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Top high school senior scholarships for you
Find scholarships for high school seniors that can help you pay for college.
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
What are high school senior scholarships?
High school senior scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for High School Senior students. High school senior scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for high school senior scholarships
Before you apply for high school senior scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. Some common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are high school senior scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over scholarships for high school seniors with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find high school senior scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find scholarships for high school seniors.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search engine tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”

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Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
High school senior scholarships
Vanier Family Business Administration Best of Kansas Scholarship
Due: 12/15/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$80,000
The Vanier family recognizes students with this scholarship who have been truly outstanding, both academically and as student leaders, during their high school careers. This award seeks to attract top students who demonstrate the potential to make exceptionally strong contributions to the College of Business Administration, both in the classroom and in the extracurricular life of the campus. Finalists will be selected by a committee of College of Business faculty and staff and are required to participate in an on-campus interview. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Edmund F. Maxwell Foundation Scholarship
Due: 5/9/25
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$5,000
The Edmund F. Maxwell Foundation Scholarship was established to assist high school seniors from Western Washington in obtaining a higher education. Applicants must have attended the last two years of high school (or homeschool) and lived in a location west of the Cascade Mountains. This award has the potential to be renewed for up to an additional three years of undergraduate education based on reasonable progress toward graduation. A simple renewal application is required each year. Applicants must be pursuing post-secondary education at a private college or university. Applicants must submit their transcript on May 23, 2025. It is optional for 2025 but highly recommended for students to also provide their Standardized Test Scores with their transcript. Scholarships will generally be limited to entering freshmen, with combined math and reading or writing SAT scores of 1200 or higher (or ACT composite scores of over 26). The Trustees of the Foundation, at their discretion, may consider students with lower scores. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
United States Senate Youth Program
Due: May 31, 2025
No essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$10,000
Qualified high school juniors or seniors must show demonstrated leadership by serving in elected or appointed positions in which they are actively representing a constituency in organizations related to student government, education, public affairs and community service. They must be actively serving in qualified leadership positions, enrolled in high school and living in the state (and for these purposes, the District of Columbia) that they will represent for the entire academic year. The college scholarship and attendance at the Washington Week program are one inseparable award. Delegates must participate in the Washington Week program in accordance with all program rules and policies in order to receive the financial scholarship. The USSYP scholarship is designated for undergraduate college study only at an accredited United States college or university. All students are encouraged to include history, political science or related subjects in their undergraduate program. The scholarship is designated for the specified student's education expense and must be used within four years after enrollment. Students may obtain a USSYP application through their high school principals, school counselors and social studies Teaching; or they may inquire directly to their state selection contacts online. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Maguire Foundation Endowed Scholarships
Due: May 31, 2025
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$5,000
The Maguire Foundation Endowed Scholarships are open to incoming first-year students who are graduating from a Maguire Foundation partner high school. Applicants must actively participate in school, community, volunteer, or extracurricular activities and demonstrate financial need on their FAFSA. This scholarship awards to up to three incoming Widener first-year students. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs Scholarship
Due: 2/1/26
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$3,000
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs Scholarship is open to high school seniors entering UTC in the fall semester. The students must apply for admission to be considered. UTC can only generate a Super Score for scores reported to UTC Admissions. This scholarship cannot be stacked with other renewable scholarships or endowed scholarships offered through the UTC Financial Aid and Scholarships or Admissions offices. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Roberto Reyes Memorial Scholarship
Due: 6/15/25
No essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$2,000
The Roberto Reyes Memorial Scholarship was established to honor Roberto Reyes, a former student of Piner High School. Applicants must be graduating seniors of Piner High School in Sonoma County, California. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation for more information.
Arthur L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship
Due: 6/30/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$1,500
The Arthur L. Walker, Jr. Scholarship is open to incoming freshmen intending to graduate from Motlow with a University Parallel/TTP major and go on to pursue a baccalaureate degree. Awardee must reside in the immediate Motlow State 11-county service area and have leadership activities in high school. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Delaware State University Presidential Scholarship
Due: 2/1/26
No essay
No Recommendations Required
Delaware State University Presidential Scholarship is awarded by the Office of Admissions to entering full-time, first-year freshmen who are United States citizens. It is open to both in-state and out-of-state students. The scholarship covers the gap between the entire cost of college minus any Federal Title IV and/or state grant funding. Students must be regularly admitted and enrolled in the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.
William Paterson University Music and Art Talent Trustee Scholarships
Due: 12/1/25
No essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
All high school seniors admitted to degree programs in Music and BFA Art are considered for a limited number of Trustee Talent Scholarships. Students who demonstrate an exceptional level of potential creative talent in their music audition or portfolio review are automatically considered for this scholarship. Scholarship recipients are selected by the faculty in the Music and Art departments. No special application is required. The priority application deadline for this scholarship is February 1 for the Fall Semester and November 1 for the Spring Semester. Trustee Talent Scholarships for freshman students are renewable for up to four years (eight consecutive semesters of full-time study during the fall and spring semesters). This scholarship does not apply to Winter Session or Summer Session courses. Academic performance is reviewed at the conclusion of each semester. Students who do not satisfy the criteria for the renewal of their scholarship award are notified in writing. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Graylyn Scholarship
Due: 11/15/25
No essay
No min. GPA Required
$3,400
The Graylyn Scholarship recognizes leadership and academic excellence, with funding provided by and in recognition of the Graylyn International Conference Center of Wake Forest University. Successful applicants have pursued the most challenging curriculum available to them and have achieved grade point averages and standardized test scores (if submitted) that place them in the top percentage in comparison to their peers. Graylyn Scholars are encouraged to apply for up to $5,000 for a research, study, or travel project during each of the three summers between the first and senior years. Finalists are invited to campus for interviews and are notified by the end of March. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for high school senior scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
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Tips for writing scholarship essays
Get tips for writing scholarship essays. Learn what makes a good scholarship essay.

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