The winter months bring quiet and calm to life, and the same can be said of the scholarship search. These months offer a similar number of scholarship opportunities as the rest of the year, but with less competition.
Our advice to you? Hunker down and power up your scholarship search. Set aggressive goals, get organized, and maximize your scholarship-winning potential.
College and graduate students especially, should use the free time in January to make great strides in their scholarship search. Some schools may start later in January, or even offer the whole month off for the January term. Whatever date you begin again, embrace winter break productivity and use any remaining free time wisely.
Finally, many students pause their scholarship search. Understandably, they’re exhausted from applying to colleges and finals. Scholarship season will pick back up once financial aid packages are delivered. Applying for January, February, and March scholarship deadlines will help you beat the rush.
As college acceptance letters and notifications arrive over the next few weeks, winter scholarships can help drive enrollment decisions. Having scholarship wins and financial aid packages in hand will help you realistically compare college costs across all your choices.
You will be able to compare merit and financial aid at each college, as well as outside scholarship wins. This could especially be helpful if you decide to negotiate financial aid packages at different schools.
PRO TIP: Yes, you can negotiate scholarships and financial aid between colleges. If one college provides a more enticing offer, but you’d like to attend elsewhere, show them what you’ve received from other schools. They may meet your other offers to win your enrollment decision.
Award Amount: $500 - $5,000
The Washington Crossing Foundation National Scholarship is available to high school seniors who are pursuing careers of service to the United States in local, state, or federal government. To be considered, you must submit a 300-word essay stating why you chose a career in government service, including any inspiration derived from the leadership of George Washington in his famous crossing of the Delaware.
Award Amount: $10,000 The Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word is available to high school seniors. To be considered for this award, you must submit one original literary spoken word composition in English. Only the first 1,000 submissions will be accepted.
Award Amount: $2,000
The Mensa Foundation U.S. Scholarship is available to students currently enrolled in a degree program at an accredited U.S. institution. To be considered, you must submit an essay of up to 550 words explaining your career, academic, and/or vocational goals and how you plan to achieve those goals.
Award Amount: $1,000 - $10,000 The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is open to full-time undergraduate students attending four-year institutions. To be considered, you must articulate with clarity an ethical issue that you have encountered and analyze what it has taught you about ethics and yourself.
Award Amount: $1,000 The For Such a Time as This Scholarship is available to students who identify as at least one of the following: first-generation college student, a minority college student, or a student with a documented disability. You must demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.
Award Amount: $500 The Hamilton Award is available to high-achieving and service-focused high school juniors. You must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award. Recipients of this award must commit to participating in a rigorous five-year curriculum.
Award Amount: $15,000 The Medtronic Spark Scholarship is available to undergraduate students who are pursuing a career in health technology or a related healthcare field. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award. Priority will be given to students from low-income households.
Why Winter is the Perfect Time for Scholarship Applications
The new year often brings a new mentality to most areas of life, including the scholarship search. Whether you’re a high school, college, or graduate student, embrace this fresh start, set new goals, and deliver results for yourself. Now is the time to begin prioritizing scholarship applications. Start by setting a goal to apply for 1-2 scholarships per week.How Winter Scholarships Bridge the Gap Between Acceptance and Enrollment
Types of Scholarships Available During Winter Months
You will find similar scholarship types during the winter months as you would throughout the rest of the year. January, February, and March offer scholarship opportunities like: · Annual scholarships with the same winter deadlines each year · Essay contests and creative competitions · Major national scholarships · Local and community scholarships · Career- and major-specific awards Below is a list of scholarships with winter deadlines across various scholarship categories.January 2026 Scholarships
Washington Crossing Foundation National Scholarship
Deadline: 1/15/26Award Amount: $500 - $5,000
The Washington Crossing Foundation National Scholarship is available to high school seniors who are pursuing careers of service to the United States in local, state, or federal government. To be considered, you must submit a 300-word essay stating why you chose a career in government service, including any inspiration derived from the leadership of George Washington in his famous crossing of the Delaware.
Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word
Deadline: 1/15/26Award Amount: $10,000 The Maya Angelou Award for Spoken Word is available to high school seniors. To be considered for this award, you must submit one original literary spoken word composition in English. Only the first 1,000 submissions will be accepted.
Mensa Foundation U.S. Scholarship
Deadline: 1/15/26Award Amount: $2,000
The Mensa Foundation U.S. Scholarship is available to students currently enrolled in a degree program at an accredited U.S. institution. To be considered, you must submit an essay of up to 550 words explaining your career, academic, and/or vocational goals and how you plan to achieve those goals.
Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest
Deadline: 1/20/26Award Amount: $1,000 - $10,000 The Elie Wiesel Prize in Ethics Essay Contest is open to full-time undergraduate students attending four-year institutions. To be considered, you must articulate with clarity an ethical issue that you have encountered and analyze what it has taught you about ethics and yourself.
For Such a Time as This - Financial Impact Scholarship
Deadline: 1/21/26Award Amount: $1,000 The For Such a Time as This Scholarship is available to students who identify as at least one of the following: first-generation college student, a minority college student, or a student with a documented disability. You must demonstrate financial need to be eligible for this award.
The Hamilton Award
Deadline: 1/31/26Award Amount: $500 The Hamilton Award is available to high-achieving and service-focused high school juniors. You must demonstrate financial need and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be eligible for this award. Recipients of this award must commit to participating in a rigorous five-year curriculum.
Boren Scholarship
Deadline: 1/28/26 Award Amount: $8,000 - $25,000 The Boren Scholarship is available to undergraduate students who wish to study abroad in selected areas. To be considered, you must submit a proposal to the NSEP listing your field, geographic location, and language of emphasis. Selection is based on academic record, potential to succeed in the proposed area of study, commitment to international education, language interest and aptitude, quality and appropriateness of the proposed program, and its relevancy to the National Security Education Program. All award recipients must enter into a service agreement with the NSEP. U.S. citizenship is also required.Medtronic Spark Scholarship
Deadline: 1/30/26Award Amount: $15,000 The Medtronic Spark Scholarship is available to undergraduate students who are pursuing a career in health technology or a related healthcare field. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award. Priority will be given to students from low-income households.
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Kathryn Knight Randolph
Associate Content Editor
Kathryn Knight Randolph covers trends in higher education, changes to admissions and financial aid practices, and the student experience. She is passionate about simplifying the college search and financia...
