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How to win summer scholarships
If you’re applying to scholarships during the summer (or any time of the year, for that matter), there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself writing an essay. Essays are the perfect opportunity to demonstrate who you are, what you’re passionate about, and what your goals are for the future. If written effectively, essays can greatly boost your chances of winning scholarships!
Fortunately, we have plenty of resources aimed at helping you write a top-notch essay. Check out the following guides to get started:
- How to start a scholarship essay (with examples)
- How to end a scholarship essay
- How to write a 250 word essay
- How to write a 500 word essay
- How to write an essay about yourself
- Overview of common scholarship essay prompts
- How to write a winning scholarship essay
Tips for applying to summer scholarships
Summer is a great time to search and apply for scholarships. Without the distraction of schoolwork, you can make a serious dent in those scholarship applications! We suggest that you not only apply to scholarships during the summer, but look ahead and see which scholarships open their application periods during the fall and winter months.
Fall is typically when you’ll see most scholarships accepting applications, so it doesn’t hurt to get ahead. Even if you can’t apply right now, you can create a list of future scholarships and save them for later. You’ll thank yourself for planning ahead when fall rolls around and you’re busy with schoolwork and college applications. Take a look at our list of the top fall scholarships to get started!
Scholarships for Summer Study Abroad Programs
CEA Study Abroad Scholarship
Multiple scholarships are available for students wanting to fund their study abroad programs. Up to $1,000 scholarships are awarded for multiple recipients. Deadline for late summer programs is typically late April.
AIFS Overseas Ambassador Scholarship
Open to students from underrepresented backgrounds willing to share their experiences abroad via blogs, pictures, and video (at least once a week) on social media. Two recipients are chosen to earn an award of $500. The summer program due date is in early March.
Eastern European Study Abroad (EESA) Scholarships
Open to students who have applied to study abroad with EESA and are currently enrolled in a college or university. Applications are due in early April.
Freeman Awards for Study in Asia
Open to U.S. undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need who want to study abroad in East or Southeast Asia. Recipients earn up to $3,000. Applications are due in March.
CIEE GAIN Travel Grant
Open to high need students who apply to CIEE programs. Up to $500 are awarded to help pay for flights to and from CIEE programs. Apply by April 1 for the summer programs.
SIT Study Abroad
Multiple scholarships are open to students applying for a SIT study abroad program. Recipients earn up to $3,000. Apply before April 1 for summer programs.
John Cabot University Study Abroad Scholarship
Open to gap year and independent study abroad students, as well as students studying at JCU through Tulane Spring Scholars and USC Freshman Program. Recipients earn up to $1,500. Deadlines to apply are April 15th for the Summer I session and May 15th for the Summer II session.
Related: Does financial aid cover summer classes?
Scholarships for high school summer programs
Canada/USA Mathcamp
Mathcamp is an intensive 5-week-long summer program for mathematically talented high school students. The program is free for all US and Canadian families with household income under $75,000. Mathcamp takes place at Champlain College at Burlington, VT between July and August annually.
Foundation for Teaching Economics Economics for Leaders
EFL is a selective summer program that teaches student leaders how to integrate economics into the process of decision-making in an interactive learning environment. The program is open to students who are currently sophomores and juniors in high school. Scholarships of $100 to $1500 are available for students with financial need. Applications are due in April every year.
Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (PROMYS)
The program is a six-week summer program in mathematics for strongly motivated high school students held in Boston University from July to August. The program is open to students who have completed 9th grade (or its equivalent), are at least 14 years old, and are not yet enrolled as a full-time college or university. The program is free (including tuition, room and board) for domestic students whose families make under $80,000 adjusted gross income per year. Applications are due in late March.
AAJA JCamp
JCamp is a six-day training camp that brings together culturally diverse students from across the nation to learn from veteran journalists and leading media executives held at American University in Washington D.C. The program is open to high school freshmen, sophomores and juniors. All costs to attend this program, including airfare, campus housing and meals, are covered by AAJA. Applications are due in March every year.
The Ross Mathematics Program
The program is an in-person, six-week intensive summer experience designed to encourage motivated pre-college students to explore mathematics. Held in two locations: Otterbein University in Columbus, Ohio and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana from June through July. It’s open to high school students ages 15 to 18 and interested in mathematics and science. Financial aid is available for students. Applications are due at the end of March.
The Carleton Liberal Arts Experience (CLAE)
CLAE is a free, week-long summer academic liberal arts program. It’s open to college-bound high school students who are current sophomores and who identify as Black or African American, or who have an interest in African American culture. The program typically runs in late July and is held at Carleton College in Northfield, MN. Applications are due in April every year.
Frequently asked questions about summer scholarships
Can I get scholarships for summer programs?
Can I apply for scholarships during the summer?
Our list of summer scholarships is a great place to start when searching for scholarships due over the summer. You can also try out our free scholarship search tool – this is a one-stop shop to custom-match you with vetted scholarships, all year round. We’ll take into account your interests, demographics, and more, and automatically update it with opportunities just for you.
Is the summer before college too late to apply for scholarships?
As you enter college, the scholarships available to you change. You’ll find new opportunities that tend to be focused on your field of interest or major. But rest assured that no matter your age, year, major, or the time of year, there are scholarships out there waiting for your application.
Related: 8 ways to rock the summer before your senior year of high school
Explore these other scholarship categories:
- Scholarships for high school seniors
- Top summer school scholarships
- Top easy scholarships
- Top no essay scholarships
- Scholarships for women
- Top scholarships for high school juniors
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