It is never too early to start applying for scholarships! These scholarships for high school students in 9th grade will help you get started.

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. Freshman year of high school is also an exciting year of new possibilities and experiences. Notably, your grades, classes, and accomplishments will all start officially counting for the college admissions process. Use this as motivation to always give your best! Many students may not know that there are a number of fantastic scholarships available for students in ninth grade. This can be a great way to start earning money to pay for college (even if you are still a few years away from college). Our motto is that “it’s never too early to apply for scholarships.”

Here are the top scholarships for high school freshman:

The “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all students, including high school, college, and graduate students
• Deadline: May 30
• Amount: $10,000

The “Be Bold” No-Essay Community Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students who register to Bold.org and has invited many friends
• Deadline: May 30
• Amount: $5,000

$1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all students ranging from high school students to college and community college students. 
• Deadline: May 31
• Amount: $1,000

Christian Colleges No-Essay Scholarship

• Eligibility: To be eligible, students must be a current high school student interested in attending a Christian university or college.
• Deadline: May 30
• Amount: $1,000

The Christian Connector Scholarship

• Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be a current high school freshman, sophomore, or junior interested in attending a Christian university or college
• Deadline: May 31
• Amount: $2,500

To learn about finding & winning top scholarships, check out our Ultimate Scholarships Guide!

CollegeXpress $10,000 Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students must attend one of the nearly 900 CollegeXpress partner colleges
• Deadline: May 31
• Amount: $10,000

Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship

• Eligibility: All high school students, college students, graduate students, and adult learners
• Deadline: July 31st
• Amount: $1,000

High School Social Leaders Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students must be committed to making the world a better place and write an essay.
• Deadline: March 28th
• Amount: $1,000

I Have a Dream Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students who are currently enrolled or will be enrolled in college by 2026 who write a short essay.
• Deadline: January 31st
• Amount: $1,500

JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest

• Eligibility: Open to high school students who complete an essay about a U.S. elected historical figure.
• Deadline January 17th
• Amount: $10,000

Ocean Awareness Contest 

• Eligibility: Students ages 11 to 18 who create a work of art in their chosen genre, including visual art, film, music, poetry, prose, and interactive and multimedia
• Amount: Scholarships worth from $100 to $1,500
• Deadline: June 15

One Move Ahead Chess Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to chess players of all ages.
• Deadline: March 23
• Amount: $1,000

The Princeton Prize in Race Relations

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students who are involved in an activity that promotes positive race relations.
• Deadline: January 31st
• Amount: $1,000

Recent Immigrant Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students who immigrated to the United States on or after January 1, 2010.
• Deadline: March 31st
• Amount: $1,000

ScholarshipPoints $10,000 Scholarship Program

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students
• Deadline: May 30
• Amount: $10,000

Selectblinds $1000 Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school, college, or university students with a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Deadline: July 15th
• Amount: $1,000

Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students who submit a video entry about their life’s passion
• Deadline: January 23rd
• Amount: $5,000 to $25,000 per year

Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school students
• Deadline: January 20th
• Amount: $1,000

The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships

• Eligibility: Open to high school students who are vegetarians or vegans
• Deadline: February 20th
• Amount: $10,000

Unigo Flavor of the Month Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students who are currently enrolled or will be enrolled in college by 2026 who write a short essay.
• Deadline: July 31st
• Amount: $1,500

Scholarships tips for high school freshman

1. Your scholarship search should start now! Every dollar you earn now will be less money that you have to pay or take out in student loan debt!
2. One of the best ways to win college-specific merit scholarships is through a strong academic record. Keep up your grades and take the most challenging classes you can!
3. There are many scholarships for students who have talents or interests in a particular area! Ninth grade is a great time to start developing your interests through activities, volunteering, and hobbies!

Looking for other scholarships for high school students?

If you are looking for other high school scholarships, we have you covered:

• Scholarships for High School Seniors
• Scholarships for High School Juniors
• Scholarships for High School Sophomores
• Scholarships for High School Freshman

Summary of top scholarships for high school freshman in 2020:

1. The “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
2. The “Be Bold” No-Essay Community Scholarship
3. $1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship
4. Christian Colleges No-Essay Scholarship
5. The Christian Connector Scholarship
6. CollegeXpress $10,000 Scholarship
7. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
8. High School Social Leaders Scholarship
9. I Have a Dream Scholarship
10. JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest
11. Ocean Awareness Contest 
12. One Move Ahead Chess Scholarship
13. The Princeton Prize in Race Relations
14. Recent Immigrant Scholarship
15. ScholarshipPoints $10,000 Scholarship Program
16. Selectblinds $1000 Scholarship
17. Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship
18. Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship
19. The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships
20. Unigo Flavor of the Month Scholarship