YOU KNOW COLLEGE CAN BE EXPENSIVE. But what you might not know is that you can start earning money for college now—even while you’re still in high school! Here are a few scholarships you can apply for now and contests in which you can win money for college. Good luck!
The $1,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
PRIZE: $1,000
OPEN TO: All high school and college students
DEADLINE: Monthly
INFO: https://colleges.niche.com/survey
DETAILS: Open to legal residents of the United States and international students with valid visas; one entry allowed per person, per month.
The $500 High School Sophomore Scholarship
PRIZE: $500
OPEN TO: “Rising” high school sophomores; 13 or older
DEADLINE: Varies annually; last was June 1, 2014
INFO: https://colleges.niche.com/scholarship/high-school-sophomore-scholarship
DETAILS: One entry per person; prompt question provided for students to answer.
NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Youth Essay Contest
PRIZE: $100–$1,000
OPEN TO: Two categories: grades 9–12 and grades 8 and lower
DEADLINE: December 1, 2014
INFO: www.nradefensefund.org/contests-scholarships.aspx
DETAILS: Essay on the Second Amendment.
Education Matters Scholarship
PRIZE: $5,000
OPEN TO: Legal residents of the United States or Washington, D.C., age 13 or older
DEADLINE: November 30, 2014
INFO: www.scholarshipexperts.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/education-matters-scholarship
DETAILS: Entry is a 250-word essay answering the provided question; read previous winning essays online.
Stephen J. Brady STOP Hunger Scholarships
PRIZE: $5,000 scholarship and $5,000 grant to local hunger-related charity of your choice
OPEN TO: Students kindergarten through grad school
DEADLINE: December 5, 2014
INFO: www.sodexofoundation.org/hunger_us/scholarships/scholarships.asp
DETAILS: Must show unpaid volunteer work in services impacting hunger; added consideration is given to students working to fight childhood hunger.
Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program
PRIZE: Store winners receive a $50 Kohl’s gift card; regional winners receive a $1,000 scholarship for college; national winners receive $10,000 in scholarships plus $1,000 donation to nonprofit of choice
OPEN TO: Students ages 6 to 18
DEADLINE: Varies annually; last was March 14, 2014
INFO: http://kohls.scholarshipamerica.org
DETAILS: Must be nominated by someone over 21; must have contributed to community in a “meaningful way” in the past two months by performing volunteer service that helped a non-family member.
We the Students Scholarship Contest
PRIZE: $500–$4,000
OPEN TO: U.S. students ages 13 to 19
DEADLINE: Varies annually; last was on December 16, 2013
INFO: https://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/engage/students-programs-events/scholarship/
DETAILS: Essay contest awarded by Bill of Rights Institute.
