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Top 69 Scholarships for High School Sophomores in September 2022
Sophomore year of high school is very much a transition year for students. You are probably feeling more comfortable in school, but you are still a year away from having to worry about testing and the college admissions process. With this said, it is not too early to begin to think about paying for your college education. Luckily, there are some great scholarships for high school sophomores to apply for!
Jump ahead to:
- How to win scholarships as a high school sophomore
- Frequently asked questions
- Additional scholarship lists
70 Scholarships for High School Sophomores in September 2022
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.
Scholarships360 $1,000 No-Essay Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Easy scholarship open to any student who creates a Scholarships360 account.
Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to any student who has lost a loved one and submits an essay on how that loss influences what you want to "fight" to achieve in life.
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship
Offered by Digital Responsibility
Open to students who write a 140-character blurb about the dangers of texting while driving.
The Daniel Murphy Scholarship
Offered by Daniel Murphy Scholarship Fund
Open to exceptional high school students in Chicago from low-income households who wish to attend a college preparatory high school.
College JumpStart Scholarship
Offered by College JumpStart
Open to college students who can effectively communicate their goals for getting higher education.
Voice of Democracy Audio-Essay Contest
Offered by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Open to high schoolers who are passionate about democracy and submit a patriotic-themed recorded essay.
Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
Offered by Unigo
Open to U.S. students aged 14 or older who detail what course of action they would take in the case of a zombie apocalypse.
“Making Waves” Scholarship for Women
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Women currently attending high school, college, technical/vocational, or graduate school are eligible to apply.
Niche $50,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
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How to win scholarships for high school sophomores
After you decide which scholarships from our list are a good fit, it’s time to start working on your applications. Applying to scholarships as a high school senior can be a bit different than applying later in your academic career. This is because you will have less experience under your belt than some of your competition.
As a result, it’s important to focus on how you frame your experience through your essays. Luckily, we can help. Check out our articles on how to start a scholarship essay, and how to write about yourself. You can also try out our “Show, Don’t Tell” essay primer to learn to write compellingly.
Finally, remember to build a solid foundation you can use to win scholarships in the future. Keep on top of your schoolwork, enroll in extracurriculars, and look for jobs, internships, summer programs, and volunteer opportunities to build a wide variety of experience. This will help you in future applications to scholarships, jobs, college, and more!
Frequently asked questions
Is sophomore year of high school too young to apply for scholarships?
It’s never too early to begin applying for scholarships! There are even scholarships out there for students in middle school. The earlier you get started, the more experience you’ll gain in finding scholarships and applying for them.
How can I stand out as a sophomore applying for scholarships?
As a sophomore applying for scholarships, you’ll most likely be competing with students who have more experience than you. As a result, it’s important to highlight your ambitions for the future. Talk about what you’ve done so far in life and how it informs the things you want to do in the future.
One accomplishment you can get under your belt is membership in the National Merit Scholarship program. The National Merit Scholarship Program is a scholarship that is open for high school juniors and is based on your PSAT score. Take your PSAT as a sophomore to prepare and put yourself in the best position for the National Merit Scholarship Program.
It’s also a good idea to prioritize extracurriculars early on so that you have something compelling to write your essays about. Find something you’re passionate about and make steady progress on it while maintaining your schoolwork in order to maximize your chances!
Explore these other scholarship categories:
- Top scholarships for women
- Top scholarships for high school juniors
- No essay scholarships
- Top easy scholarships to apply for
- Top scholarships for Black students
