Top 10 scholarships for high school seniors overall
Our editors hand-picked these 10 scholarships by looking for prestigious organizations, large awards, and a variety of eligibility criteria, to ensure there is something for everyone. Apply with confidence to these top 10 scholarships for high school seniors:
- Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship – For high school seniors with high financial need who plan to study computer science in college. Worth $10,000 per year
- Ron Brown Scholarship – For Black high school seniors who plan to study global entrepreneurship and/or community engagement. Worth $10,000 per year
- Taco Bell Live Mas Scholarship – Video scholarship for students between 16 and 26 with a passion for the field they are pursuing. Worth up to $25,000
- Dream.US Opportunity Scholarship – For undocumented high school seniors and college freshmen with high financial need living in a state where public colleges do not offer in-state tuition to undocumented students. Worth $20,000 per year
- Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship – For high school seniors with financial need, worth up to $55,000 per year
- Questbridge College Match – For high school seniors with financial need, offers a full ride to college
- The Gates Scholarship – For low-income minority high school seniors, offers a full ride to college
- Dell Scholars Program – For Pell Grant-eligible high school seniors who participated in a college readiness program. Worth $20,000 with 500 scholarships awarded every year. Recipients also receive a free laptop, textbooks, and more
- Regeneron Science Talent Search – For high school seniors interested in pursuing an individual STEM research project. Worth anywhere between $2,000 and $250,000
- Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship – For Black high school seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a business field. Worth up to $20,000
Top easy scholarships for high school seniors
These scholarships are easy to apply for, and all come from reputable organizations:
- $10,000 No Essay Scholarship – With a high award and simple sign-up process that matches you with vetted scholarships, our 10k no essay scholarship is our #1 choice for easy scholarships! Open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students
- $2k Sallie Mae Easy Scholarship – Easy scholarship open to high school upperclassmen, college students, and grad students
- $40,000 Big Future Scholarship – Easy scholarship open to high school sophomores and juniors
- Niche $25k No Essay – Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students
- $25k “Be Bold” Scholarship – Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students
Top 5 scholarships for Black high school seniors
- Ron Brown Scholarship – For Black high school seniors who plan to study global entrepreneurship and/or community engagement. Worth $10,000 per year
- Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship – For Black high school seniors pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a business field. Worth up to $20,000
- The Gates Scholarship – For low-income minority high school seniors, offers a full ride to college
- Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest – For Black high school seniors or college students, worth $8,000
- Scholar Dollars Essay Scholarship for Black Students – For Black high school upperclassmen, college students, and graduate students. Worth $500
How to win scholarships for high school seniors
Most scholarships receive a large amount of applications, so it’s important that your applications stand out! One of the most important parts of the scholarship application process is the essay, which allows the scholarship committee to learn more about you as a person.
To get started, you can check out guide on how to start a scholarship essay, as well as our guide on how to write an essay about yourself. Many essays will also have a word count limit, so you can also check out our articles on how to write a 250 word essay and how to write a 500 word essay. As a final step in the essay writing process, students should be sure to have someone proofread their scholarship essay!
Some competitive scholarships might also require students to do an interview with the scholarship committee. This offers applicants another opportunity to stand out and share more about their goals, experiences, and interests. If you are prepping for a scholarship interview, you should spend some time reflecting on common scholarship interview questions so you can go into the interview well-prepared.
Also see: The ultimate guide to finding and winning scholarships
College merit scholarships for high school seniors
While outside scholarships are offered by private companies, non-profits, and foundations, college merit scholarships are offered by individual colleges. Merit scholarships are awarded to students with demonstrated achievement in academics, extracurriculars, and leadership, but the primary factors are grades and tests scores. Merit scholarships are strong sources of financial aid because they generally are renewable for four years of college.
To apply for merit scholarships, students will need to follow each college’s specific scholarship application process. At some colleges, there will be a separate merit scholarship application and deadline, while at other colleges, all students will be considered for merit scholarships. To get started on your merit scholarship search, you can check out our top merit scholarships guide.
Scholarship spotlight for high school seniors
We’ve given you a rundown above, but here is a more in-depth guide to our 3 top scholarships for HS seniors:
Gates Scholarship
This full-ride scholarship is open to high school seniors who are low-income, part of a minority group, and demonstrate academic and extracurricular excellence. It’s been running since 2017, and remains one of the best scholarships a student can obtain.
Coca Cola Scholars
One great thing about this $20,000 scholarship is the number of awards; 150 students receive the Coca Cola Scholars Program Scholarship every year. Even though they receive many applications, the number of awards gives each student a much higher chance of winning. They have programs for students pursuing a 4-year degree, as well as 2-year degrees at community colleges.
Cameron Impact Scholarship
This four-year, full-ride scholarship is open to all high school seniors who meet GPA and citizenship requirements. Unlike most full-ride scholarships, this one does not take into account a student’s cultural background or their socioeconomic status. So, if you have found yourself limited in your scholarship applications, make sure to give Cameron Impact a shot.
Tips for high school seniors applying for scholarships
- Ask for your letters of recommendation early. The last thing you want to do is rush your teachers when they are helping you out by writing you a letter. The earlier you ask, the more time they’ll have and the better they’ll make their letters.
- Apply for local scholarships. These scholarship programs typically have a lower award amount but they have far fewer applicants, so you have a much better chance of winning than national scholarships. A great place to start looking for local scholarships is your high school guidance counselor. Many local organizations like Elks Club and church communities offer scholarships to students in the area.
- Apply to a wide range of safety schools. These safety schools will have a better chance of awarding you merit scholarships that could cover a substantial part of your tuition.
- Before you start your applications, do some informal reflection. Talk to family members, friends, and trusted adults about your goals for the future and your strengths and weaknesses. Think about where you want to be in 10 years and write down the results of your brainstorming on a piece of paper. You can use bullet points or any type of notation that is easy for you. Then come back to this paper as you fill out your applications. It should give you good material to base your essays on and make the whole process much easier.
- Apply to at least one in-state public school. With in-state tuition rates, these typically end up being substantially cheaper than other options.
Frequently asked questions
Is it too late to apply for scholarships as a high school senior?
Should high school seniors fill out the FAFSA?
Are student athletes eligible for scholarships?
Does financial need affect scholarships for graduating high school seniors?
Are there scholarships for African-American seniors in high school?
Explore these other scholarship categories
- Top full ride scholarships for high school students
- Top scholarships for women
- Easy scholarships to apply for
- Top scholarships for Black students
- Top scholarships for nurses
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