By Will Geiger

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

Updated: October 19th, 2021

One of the biggest misconceptions about scholarships is that they are only for high school students. In fact, there are numerous lucrative scholarship opportunities that current college students can apply for. These scholarships for college students can help you pay for tuition, room, board, fees, and other expenses like books and laptops.

If you are able to win scholarships as a college student you can lessen the amount of student loans that you need to take out. This can literally pay off after you graduate as you will have a lower student loan burden.

In this guide we will be covering:

• Top scholarships for college students in 2021
• College scholarships by grade-level
• How to win scholarships as a college student
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Summary of Scholarships
• Upcoming Scholarships

Whether you are a college freshman interested in chemistry or a student interested in criminal justice, there is a scholarship for you! Keep on reading to learn more!

Top scholarships for college students in 2021:

Scholarships360 $1,000 No-Essay Scholarship

• Eligibility: Easy scholarship open to any student who creates a Scholarships360 account!
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: September 30, 2022

$2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship

• Eligibility:  Open to all high school and college students
• Amount: $2,000
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school, college, community and graduate students
• Amount: $2,000
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

Student Loan Hero Smart Money Giveway

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

Tallo’s $1,000 “Scare Your Thoughts” Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school and college students
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

$10,000 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Program

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students
• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

#WeBelongInCollege Scholarship

• Eligibility: Participation is limited to residents of the 50 United States and District of Columbia who are currently attending an accredited postsecondary institution in the United States or plan on attending prior to December 31, 2022. 
• Amount: Up to $2,500
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

HireAHelper Skilled Trade & Technology Scholarships

• Eligibility: Currently enrolled (or planning to) as a high school senior, or in a community college, undergraduate, graduate, technical college, or vocational program
• Amount: $2,000
• Deadline: Deadlines are as follows: Winter: April 16, Spring: July 17, Summer: October 14, and Fall: January 15 at 11:59 p.m. PST of each year

WayUp Dream Job No-Essay Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all undergraduate and graduate students who create amazing job candidate profiles on the WayUp platform 
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school seniors and college students with an interest in Web Design 
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: October 4 and February 20

Future Designer Scholarship

• Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be an incoming  (graduating high school senior) or college student who designs a holiday greeting card
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: November 1, 2021

Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship

• Eligibility: College students
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: April 15 and November 15 each year

Markforged Distinguished Women Engineers Grant

• Eligibility: Open to all college and graduate students who share a project they are/have worked on that demonstrates their ability as an engineer
• Amount: $5,000
• Deadline: November 19, 2021

Better Food, Better World Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students at every level of education who share their passion for natural foods & the environment
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: November 30, 2021

Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all students at every level of education who write a short essay about mental health
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: December 1, 2021

Ted Rollins Eco Scholarship 

• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate students and high school seniors planning on earning a business or sustainability degree
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 1, 2021

Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school seniors, college students, community college students, or graduate students who write an essay about cyberbullying
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 31, 2021

Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship

• Eligibility: 9th-12th grade high school, college, or graduate students, including adult students
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 31, 2021

Zippia’s Teacher Dream Job Scholarship

• Eligibility: This scholarship is open to any college, university, associates program, junior college, vocational school, or high school students living in the United States who is planning on a teaching career 
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 31, 2021

Rover Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school seniors and college students who write an essay about the impact of technology on their lives 
• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: May 1, 2022

Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students at every level of education who write a short essay about mental health
• Amount: $850 (goes up as donors contribute!)
• Deadline: June 14, 2022

Probo Medical Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school, college, and graduate students with a 3.0 or above GPA who submit an essay about medical technology and the future
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: January 15 and June 15 of each year

Big Sun Scholarship

• Eligibility: Student athletes who are high school seniors or in college
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: June 19, 2022

Solar Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school seniors, college and graduate students with an interest in solar energy 
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: July 1, 2022

Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarships

• Eligibility: All high school and college students with at least a 2.5 GPA who share their ideas to fight childhood hunger
• Amount: $1,000 to 3,000
• Deadline: Varies

College scholarships by grade-level

Whether you are a college freshman or a transfer student, we have specific guides to help you find and apply for scholarships:

Scholarships for:

• College Freshmen
• Community College Students
• College Sophomores
• College Juniors
• Transfer Students
• College Seniors

How to win scholarships as a college student

Here are a few tips for finding and winning scholarships and financial aid as a current college student.

Apply for need-based financial aid

Don’t forget about need-based financial aid, which includes Pell Grants, Federal SEOG Grants, and work study. To apply for need-based financial aid from the government or from your college, you will need to apply for financial aid.

The two major financial aid applications that students will come across are the FAFSA and the CSS Profile. Both of these applications have specific deadlines, so make sure that you get everything in on time!

Additionally, financial aid is only offered on an annual basis, so you will need to reapply for financial aid in subsequent college years.

Apply to many scholarships to increase your odds of winning

A key part of any scholarship strategy should be applying to a broad array of scholarship opportunities. The more you apply to, the more you can win!

Check your college’s financial aid website for scholarships

Your college’s financial aid office should be your first stop for college scholarships since they may be able to offer other forms of aid as well (like grants or work study programs).

If you win a scholarship, check to see if you must re-apply each year

Certain scholarships may require students to maintain a certain GPA, or provide proof of enrollment each year. Check the details of any scholarship you win to see if these rules apply.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it possible to get a scholarship while in college?

Yes! In fact, there are scholarships exclusively meant for college students. These scholarships can help with the cost of undergraduate tuition or help with the costs of graduate school.

How do you find scholarships for college?

To find scholarships while in college, begin with a search of your school’s financial aid office website. Here you may find scholarships specifically meant for students of the college that you’re attended. Other good places to start are organizations related to your field of interest, ethnicity-based organizations, and your employer or your parents’ employers.

Of course, don’t forget to check out the list above or our scholarship database!

Which college scholarships are easy to get?

There are two opposing qualities that make a scholarship “easy” to win:

1. There are few application requirements, so you can apply to a ton of them. To begin with this strategy, apply to all of the scholarships on our easy scholarships list.
2. There are a lot of application requirements, so not that many people can apply. If your college offers a scholarship specifically meant for first-generation college students, the applicant pool is limited to both students attending your college and, out of that group, first-generation students. If you qualify, your chances of winning are way higher than a contest with broad application requirements. While these are a bit harder to find, you can start with our list of best merit scholarships.

Do college transfer students get scholarships?

Yes, transfer students qualify for scholarships! Check out our list of the top scholarships for college transfer students for scholarships still accepting applications.

Summary of Scholarships

1. $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
2. Student Loan Hero Smart Money Giveaway
3. $2,000 Nitro College Scholarship
4. Tallo’s $1000 “Scare Your Thoughts” Scholarship
5. $10,000 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Program
6. #WeBelongInCollege Scholarship
7. HireAHelper Skilled Trade & Technology Scholarships
8. WayUp Dream Job No-Essay Scholarship
9. Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship
10. Future Designer Scholarship
11. Tortuga Study Abroad Scholarship
12. Markforged Distinguished Women Engineers Grant
13. Better Food, Better World Scholarship
14. Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
15. Ted Rollins Eco Scholarship
16. Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship
17. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
18. Zippia’s Teacher Dream Job Scholarship       
19. Rover Scholarship
20. Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
21. Probo Medical Scholarship
22. Big Sun Scholarship
23. Solar Scholarship
24. Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarships

Upcoming scholarships for college students

$20,000 JuJu Foundation Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to current high school and undergraduate students studying in the US who face financial challenges in paying for their education
• Amount: $20,000 (four scholarships are awarded!)

El Cafe Del Futuro Scholarship

• Eligibility: Current undergraduate and graduate students of Latino descent
• Amount: $5,000

Little Bundle Superdad Scholarship — College Award

• Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate level students who are either single fathers or are the children of single fathers are eligible to apply
• Amount: $2,000

Little Bundle Supermom Scholarship — College Award

• Eligibility: Open to undergraduate or graduate level single moms, children of single moms, or people whose lives have been impacted in positive ways by single moms 
• Amount: $2,000

Little People of America Scholarship Program

• Eligibility: Scholarships are open to prospective and current students attending college or vocational school in the United States who have a medically diagnosed form of dwarfism, or are immediate family members of someone with dwarfism.
• Amount: $250 – $1,000

Selectblinds $1,000 Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school, college, or university students with a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Amount: $1,000

Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students between the ages of 16 and 26 who submit a video entry about their life’s passion
• Amount: $5,000 to $25,000 per year