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.”

In this scholarship guide for high school freshman you will learn more about:

• Top Scholarships for high School freshman in 2021
• Scholarship tips for high school freshman
• Looking for other scholarships for high school students?
• Summary of high school freshman scholarships
• Expired scholarships for high school freshman

Top scholarships for high school freshman in 2021:

Student Loan Hero Smart Money Giveaway

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

Tallo’s $1,000 May Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school and college students who set up a Tallo profile
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: May 31, 2021

$1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all students ranging from high school students to college and community college students
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: May 31, 2021

$10,000 ScholarshipPoints $10,000 Scholarship Program

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

$2,222 ScholarshipOwl ‘You Deserve It’ Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all students who are at least 16 years old
• Amount: $2,222
• Deadline: May 28, 2021

Scholarships360 No Essay Scholarship

• Eligibility: All high school, college, and graduate students are eligible for this scholarship!
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: June 30, 2021

$2,500 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
• Amount: $2,500
• Deadline: May 31, 2021

$2,000 CollegeXpress Favorite Color Scholarship

• Eligibility: High School Freshman, Sophomores, or Juniors
• Amount: $2,000
• Deadline: May 31, 2021

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

• Eligibility: Create a free account on CollegeXpress and complete registration
• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline: May 1, 2021

Act Locally Scholarship 

• Eligibility: High school and undergraduates with an interest in volunteering or working to better their local community through social, environmental, or economic change
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: July 1, 2021

Breanden Beneschott Fire Memes Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all students who submit their favorite memes. Bonus points for originality!
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: October 1, 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: May 31, 2021

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: $905
• Deadline: June 13, 2021

FieldLevel Athletic Recruiting No-Essay Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school athletes who aspire to play sports in college
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: May 31, 2021

Future Leaders in Technology Scholarship – High School Award

• Eligibility: The scholarship is open to high school students who plan to pursue a degree in computer science, electrical engineering or data science. You must also be a member of an underrepresented group, including: Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, American Indian or Native American, LGBTQA+, and Women
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: May 31, 2021

Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship

• Eligibility: All high school students, college students, graduate students, and adult learners
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: July 31, 2021

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 14, 2021

Pettable Pet Lovers Scholarship 

• Eligibility: Open to all high school, college, and graduate students who submit their favorite pet photos with a short caption, including their Instagram handle and pet’s name
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: December 16, 2021

Selectblinds $1000 Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school, college, or university students with a minimum GPA of 2.5
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: July 15, 2021

Solar Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school seniors, college and graduate students with an interest in solar energy 
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: July 1, 2021

Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest

• Eligibility: High school students who create prom outfits with duck tape
• Amount: $500 to $10,000
• Deadline: July 21, 2021

Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school students
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: January 30, 2022

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.
• Amount: $1,500
• Deadline: July 31, 2021

WiseGeek Recent Immigrants Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all students in any field of study who immigrated to the United States on or after January 1, 2010 and plans to live & work here
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: September 1, 2021

Scholarship 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 high school freshman scholarships

1. Student Loan Hero $1,000 Giveaway
2. Tallo’s $1,000 Scholarship
3. $1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship
4. $2,222 ScholarshipOwl ‘You Deserve It’ Scholarship
5. $10,000 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Program
6. $2,500 Christian Connector Scholarship
7. Scholarships360 No Essay Scholarship
8. $2,000 CollegeXpress Spring Scholarship
9. $2,000 CollegeXpress Favorite Color Scholarship
10. Act Locally Scholarship
11. Breanden Beneschott Fire Memes Scholarship
12. Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
13. Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
14. FieldLevel Athletic Recruiting No-Essay Scholarship
15. High School Award
16. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
17. Ocean Awareness Contest
18. Pettable Pet Lovers Scholarship 
19. Selectblinds $1000 Scholarship
20. Solar Scholarship
21. Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest
22. Taylor Price Financial Literacy for the Future Scholarship
23. Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship
24. Unigo Flavor of the Month Scholarship
25. WiseGeek Recent Immigrants Scholarship

Expired scholarships for high school freshman

Air Force ROTC High School Scholarship

• Eligibility: Applicants must either be a United States citizen or obtain U.S. citizenship by the last day of the first term of their freshman year (for four-year offers) or the first term of sophomore year (for three-year offers). Applicants must have SAT composite of 1240 or ACT composite of 26 and a cumulative unweighted GPA of 3.0 or higher
• Amount: Varies
• Due: January 17, 2021

Christophers’ Poster Contest

• Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 through 12 who create a kindness poster
• Amount: $100 to $1,000
• Deadline: February 18, 2021

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, but most are December 11

Engineer Girl Writing Contest 

• Eligibility: The contest is open to individual girls and boys in the following three competition categories: Elementary School Students (grades 3-5), Middle School Students in (grades 6-8), or High School Students (grades 9-12)
• Amount: $250 to $500
• Deadline: February 1, 2021

Grow the Game Volleyball Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students at all educational levels who demonstrate passion, achievement, and leadership efforts in growing the game of volleyball
• Amount: $2,500   
• Deadline: March 31, 2021

JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest

• Eligibility: Open to high school students who complete an essay about a U.S. elected historical figure.
• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline: January 15, 2021

Kaplun Essay Contest

• Eligibility: Students who are in grades 7 through 12 who submit an essay about their Jewish faith 
• Amount: $500 to $1,800
• Deadline: March 7, 2021

One Move Ahead Chess Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to chess players of all ages
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: March 29, 2021

Princeton Prize in Race Relations

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students who are involved in an activity that promotes positive race relations.
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: March 1, 2021

Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students who submit a video entry about their life’s passion
• Amount: $5,000 to $25,000 per year
• Deadline: January 20, 2021

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships

• Eligibility: Open to high school students who are vegetarians or vegans
• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline: February 21, 2021 (Opens December 2021)