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Top 65 Scholarships for High School Freshman in September 2022
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:
- How to win scholarships for high school freshmen
- Frequently asked questions
- Explore these other scholarship categories
65 Scholarships for High School Freshman 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.
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.
USBC Youth Scholarships
Offered by United States Bowling Congress
Open to high school and college students who are members of the United States Bowling Congress.
“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 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 high school freshman, 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
Frequently asked questions
Is freshman year too early to apply for scholarships?
It’s never too early to apply for scholarships! Freshman year of high school is a great time to begin applying, as many students wait until later in the process, so you will have less competition in your applications. It’s also great practice to get used to the application process, which will come in handy as you apply for summer jobs, other scholarships, and even to colleges.
Also see: High school checklist: freshman through senior year
What scholarships are available for high school freshmen?
All of the scholarships on this list are open to high school freshmen. Our team has vetted each opportunity to ensure that it is a legitimate scholarship. Try browsing the list to see which opportunities fit you best! You can also try out our scholarship search tool to find other opportunities open to freshmen.
How do I stand out in a scholarship application as a high school freshman?
It may seem hard to stand out in your applications as a high school freshman. The best thing you can do is make some solid commitments to building a solid base for applications. This includes enrolling in extracurriculars, earning good grades, and finding summer jobs, volunteer opportunities, internships, or academic programs. Even if you have not completed them yet, you can discuss your ambitions for the future in your applications.
