Want to graduate from college debt-free? The secret is starting early. High school juniors in the Class of 2028 can jump-start their college funding right now with these exclusive scholarships. From prestigious merit-based awards to creative video contests and quick no-essay sweepstakes, planning ahead during your 11th-grade year ensures you don't miss out on free money for school.
Don't wait until senior year to secure your college financial aid. Explore these college scholarships for juniors below and start applying today!
Award Amount: $1,000 - $2,500
Award Details: The Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program is open to high school and college students. You must host an American Red Cross blood drive while school is out of session and collect a minimum of 25 pints of blood to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $250,000
Award Details: The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is available to students between the ages of 13 and 18. To take part in the challenge, you must create a two - minute video explaining a big idea in one of the following fields: physics, mathematics, or life sciences. Additionally, you must perform a peer-to-peer review of five other student submissions. Your film entry can take any form you like: animation, talking head, documentary, dramatic reconstruction, etc. Videos will be judged on engagement, illumination, creativity, and difficulty.
Award Amount: $1,250
Award Details: What's your scholarship application goal? Let us know for a chance to win a $1,250 scholarship! Whether your finish line is trade school, college, or an advanced degree, getting closer starts here. Just log in as a Fastweb member, answer a quick multiple-choice question (no wrong answers), and submit your entries daily.
Award Amount: $40,000 Award Details: Win up to $40,000 — no essay required! BigFuture Scholarships are open to high school students who qualify by completing college and career planning steps on their BigFuture dashboard. The earlier you complete each step, the more entries you earn for $40,000 monthly scholarship drawings. Create your free account and start earning entries now. Every step you take brings you closer to winning!
Award Amount: $1,000
Award Details: The Fastweb Invite a Friend Sweepstakes is open to registered Fastweb members who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and who are at least sixteen (16) years of age. You must log into your Fastweb account to obtain your personal referral link. For each person who registers for Fastweb via your personal referral link during the Promotion Period, you and your referral will be entered as a pair into the current drawing.
Award Amount: $500
Award Details: The NSHSS Your First Scholarship is available to high school students who have never won a scholarship. You must be a member of The National Society of High School Scholars to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $10,000 Award Details: The United States Senate Youth Program is open to outstanding high school juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in public service. Recipients of this award will serve as delegates to Washington Week in Washington D.C in March. During Washington Week, the student delegates meet and learn from the highest level elected and appointed officials in Washington. The deadline varies by state.
Award Amount: $35,000 Award Details:The Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition is open to high school students. To enter, you must record a three - to five - minute audio essay on the following topic: "What a Veteran Taught Me About America."
Award Amount: $5,000 - $10,000 Award Details: The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship is available to high school students. You must have been active in promoting vegetarianism in your school and / or community; and have demonstrated compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet / lifestyle to be considered for this award.
Award Amount: $10,000 Award Details: The Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest is open to students who are at least 14 years of age. To enter, you must submit an original design for a Christmas card, holiday card, birthday card, or all - occasion greeting card. All designs or photographs must be the original work of the applicant.
Award Amount: $4,000
Award Details: The Huntington Learning Center College Scholarship Sweepstakes is available to high school students who are 14 years of age and older. To be considered for this award, you must text a four - digit code to the sponsor and opt - in to text messages. Entrants who do not want to opt - in to text messages may submit a mail - in entry. Residents of Rhode Island are ineligible.
Award Amount: $20,000 - $25,000 Award Details: The American Legion National Oratorical Contest is open to junior high and high school students who are under the age of 20 and are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States. To be considered, you must prepare an oration on some aspect of the U.S. Constitution, with emphasis on a citizen's duties and obligations to our government. A complete list of topics is available on the Legion's website. Each state winner certified into and participating in the first round of the national contest receives a $2,000 scholarship.
Leaders Save Lives Scholarship
Deadline: 9/7/26Award Amount: $1,000 - $2,500
Award Details: The Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program is open to high school and college students. You must host an American Red Cross blood drive while school is out of session and collect a minimum of 25 pints of blood to be eligible for this award.
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Deadline: 9/15/26Award Amount: $250,000
Award Details: The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is available to students between the ages of 13 and 18. To take part in the challenge, you must create a two - minute video explaining a big idea in one of the following fields: physics, mathematics, or life sciences. Additionally, you must perform a peer-to-peer review of five other student submissions. Your film entry can take any form you like: animation, talking head, documentary, dramatic reconstruction, etc. Videos will be judged on engagement, illumination, creativity, and difficulty.
Fastweb's $1,250 Your Future is Now Sweepstakes
Deadline: 9/29/26Award Amount: $1,250
Award Details: What's your scholarship application goal? Let us know for a chance to win a $1,250 scholarship! Whether your finish line is trade school, college, or an advanced degree, getting closer starts here. Just log in as a Fastweb member, answer a quick multiple-choice question (no wrong answers), and submit your entries daily.
BigFuture $40,000 Scholarship
Deadline: 9/30/26Award Amount: $40,000 Award Details: Win up to $40,000 — no essay required! BigFuture Scholarships are open to high school students who qualify by completing college and career planning steps on their BigFuture dashboard. The earlier you complete each step, the more entries you earn for $40,000 monthly scholarship drawings. Create your free account and start earning entries now. Every step you take brings you closer to winning!
Summer 2026 Fastweb Invite a Friend Sweepstakes
Deadline: 9/30/26Award Amount: $1,000
Award Details: The Fastweb Invite a Friend Sweepstakes is open to registered Fastweb members who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and who are at least sixteen (16) years of age. You must log into your Fastweb account to obtain your personal referral link. For each person who registers for Fastweb via your personal referral link during the Promotion Period, you and your referral will be entered as a pair into the current drawing.
NSHSS Your First Scholarship
Deadline: 10/15/26Award Amount: $500
Award Details: The NSHSS Your First Scholarship is available to high school students who have never won a scholarship. You must be a member of The National Society of High School Scholars to be eligible for this award.
United States Senate Youth Program
Deadline: 10/27/26Award Amount: $10,000 Award Details: The United States Senate Youth Program is open to outstanding high school juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in public service. Recipients of this award will serve as delegates to Washington Week in Washington D.C in March. During Washington Week, the student delegates meet and learn from the highest level elected and appointed officials in Washington. The deadline varies by state.
Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition
Deadline: 10/31/26Award Amount: $35,000 Award Details:The Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition is open to high school students. To enter, you must record a three - to five - minute audio essay on the following topic: "What a Veteran Taught Me About America."
Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Deadline: 2/20/27Award Amount: $5,000 - $10,000 Award Details: The Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship is available to high school students. You must have been active in promoting vegetarianism in your school and / or community; and have demonstrated compassion, courage, and a strong commitment to promoting a peaceful world through a vegetarian diet / lifestyle to be considered for this award.
Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest
Deadline: 3/8/27Award Amount: $10,000 Award Details: The Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest is open to students who are at least 14 years of age. To enter, you must submit an original design for a Christmas card, holiday card, birthday card, or all - occasion greeting card. All designs or photographs must be the original work of the applicant.
Huntington Learning Center College Scholarship Sweepstakes
Deadline: 7/31/27Award Amount: $4,000
Award Details: The Huntington Learning Center College Scholarship Sweepstakes is available to high school students who are 14 years of age and older. To be considered for this award, you must text a four - digit code to the sponsor and opt - in to text messages. Entrants who do not want to opt - in to text messages may submit a mail - in entry. Residents of Rhode Island are ineligible.
American Legion National Oratorical Contest
Deadline: VariesAward Amount: $20,000 - $25,000 Award Details: The American Legion National Oratorical Contest is open to junior high and high school students who are under the age of 20 and are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States. To be considered, you must prepare an oration on some aspect of the U.S. Constitution, with emphasis on a citizen's duties and obligations to our government. A complete list of topics is available on the Legion's website. Each state winner certified into and participating in the first round of the national contest receives a $2,000 scholarship.
Start Securing Your Class of 2027 College Funding Now
Finding college scholarships for high school juniors is all about consistency. While your 11th-grade year is packed with campus visits and exam prep, setting a weekly application goal will pay off massively when freshman year rolls around. Junior Year College Planning Checklist: Month-by-Month Guide Treat applying for scholarships like a part-time job—stay on top of deadlines, keep refining your essays, and remember that every scholarship dollar won is a dollar you don't have to pay back. Create your free Fastweb profile today to get matched with personalized scholarships for the Class of 2028 tailored directly to your strengths!You Might Also Like
Shawna Newman
Managing Editor, Contributing Writer
Shawna Newman covers various topics related to post-secondary education, including trade schools, the military, and college. She details strategies for paying for school, such as scholarships, financial ai...
