Welcome to your senior year, Class of 2027! As you prepare for the exciting transition to college, securing financial aid should be at the top of your to-do list. The final year of high school is prime time to apply for college scholarships for high school seniors to keep your future education affordable.
Whether you are looking for merit-based awards, competitive essays, or easy scholarships that take less than five minutes to complete, we have you covered. Below is our curated list of the top scholarships currently open for high school seniors—start setting your weekly application goals today!
I'm a high school senior. Is it too late to apply for scholarships?
It's not too late to begin applying for scholarships in your senior year of high school. If you haven't started applying for scholarships regularly, you must jump in ASAP.
Many high school seniors can start to feel overwhelmed, so keep your mental health in mind. Start with small scholarship application goals you can achieve. As you progress and feel like you've established a solid scholarship application habit, challenge yourself by increasing your weekly or monthly application goal.
Successful scholarship applicants employ this technique to maximize their chances of receiving multiple applications. The more you apply for your senior year of high school, the better your chances of winning.
What's the easiest scholarship to get?
If you have a hectic week, consider applying for easy-to-apply scholarships. Fastweb's Featured Scholarships are quick to apply for. Most of them you can apply for in less than five minutes, and many people consider them the easiest scholarships to get.
What is a scholarship? What are the four types of scholarships?
Scholarships are a type of financial aid that is awarded to help students pay for college. They can be merit scholarships, essay scholarships, academic achievement-driven, or athletic. One of the most helpful aspects of scholarships is that recipients do not have to repay them, unlike financial aid such as student loans.
Award Amount: $500 - $5,000 Award Details: The Pizza Hut Foundation Scholarship is available to students between the ages of 17 and 26. You must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award. Recipients of this award will be required to participate in a 14 - week mentorship program.
Award Amount: $2,000 Award Details: The RealtyHop Scholarship is available to high school seniors and current undergraduate students. To be considered, you must submit a 500 - word essay on the following topic: "Imagine yourself 10 years in the future after having graduated college and living the life of your dreams: find a listing on RealtyHop you picture yourself living in and write what your favorite room or feature is on the listing and why it is important to your future life."
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: Full-Tuition
Award Details: The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors who reside or attend school in Morgan County, IN. You must plan to enroll full - time at a Indiana college or university to be eligible this award. This award also covers all required fees and a $900 book stipend each year.
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: $2,000 - $5,000
Award Details: The Forge2gether Essay Contest is open to high school students. To be considered, you must have a meaningful 30 - minute conversation with someone whose background, culture, generation, faith, or point of view differs significantly from your own, then write an essay reflecting on what shifted in your worldview; what changed and what didn't. Before your conversation, you must complete a short training on active listening.
Award Amount: Full-Tuition
Award Details: The Gates Scholarship is available to high school seniors. You must have a minimum 3.3 GPA and be Pell - eligible to be considered for this award. Ideal candidates for this award will have an outstanding academic record in high school, demonstrated leadership ability, and exceptional personal success skills.
Award Amount: $1,500
Award Details: Headway's Book Lovers Scholarship is available to high school seniors and full - time undergraduate and graduate students. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and demonstrate leadership at school and / or in the community to be eligible for this award. To be considered, you must submit a 500 – word essay or two – minute video that outlines your vision for a non - fiction book that has the potential to become a timeless handbook for humanity.
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 in to 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: $300 Award Details: The Heal the Body, Power the Mind Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. To be considered, you must submit a 300 - word essay on one of the following topics: 1. The Role of Physical Recovery in Education 2. Overcoming Burnout Through Holistic Wellness 3. Designing a Student Wellness Routine.
Award Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The Sports Gear Swag Scholarship is available to high school seniors and full - time undergraduate and graduate students who are at least 18 years of age. To be considered for this award, you must submit a 500-word essay on one of the following subjects: 1. The Benefits of Playing Sports Competitively 2. The Importance of Sportsmanship in Competitive Sports 3. The Psychological and Physical Benefits of Youth Involvement in Sports.
Award Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The Titan Haul and Honor Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. To be eligible for this award, you must submit an essay addressing one of the following topics: 1. How do everyday products reach your community, and why does reliable transportation matter to society? 2. How can sustainable practices in freight and transportation benefit future generations? 3. Describe a time when planning and coordination were crucial to your success.
Award Amount: Full-Tuition Award Details: The National College Match Scholarship is available to low - income high school seniors who have excelled academically. This award provides the full cost of tuition and room and board at some of the nation's most selective colleges.
Award Amount: $35,000 Award Details: The Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition is open to high school students. To enter, you must record an original three - to five-minute audio essay on the following topic: "What a Veteran Taught Me About America."
Award Amount: $250,000 Award Details: The Regeneron Science Talent Search is open to especially talented high school seniors. Students will be challenged to conduct independent science, math, or engineering research. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page research report explaining your experiments and conclusions. Research must be the work of a single individual; group and team projects are not eligible.
Award Amount: $1,000 - $7,500 Award Details:The Most Valuable Student Competition is open to high school seniors. You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this award. Selection for this award is based on scholarship, leadership, and financial need.
Award Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The College JumpStart Scholarship is available to high school and college students. To be considered for this award, you must submit a 250 - word essay on the topic of your choice.
Award Amount: $1,000
Award Details: The Design Your Space, Design Your Future Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. To be considered for this award, you must submit a 300 - word essay on one of the following topics: 1. The Psychology of Space 2. Sustainable Living Solutions 3. Future of Functionality.
Award Amount: Varies
Award Details: The Oklahoma's Promise Scholarship is available to high school students residing in Oklahoma. You must demonstrate financial need to be eligible 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 under 20 who 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, emphasizing citizens' duties and obligations to our government. A complete list of topics is available on the Legion's website. Each individual state winner certified into and participating in the first round of the national contest receives a $2,000
Award Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The Play! Pokémon Scholarship Program is open to students who are the top finishers in Play! Pokemon Events. You must be a full-time high school student or a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student at a qualified college or university to be considered for this award.
Scholarship Questions
Get answers to the most common questions from high school seniors:Scholarships for High School Seniors
Pizza Hut Foundation Scholarship
Deadline: 8/31/26Award Amount: $500 - $5,000 Award Details: The Pizza Hut Foundation Scholarship is available to students between the ages of 17 and 26. You must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award. Recipients of this award will be required to participate in a 14 - week mentorship program.
RealtyHop Scholarship
Deadline: 8/31/26Award Amount: $2,000 Award Details: The RealtyHop Scholarship is available to high school seniors and current undergraduate students. To be considered, you must submit a 500 - word essay on the following topic: "Imagine yourself 10 years in the future after having graduated college and living the life of your dreams: find a listing on RealtyHop you picture yourself living in and write what your favorite room or feature is on the listing and why it is important to your future life."
BigFuture $40,000 Scholarship
Deadline: 8/31/26Award 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!
Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship
Deadline: 9/1/26Award Amount: Full-Tuition
Award Details: The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors who reside or attend school in Morgan County, IN. You must plan to enroll full - time at a Indiana college or university to be eligible this award. This award also covers all required fees and a $900 book stipend each year.
Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program
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.
Forge2gether Essay Contest
Deadline: 9/8/26Award Amount: $2,000 - $5,000
Award Details: The Forge2gether Essay Contest is open to high school students. To be considered, you must have a meaningful 30 - minute conversation with someone whose background, culture, generation, faith, or point of view differs significantly from your own, then write an essay reflecting on what shifted in your worldview; what changed and what didn't. Before your conversation, you must complete a short training on active listening.
The Gates Scholarship
Deadline: 9/15/26Award Amount: Full-Tuition
Award Details: The Gates Scholarship is available to high school seniors. You must have a minimum 3.3 GPA and be Pell - eligible to be considered for this award. Ideal candidates for this award will have an outstanding academic record in high school, demonstrated leadership ability, and exceptional personal success skills.
Headway's Book Lovers Scholarship
Deadline: 9/15/26Award Amount: $1,500
Award Details: Headway's Book Lovers Scholarship is available to high school seniors and full - time undergraduate and graduate students. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and demonstrate leadership at school and / or in the community to be eligible for this award. To be considered, you must submit a 500 – word essay or two – minute video that outlines your vision for a non - fiction book that has the potential to become a timeless handbook for humanity.
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 in to 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.
Heal the Body, Power the Mind Scholarship
Deadline: 9/30/26Award Amount: $300 Award Details: The Heal the Body, Power the Mind Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. To be considered, you must submit a 300 - word essay on one of the following topics: 1. The Role of Physical Recovery in Education 2. Overcoming Burnout Through Holistic Wellness 3. Designing a Student Wellness Routine.
Sports Gear Swag Scholarship
Deadline: 10/1/26Award Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The Sports Gear Swag Scholarship is available to high school seniors and full - time undergraduate and graduate students who are at least 18 years of age. To be considered for this award, you must submit a 500-word essay on one of the following subjects: 1. The Benefits of Playing Sports Competitively 2. The Importance of Sportsmanship in Competitive Sports 3. The Psychological and Physical Benefits of Youth Involvement in Sports.
Titan Haul and Honor Scholarship
Deadline: 10/1/26Award Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The Titan Haul and Honor Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. To be eligible for this award, you must submit an essay addressing one of the following topics: 1. How do everyday products reach your community, and why does reliable transportation matter to society? 2. How can sustainable practices in freight and transportation benefit future generations? 3. Describe a time when planning and coordination were crucial to your success.
National College Match Scholarship
Deadline: 10/1/26Award Amount: Full-Tuition Award Details: The National College Match Scholarship is available to low - income high school seniors who have excelled academically. This award provides the full cost of tuition and room and board at some of the nation's most selective colleges.
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 an original three - to five-minute audio essay on the following topic: "What a Veteran Taught Me About America."
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Deadline: 11/5/26Award Amount: $250,000 Award Details: The Regeneron Science Talent Search is open to especially talented high school seniors. Students will be challenged to conduct independent science, math, or engineering research. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page research report explaining your experiments and conclusions. Research must be the work of a single individual; group and team projects are not eligible.
Elks Most Valuable Student Competition
Deadline: 11/12/26Award Amount: $1,000 - $7,500 Award Details:The Most Valuable Student Competition is open to high school seniors. You must be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this award. Selection for this award is based on scholarship, leadership, and financial need.
College JumpStart Love of Learning Scholarship
Deadline: 12/31/26Award Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The College JumpStart Scholarship is available to high school and college students. To be considered for this award, you must submit a 250 - word essay on the topic of your choice.
Design Your Space, Design Your Future Scholarship
Deadline: 12/31/26Award Amount: $1,000
Award Details: The Design Your Space, Design Your Future Scholarship is available to high school seniors and undergraduate students. To be considered for this award, you must submit a 300 - word essay on one of the following topics: 1. The Psychology of Space 2. Sustainable Living Solutions 3. Future of Functionality.
Oklahoma's Promise Scholarship
Deadline: 12/31/26Award Amount: Varies
Award Details: The Oklahoma's Promise Scholarship is available to high school students residing in Oklahoma. You must demonstrate financial need to be eligible 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 under 20 who 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, emphasizing citizens' duties and obligations to our government. A complete list of topics is available on the Legion's website. Each individual state winner certified into and participating in the first round of the national contest receives a $2,000
Play! Pokemon Scholarship Program
Deadline: VariesAward Amount: $1,000 Award Details: The Play! Pokémon Scholarship Program is open to students who are the top finishers in Play! Pokemon Events. You must be a full-time high school student or a full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate student at a qualified college or university to be considered for this award.
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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...
