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Top 117 Scholarships for High School Freshman in June 2023
Freshman year is a year of transitions. Most students will be entering high school from a middle school or elementary school and go from being the oldest students in school to the youngest. But among all the excitement, be sure not to forget about scholarships for high school freshmen! The earlier you begin applying, the more funding you’ll get and the less work you’ll have your senior year.
We’ve combed through all the scholarships out there and collected the best of the best for you here. In this list, you’ll find our vetted scholarships for high school freshmen to get a jump on your university funding. Let’s get into it!
Jump ahead to:
- Top scholarships for high school freshmen
- How to win scholarships for high school freshmen
- Tips for high school freshmen
- Frequently asked questions
- Explore these other scholarship categories
115 Scholarships for High School Freshman 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.
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 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 MoreVisionary Scholarship
Are you a high school student with dreams of going to college one day? If so, consider applying for the Visionary Scholarship! Each application cycle, the scholarship awards between $1,000…
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…
$2,000 CampusReel Virtual Tour Scholarship
Easy scholarship program open to all students who watch a student-led virtual college tour
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How to win scholarships for high school freshmen
Now that you’ve got a list of scholarship opportunities at your disposal, let’s get into how you can win them. As a member of the class of 2026, you’re in a unique position, as you are applying before many of your classmates. You have less experience under your belt, which makes the way you showcase it all the more important.
Make sure to join extracurriculars in high school to bolster your applications. Not only will these look impressive on your scholarship resume, they will also offer great anecdotes to use in your scholarship essays. These essays can be the secret to standing out among the other candidates. There is a specific art to writing a good scholarship essay, and we can help you ace it. Check out these resources for some inspiration:
- How to start a scholarship essay
- How to write an essay about yourself
- “Show, don’t tell” essay primer
- How to write a 500 word essay
- How to write a 250 word essay
Tips for high school freshmen
Prioritize your schoolwork
The absolute best thing you can do as a freshman is establish a solid bedrock of grades. You’ll thank yourself later when you have a strong GPA, which is one of the biggest factors that colleges consider in admissions and scholarships. High school academics are different from middle school, so it may take some getting used to.
If you find yourself struggling, be proactive – meet with teachers, counselors, and go to after-school tutoring if it’s available. Form study groups and learn how to meet the new academic demands of high school. The earlier you get on top of it, the easier it’ll be!
Explore extracurriculars
Extracurriculars are an important part of the high school experience. They give students opportunities to explore their passions in the real world, make friends, and work as a team. Not to mention, they look very impressive on college applications! Now more than ever, colleges look for well-rounded students, and extracurriculars go a long way in demonstrating this.
As a first-year, it’s a good idea to explore lots of different types of extracurriculars, and stick with a couple of them that you are passionate about. Remember – it’s a great time to push your boundaries, so try showing up for some meetings for sports or activities you’re not sure if you’ll like. If you aren’t into it, you can just not keep going!
Keep notes on which classes you enjoy and succeed in
The other biggest thing a high school freshman can do to prepare for the next step is to take notes on their reflections from classes. Try to figure out which classes were tough, easy, rewarding, confusing, et cetera. If you write all of this down as it’s happening, you’ll have a reliable record to look back on later. You can try documenting everything at the end of each semester while it’s fresh in your mind. This could help you decide which advanced courses to take, and maybe even what to major in in college.
Get a picture of your financial situation
It’s never too early to get an idea of what you’ll be able to afford in college. Try sitting down with your parents and entering your current financial data into the FAFSA to get an estimate of the financial aid you may receive when it’s time to apply to college. Find out how much your parents have saved, if any, and consider putting it into a 529 plan to get tax breaks. Don’t wait until you’re a senior to get a picture of the college admissions and financial aid package!
Frequently asked questions
Also see: High school checklist: freshman through senior year
