not just giving them what they need at the moment, but understanding what they will need in the future and providing that as well. After realizing this, I emphasize the abilities that the food pantry teaches whenever I dedicate my time. By doing that, I am positively affecting the development of those skills. 

When reflecting on the various ways I have served my community, one thing stands out to me: I always understand another viewpoint or gain a new perspective afterwards. For me, the ability to look at something from different angles is an unparalleled talent, and one of the most important skills a person can have.

Describe your volunteer or community experience with SHPE or other organizations and any internships you have held.  (250 Words)

Community-focused scholarship essay example #2.

In SHPE, I have been involved in planning the Penn State College of Engineering STEP-UP (Student Transition Engineering Program at University Park) Program as a chair. The STEP-UP program helps students from Penn State branch campuses smoothly transition to the University Park campus through a 3-day program in the spring. The program introduces them to engineering resources, other engineering students, and provides professional development. Due to COVID-19, this year it was held virtually. 

Within the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering Program, I have volunteered at different STEM events in the community for elementary school students. I am also currently serving as an Envoy (a mentorship and logistical position) for the Women in Engineering Program Orientation. Additionally, I participate in many of SWE’s service events, such as donating and collecting donations, cleaning up areas on and around campus, and visiting nursing homes.

On campus, I am also involved with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a group that does STEM outreach around Pennsylvania from the elementary school to high school level. EA goes virtually or in person to schools, does engineering presentations and activities, and answers questions.

Prior to COVID-19, I had secured an internship with Pratt and Whitney, however, they had to cancel their internship program. As a result, I was fortunate enough to obtain a Process Quality Engineering internship at Brentwood Industries for summer 2020.

Both of these scholarship essay examples highlight how the writers have given back to their communities. These winning scholarship essay examples highlight the writers’ strengths. In doing so, they highlight why these writers deserve help with college tuition costs. 

Reflecting on scholarship essay format

As important as the content of your essay is, your scholarship essay format is equally important. As you write, be sure to adhere to the scholarship essay format guidelines provided to you. 

However, there are some things all of the best scholarship essays have in common. Here are some general tips, tricks, and outlines to help you in your own writing process.

Three scholarship essay writing tips:

• Word counts are hard to adhere to, but the other applicants must adhere to them, too. Make sure every word counts. 
• When you write a solid essay, you can repurpose some of your key points, including specific anecdotes and details, in other scholarship applications.
• Writing a good essay helps you solidify who you are and what you want. This sets you up for success in the scholarship application process and beyond. 

Three essential elements to include in your essay:

• State your goals. Scholarship committees are investing in your future and your potential. To take a chance on you, they need to know your plan and what you want to do with your award. 
• Establish an implicit or explicit link between your goals and the scholarship you are applying for. Describe to the committee how the specific scholarship will help you attain your goals. Give them a tangible reason as to why you deserve their investment. 
• Share your story. Use personal details about your experiences that highlight your identity and objectives. How have you pursued your goals and prepared for your future? How will the scholarship help you going forward? Get personal and be honest.

Storytelling in your essay

Some of the best scholarship essays utilize good storytelling strategies. You should share the details of your personal story in a narrative, using a logical order. Remember, telling personal details about yourself and your goals does not mean simply restating your resume!

By the end of the essay, the scholarship committee should have an in-depth sense of why you applied. You should reveal:

• When and how you arrived at your future goals
• Your motivations to accomplish these objectives
• What traits or skills you have developed along the way
• The meaningful experiences that drive you to your goals
• Any personal challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them
• What has shaped you and your worldview

These details humanize you and show your complexity as a person and an applicant. It’s helpful to use anecdotes and personal experiences to give life to facts and details about yourself. Sharing real-life experiences will help make your essay more interesting and more fun to read.

Creating your scholarship essay format

Once you have thought about what you want to say, start thinking about your scholarship essay format. You may start by making a list of what your reader may be interested in:

• How you spend your time
• Your accomplishments
• What your passions are, etc.

Start by brainstorming everything you may want to include in your essay. Then, think about whether the stories you include support your arguments. Ask yourself, “What did I learn?” or “How did this get me closer to my goals?”. These reflections help the reader connect to your purpose for writing. 

Make sure to organize your thoughts in a narrative order. However, there isn’t just one way to write an essay. So, don’t limit yourself to one version of your story. You may find yourself writing multiple drafts before you get to your final scholarship essay format.

Editing and proofreading your essay

When you think you have finished, be sure to proofread and edit to ensure it’s ready to be submitted. Check that you’ve adhered to all the scholarship essay format guidelines (like the word count). 

Reviewing also includes getting input from others! An outside reader’s opinion can help you confirm your essay effectively communicates your ideas.

Tips for scholarship essays

You may notice some similarities between the scholarship essay examples about yourself we’ve provided. That’s because the authors of the best scholarship essays all use similar strategies to make their essays great. 

Here are 5 tips from U.S. News to help you make all of your scholarship essays stand out:

Tips for writing stand-out scholarship essays

1. get personal and be specific.

The best scholarship essays will share an authentic story with impactful details. The key is to be yourself and not shy away from personal details. The more the committee gets to know about you, the more likely they are to invest in your future. You want your essay to offer a genuine, in-depth look into who you are as a person.

2. Tell a story

Your essay should be more than a collection of facts—it should tell a story. That means having a solid introduction that grabs the reader’s attention from the very start. Then, you should include a logical flow of experiences or details. By the end of your essay, you want your reader to have learned something valuable about you.  

3. Tailor the scholarship essay to the prompt

Some of your scholarship essay prompts may be similar across different scholarship applications. However, it’s important that your essay is specific to each prompt and answers the question entirely. While you can repurpose an essay you’ve already written as inspiration or a starting point, be extra attentive when doing so.

4. Don’t tailor yourself to the reader

Many students fall into the trap of telling a story they think scholarship foundation committees want to hear. Instead, stay true to yourself as you craft your scholarship application essays. Don’t tell your reader what you think they want to hear—just tell them who you are. 

5. Follow directions

This final tip may arguably be the most important. Above all else, students should follow instructions. This means adhering to the scholarship essay format guidelines and word count. It also means answering the essay prompt in its entirety. Application readers can be easily frustrated by a student’s failure to follow directions. This could reflect poorly on you and your essay in the long run. 

Use these tips to guide you as you approach the scholarship essay format. 

Scholarship Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

We hope our roundup of scholarship essay examples has shown you how to approach your scholarship applications. With rising college costs, scholarships should be a part of your college financial planning process. Take the time to do your own scholarship search based on your specific interests. You can find plenty of scholarships to apply to on scholarships websites and college financial aid pages. There are many different scholarships websites to help you with your search. 

Save this guide

Feel free to save this guide and review our scholarship essay examples about yourself and about financial need. You can always look back on our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship when writing your own essay. 

Start with an outline that organizes your thoughts. Then, make sure your essay is clear and concise. Be original and honest, and include personal details and anecdotes when appropriate. State why you deserve to win the scholarship. Then, support your claim in a way that makes a scholarship committee invested in your future. 

We’re here to help

Don’t forget to proofread your essay and ask others for their feedback. When in doubt, reach out to our advisors at CollegeAdvisor. Our team is always here to help support you find and apply for scholarships!

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By submitting my email address. i certify that i am 13 years of age or older, agree to recieve marketing email messages from the princeton review, and agree to terms of use., writing a winning college scholarship essay.

If you need more money to pay for college, chances are you will be applying for several college scholarships . A great scholarship essay helps the scholarship provider understand the real person behind the application and can be the key to winning the award (assuming you meet the other scholarship criteria).

Scholarship Essays vs. College Essays

Scholarship essays are very similar to your college application essays in terms of strategy. Many scholarship hopefuls will share the same grades, test scores, and ambitions: the essay is your chance to shine (and grow that dream college fund!).

How to Write a Scholarship Essay

When you’re drafting your scholarship essay, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind:

1. Start the essay writing process early.

Leave yourself plenty of time to produce a well thought-out entry. Take the time to brainstorm your ideas, create an outline, and edit your entry as you would for any essay writing assignment for your English class.

Read More: How to Craft an Unforgettable College Essay

2. Understand the scholarship provider’s overall mission and purpose.

Each scholarship provider is looking for students who meet certain criteria. Consider writing about an experience or interest that highlights your strong ties to the organization’s mission. Genuine passion and enthusiasm for your topic will show through in your essay writing.

3. Follow the scholarship essay instructions.

Make sure to follow all of the necessary steps and review them before submitting your scholarship essay. Trust us, some of the brightest students have missed out on the chance to earn scholarships dollars all because they neglected to follow instructions. You don’t want to fall into that category!

4. Steer clear from essay topics that focus on negativity or pessimism.

Scholarship committees would rather see how you overcame hardships and succeeded despite the obstacles in your path (or what you learned from the times you failed).

Read More: 200 Colleges That Pay You Back

5. Don’t be afraid to get personal.

Share something about who you are. This is your chance to elaborate on elsewhere on your application you wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do so. Telling your story makes an essay genuine and ultimately more memorable to the scholarship committee.

6. Seek out writing advice and feedback.

Asking teachers, counselors, family members, or trustworthy friends for feedback on your essay will result in a better final product.

7. Yes, spelling and grammar matter.

Scholarship committees do notice grammar mistakes . Eveny tiny errors can distract a reader from your overall message. Before you submit your application make sure you take the time to proofread your essay from beginning to end.

8. Don’t give up!

When you’re tired, take a break, but don’t throw in the towel! Our online essay writing tutors are here for you anytime you get discouraged. We can help with everything from brainstorming and outlining to revising the final draft.

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How to Find and Apply for Scholarships

College board scholarship search, what are scholarships .

Scholarships are a type of financial aid commonly referred to as “free money” or “gift aid.” Scholarships usually require an application and are often awarded to students based on a combination of factors including merit. Merit scholarships tend to have specific requirements and are awarded to applicants based on certain skills and accomplishments and may not be based on financial need. Scholarships may be renewable, meaning you can receive scholarships for more than one year. A new application may be required along with maintaining certain eligibility requirements, such as GPA or a certain major.

Why do I need scholarships?

Scholarships are a great type of financial aid because they do not have to be repaid. Receiving scholarships can help cover the remaining bill and indirect costs, while also minimizing the amount you need to borrow in loans while in college.

What are some common scholarship application requirements?

Many scholarships require similar application materials, which commonly include:

• The application, which can be paper or an online form. 
• Essays, often personal statements, that provide insight into your activities inside and outside the classroom. 
• Letters of recommendation from teachers, coaches, guidance counselors, community members, or other mentors. 
• Honors or awards you have received, academic or otherwise. 
• Information about your high school or college, which may include your transcript, GPA, Student Aid Report, or financial aid offer.
• A résumé that includes any employment, volunteer, or extracurricular experiences.

Specialized scholarships may require additional information and may have a priority deadline. For example, scholarships supporting the arts may require portfolios or writing samples. Be sure to read each application thoroughly for requirements so you don’t miss any.

What should I do before college to increase my chances?

Since many scholarships are merit based, maintaining good grades and increasing your involvement in school and community activities are important. Some scholarships have GPA requirements, so keeping your grades up will help open more opportunities. Additionally, many applicants with varied extracurriculars and volunteer or job experiences may stand out. The more scholarships you’re eligible for and apply for, the better the odds you have of receiving one.

What are the best ways to find and receive a scholarship?

There is no guarantee that you’ll receive a scholarship, but there are a few things you can do to increase your chances while applying. One of the most important things to remember is that the scholarship committee wants to get to know you through the applications—you want to show why your college education is worth investing in. 

There are a few things that you can do to increase your chances, including: 

• Start early and search year-round: No matter what stage in the college process you’re at, you should start looking for scholarships now. There are even scholarships that high school students can receive before senior year. Scholarship deadlines vary, so setting some time aside every few weeks to search and apply will open up more opportunities of securing a scholarship. 
• Use the right search engine: Finding scholarships to apply for can be difficult, but with the right search engine you can narrow your search and find scholarships you’re eligible for. BigFuture’s scholarship search is a great resource to use.
• Find a balance: You should apply for several scholarships—the more you apply for, the better your chances of receiving one. However, it’s important to use your time wisely. You should only apply for those you’re eligible for, based on the requirements. 
• Research local scholarships: Local scholarships tend to have fewer applicants, meaning you may be more likely to get them. Your high school counselor or college financial aid department might have insight about where to find and apply for local scholarships. Be sure to talk to others in your community, and check with local businesses and organizations like banks and churches. 

How do I know a scholarship is legit? 

While plenty of legitimate scholarships are available, some fake scholarships are set up to scam students out of money or personal information. Using reliable search engines, like BigFuture, can help avoid this. Scholarships should always be free to apply. Some may ask for your bank account information after choosing you as a recipient, but they should not ask for this information as an application requirement. If you’re unsure, contact the organization or company providing the scholarship to ensure they are legit. 

Finding and applying to scholarships sounds like a lot of work—how can I make this process easier?

Because scholarships don’t need to be repaid, they can be an important part of making college affordable. However, we know that it might not always be feasible to spend a lot of time applying. There are a few things you can do to simplify the process and save time where possible. 

• Start early: Prioritize getting two or three letters of recommendation, and write your essay/personal statement before you start searching to help save time.
• Time management: Plan to spend a day or two a month searching and submitting applications with your prepared materials to avoid last-minute applications, missed deadlines, and stress.
• Stay organized: Collecting and organizing your application materials and tracking due dates will help you stay on track and avoid missing out on opportunities. 
• Reuse essays when possible: Many scholarship essay topics are similar, so editing one of your previously written essays to fit the scholarship you’re applying for can save you time.

With these tips and resources, you’ll be better prepared for scholarship applications and increase your chances of receiving scholarships to help cover your college costs. Check out your chance to earn $500 and $40,000 scholarships in monthly drawings offered by BigFuture to students who complete the steps to plan for college .

Related Articles

How to Write a Scholarship Essay (with Examples)

September 27, 2023

While applying to college, many students are faced with an additional, daunting task: how to write a scholarship essay. Financial need, already a sensitive subject, can become a stressful factor in the process alongside other existential unknowns. Luckily, scholarship essays will not require you to go tiptoeing around the taboo topic of money. Furthermore, most scholarship essay prompts more or less resemble standard supplemental essay questions. The trick then is to make your scholarship essay stand out. The following article and scholarship essay example will offer up pointers for anyone striving to win a college scholarship.

Organizing Scholarship Essays by Prompt

You may feel like melting into a lump of despair when facing a browser full of tabbed scholarships. The best way to avoid getting overwhelmed is to organize and analyze a list of prompts. Why? Because your first goal is not simply to figure out how to write a scholarship essay. Rather, you’ll want to know how to save time while writing complex and relevant scholarship essays.

As you look over the various prompts, you’ll notice that some sound fairly open-ended, while others ask for something quite specific. In response, you should annotate each prompt with thematic keywords. This will help you figure out when you can use the same essay for several prompts.

Your annotated list may look something like the following…

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts

1) “Explain something that made a big impact in your life.”

• Keywords: event , personal development, growth, background

2) “We’re committed to diversifying education abroad by providing funding to students who are typically under-represented in study abroad. Please describe how you and/or your plans for study abroad could be viewed as under-represented.”

• Keywords: minority, diversity, identity, study abroad

3) “Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.”

• Keywords: background, identity, interest, talent

Sample Scholarship Essay Prompts, Continued

4) “Please explain a personal hardship or catastrophic life event that you have experienced. How did you manage to overcome this obstacle? What did you learn and how did you grow from it?”

• Keywords: event, personal development, growth, challenge, background

5) Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way.

• Keywords: world development, challenge, future

6) “Tell us three things that are important to you. How did you arrive at this list? Will these things be important to you in ten years? Why?”

• Keywords: background, values, interest, development, identity, future

Scholarship Essay Prompts ( Continued)

7) “What does it mean to you to be part of a minority community? What challenges has it brought and how have you overcome them? What are the benefits?”

• Keywords: minority, community, challenge, growth

8) “Please explain how your experience volunteering and participating in community service has shaped your perspective on humanity. Elaborate on how these experiences have influenced your future ambitions and career choice.”

• Keywords: community service, humanity, community, background, future, values, career

9) “Discuss in your essay any challenges or obstacles you have dealt with and overcome in life and how this will help you succeed in college and beyond. Describe how volunteer, community service or extra-curricular activities have shaped who you are today and what it has taught you. May also include future educational plans and career goals.”

• Keywords: challenge, future, community service, interests, value, personal growth, career

How to Write a Scholarship Essay through Prompt Analysis

Let’s compare some prompts by keywords. You’ll notice that some prompts have a lot of overlap, such as prompts 1 and 4. Both have event, personal development, growth, and background as keywords . Prompt 4 includes the additional keyword challenge . This prompt explicitly asks you to explain how you have “overcome” a “personal hardship or catastrophic life event.” While prompt 1 is not so specific, it would be easy, even natural, to include this narrative arc in your response. This means depicting how you faced the thing that “made a big impact in your life.” In other words, these two essay prompts, though worded differently, allow you to tell the same story.

Other prompts provide potential overlap. In this case, it’s up to you to find and interpret these moments. You may consider the values, strengths, interests, and experiences you wish to relate. For example, prompts 7, 8, and 9 all mention community through different approaches. While prompt 7 focuses on one’s past involvement in a minority community, prompts 8 and 9 are more future-facing, and don’t mention minorities.

Scholarship Essay Examples (Continued)

Here, your best strategy involves answering prompts 8 and 9 together in a single scholarship essay. To do so, the essay would need to detail “a challenge or obstacle you have dealt with” (9) which has thus “shaped your perspective on humanity” (8). This narrative arc will thus inform your “future” educational and career plans (8 and 9). Note that prompt 9 allows you to mention extra-curriculars. However, I wouldn’t recommend it, since this would make your essay less relevant to prompt 8. After your essay is written, adapt it to align with prompt 7. Consider condensing the part about the future into one final sentence and focusing more on minority aspects of your community.

How to Scholarship Essay Avoid Burnout

The above tactic will allow you to avoid burnout by strategizing your essay approach ahead of time. In turn, you’ll be able to maximize your efforts from the get-go. You’ll also likely find that your essays become more complex and nuanced when you consider several prompts at once.

The next step involves editing. Refer back to the prompt, once you have a draft written. Ask yourself, did I answer the question fully? Do I need to edit this essay further to emphasize a particular point? Do I need to cut the essay down to fit a new word count? Contrarily do I need to bulk it up? If so, are there other essays in my portfolio from which I can borrow material? Strategic editing will allow you to respond to a large number of essays during peak essay-writing season.

Finally, you’ll notice that most essays require a word count between 250 to 600 words. It’s often easier to write a longer essay first. This will allow you to go into greater detail without censoring your ideas. You may find yourself including dialogue, scenery, emotions, and all sorts of other specifics that make an essay personal. As you whittle down this essay to comply with a similar prompt, you’ll want to identify which pieces of the essay do the most work to get your message across. Don’t simply condense everything by eliminating details, for details are often the most memorable aspects of an essay. More on this next.

How to Write a Scholarship Essay Using the Three Fs

The three Fs can be applied to any college essay, though they are particularily useful in scholarship essays. Why? Because the three Fs will enable you to impress readers and beat out other applicants. Ultimately, they’ll help you win financial support. Think of the three Fs as a checklist to go over, once you’ve completed an essay draft. Ask yourself, is my essay fabulous? Flawless? Fearless?

How to Write a Scholarship Essay (Continued)

If your essay is fabulous , it glitters with personality. It is detailed, unique, and does its best to highlight your impressive journey. If your essay lacks a little fab, ask yourself, how can I make this essay more enjoyable and memorable to read? If your essay is flawless , it lacks all spelling, syntactic and grammatical errors. It answers every aspect of the essay prompt, and leaves no room for vagueness or misunderstandings. To avoid flaws, give your essay to several people to proofread. Finally, if your essay is fearless , it is not afraid to get a little vulnerable. This may sound contradictory to the first F. On the contrary, this fearlessness refers to the confidence to tell your own story. A fearless story isn’t afraid to go deep, add complexity, or get emotional. It is unafraid to show why its author deserves a financial boost.

Scholarship Essay Example

Now that we’ve established how to approach the scholarship essay, let’s dive into a scholarship essay example. The scholarship essay below stems from a prompt we saw above: Describe a change you would like to make in the world. Tell us about how you would plan to make that change, and what obstacles you might encounter along the way (500 words).

My generation is growing up in a time of increased global turmoil. We’ve witnessed Brexit, the Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, a series of refugee crises, and the invasion of Ukraine. It’s easy to liken this moment to Europe in the 1930s, which saw a spike in fascism and propaganda (their version of fake news). Only now, my generation must also contend with the hottest summers on record, raging forest fires, and the beginning of the 6 th extinction. It’s no wonder we deal with it all through increased skepticism and existential dread.

While I don’t have a simple solution, I believe most problems stem from ignorance. Xenophobia and racism, offshoots of ignorance, can be overcome by exposing isolated groups of people to greater diversity. This begins in the classroom. While dictators are hard to dispose of, education provides critical thinking skills, which allow citizens to make informed decisions when electing officials. Finally, developing a willingness to learn at an early age creates an instinct to continue learning throughout life. We desperately need intellectual flexibility if we are going to adapt to the planet’s needs as a world population and put a stop to industry-led fossil fuel burning.

Scholarship Essay Example (Continued)

The change I’d like to make is free, enhanced education for everyone, at every level, from elementary school to post-doctorate research institutes. To do so, I suggest defunding national militaries and channeling this spending into schools. Imagine if 80% of the 877 billion dollars the U.S. military spends annually went into learning. Combating fascism and climate change would look more feasible. And yet, no leader would agree to making their country more vulnerable by relinquishing arms and armies. Change must come from the people.

As the planet continues to heats up, and conflict over land increases, we must work together. The first step towards increased education is communicating this need for education: through journalism, on social media, in the streets. Next, I suggest lobbying politicians for incremental change. Finally, I believe a global grassroots movement to implement future-focused education, led by activists, educators, and philanthropists, would make this theoretical idea a tangible reality.

Last year, my mother, who never received a college education, decided to offer free gardening courses in our backyard. I quickly joined in. While teaching a handful of neighbors how to provide year-round food for pollinators may seem trivial, I’ve already seen positive repercussions. One conservative neighbor has set up an organization that collects and redistributes leftover produce from the markets to refugees. Another neighbor is now teaching middle schoolers how to cook and compost. These efforts have brought unusual strangers together and given visibility to our movement, #futurefocusededucation. I’ve seen it firsthand. The more we educate, the sooner we can combine our knowledge to create solutions.

Scholarship Essay Example Dissected

This scholarship essay succeeds at answering all parts of the prompt. It includes the change the author wants to make, and inevitable obstacles she’d face at the governmental and international level. These obstacles may sound insurmountable. Yet the essay shows that individuals are not powerless to enact change when they work together towards a common goal. The author provides various thoughtful steps we might take in order to prioritize education and peaceful collaboration.

Finally, the author portrays herself as someone personally invested in the political, humanitarian, and environmental state of the world. She proves that she’s already begun to make the changes she wants to see at the microscopic level. Overall, readers of this scholarship essay can see that this student is invested in bettering the world. This student would make for a proactive participant in her academic environment.

What’s Next?

Now that you have some inkling of how to write a scholarship essay and have reviewed of our scholarship essay examples, you may want to delve into more aid-related articles on the College Transitions Dataverse. You can read up on Need-Based Financial Aid Grants , and learn about Selective Colleges with Generous Scholarships . Furthermore, you may want to create your own Scholarship Timeline , in order to stay on top of the various deadlines. Good luck!

• Costs & Financial Aid

Kaylen Baker

With a BA in Literary Studies from Middlebury College, an MFA in Fiction from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Translation from Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis, Kaylen has been working with students on their writing for over five years. Previously, Kaylen taught a fiction course for high school students as part of Columbia Artists/Teachers, and served as an English Language Assistant for the French National Department of Education. Kaylen is an experienced writer/translator whose work has been featured in Los Angeles Review, Hybrid, San Francisco Bay Guardian, France Today, and Honolulu Weekly, among others.

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50+ Scholarships for College Students to Apply for in 2024

Introduction: scholarships for college students.

Scholarships for college students are a fantastic way to alleviate the financial burden of higher education. With the rising costs of tuition, textbooks, and living expenses, many students find themselves struggling to make ends meet. However, there is a glimmer of hope in the form of free scholarships that can help ease the financial strain.

In this comprehensive list, we have compiled the top 50 free scholarships available for college students in 2024. These scholarships cover a wide range of fields, including STEM, arts, humanities, and social sciences. Whether you're pursuing a degree in engineering, nursing, or journalism, there is a scholarship out there tailored to your specific interests and talents.

50+ Scholarships for College Students (Current & Incoming!) to Apply for in 2024

Niche $25,000 monthly scholarship.

Amount:  $25,000

Deadline:  Rolling monthly

Eligibility:

-Open to all college students! 

ScholarshipPoints No Essay $2,500 Monthly Scholarship

Amount : $2,500 

Deadline : Expires on the last day of each month

Eligibility: The ScholarshipPoints Scholarship is a monthly no essay scholarship open to all high school and college students ages 16 and older, who are US residents!

Smart Owl No Essay $1,000 Scholarship

Amount : $1,000 (4 awards per month!)

Deadline : Expires on the 28th or 29th of each month

Eligibility: The Smart Owl Scholarship is a monthly no essay scholarship open to all high school and college students ages 16 and older, who are US residents!

Sallie Mae College Scholarship

Amount:  $2,000

Deadline:  Last day of each month

-Open to high school seniors as all undergraduate students

CollegExpress Monthly Scholarship

Deadline:  End of each month

-Open to legal residents of the US who are 13 and older.

Take a Survey- Help Fund your Education

Amount: Varies

Deadline: Continuous

Although not a scholarship, be sure to take advantage if you're looking to make a few extra bucks this upcoming semester, sign up to take surveys!

Bold $25,000 Scholarship

Deadline:  Continuous

-Open to all students! The $25,000 “Be Bold” Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile.

Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship

Amount:  $1,000

Deadline:  September 30, December 31, March 31, June 30 

-Open to high school, college, and graduate school students of all years 

-Must be a US citizen/permanent resident, a student with DACA status, or an international student studying in the US. 

PS - this is one of our very own easy scholarships. Head over to our no essay scholarships post for more!

Niche $2,000 Monthly Scholarship

Employment boost college scholarships.

Deadline:  January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1

-Minimum 3.6 GPA 

-Must be currently enrolled in a US high school or college 

-One scholarship is specific to STEM students , and the other scholarship is open to students of all majors!

Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship

Amount:  Up to $25,000

Deadline:  January 3

-Open to students (ages 16-26) who are passionate about creating a better future and making a positive impact on their community

-Must be a US citizen/permanent resident

Diller Teen Scholarship Awards

Amount:  $36,000

Deadline:  January 5

-Open to US residents ages 13-19

-Must self-identify as Jewish

-Must be serving in a leadership role on a project aimed at repairing the world

Pride Foundation Scholars Program

Amount:  Varies by scholarship

Deadline:  January 6

-Must be a high school senior or current college student from one of the following states: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

-Must either identify as LGBTQ or be a straight ally

-Must have demonstrated financial need

Print It Scholarship for Aspiring Content Creators

Amount:  $500

Deadline:  January 11

-Must be attending an accredited US college or university

-Must be a US citizen

Boren Scholarship for Undergraduate Students

Amount:  Varies

Deadline:  February 1

-Open to US citizens who are high school graduates, 18 years of age or older

-Must be planning to study in an overseas program in a country outside of  Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand

Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholarship

Amount:  $500 - $5,000

Deadline:  February 14

-Open to the following students: high school seniors, undergraduate, transfer, and graduate students

-Must be of Hispanic heritage

-Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or have DACA status

-Minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for high school students; minimum of 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for college and graduate students

-Must submit the FAFSA or state-based financial aid forms

1 for 2 Education Foundation Scholarship

Amount:  Full-tuition (doesn't include books or room and board)

Deadline:  February 15

-Applicants must be living in the United States and the college or university they attend must be located in the United States, however, US citizenship is not required

-Minimum 3.7 GPA

-Open to high school seniors and students currently attending four-year colleges and universities

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship

Amount:  $5,000 - $10,000

Deadline:  February 20

-Must be a graduating high school senior

-Must promote vegetarianism in your community and show a commitment to a vegetarian diet/lifestyle

Never Drink and Drive Scholarship

Deadline:  March 11

-Must be between 17 and 35 years old

-Must attend a 2-year or 4-year college or university

Frame my Future Scholarship

Amount:  $2,000 (5 awards)

Deadline:  March 15

-Any legal U.S. resident who will be a full-time student at a U.S. college or university is eligible to apply

-Applicants must submit their own original short-form video centered around the theme, This Is How I Frame My Future

Houzz Women in Architecture Scholarship

Amount:  $2,500

Deadline: March 31

-Open to female undergraduate and graduate students studying architecture or landscape architecture in the U.S. and Canada 

OppU Achievers Scholarship

Deadline:  March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31

-Be enrolled full-time in high school or at least part-time in college, graduate, professional, or trade school

Zumper Scholarship

Deadline:  April 1, November 15

-Any legal U.S. resident in high school or college who will be attending an accredited university or college is eligible to apply

Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship Program

Amount:  $10,000

Deadline:  April 1

-The scholarship program is designed to provide opportunities to groups that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM: women, people of color, people with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQ, and those that are or will be first-generation college students

-Must have financial need

-Current or planned 4-year degree enrollment in the following majors: Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Physics 

RealtyHop Scholarship

Deadline: April 30, August 1

-Open to current students in an eligible undergraduate program, or  graduating high school seniors in the U.S., working towards a bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree

-Open to international students studying in the US, as well as students with DACA status

Study.com Scholarship for First-Generation Students

Deadline:  May 1

-Applicants should be part of the first generation of their family (i.e., parents and grandparents did not attend a college or university) to attend a four-year college program.

-Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent U.S. Resident.

-Must be enrolled (or accepted) in an accredited college or university and planning on continuing the next year.

WIFLE Scholarship

Deadline:  May 3

-Open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors majoring in Criminal Justice or related discipline such as social sciences, public administration, computer science, finance, linguistic arts, chemistry, physics, etc., leading to a four-year degree

Trotter Project Scholarships

Deadline:  May 15

-Must have 2.5 or higher G.P.A. (unweighted)

-Must be a high school senior, incoming, or current college student to qualify for scholarships.

-Must be majoring in one of the following areas: Culinary Arts, Baking/Pastry, Hospitality Management or Agriculture

-Must attend college/university in the U.S.

Novus Biologicals Scholarship Program

Amount:  $1,500

Deadline:  June 15, December 8

-Open to students pursuing education in a science-related field (Life Science, Medical Science, Health Science)

-Schools/Colleges/Institutes within the US, Canada, and European Countries only

Touchmark Foundation Nursing Scholarship

Deadline:  June 30, December 30

-Open to students pursuing degrees in nursing

-Must be a resident of one of the following states:  Arizona, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin

GeneTex Scholarship Program

Deadline: July 16, December 17

-Student in good standing and enrolled at an accredited college or university

-Declared STEM major

-Open to international students

MPower Global Citizen Scholarship

Amount:  $5,000

Deadline:  July 20

-Be accepted at, or enrolled in, a full-time degree program at a U.S. or Canadian school that MPOWER supports

-Be an international student allowed to legally study in the U.S. or Canada (or a student with DACA status)

Semper Solaris Scholarship for College Students

Amount:  up to $3,000

Deadline:  July 30

-Open to current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students, or students attending a military academy

-Minimum 3.0 GPA 

Trinity Thomas' Uplifting Others Scholarship

Amount:  $1,000 each (3 awards)

Deadline:  July 31

-Open to current undergraduate and graduate school students. 

-No minimum GPA required!

Grademiners Essay Scholarship

Deadline:  August 1

-Must be a high school senior or undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate student about to attend or currently attending an accredited college or university in the United States

-Must be a citizen or a legal resident of the United States

Gates Millennium Scholarship

Amount: Up to the cost of attendance

Deadline: September 15

To apply, students must be:

• A high school senior
• From at least one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native*, Asian & Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American
• Pell-eligible
• A US citizen, national, or permanent resident
• In good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) Additionally, a student must plan to enroll full-time, in a four-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university.

Coca-Cola Scholars Program

Amount:  $20,000

Deadline: October 2

-Open to currently enrolled high school/home-schooled students attending school in one of the 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or select DoD schools who will graduate high school during the academic school year.  Award may be used for freshman year of college.

Be the Boss Scholarship

Deadline: September 15, March 15

-Open to female high school and college students who want to start their own online business

We the Future Scholarship Contest

Amount:  up to $2,000

Deadline:  September 17

-Different scholarships open to high school, college, and graduate school students

Optimal Community College Scholarship

Deadline:  September 30

-Applicants for this scholarship should be enrolled at a public community college, junior college, technical college, or city college, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the associate’s level or a first-time bachelor’s level

Orangesoft Scholarship for Women in Technology

Deadline:  October 31

-Be a student who is currently studying at or has been accepted to an accredited college or university in the United States.

-Be currently enrolled in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) degree-granting program OR demonstrate plans to pursue a career in the field of technology after graduation.

-Identify as a woman.

LasikPlus “My Vision” Essay Scholarship

Deadline:  November 30

-Open to college students attending 2-year and 4-year schools as well as trade/technical schools

-Minimum 2.5 GPA

Denny’s Hungry for Education LGBTQ Scholarship

Deadline:  December 10

-Open to college students residing in the US, identifying as members of the LGBTQ community

-Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents

CC Bank’s Young Scholars Award

Deadline:  December 31

-Applicants must be under the age of 30

-Applicants must be U.S residents

Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

Caring.com Student-Caregiver Scholarship

Deadline:  Varies

-The Student-Caregiver Scholarship provides financial assistance to students who are caring for an elderly loved one while enrolled in college

-Applicants must be full-time college students at an accredited two-or-four-year college or university in the United States

Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship

-Open to high school and college students

Asian Pacific Fund Scholarship Program

Amount:  Varies ($1,000 - $20,000)

Deadline:  Varies by scholarship

-Scholarships open to Asian/Pacific Islander students in the US 

-Applicants must be the first in their family to attend college (more details on APF website)

UNCF Scholarships

Deadline:  Varies, but the general application closes annually on March 31.

-Open to students enrolled full-time and attending UNCF member Institutions

-Must have a demonstrated financial need

-Minimum 2.5 GPA required

Scholarship for Social Impact

Deadline:  Rolling

-Open to full-time students enrolled in two-year, four-year, or graduate programs

-All majors welcome

Additional information about college scholarships

One of the most prestigious scholarships on our list is the Gates Millennium Scholarship, which provides full tuition coverage for undergraduate and graduate studies. This highly competitive scholarship is awarded to exceptional students who have demonstrated leadership skills, academic

For those interested in the arts, the National Merit Scholarship Corporation offers scholarships to high-achieving students who excel in the PSAT/NMSQT exam. This scholarship not only covers tuition but also provides additional funds for books, supplies, and other educational expenses.

If you're passionate about making a difference in the world, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program is worth considering. This scholarship recognizes students who have shown leadership potential, academic achievement, and a dedication to community service. Recipients of this scholarship receive a substantial financial award to support their college education.

In addition to these well-known scholarships, there are numerous other opportunities available for college students featured above. The Dell Scholars Program, for example, targets students from low-income backgrounds who have overcome significant obstacles to pursue higher education. This scholarship provides financial assistance, mentorship, and other resources to help students succeed academically and professionally.

It's important to note that each scholarship has its own eligibility criteria and application process. Some scholarships may require essays, letters of recommendation, or interviews, while others may focus solely on academic achievements. Therefore, it's crucial to carefully review the requirements and deadlines for each scholarship you're interested in.

Applying for scholarships can be a time-consuming process, but the potential rewards are well worth the effort. Not only can scholarships alleviate the financial burden of college, but they can also open doors to new opportunities and experiences. So, take the time to explore the top 50 free scholarships for college students in 2024 and start your journey towards a brighter future today.

Frequently asked questions about college scholarships

Scholarships for College Students are opportunities that you, as a college student, can apply for to help you cover your high education costs.

Some college scholarships can be put towards anything, whereas others may specify that they can only be put directly towards your tuition. 

Absolutely NOT! 

While you certainly can and should apply for scholarships throughout your time in college, you do NOT need to be a current college student to apply for college scholarships. 

There are tons of scholarships (some are even featured in this post!) that are open to high school students (mostly leaning towards high school sophomores , juniors , and seniors ) looking to reduce their future college costs. Check them out! 

Yes! There are scholarships for students of all kinds. Even if you don't attend a four-year college or university, you will find that there are still tons of great opportunities out there that fit your profile. 

Great question! Here are a few of my top tips on applying for scholarships:

• Focus on your essays ! For scholarships that require them, these are your best chance to help you stand out as an applicant. Try to make them as unique and cohesive as possible. Have someone else proofread your essay to help you identify mistakes or confusing areas. 
• Ask the right people for letters of recommendation.  While not all scholarships require them, many competitive ones do. So, when you are thinking about who to ask for those rec letters, make sure you focus on adults in your community with who you have a great relationship. After all, you want a DAZZLING rec letter! 
• Double-check eligibility and application requirements, and the deadline BEFORE you apply. Don't waste your time working on an application only to find out you aren't eligible or that you missed the deadline completely. After you've made sure you're eligible, use this scholarship tracker to help you stay organized throughout the process.

Find college scholarships by grade-level and more

If searching through this post to find scholarships you're eligible for is not really up your alley, take advantage of our scholarship resource posts that organize opportunities by year in school, ethnicity, gender, and more:

Scholarships for College Freshmen 

Scholarships for Community College Students 

Scholarships for Graduate Students

Scholarships for Women

Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students & Allies

Scholarships for Undocumented Students

Scholarships for LatinX and Hispanic Students

Scholarships for Black Students 

Scholarships for Minority Students

Scholarships for college students: where to find more, outside of this post!

Scholarships offered by your college/university : The vast majority of colleges and universities also offer their own college scholarships to both incoming and current students. These awards are often broken down by area of study, but many schools also offer scholarships for things like studying abroad , student leadership, and more.

Scholarship Essay Writing

Scholarship Essay Examples

Winning Scholarship Essay Examples for Students: Tips Included

37 min read

Published on: Mar 14, 2021

Last updated on: Jan 31, 2024

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Many students face financial barriers when it comes to pursuing higher education. The rising costs of tuition, books, and other educational expenses can be overwhelming. 

This is why the scholarships offer a lifeline by providing financial aid to students, but the competition is fierce. 

That's where CollegeEssay.org comes in. 

In this blog post, we are providing scholarship essay examples that will inspire and guide you in creating your own exceptional essay. 

These examples serve as beacons of success, offering valuable insights into the art of scholarship essay writing. 

So, without further ado, let’s get started. 

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Scholarship Essay Examples Financial Need

Why this scholarship essay worked.

This scholarship essay example effectively conveys the applicant's financial need and their determination to overcome the challenges associated with it. Here's why this essay worked:

• Personal Storytelling: The essay begins with a personal anecdote that establishes a connection between the applicant's background and financial constraints. This helps create empathy and demonstrates the genuine impact of financial challenges on their educational journey.
• Resilience and Resourcefulness: The applicant showcases their resilience and resourcefulness in navigating financial hardships. They highlight their proactive approach to seeking part-time employment and actively pursuing scholarships.
• Academic Commitment: Despite the financial strain, the applicant emphasizes their commitment to academic excellence by maintaining a high GPA. This showcases their dedication and ability to prioritize their studies amidst challenging circumstances.
• Community Involvement : The essay also highlights the applicant's involvement in community service. This demonstrates their desire to give back and make a positive impact.
• Connection to Scholarship: The applicant clearly articulates how receiving the scholarship would benefit them. This demonstrates a strong alignment between their goals and the purpose of the scholarship.

Want more examples, check out these winning scholarship essay examples.

Financial Aid Scholarship Essay

Scholarship Essay for Financial Need

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Why this essay worked.

This scholarship essay worked for several reasons, such as:

• It effectively showcases the applicant's passion for mathematics, community engagement, and resilience.
• It compellingly conveyed the applicant's dedication, ambition, and potential for making a positive impact. This makes them a deserving candidate for the scholarship.
• Clear connection to the scholarship's goals and how it would further the applicant's educational journey and impact.

Here are some scholarship essay examples about yourself; get an idea from them, and create a successful essay.

Scholarship Essay Example About Yourself

Scholarship Essay About Yourself

Scholarship Essay Examples for Nursing

Why this essay worked.

This essay worked due to its compelling portrayal of the applicant's genuine passion for nursing, coupled with their unwavering dedication to making a positive impact in patient care.

The essay effectively demonstrates the applicant's well-rounded preparation for a nursing career and their clear alignment with the goals and mission of the scholarship, making them a strong candidate for consideration.

Below are some more examples of scholarship essays for nursing.

Nursing Scholarship Essay

Scholarship Essay for Nursing

Scholarship Essay Examples About Career Goals

This essay worked for the following reasons:

• Clear and Specific Career Goals: The essay effectively outlines the applicant's career goal of becoming a clinical psychologist specializing in mental health support. The clarity and specificity of the goal demonstrate a well-defined path and a strong sense of purpose.
• Demonstrated Preparation and Commitment: The essay showcases the applicant's comprehensive preparation for their career goals. It also demonstrates their readiness and dedication to excel in the field.
• Alignment with Scholarship Objectives: The essay effectively highlights how the scholarship will contribute to the applicant's career aspirations. This includes attending conferences, workshops, and advanced training programs.

If you find difficulty writing the scholarship essay about career goals, get help from the below-mentioned examples, and submit a well-written essay.

Scholarship Essay Examples About Leadership

Three reasons why this essay worked are:

• Demonstrated Leadership Experience : This essay effectively highlights the applicant's practical experience in leadership roles, showcasing their ability to lead teams, organize events, and coordinate volunteers.
• Commitment to Personal Growth : The essay demonstrates the applicant's proactive approach to leadership development by seeking formal training and participating in workshops focused on honing their skills. 
• Emphasis on Collaboration and Empowerment: The essay emphasizes the applicant's belief in collaborative leadership. It promotes inclusivity and empowers team members to contribute their unique perspectives. 

Here we gather some good scholarship essay examples about leadership that help in your writing.

Leadership Scholarship Essay Example

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Scholarship Essay Examples About Community Service

Here are the reasons:

• Genuine Passion and Commitment: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's genuine passion for community service, highlighting their long-standing involvement and the transformative impact it has had on their life. 
• Integration of Service with Education: The essay demonstrates the applicant's proactive approach to integrating their passion for community service with their educational pursuits.
• Aspiration for Social Change: The essay goes beyond personal experiences and highlights the applicant's aspirations for broader social change.

Here is an excellent community service scholarship essa y that can help you write for community college.

Scholarship Essay Example about Community Service

High School Scholarship Essay Examples

• Clear and Convincing Goals: The essay effectively communicates the applicant's strong desire to pursue higher education despite financial constraints.
• Demonstrated Leadership and Well-Roundedness: The essay showcases the applicant's involvement in extracurricular activities. It highlights their ability to balance academic responsibilities with active participation in clubs, sports teams, and community service initiatives.
• Emphasis on Giving Back and Community Engagement: The essay not only focuses on the applicant's personal aspirations but also highlights their commitment to giving back to their community.

The following are the best high school scholarship essay examples, use this for your help, and write an attention-grabbing essay.

Scholarship Essay Example for High School

Scholarship Essay for High School

Scholarship Essay Examples for University

Why this essay works.

Three reasons why this essay works are:

• Strong Personal Motivation: The essay effectively communicates the applicant's unwavering commitment and determination to pursue a university education.
• Articulation of Long-Term Goals and Social Impact: The essay goes beyond highlighting the applicant's academic achievements and financial needs. It emphasizes the applicant's desire to contribute to their community and make a positive impact on society.
• The connection between Scholarship and Applicant's Potential: The essay effectively illustrates how receiving the scholarship would directly address the financial burden. Plus, it will enable the applicant to fully embrace the university experience.

Here are some excellent scholarship essay examples for university students that help you in writing the essay.

Scholarship Essay Example for University Students

Scholarship Essay Examples for Engineering

This essay worked because of the following reasons:

• Passion and Commitment: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's deep passion for engineering. It also shows their genuine commitment to making a positive impact in this field.
• Alignment with Scholarship Objectives: It clearly establishes the connection between the scholarship and the applicant's goals in engineering.
• Future Impact and Growth: It also communicates the applicant's aspiration to contribute to the field of engineering and make a positive difference in the world.

The following is another scholarship essay example that can help you in creating the perfect essay on your own.

Scholarship Essay Examples for Masters

This essay worked for several reasons:

• Clear Purpose and Goal: The essay effectively conveys the applicant's clear purpose and goal of pursuing a master's degree. It highlights the transformative impact that a master's degree can have on personal and professional growth.
• Financial Need and Scholarship Alignment : The essay addresses the financial challenges associated with pursuing a master's degree. It demonstrates the direct alignment between the scholarship and the applicant's needs.
• Impact and Giving Back : The essay goes beyond personal aspirations and emphasizes the applicant's intention to make a broader impact on their community and society.

Here is an example that you can use as a guide and write a perfect scholarship essay.

Why Should You Receive this Scholarship Essay Examples

Three brief reasons why this essay worked are:

• Clear and Convincing Arguments : The essay presents concise and compelling arguments to support the applicant's case for receiving the scholarship.
• Personal Connection : It demonstrates how receiving the scholarship would directly impact the applicant's academic journey
• Gratitude and Future Commitment : It expresses sincere gratitude for the opportunity and emphasizes the applicant's commitment to making the most of the scholarship.

Here is an example, take help from them for your scholarship essay.

Why Should You Receive this Scholarship Essay Example

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Examples

• Compelling Personal Story: The essay effectively presents the applicant's personal story and highlights their dedication and commitment to their education
• Addressing Academic Excellence and Financial Need : The essay successfully addresses both academic excellence and financial need, which are two crucial aspects considered by scholarship committees.
• Commitment to Making an Impact: The essay goes beyond the applicant's personal goals and emphasizes their dedication to making a positive impact in their community. 

Here’s another example for this scholarship essay below:

Why I Deserve This Scholarship Essay Example

Tips for Writing the Effective Scholarship Essay

When it comes to writing an effective scholarship essay, there are several key tips to keep in mind. 

By following these guidelines, you can maximize your chances of standing out and impressing scholarship selection committees. 

Here are some essential tips to help you craft a compelling scholarship essay:

• Understand the Prompt

Take the time to thoroughly understand the essay prompt or topic provided by the scholarship provider. Pay attention to any specific instructions or guidelines given.

• Research the Scholarship

Familiarize yourself with the organization or institution offering the scholarship. Understand their values, mission, and objectives. This knowledge will help you align your essay with their goals and demonstrate your fit for the scholarship.

• Tell Your Unique Story

Use the essay as an opportunity to showcase your personal experiences, like obstacles you might encounter, achievements, and aspirations. Highlight what sets you apart from other applicants. Be authentic and genuine in conveying your story, like overcoming personal failures.

• Start with a Compelling Introduction

Grab the reader's attention from the beginning with a strong and captivating introduction. Consider starting with a compelling anecdote, a thought-provoking question, or a powerful statement.

• Structure Your Essay

Organize your essay into a clear and logical structure. Start with an introduction, followed by body paragraphs that support your main points, and end with a concise and impactful conclusion.

• Be Concise and Specific

Scholarship essays often have a word or character limits, so make every word count. Be concise in your writing and avoid unnecessary fluff. Focus on providing specific examples and details that support your claims.

• Showcase Your Achievements

Highlight your academic accomplishments, extracurricular involvements, community service, leadership roles, or any other relevant achievements. Link them to the values and goals of the scholarship.

• Address the Selection Criteria

Ensure that your essay addresses the selection criteria specified by the scholarship provider. If they are looking for specific qualities or skills, tailor your essay to showcase how you possess those attributes.

In conclusion, writing an effective scholarship essay is a crucial step in securing the financial aid you need for your education. 

By following the tips outlined here, you can enhance your essay-writing skills and create a compelling narrative that captivates scholarship selection committees.

Be authentic, concise, and specific in your writing. Tailor your essay to align with the values and objectives of the scholarship provider. And above all, believe in yourself and your potential to make a difference through education.

If you're seeking further guidance and support in your scholarship essay writing journey, consider partnering with our AI essay writing tools !

We also have a team of experienced and professional essay writers who can provide personal essay writing service with valuable insights. 

Hire our college paper writing service  today and take the next step towards securing the financial aid you deserve.

Barbara P (Literature, Marketing)

Barbara is a highly educated and qualified author with a Ph.D. in public health from an Ivy League university. She has spent a significant amount of time working in the medical field, conducting a thorough study on a variety of health issues. Her work has been published in several major publications.

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How to Find Scholarships

How to get scholarships.

Scholarships are a type of financial aid awarded to students based on academic achievements, athletic skills, community involvement, financial need, or other considerations. Earning scholarships can help make college more accessible and affordable. Dive into our guide for an overview of how to find and apply for scholarships to ease the financial burden of college. 

Understanding Scholarships

Several types of scholarships are available, such as merit-based aid, skill-based, and need-based aid. Every scholarship comes with unique requirements to both receive and keep the funds. Be sure to carefully read the scholarship eligibility requirements, application process, and other details before applying.

Do you have to pay back scholarships? 

College scholarships are a type of financial assistance that you won't need to repay. It’s essentially free money given to help cover your educational expenses like tuition, housing, class supplies, and more. This makes them an excellent option for students looking to reduce the cost of college without worrying about student loan debt. 

How do scholarships differ from grants?

While both grants and scholarships offer financial aid for college, they differ in several important ways. Scholarships are usually merit-based, meaning they're awarded based on achievements like academic excellence, athletic skills, or involvement in community service or clubs. They're often provided by private organizations, colleges, or individuals.

On the other hand, grants are typically need-based and awarded to students who demonstrate a financial need. They are often provided by either state or federal government sources. A well-known example of a government-backed grant is the Pell Grant, which is federal aid given to undergraduate students with significant financial need.

You can visit the official Pell Grants page for more detailed information. This resource details qualifications, application processes, and how Federal Student Aid can help fund your college education. 

Why You Should Apply for Scholarships

Scholarships are an important tool for making your college education more affordable. Despite what many think, there's actually a lot of unclaimed scholarship money out there every year. According to the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA), about $100 million worth of scholarships are not awarded annually, mainly because students do not apply for them.

With so many available scholarships going unclaimed, it's important to explore your options thoroughly. Doing well on standardized tests like the ACT is one way to enhance your chances of tapping into this unclaimed scholarship pool. Actively seeking out and applying for scholarships can increase your likelihood of receiving financial support, which not only eases the financial strain of college but also supports your academic and personal growth, smoothing the path to a brighter and more secure future.

Typical application requirements for scholarships

When applying for scholarships, students must meet a variety of requirements to be considered for aid. Common requirements include:

• Academic performance: Keeping up a certain GPA or academic level.
• Extracurricular activities: Being active in clubs, sports, or community service projects.
• Standardized test scores: Some scholarships ask for scores from tests like the ACT to measure your academic readiness.
• Essays: Crafting an essay that reflects your personal achievements or aspirations.
• Letters of recommendation: Securing support from teachers or mentors who can speak to your character and achievements.
• Financial need evidence: Showing that you require financial support to pursue your education. Often this requires you to submit your FAFSA.
• Unique qualifications: Adhering to specific conditions outlined by the scholarship, like studying in a certain field or identifying with a particular demographic. 

Will all scholarships require an essay?

How to find scholarships.

While earning a scholarship isn't guaranteed, there are several steps you can take to increase your chances of securing these valuable funds. Focus on the factors within your control such as timing, research, preparation, organization, and commitment. Taking your scholarship search seriously can help you tremendously in the long run.

Start the process early

It's important to start your scholarship application process as early as possible. Studentaid.gov suggests getting a head start on your research and applications during the summer between junior and senior years of high school. Starting the process early gives you ample time to find opportunities, meet deadlines, and prepare stronger applications.

Utilize scholarship searches

Various lists and resources are available that specialize in helping you find scholarships that fit your needs. One notable option is the  ACT free scholarship list , which includes more than 80 scholarships that require an ACT score. The Department of Labor also provides information for over 9,500 scholarships on their sponsored  scholarship finder . These searches can help you discover a wide range of opportunities that align with your specific academic and extracurricular achievements.

Check local scholarships

Students should also focus on local scholarships, which often have fewer applicants and higher chances of winning compared to larger, national scholarships. Check with local businesses, community and religious organizations, clubs, and your school counselor if they offer any scholarship opportunities. Often the scholarship details and application can be found on their website. You might also consider searching for scholarships through word of mouth, community Facebook pages, or local newspapers

Apply for several scholarships

Increase your chances of receiving financial aid by applying for multiple scholarships. Each application improves your likelihood of success, broadening your range of opportunities. You can enhance your chances for securing a scholarship by applying for a range of scholarship types from many different sources. 

Look out for fake scholarships

Students and parents need to be vigilant to identify fake scholarships. Warning signs include requests for personal financial information or payments, such as application fees or processing charges, no past recipients mentioned, or saying you won a scholarship you don’t recall applying for. Legitimate scholarships will never ask for money or sensitive personal financial details as part of the application process. 

How to apply for scholarships

The process of applying for scholarships will largely depend on the type of scholarship you're pursuing, but several standard steps are involved in most applications. Understanding and following these common steps can help you collect and prepare the documents you’ll need when applying. Here are some ways in which the process may differ:

• Eligibility criteria: Some scholarships are open to all students, while others may target specific groups, such as students pursuing certain majors, belonging to certain demographic groups, or having specific talents or interests. 
• Application requirements: While some scholarships may require essays, others might request video submissions, artistic portfolios, or project proposals, depending on the criteria. 
• Submission method: Methods range from online forms to mail-in or even in-person presentations. Be sure to adapt your approach based on each scholarship’s guidelines. 
• Selection process: Each scholarship committee will assess candidates based on what was submitted. Recipients are typically students who had a well-rounded application, met all the criteria outlines, and demonstrated their readiness for college. 
• ​​ Financial need assessment: Some scholarships are merit-based and don't consider financial need, while others may require financial information and a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine need-based eligibility. 
• Recommendation letters: Some scholarships might ask for multiple letters of recommendation from a teacher, mentor, or community leader.  
• Deadlines: Deadlines can vary significantly. Some scholarships offer multiple application rounds, while others may be once-a-year chances. 

​​It's important to keep track of deadlines for each scholarship and submit your applications promptly, as late submissions can disqualify you even if you’re an outstanding candidate. Try using an online calendar or planner specifically for scholarship deadlines to stay organized and ensure you never miss a submission date. You can also keep a digital folder with all your scholarship materials —essays, recommendation letters, transcripts, and any other required documents. This makes it easier to tailor each application without starting from scratch. 

Explore more resources to help pay for college

To learn more about paying for college and managing your expenses, check out some  additional resources  that offer helpful tips and advice. Starting to look for scholarships that match your interests early in high school gives you plenty of time to set your goals and plan how to achieve them. 

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08 May , 2021

Are You Making These Mistakes in Your Essay?

Most typical mistakes in a college essay

Starting a new chapter of your life by entering college is always frustrating. Especially, when you almost physically feel the load of responsibility. To earn a place in a college of your dream you need to work hard - and make a good self-representation for an admission committee. How? By sending them a flawless college essay. This is one of the most essential part of the file.

Do you want to be sure your essay is unique and appealing? Check the most typical mistakes you might make in an essay!

Long writing. Of course, you want to highlight all the best qualities and part you have. But let's be honest, admission committee is usually flooded with the applications. They simply have no time for a long read!

Not using help. The thought "I write my essay myself" seems quite proud... And at the same time, it's a bit stupid. If you have not done it before or read a couple of examples on the Internet, that won't help you to reach the ideal result.

Not following the proper format. A professional essay writer can make the job done fast and easy, because he knows the template, follow the plan and had already made hundreds of unique and remarkable pieces or writing.

Mentioning wrong things. Essay is not a composition where you can express whatever you want. It requires time, ideas and an interesting story.

If you're not sure that you will be able to make an ideal job yourself, think about essay writing service. That's how everything would be ready for you, whenever you need it.

Getting professional essay help

We can name dozens of reasons why getting assistance in writing an essay for college admission is better than spending countless hours in front of your PC doing research and reading different tips and recommendations.

First, it saves your time. Essay help allows you not to worry about the deadline and devote your time to whatever desired.

Second, you are getting a perfect result. Without any breakdowns, sleepless nights, thousands of drafts! Sounds like a good idea!

Third, best essay writing service isn't that expensive. There's no need to be one of the Rockfellers to pay for it.

Fourth, it's a professional attitude. Essay rewriter might check your work and correct it.

Still in doubt? Imagine how many people are typing in the search box "write my essay for me" to get into the college you want to be admitted! Be the first in this race

Tips for successful essay

What should you do to make your piece of writing outstanding and remarkable? We can give several recommendations. First, don't rely on your own skills only. Second, remember about strong parts. And third, be confident in a positive result when ordering a writing help!

25 college scholarships high school seniors can still apply for

The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Don't Waste Your Money may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.

Prices keep going up for college students. This year, attending some American colleges and universities is expected to cost students more than $90,000 a year.

Granted, that’s based on figures for tuition, room and board and other expenses from some of the country’s most elite private institutions. Even so, the Education Data Initiative reports that the average private college student living on campus actually spends about $55,840 per year, with $38,768 of it going towards tuition and fees). And students at public universities spend an average of about $26,027 per year.

That’s still quite a chunk of change, even if you’ve decided it’s worth the cost . In fact, college prices have risen by 169% since 1980, according to a report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce . If you’re a high school senior or college student (or the parent of one) who is trying to figure out how to pay these bills, you may want to consider some of the scholarships available to defray costs.

And while the deadlines of some scholarships have passed, there are still lots of options if you act fast. Here are 25 scholarships for high school seniors.

Scholarships That Award Over $15,000

1. breakthrough junior challenge: $250,000.

Deadline to apply:  June 25, 2024

Who’s eligible : High school students

This generous scholarship is offered by the philanthropists Yuri and Julia Milner, who have a special interest in science and technology. To apply, you create a 2-minute video that explains a scientific or mathematical theory or principle.  Think creatively and incorporate elements like diagrams, simulations and physical demonstrations.

If you submit the most impressive video, you’ll receive a $250,000 scholarship to college. Your teacher will receive $50,000, and your school will receive $100,000 for a science lab. Apply here .

2. Niche ‘No Essay’ Scholarship: $25,000

Deadline to apply:  May 31, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year

Niche is a ranking and review site that runs a scholarship directory and offers many of its own scholarships. This one couldn’t be easier to apply for. Start by creating a Niche account. Then fill out the online application; the winner will be determined in a random drawing by June 15, 2024. They will contact you if you were selected. Apply here .

3. ‘Be Bold’ No-Essay Scholarship: $25,055

Deadline to apply: May 1, 2024

Who’s eligible: Any student of any age or education level

Bold.org is a scholarship search website. To apply for any of their scholarships, you’ll need to create a free profile on the site. And the site wants to challenge you to create the boldest one.

What does being bold mean to you? The folks at the “Be Bold” Scholarship define it in three words: earnest, determined and moving. If your profile does the best job of matching this description, you could win $25,055 towards your college education. The eligibility requirements don’t mention a minimum GPA. All you need to be is … bold!  Apply here ASAP, as the scholarship favors early applicants for rolling application deadlines.

4. Ayn Rand Scholarship: ‘The Fountainhead’ Essay Contest: $25,000

Deadline to apply:  June 7, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school juniors and seniors

The Ayn Rand Institute offers rolling essay contests three times a year to encourage students to engage with this prominent novelist’s works and ideas. The upcoming summer essay contest for “The Fountainhead” is currently open.

You’ll write a double-spaced essay that’s between 800 and 1,600 words, based on a prompt question (about the book) that The Ayn Rand Institute provides. If you are one of the top three entries, you’ll receive a cash prize of up to $3,000, and the first-place entry from each season will go on to compete against the other seasonal winners for an annual grand prize of $25,000. You can spend the money on college — or anything else you like. Apply here .

5. Ayn Rand Scholarship: ‘Atlas Shrugged’ Essay Contest: $25,000

Deadline to apply:  June 14, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors, college students and graduate students

Another one of The Ayn Rand Institute’s rolling essay contests is based on her novel “Atlas Shrugged.” The upcoming summer essay contest for this novel is currently open.

You’ll write a double-spaced essay that’s between 800 and 1,600 words, based on a prompt question about the book that The Ayn Rand Institute provides. If you are one of the top three entries, you’ll receive a cash prize up to $3,000, and the first-place entry from each season will go on to compete against the other seasonal winners for an annual grand prize of $25,000. You can spend the money on college or anything else. Apply here .

Scholarships That Award Between $5,000 and $15,000

6. stuck at prom scholarship contest: $15,000.

Deadline to apply:  June 5, 2024

Who’s eligible: All high school students

Well, this is a fun one. To win the Stuck at Prom scholarship, you need to make your own prom outfit (a dress or a tux) completely out of Duck Brand duct tape or Duck Brand crafting tape. Then fill out the online entry form, which includes a place for you to upload at least one photo of yourself wearing this DIY prom outfit. You can submit up to five photos.

The entry form will ask you to supply some written details about your creation or to upload a video showing the requested details. The first-place winners for dress and tux will each be awarded $15,000, while four runners-up in each category will win $1,000 each. And this year they will also be handing out “Judges’ Choice” awards worth $1,000 each to three finalists. Apply here .

7. ScienceSaves High School Video Scholarship: $10,000

Deadline to apply:  May 6, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors

Not a big fan of writing essays? This scholarship contest asks entrants to create a 20-30 second video, answering the question, “What has science done for me?” or “What has science done for somebody I know?”

Be creative! You can use photos, video clips and text. Add the hashtag #ScienceSaves to your video before uploading it. While the grand prize winner will receive $10,000, there will also be prizes for 2nd place ($2,000), 3rd place ($1,000), and 4th place finishers ($500). Apply here .

8. Exceptional Youth Scholarship: $10,000

Deadline to apply:  May 17, 2024

Who’s eligible:  high school seniors

This scholarship is offered through The Foundation for Global Sports Development, and it’s indeed designed for an extraordinary young person. To apply, you must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have devoted at least 100 hours to some form of community service, volunteerism or mentorship activities.

It’s also need-based, so you’ll be required to submit a completed FAFSA form (which is the application for federal student aid) and other financial materials. You’ll also need two letters of recommendation (one from your school and one from your community). Ten graduating seniors will each receive this $10,000 scholarship. Apply here .

9. Ted and Holly Rollins Scholarship: $5,000

Deadline to apply:  June 1, 2024

Can you write a compelling essay? For this scholarship contest, you’ll submit at least 500 words that tell your life story, describe your interest in your intended field of study, and/or explain how you plan to impact the world. If you write the winning essay, you’ll be notified by July 15, 2024. Apply here .

10. Ryan T. Herich Memorial Scholarship: $5,000

Deadline to apply:  April 15, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school students or college undergraduates who are studying or plan to study political science, cultural anthropology, geography or history

This scholarship was set up in the memory of Ryan T. Herich, who was interested in how history, culture and politics affect our world today. To apply, incorporate these themes in a 400- to 600-word essay about how you intend to make a difference in the world. Three winners (who will each receive $5,000) will be announced on May 15, 2024. Apply here .

Scholarships That Award Between $1,000 and $3,000

11. all about education scholarship: $3,000.

Deadline to apply:  April 30, 2024

Who’s eligible:  U.S. residents ages 14 and up

This scholarship is through Unigo, a college scholarship directory and search site. To apply, you have to sign up for a free account. Then submit an essay of 250 words or less responding to the question: “How will a $3,000 scholarship for education make a difference in your life?” Apply here .

12. There’s Space For Everyone Scholarship: $3,000

Who’s eligible: High school seniors, undergraduates and graduates enrolled in school

Extra Space Storage is in the business of offering self-storage facilities, but they also offer an annual college scholarship. To apply, fill out the online application form, which includes an essay on the following topic: “How have you exhibited a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, or social justice through work, service, or other extra-curricular activities, and how will your education help you continue this commitment during college and beyond?”

The company will give out eight $3,000 scholarships. Five will go to any student attending or planning to attend a college or university in the U.S., and three are reserved for employees or immediate family members of Extra Space Storage. The winners will be announced on June 21, 2024. Apply here .

13. American College Foundation Visionary Scholarship: $2,500

Who’s eligible: High school students

This is a bi-annual award in which five recipients win each time — with a total of 10 scholarships awarded each year. Awards range from $1,000 to $2,500 each. To apply, submit a completed application along with your most recent high school transcript and a 500-word essay on “Why College is Important to Me.”

The site posts photos of past winners along with their essays, so you can see what impresses the judges. The winners are announced on July 12, 2024, and the awards are distributed on July 31, 2024. Apply here .

14. Creativity Leads to Success Scholarship: $2,500

Deadline to apply:  June 15, 2024

Who’s eligible: Students who are 18 years or older and attending college or grad school by fall 2024

The Dixie Belle paint company awards $5,000 in scholarship money every year. The first-prize winner will receive $2,500, while two runners-up will receive $1,250 each.

To apply, fill out their online application and submit an essay of no more than 500 words that answers the question: “How has creativity helped you in problem solving?” If you’re a finalist, you will be notified on or about Aug. 15, 2024. Apply here .

15. Rover Scholarship: $2,500

Deadline to apply:  May 1, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors and college undergraduates

Rover.com is a pet-sitter marketplace that offers a $2,500 scholarship towards higher education. To apply, you must have a 3.0 GPA. Fill out their online form and submit an essay of 400-500 words on the following topic: “How did growing up with a pet in your life (could be a friend’s or family member’s) impact the person you are today?”

The winner will be notified by May 31, 2024. Apply here .

16. Goodwall #ScholarshipNow Challenge: $2,500

Who’s eligible: High school, college and graduate students and those planning to enroll within 12 months

This scholarship is funded by Goodwall, a skills-based social network that prepares young people for careers. To enter this scholarship contest, download the Goodwall app and create a profile. Submit a short video (between 30 seconds and three minutes long) in which you describe how this scholarship can help you reach your educational and professional goals. Make sure to add the hashtag #ScholarshipNow. Apply here .

17. RonranGlee Literary Scholarship: $2,000

Deadline to apply:  April 22, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors and college undergraduate students

If you have a knack for close reading, this is the scholarship for you. The people at the RonranGlee Literary Scholarship want to see how well you can interpret the underlying meaning in texts. To apply, choose a paragraph (preferably from an ancient literature or philosophy book) and write a short essay that is between 600 and 2,000 words, explaining what’s being conveyed between the lines.

Five winners will be announced on May 22, 2024. Apply here.

18. CollegeVine No Essay Contest: $2,000

Deadline to apply:  June 30, 2024

Who’s eligible: Current high school students and college applicants

CollegeVine is a website that provides college admissions guidance. To take part in this scholarship sweepstakes, you will need to sign up for a CollegeVine account and complete your profile. A random drawing determines the winner. If it’s you, you’ll be notified with an email. Apply here .

19. Sallie Mae Scholarship Sweepstakes: $2,000

Deadline to apply: The last day of every month (the current deadline is April 30)

Who’s eligible: High school juniors, seniors and college undergraduates (and parents can apply, too)

Sallie Mae has a search database with lots of scholarship options. But this particular sweepstakes is the easiest: Fill out a form to enter, and a winner is chosen at random every month. There’s no essay and no GPA requirement — just a form that takes less than two minutes to fill out! Apply here .

20. Ayn Rand Scholarship: ‘Anthem’ Essay Contest: $2,000

Who’s eligible:  8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students

To participate, you’ll submit an essay that’s between 600 and 1,200 words, double-spaced. For the topic, you can choose from among three prompt questions related to Ayn Rand’s novella “Anthem.”

This is significantly easier than the Ayn Rand Institute’s other two essay contests since this novella is only about 100 pages long. The top prize is $2,000, and other finalists will receive between $500 and $1,000.  Apply here .

21. Too Cool To Pay For School Sweepstakes: $1,000

Deadline to apply: Quarterly on the last day of March, June, September and December

Who’s eligible: High school juniors, seniors and college undergrads

This sweepstakes is run through Access Scholarships, an online scholarship search engine. Applying for this one couldn’t be simpler — all you need to do is fill out the online form.  Follow them on Instagram , and they’ll enter you twice. A random drawing determines the winner. You’ll get an email from them if you win. Apply here .

22. Gen & Kelly Tanabe Scholarship: $1,000

Deadline to apply:  July 31, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students

The scholarship is funded by Gen and Kelly Tanabe, the authors of “ The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2024: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes .” Entrants submit a 250-word personal statement about why you deserve to win this scholarship or about your academic or career goals. You can also write about any topic of your choice. Apply here .

23. ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship: $1,000

Deadline to apply: The last business day of each month (next deadline is April 29, 2024)

Who’s eligible: High school and college students who will be enrolled in school within three months of the award

ScholarshipOwl is an online scholarship matching service. Each month, they hold a random drawing for this $1,000 scholarship, and four students win every time. To participate, sign up for a free account and fill out their online application form, which doesn’t require an essay. The next draw date is May 11.  Apply here .

24. Blaze Your Own Trail Scholarship: $1,000

This scholarship contest is funded by Trail Heads, a company that makes headbands, gloves, hats and other accessories for outdoor sports. To enter, you’ll need to write a 600-800 word essay about a challenge you faced. Describe how you overcame this obstacle and how it affected you going forward. Also, you have to submit your latest transcript with your GPA.

The winner will be announced on the Trail Heads website on Aug. 6, 2024. Apply here .

25. American Heart Challenge Scholarship: $1,000

Who’s eligible: High school juniors or seniors

This scholarship is for juniors and seniors who have shown leadership skills at their school’s American Heart Challenge program, which aims to educate young people about healthy lifestyle habits while raising money to help end heart disease and stroke. To apply,  fill out a short online application and upload a letter of recommendation from a teacher. Apply here .

About the Author

Jennifer has written features and essays for over a dozen magazines, including American Baby, Cosmo, Cosmo Girl, Fit Pregnancy, Good Housekeeping, Health, Marie Claire, Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Self, Teen People, TV Guide, and YM. More.

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Higher education has never been more confusing or expensive. Our goal is to help you navigate the very big decisions related to higher ed with objective information and expert advice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. This ensures that all of our content is up-to-date, useful, accurate, and thorough.

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Top 379 Scholarships for Students with a Low GPA in April 2024

Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is a content editor and writer at Scholarships360. He has managed communications and written content for a diverse array of organizations, including a farmer’s market, a concert venue, a student farm, an environmental NGO, and a PR agency. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.

Learn about our editorial policies

Did you know there are many scholarships out there for students with a low GPA? Although it’s true that some scholarships do have high GPA requirements, many take a more holistic look at students and do not rely too heavily on GPA. Others consider financial need more than academic performance, and they understand high-need students often do not have the tools to achieve a high GPA in school.

The scholarships on this list have minimum GPAs ranging between 1.0 and 2.8. We’ve included low GPA scholarships for high school students, college students, and graduate students, and they are available for students of all academic interest. Scroll down to find low GPA scholarships that are a great fit for you!

Why choose Scholarships360

We helped over 4 million students find scholarships in 2023

We've spent over 4,000 hours reviewing 3,000 scholarship programs

13+ years of experience helping students make smart education decisions

The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:

• The scholarship requires a fee to apply
• The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
• The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
• Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
• The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
• The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
• The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
• There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
• The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
• There is no available contact information

If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!

* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system. ** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements. ***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.

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$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Scholarships360

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high… Show More

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high school student who hopes to go to college, a graduate student who’s in a master’s program, or an adult learner who wants to return to school, you are eligible for our no essay scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to students who get the most out of Scholarships360 scholarships and content. You will be a strong applicant if you apply to scholarships with the Scholarships360 platform. Finalists for this scholarship will be interviewed about their process for funding their education. Show Less

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for…

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers Scholarships

Offered by Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

Are you an incoming or current postsecondary student of Hispanic/Latino heritage who will be pursuing a STEM degree? If so, you may be eligible for… Show More

Are you an incoming or current postsecondary student of Hispanic/Latino heritage who will be pursuing a STEM degree? If so, you may be eligible for some of the many SHPE (Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers) Scholarships! There are a variety of scholarships available, offering between $1,000 and $25,000 to winning applicants. The scholarships are offered by the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, an organization with a mission to “empower the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support, and development.” To find out more about each scholarship’s specific requirements, we recommend checking out their individual descriptions on the SPHE website. If you do fit the criteria for any of the scholarships, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Niche $25,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Niche

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year!

The Pickard Scholarship Fund

Offered by The Dallas Foundation

The Pickard Scholarship Fund was established to assist college-bound, African-American male students graduating from high schools in Dallas County. Preference may be given to those… Show More

The Pickard Scholarship Fund was established to assist college-bound, African-American male students graduating from high schools in Dallas County. Preference may be given to those who can demonstrate financial need, however, it is not a requirement to apply. Personal interviews may be required for those who are chosen as finalists for the scholarship. If you're a college-bound, African-American high school senior in Dallas County, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Bold.org

Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.

Washington CPA Foundation Associate Accounting Scholarships This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Washington CPA Foundation

Introducing the Washington CPA Foundation Associate Accounting Scholarships – an incredible opportunity exclusively for Washington state students who will be entering their first or second… Show More

Introducing the Washington CPA Foundation Associate Accounting Scholarships – an incredible opportunity exclusively for Washington state students who will be entering their first or second year of college in the upcoming Fall. Applicants must also be planning to major in Accounting or be considering Accounting as a major. If you’re a current high school senior or in your first year of college and plan to enroll in a Washington state college/university in the upcoming Fall, we encourage you to apply. Don’t miss out on this chance to fuel your academic journey and pave the way for a successful future in accounting! Show Less

NDS / DMI Milk Marketing and Dairy Products Scholarship

Offered by National Dairy Shrine

Are you a college junior at a four-year university who is planning to pursue a career in the dairy industry? If so, the NDS /… Show More

Are you a college junior at a four-year university who is planning to pursue a career in the dairy industry? If so, the NDS / DMI Milk Marketing and Dairy Products Scholarship may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,500 and $1,000, respectively, to the first-place and runner-up applicants who are pursuing an Animal or Dairy Science-related major. Eligible areas of study include Dairy Science, Agricultural Economics or Accounting, Dairy Genetics, Dairy Equipment, Dairy Nutrition, Dairy Feed or Pharmaceutical sales, Dairy Consultancy, Dairy Extension, Dairy Research, or Dairy Education. This scholarship is named in honor of Merton Sowerby, a long-time Guernsey classifier, well-known herdsman, National Dairy Shrine Pioneer, and member of the National Dairy Hall of Fame. If you're a college junior pursuing an eligible Animal or Dairy Science-related field, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CollegeXpress

Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

Dairy Shrine Iager Scholarship for Two Year College Students

Are you a second-year student enrolled in a two-year agricultural college and majoring in Dairy or Animal Science? If so, the Dairy Shrine Iager Scholarship… Show More

Are you a second-year student enrolled in a two-year agricultural college and majoring in Dairy or Animal Science? If so, the Dairy Shrine Iager Scholarship for Two Year College Students may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarship awards up to two (2) $1,000 scholarships to second-year college students at two-year agricultural colleges who are majoring in Dairy or Animal Science. This scholarship is sponsored by a fund donated by Mr. and Mrs. Iager, well-known Maryland Holstein breeders. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Dairy Shrine Maurice E. Core Freshman Scholarships

Are you a first-year student enrolled in a four-year college or university and majoring in a dairy/animal industry-related field with an interest in working in… Show More

Are you a first-year student enrolled in a four-year college or university and majoring in a dairy/animal industry-related field with an interest in working in the dairy industry in the future? If so, the Dairy Shrine Maurice E. Core Freshman Scholarships may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 to at least one (1) college freshman (at a four-year university) who is working towards a career in the dairy industry. This scholarship is sponsored by the Maurice E. Core Scholarship Fund which was established thanks to donations from the Friends of Maurice E. Core, a longtime leader in the Jersey breed and Dairy Shrine. If you're a college freshman majoring in a dairy or animal industry-related field, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

$1,000 Appily Easy College Money Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Appily

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be… Show More

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be awarded each month. Show Less

Maria and Paolo Alessio Southern Italy Scholarship

Offered by UNICO Foundation Inc.

The Maria and Paolo Alessio Southern Italy Scholarship is open to United States citizens of Southern Italian descent, who have at least one parent originating… Show More

The Maria and Paolo Alessio Southern Italy Scholarship is open to United States citizens of Southern Italian descent, who have at least one parent originating from the regions of Abruzzo, Basilicata, Campania, Calabria, Latium, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia, or Sicily. Applicants must be currently enrolled full-time at an accredited campus-based college or university in the United States, and pursuing a degree. In the event two equally qualified applicants are selected, the award will be evenly divided. If you're a college student in the U.S. of Southern Italian descent, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Bank of the Sierra Scholarship Program

Offered by Asian Pacific Community Fund

Are you a California high school senior planning to attend university? If so, you may be eligible for the Bank of the Sierra Scholarship Program!… Show More

Are you a California high school senior planning to attend university? If so, you may be eligible for the Bank of the Sierra Scholarship Program! The scholarship is open to low-income high school seniors from select central California counties looking to obtain their undergraduate degrees. Eligible counties include Fresno, Kern, Kings, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Tulare.  The Bank of the Sierra Scholarship Program is meant to support low-income students residing in their areas of service in obtaining a postsecondary education. Every year, 14 students are selected to receive a $2,000 scholarship to help cover the cost of tuition. If you are a high school student in central California and are looking for help to pay off your undergrad degree, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Christian Connector

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian…

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian university or college.

AAA Northeast Scholarship

Offered by Rhode Island Foundation

Are you the child or legal dependent of an AAA Northeast Employee who will have been employed full-time for at least one year at the… Show More

Are you the child or legal dependent of an AAA Northeast Employee who will have been employed full-time for at least one year at the time the scholarship would be awarded? If so, the AAA Northeast Scholarship may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarship awards $2,500 to up to 12 (twelve) children and legal dependents of current employees of AAA Northeast who will be enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution in the academic term following the application. Applicants must also hold a minimum 2.5 GPA. Scholarships are renewable for up to four (4) years assuming all criteria are still met. If you're the child of an AAA Northeast Employee who will be enrolled in a post-secondary institution in the upcoming Fall, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Dairy Shrine McCullough Freshman Communications Scholarship

The Dairy Shrine McCullough Freshman Communications Scholarship is a great opportunity for freshmen at four-year colleges and universities who are majoring in Dairy/Animal Science with… Show More

The Dairy Shrine McCullough Freshman Communications Scholarship is a great opportunity for freshmen at four-year colleges and universities who are majoring in Dairy/Animal Science with a Communications emphasis or Agricultural Journalism with a Dairy/Animal Science emphasis. To be eligible, applicants must be planning on pursuing a future career in dairy journalism or communications. Winners will be selected based on their communication abilities, student activities, academic ability, and their future plans. If you're a first-year student at a four-year university with a passion for Dairy/Animal Science, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

$2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CollegeVine

Easy scholarship open to current high school students and college applicants. A free CollegeVine account with a completed chancing profile required to enter.

Idaho Opportunity Scholarship for Adult Learners

Offered by Idaho State Board of Education

Are you an Idaho resident who has graduated from an Idaho high school and is currently working towards their first undergraduate degree at an in-state… Show More

Are you an Idaho resident who has graduated from an Idaho high school and is currently working towards their first undergraduate degree at an in-state college or university? If so, you may be eligible for the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship for Adult Learners! Three times a year, the scholarship awards up to $3,500 to multiple eligible students attending Boise State University, Brigham Young University – Idaho, College of Idaho, Idaho State University, Lewis-Clark State College, Northwest Nazarene University, the University of Idaho, or Western Governors University. If you're an Idaho resident pursuing an undergraduate degree at one of these universities, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Judge Ralph Fisch Police Explorer Scholarship Program

Offered by Florida Police Chiefs Association

The Judge Ralph Fisch Police Explorer Scholarship Program is open to high school seniors and current college students who have been involved in a police… Show More

The Judge Ralph Fisch Police Explorer Scholarship Program is open to high school seniors and current college students who have been involved in a police explorer post from a Florida Municipal, College/University, School Board/District, Tribal or Airport, Railroad or Port Authority law enforcement agency and have been a member of the post for a minimum of one year prior to the application submission. To be eligible, applicants must be pursuing a field of study that is related to law enforcement. If you're a current or incoming college student who's been involved in a police explorer post in Florida, and are pursuing a field of study related to law enforcement, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

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Regions Riding Forward® Scholarship Contest

Their Story. Your Voice.

Your voice is your own. But it's also been impacted by others. Who, we wonder, has inspired you? Let us know by entering the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest. 

You could win an $8,000 college scholarship

For the opportunity to win an $8,000 scholarship, submit a video or written essay about an individual you know personally (who lives in your community) who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

The details

The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest consists of four (4) separate Quarterly Contests - one for each calendar quarter of 2024. Regions is awarding four $8,000 scholarships through each Quarterly Contest.

Each Quarterly Contest has its own separate entry period, as provided in the chart below.

The entry deadline for each Quarterly Contest is 11:59:59 PM Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date (set forth in the chart above).

No purchase or banking relationship required.

Regions believes in supporting the students whose passion and actions every day will continue to make stories worth sharing. That’s why we have awarded over $1 million in total scholarships to high school and college students.

How to enter, 1. complete an online quarterly contest application.

Enter the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest by completing a Quarterly Contest application.  The second Quarterly Contest runs from April 1, 2024 through June 30, 2024. Complete and save all requested information. 

2. Prepare your Written Essay or Video Essay

For each Quarterly Contest, the topic of your Written Essay or Video Essay (your “Essay Topic”) must be an individual you know personally, who lives in your community. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must address how the individual you have selected as your Essay Topic has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

Written Essay and Video Essay submissions must meet all of the requirements described in the contest Official Rules. Your Written Essay or Video Essay must be (i) in English, (ii) your own original work, created solely by you (and without the use of any means of artificial intelligence (“AI”)), and (iii) the exclusive property of you alone.

Written Essays must be 500 words or less. You can write your Written Essay directly in the application, or you can copy and paste it into the appropriate area in the application form.

Video Essay submissions must be directly uploaded to the contest application site. Video Essays must be no more than 3 minutes in length and no larger than 1 GB. Only the following file formats are accepted: MP4, MPG, MOV, AVI, and WMV. Video Essays must not contain music of any kind nor display any illegal, explicit, or inappropriate material, and Video Essays must not be password protected or require a log-in/sign-in to view. You must upload your Video Essay to the application, and you may not submit your Video Essay in DVD or other physical form. (Video Essays submitted via mail will not be reviewed or returned.)

Tips to Record Quality Videos on a Smartphone:

• Don’t shoot vertical video. Computer monitors have landscape-oriented displays, so shoot your video horizontally.
• Use a tripod. Even small movements can make a big difference when editing.
• Don’t use zoom. If you need to get a close shot of the subject, move closer as zooming can cause pixilation.
• Use natural lighting. Smartphone lighting can wash out your video.

3. Review and submit your Quarterly Contest application

Review your information on your Quarterly Application (and check the spelling of a Written Essay) and submit your entry by 11:59:59 p.m. Central Time on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date. The second Quarterly Contest period end date is June 30, 2024.

4. Await notification

Winning entries are selected by an independent panel of judges who are not affiliated with Regions. If your entry is selected as a Quarterly Contest winner, you will need to respond to ISTS with the required information.

Eligibility

For purposes of this contest:

• The “Eligible States” are defined as the following states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.
• An “accredited college” is defined as a nonprofit, two- or four-year college or university located within one of the fifty (50) United States or the District of Columbia.

To be eligible to enter this contest and to win an award in a Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must:

• Be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States.
• Be age 16 or older.
• Have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation.
• If you are not yet in college, begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year.
• As of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no GPA is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school).

View Official Rules

NO PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP REQUIRED. PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. The 2024 Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest (the “Contest”) consists of four (4) separate quarterly contests (each a “Quarterly Contest”): (1) the “Q-1 Contest;” (2) the “Q-2 Contest;” (3) the “Q-3 Contest;” and (4) the “Q-4 Contest.” The Q-1 Contest begins on 02/01/24 and ends on 03/31/24; the Q-2 Contest begins on 04/01/24 and ends on 06/30/24; the Q-3 Contest begins on 07/01/24 and ends on 09/30/24; and the Q-4 Contest begins on 10/01/24 and ends on 12/31/24. (For each Quarterly Contest, entries must be submitted and received by 11:59:59 PM CT on the applicable Quarterly Contest period end date.) To enter and participate in a particular Quarterly Contest, at the time of entry, you must: (a) be a legal U.S. resident of one of the Eligible States; (b) be 16 years of age or older; (c) have at least one (1) year (or at least 18 semester hours) remaining before college graduation; (d) (if you are not yet in college) begin your freshman year of college no later than the start of the 2025 – 2026 college academic school year; and (e) as of your most recent school enrollment period, have a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 in school (and if no grade point average is provided at school, be in “good standing” or the equivalent thereof in school). (For purposes of Contest, the “Eligible States” are defined as the states of AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, SC, TN and TX.) Visit regions.com/ridingforward for complete Contest details, including eligibility and Written Essay and Video Essay requirements and Official Rules. (Limit one (1) entry per person, per Quarterly Contest.) For each Quarterly Contest, eligible entries will be grouped according to form of entry (Written Essay or Video Essay) and judged by a panel of independent, qualified judges. A total of four (4) Quarterly Contest Prizes will be awarded in each Quarterly Contest, consisting of two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Written Essay Entry Group and two (2) Quarterly Contest Prizes for the Video Essay Entry Group. Each Quarterly Contest Prize consists of a check in the amount of $8,000 made out to winner’s designated accredited college. (Limit one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize per person; a contestant is permitted to win only one (1) Quarterly Contest Prize through the Contest.) Sponsor: Regions Bank, 1900 Fifth Ave. N., Birmingham, AL 35203.

© 2024 Regions Bank. All rights reserved. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender. Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

2023 Winners

High school:.

• Amyrrean Acoff
• Leon Aldridge
• Kharis Andrews
• Colton Collier
• Indya Griffin
• Christopher Hak
• Aquil Hayes
• Jayden Haynes
• McKenna Jodoin
• Paris Kelly
• Liza Latimer
• Dylan Lodle
• Anna Mammarelli
• Karrington Manley
• Marcellus Odum
• Gautami Palthepu
• Melody Small
• Lauryn Tanner
• Joshua Wilson
• Mohamed Ali
• Kayla Bellamy
• Lauren Boxx
• Alexandria Brown
• Samuel Brown
• Thurston Brown
• Conner Daehler
• Tsehai de Souza
• Anjel Echols
• Samarion Flowers
• Trinity Griffin
• Kristina Hilton
• Ryan Jensen
• Miracle Jones
• Shaniece McGhee
• Chelby Melvin
• Lamiya Ousley
• Kiera Phillips
• Gabrielle Pippins
• Ethan Snead
• Sydney Springs
• Kirsten Tilford
• Tamira Weeks
• Justin Williams

2022 Winners

• Paul Aucremann
• William Booker
• Robyn Cunningham
• Kani'ya Davis
• Oluwatomi Dugbo
• Lillian Goins
• Parker Hall
• Collin Hatfield
• Gabrielle Izu
• Kylie Lauderdale
• Jacob Milan
• Jackson Mitchell
• Carmen Moore
• Madison Morgan
• Kaden Oquelí-White
• Kaylin Parks
• Brian Perryman
• De'Marco Riggins
• Brianna Roundtree
• Sydney Russell
• Carlie Spore
• Morgan Standifer
• Ionia Thomas
• Ramaya Thomas
• Jaylen Toran
• Amani Veals
• Taylor Williams
• Alana Wilson
• Taryn Wilson
• Aryaunna Armstrong
• Hannah Blackwell
• T'Aneka Bowers
• Naomi Bradley
• Arianna Cannon
• Taylor Cline
• Catherine Cummings
• Margaret Fitzgerald
• Chloe Franklin
• Camryn Gaines
• Thomas Greer
• Kayla Helleson
• Veronica Holmes
• Logan Kurtz
• Samuel Lambert
• Jaylon Muchison
• Teresa Odom
• Andrew Payne
• Carey Price
• Emily SantiAnna
• Curtis Smith
• Jered Smith
• Mariah Standifer
• Maura Taylor
• Anna Wilkes