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Top 126 Scholarships for High School Sophomores in June 2023
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 the class of 2025 to apply for!
Jump ahead to:
- Top scholarships for high school sophomores
- How to win scholarships as a high school sophomore
- Tips for high school sophomores
- Frequently asked questions
- Additional scholarship lists
125 Scholarships for High School Sophomores in June 2023
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.
$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
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…
Show More$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Easy scholarship from Nitro College open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
$40,000 BigFuture Scholarships
Open to US-Based high school students in the classes of 2024 and 2025 — no essay, minimum GPA, test score, or citizenship requirements.
Niche $15,000 No Essay Scholarship
Open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest
Are you a high school student with a love for innovative fashion design? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest! Each…
Show MoreOcean Awareness Art Contest
Are you an 11 - 18 year old who has a passion for saving the environment and/or the ocean? Additionally, would you like to make a statement about the impact…
Show MoreBreakthrough Junior Challenge
Are you a middle or high school student with a passion for STEM? If so, consider applying for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge! Each year, the challenge awards $250,000 to a…
Show MoreMinecraft Scholarship
Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Minecraft Scholarship! Each year, the…
Show MoreCollege JumpStart Scholarship
Are you a high-achieving student academically? You might consider applying for the College JumpStart Scholarship! The College JumpStart Scholarship is open to students in grades 10 to 12, as well…
Show MoreZombie Apocalypse Scholarship
Are you a big fan of The Walking Dead, or maybe Z Nation? Ever thought about what you would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? If so, we…
Show MoreHoratio Alger Targeted Scholarships
Are you a high school senior with critical financial need and perseverance in overcoming adversity? Further, will you be enrolled in a U.S. college or university the fall after graduation?…
Show MoreYoung American Creative Patriotic Art Contest
Are you a high school student interested in making art? If so, consider applying for the Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest! The contest is open to students grades 9-12…
Show MoreGloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
Are you an 8 - 18 year-old who is currently leading or working on an inspiring service project? Alternatively, have you worked on one sometime in the past 12 months?…
Show MorePhi Beta Sigma Fraternity Scholarships
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity's Education program emphasizes academic achievement as a key ingredient for success. It offers services like scholarships, mentoring, and tutoring to alumni and collegiate members of the…
Show MoreYoung Filmmakers Contest
Whether you're in third grade or are a post-graduate, if you love filmmaking, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Young Filmmakers Contest! Each year, the contest awards…
Show MoreDelete Cyberbullying Scholarship
Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student who’s passionate about stopping cyberbullying? Consider applying for the Delete Cyberbullying scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 to multiple students…
Show MoreEarnest More Than a Scholarship
Looking for a scholarship that's more than just a financial boost? Look no further than the Earnest "More Than a Scholarship"! This award gives $5,000 to 10 deserving students who…
Show MoreNiche $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.
$1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship
This easy scholarship from Cappex is open to high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are U.S. residents. One scholarship will be awarded each month.
Douglass M. Hamilton Memorial Scholarship
The Douglass M. Hamilton Memorial Scholarship is a beacon of hope for low-income students in Oregon. Pursuing higher education can be a daunting task, especially for those who face financial…
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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!
Tips for high school sophomores
Stay on top of your academics
As a high school sophomore, your #1 priority should be maintaining a high GPA. Getting good grades and succeeding in your classes will be the best thing you can do to help your admissions chances down the line.
Make sure to stay up-to-date with your classes all school year, and if you find yourself slipping behind, ask your teacher, a tutor, or other students for extra help. Remember – you shouldn’t be embarrassed if you are having trouble in school. It’s natural to do better in some subjects than in others. The best thing you can do is be proactive and find a way to catch up with the course material.
Get involved in extracurriculars
Colleges are looking more and more at students as a well-rounded picture, rather than a set of grades and test scores. It’s important, for your admissions process, and your own personal development, to get involved in extracurriculars. You can try out some sports, clubs, volunteer work and community service, leadership organizations, or anything that interests you.
Talk to your parents about your financial situation
It’s never too early to sit down with your parents and get an idea of what your finances will be when it comes time to apply to college. Try filling out the FAFSA to get an idea of what type of need-based financial aid you’ll qualify for. This will give you your EFC, which is an indicator of your financial need and one of the ways that colleges will calculate how much aid to give you.
Find out if your parents have been saving for your education, and how much. If the money is not already in a 529 plan, consider putting it in one to get tax advantages on your savings.
Start thinking about standardized tests
It’s never too early to start studying for your SAT and/or ACT. While you don’t need to throw yourself entirely into the process yet, it’s a good idea to take a practice test or two in order to start getting used to the rhythm of these tests and find out what material you’ll need to brush up on the most. If you know upperclassmen who are already studying for it, try asking if they have a tutor they like, so you know who to turn to when you enter your junior and senior years.
Frequently asked questions
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
