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

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
• Upcoming scholarships for high school freshman

Top scholarships for high school freshman 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

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: October 31, 2021

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

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

$500 CollegeVine Scholarship

• Eligibility: High school students who are U.S. residents
• Amount: $500
• Deadline: Weekly

$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: October 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: October 29, 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: October 31, 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: October 31, 2021

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship

• Eligibility: Create a free account on CollegeXpress and complete registration
• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline: May 1, 2022

$2,000 CollegeXpress Scaredy Cat Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students ages 13+
• Amount: $2,000
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

Annual Catholic College Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students who are a current high school freshman, sophomore, or junior interested in attending a Catholic university or college.
• Amount: $1,500
• Deadline: October 31, 2021

Annual Protestant Faith Based College Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to students who are a current high school freshman, sophomore, or junior interested in attending a Protestant university or college.
• Amount: $1,500
• Deadline: October 31, 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: October 29, 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

Curt Pozan Trades Scholarship

• Eligibility: Students currently pursuing or planning on a trade certificate in construction trades, remodeling, carpentry, painting, interior design, architecture, building materials science, plumbing, mechanical, electrical, green building, general contracting, sustainability, masonry, and welding
• Amount: $2,143
• Deadline: December 8, 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 (most are December 10, 2021)

Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship

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

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
• Deadline: January 13, 2022

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 14, 2022

Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to all high school students and current or entering college or graduate school students
• Amount: $1,000
• Deadline: January 30, 2022

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

Christophers’ Poster Contest

• Eligibility: High school students in grades 9 through 12 who create a kindness poster
• Amount: $100 to $1,000
• Deadline: February 17, 2022

Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships

• Eligibility: Open to high school students who are vegetarians or vegans
• Amount: $10,000
• Deadline: February 20, 2022

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 13, 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: $900
• Deadline: June 14, 2021

Solar Scholarship

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

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. Scholarships360 $1,000 No-Essay Scholarship
2. $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
3. Student Loan Hero $1,000 Giveaway
4. Tallo’s $1000 “Scare Your Thoughts” Scholarship
5. $500 CollegeVine Scholarship
6. $1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship
7. $2,222 ScholarshipOwl ‘You Deserve It’ Scholarship
8. $10,000 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Program
9. $2,500 Christian Connector Scholarship
10. $10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
11. $2,000 CollegeXpress Scaredy Cat Scholarship
12. Annual Catholic College Scholarship
13. Annual Protestant Faith Based College Scholarship
14. Act Locally Scholarship 
15. Better Food, Better World Scholarship
16. Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
17. Curt Pozan Trades Scholarship
18. Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarships
19. Air Force ROTC High School Scholarship
20. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
21. JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest
22. Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship
23. Engineer Girl Writing Contest
24. Christophers’ Poster Contest
25. Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships
26. Ocean Awareness Contest 
27. Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship
28. Solar Scholarship

Upcoming scholarships for high school freshman

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

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
• Opens: Late September 2021

One Move Ahead Chess Scholarship

• Eligibility: Open to chess players of all ages
• Amount: $1,000

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
• Opens: January 1, 2022

Selectblinds $1000 Scholarship

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

Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest

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

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
• Opens: Fall 2021