How to Find and Win Texas Scholarships in 2026

Everything is bigger in Texas – even the scholarship opportunities! The state of Texas is home to one of the largest higher education systems in the country, and because of that, there are many lucrative scholarships for Texas residents.

Texas Scholarships to Apply For Today

Local and state-targeted awards, like the Texas scholarships below, are niche opportunities for in-state residents. Because of the eligibility requirements, these scholarships have a smaller applicant pool, meaning the odds of winning are greater.

Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest

Award Amount: $8,000 The Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest is open to students who are at least 16 years of age and reside or attend school in states with Regions Bank full-service branches. To be considered, you must submit a video or essay on an individual you know personally who has inspired you and helped you build the confidence you need to achieve your goals.

TEXAS Grant

Award Amount: $5,379 The TEXAS Grant is open to Texas high school graduates and residents who are first-time undergraduate students within 16 months of their high school graduation. You must have completed the Recommended High School Program or Distinguished Achievement Program in high school, be enrolling at a non-profit public Texas college or university, have completed no more than 30 semester credit hours (excluding those earned for dual or concurrent courses or awarded for credit by examination), and have applied for financial assistance to be eligible for this renewable award. Texas residents who have received their first associate's degree and are enrolling in a higher level undergraduate program within 12 months of receiving their degree are also eligible.

ASHRAE III VIII Scholarship

Award Amount: $3,000 The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Region VIII Scholarship is open to engineering students who are pursuing a bachelor's degree. You must be enrolled full time in an ABET-accredited program at a school located within the geographic boundaries of ASHRAE's Region VIII (currently, Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma and Mexico). You must also have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and/or be in at least the top 30 percent of your class to qualify for this award.

Harold Taft Scholarship

Award Amount: Up to $2,500 The Harold Taft Scholarship is available to undergraduate students enrolled in an institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. You must be majoring in meteorology and atmospheric science communications and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 to be eligible for this award.

CCST Scholarship

Award Amount: $1,000 The CCST Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors in the state of Texas who plan to attend a career college. You must be recommended by your high school counselor to be eligible for this award.

Sondra’s Money Research Fund

Award Amount: Varies The Sondra's Money Research Fund is open to students at Texas universities researching speech-language pathology and audiology.

Scott Murray Sports Broadcast Scholarship

Award Amount: Varies The Scott Murray Sports Broadcast Scholarship is available to juniors and seniors enrolled in an institution of higher learning in the State of Texas. You must be majoring in sports journalism and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award.

Madeline Brand Endowed Scholarship

Award Amount: Varies The Madeline Brand Endowed Scholarship is open to students studying speech-language pathology and audiology at the University of Texas, El Paso or special education/communication disorders at New Mexico State University.

Grace Middleton Scholarship

Award Amount: Varies The Grace Middleton Scholarship is open to graduate students studying speech-language pathology and audiology at the University of Texas, El Paso.

How to Increase Your Odds of Winning Scholarships

While there is no trick to winning scholarships, there are a few strategies you can employ to increase your odds of winning. They require diligence, perseverance, and attention to detail. Here are a few ways you can make yourself a more successful scholarship applicant: · Focus on Unique Criteria: What makes you different from everyone else? Are you the child of a veteran? Do you work at Chick-fil-A? Are you creative or do you thrive in a competitive environment? Identifying attributes, qualities, and circumstances where you thrive can actually help you find scholarship opportunities that you can easily win. Look for awards that require specifics, like location, extracurricular involvement, employment, etc. · Keep Track of Deadlines: Being successful in the scholarship application process requires you to be organized. You can’t find a scholarship today and submit your application tomorrow – unless it’s a quick and easy award. Rather, keep a physical or electronic folder with your scholarship components as well as a calendar that details every deadline. Even better? Use your Fastweb Scholarship Matches to indicate scholarships you’re interested in or have already applied to. · Tailor Your Essays: While having a general scholarship application outline helps to simplify the process, you need to make sure it is always tailored to the scholarship for which you’re applying currently. Scholarship committees are going to choose applicants who show an interest, follow instructions, and seem like a great representative of the cause, company, or vision of the award. Your best bet in winning an award like that is to have an essay that couldn’t be confused for any other scholarship application. Ready to get started on your Texas scholarship search? Create a free profile on Fastweb. We’ll match you to Texas scholarships in our database as well as city, regional, and nationwide opportunities for which you may qualify. It’s the easiest place to start looking for and applying to scholarships.