25 Scholarships for High School Juniors to Apply for Right Now
Most people think of college prep as a task reserved for high school seniors, but junior year is arguably the better time to begin. After all, senior year can get extremely busy. Between finals, SAT prep, and college visits, high school seniors don’t usually have the time they need to devote to scholarships, since they’re bogged down by the college application process. Plus, there are a number of great scholarships available to students in their junior year or younger. That means that if you wait too long to start applying for scholarships, you could be missing out on free money.
If you’re ready to get a head start on college prep, check out this list of 25 scholarships for high school juniors just like you.
1. The Paradigm Challenge
Amount: Up to $100,000
Provider: Project Paradigm
Eligibility Requirements:
- Ages 4 to 18
Application Requirements: Work sample, bio
The Paradigm Challenge is a unique opportunity to help solve some of the world’s biggest problems — and to earn a good chunk of change to put toward college costs. Each year, the challenge invites students from ages four to 18 to think outside the box. Your application can address problems in any of the following areas: home fires, waste reduction, personal health, food security, or biodiversity. You can either work in a team or alone, and your entry can be any medium, from a traditional essay to a video or mobile app. Each year, 100 finalists receive awards ranging from $200 to $100,000.
2. Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Amount: $50,000
Provider: Khan Academy
Eligibility Requirements:
- Ages 13 to 18
Application Requirements: Video essay
If you’re a high school junior who loves physics, math, or life sciences, take a look at the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. One of the top scholarships on our list in terms of dollar value, this competition asks curious high school students to create a 90-second video explaining a complex topic in one of the aforementioned fields. The winner will receive a $50,000 college scholarship as well as a $50,000 award for their teacher and a $100,000 grant to put toward a new science lab for their school. Your video can be in whatever format you wish: live-action, animation, or documentary. Entries will be judged according to several criteria, including the creativity of the video and the complexity of the subject covered.
3. Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Amount: Up to $50,000
Provider: Davidson Institute
Eligibility Requirements:
- 18 years of age or younger
Application Requirements: Letter of recommendation, personal statement, work sample, bio
The Davidson Fellows Scholarship is essentially a prestigious science fair for high-achieving high school students. To apply, you’ll have to submit a project in one of these categories: science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, music, or philosophy. Your project must have the potential to make a significant impact in its field and to benefit society in some way. (Unfortunately, artistic submissions like photography, art, or film proposals are not permitted). Students can apply on their own or in teams of two. Each year, three top winners take home $50,000, $25,000, and $10,000, respectively.
4. VFW Voice of Democracy National Audio Essay
Amount: Up to $35,000
Provider: Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled in high school
Application Requirements: Audio essay
The Voice of Democracy National Audio Essay is sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), a nonprofit organization that advocates for veterans. VFW designed this college scholarship program for lovers of American history and policy. While the exact theme changes each year, the essay prompt always asks students to reflect on a topic like American politics, war history, or the role of veterans in American society. To apply, you’ll have to submit a three- to five-minute audio essay on the topic of the year. (For this year’s topic and detailed submission instructions, check the VFW website.)
5. Doodle for Google
Amount: Up to $30,000
Provider: Google
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in an elementary, middle, or high school
Application Requirements: Work sample
Often catch yourself doodling in the margins of your notes? Put those artistic skills to good use by applying for the Doodle for Google scholarship contest. Open to current students enrolled in grades K-12, this competition evaluates original illustrations for use on Google’s homepage. Top prize winners will receive $30,000 to help pay for their undergraduate studies. Your work will be judged based on its artistic merit, creativity, and how well your drawing communicates your chosen theme.
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6. “Be Bold” No Essay Scholarship
Amount: $25,000
Provider: Bold.org
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
Application Requirements: None
The founders of scholarship platform Bold.org are on a mission to help students tackle the next step of their education without taking on undue student debt. That’s where their “Be Bold” No Essay Scholarship comes in. This scholarship program is open to high school students (and current college students) of all ages. All you have to do to apply is create a profile on Bold.org and fill it out with the facts and perspectives that make you unique. This selection committee won’t look at your GPA or test scores; they only care that your profile is interesting and unique.
7. Live Más Scholarship
Amount: $25,000
Provider: Taco Bell
Eligibility Requirements:
- Ages16 to 26
Application Requirements: Video essay
Taco Bell’s annual Live Más Scholarship isn’t a needs-based or merit-based scholarship; instead, it’s awarded based entirely on passion. To win, applicants must create a video about their personal passion and explain how a college education will help them pursue it. Your video must be between 30 seconds and two minutes. Everything else is up to you. This scholarship is open to high school juniors and seniors, undergrads, and graduate students. As long as you’re younger than 26 years of age, you’re welcome to apply.
8. Eon Essay Contest Award
Amount: Up to $15,000
Provider: Eon
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled in a high school, college, or university
- 13 years of age or older
Application Requirements: Essay
If you’ve always been partial to writing book reports, the Eon Essay Contest Award is for you. Open to a wide range of students (including those in their junior year of high school), this scholarship asks applicants to read a book called The Precipice. You’ll then need to write a 1,200-word essay about a dream piece of technology that could transform the world. If you can’t find the book at your local library, you can reach out to the scholarship provider via their website to get a free copy.
9. Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship
Amount: $10,000
Provider: Prudent Publishing Company
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in a high school, college, or university
- 14 years of age or older
Application Requirements: Work sample
Greeting cards have the power to connect, motivate, and inspire. So does higher education. As an ode to those shared missions, the Prudent Publishing Company founded its Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship to help students earn money toward their college tuition. To enter the contest, submit a piece of original artwork designed to be the front of a greeting card. You could win $10,000 to fund your own education, as well as $1,000 for your school. (Both high school students and undergraduate students are welcome to apply.)
10. Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Amount: Up to $10,000
Provider: John F. Kennedy Library Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in high school
- 20 years of age or younger
Application Requirements: Letter of recommendation, essay
John F. Kennedy was a beloved and courageous American leader. In his honor, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation created its annual high school scholarship, the Profile in Courage Essay Contest. To apply, you’ll write a 700- to 1,000-word essay about an act of political courage by an elected leader between 1917 and today. As you might expect of a library-sponsored essay contest, a little research is required: you must cite a minimum of five sources in your essay. (You’ll also need to include a bibliography as part of your scholarship application.) This selection committee encourages students to choose original subjects. Try researching political leaders from your hometown to discover exciting, untold stories of courage. Going the extra mile could pay off big: the winner will take home $10,000 to put toward their college tuition.
11. Sean Carroll’s Mindscape Big Picture Scholarship
Amount: $10,000
Provider: Sean Caroll
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in a high school, college, or university
Application Requirements: Transcript, essay
Sean Caroll, a physicist, philosopher, and host of the Mindscape podcast, lives to help people understand and appreciate the complexity of our universe. Now, he wants to help students with similar interests pay for their higher education. Open to all current students, the Sean Carroll’s Mindscape Big Picture Scholarship will grant two $10,000 scholarships. To win, you must demonstrate a deep passion for a field that seeks to understand and explain human existence. You’ll have the chance to explain that passion in your essay: simply write 1,500 words on why you think it’s important to comprehend the vastness of our universe.
12. Little Bird Scholarship for LGBTQI Immigrants
Amount: $18,000
Provider: Stonewall Community Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- New York City resident
- Enrolled full-time as a high school junior or senior
- Lack a U.S. citizenship, green card, or F-1 visa
- Identify as LGBTQ+
Application Requirements: Transcript, letter of recommendation, essay
The Little Bird Scholarship for LGBTQI Immigrants is a top scholarship program for current juniors in high school who are not legal residents of the U.S. To apply, you must be both undocumented and identify as LGBTQI. This scholarship award is sponsored by the Stonewall Community Foundation, a non-profit focused on supporting and advocating for anyone who identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ spectrum. The Stonewall Community Foundation also understands that some of these topics and documents might be sensitive; so all materials will be kept confidential, and applicants are not required to provide any information that makes them feel unsafe.
13. KASF Scholarship
Amount: Up to $5,000
Provider: Korean American Scholarship Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Korean or Korean American
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
Application Requirements: Transcript
The Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) is a non-profit organization that exists to help Korean and Korean American students pursue higher education. KASF is organized into seven different chapters, and each one sponsors scholarships for the residents of its corresponding region. The KASF Scholarship is open to currently enrolled, full-time high school students of all ages. The award amount and submission details vary by region. (Students can find information for their region on KASF’s website.)
14. Jameela Jamil x I Weigh Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Provider: Jameela Jamil
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled in a high school, college, or university
Application Requirements: Essay
Jameela Jamil is an actress and activist known for elevating underrepresented voices and supporting radical inclusivity. To extend this mission to the next generation, she’s created the Jameela Jamil x I Weigh Scholarship. Open to students of all ages, the award will give out three $5,000 prizes. To win, applicants must write a compelling essay about a time when they showed up to support a community or individual and the impact that that experience had on them personally. This selection committee puts a premium on originality: applicants are encouraged to include original artwork or other content along with their essay.
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15. National High School Essay Contest
Amount: Up to $2,500
Provider: American Foreign Service Association
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently enrolled as a high school student
Application Requirements: Essay
Interested in government, history, or travel? Then don’t sleep on the National High School Essay Contest. This exciting scholarship opportunity is sponsored by the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), a nonprofit that aids the U.S. Foreign Service (USFS) in its mission to deploy diplomats and support peacemaking around the world. As the USFS gets ready to celebrate its 100th birthday, it’s asking applicants to write about an important event in the past 100 years of American foreign policy. Students’ essays should analyze an event between 1924 and today in fewer than 1,500 words. The author of the winning essay will receive a $2,500 scholarship — as well as full tuition for an AFSA-organized “Semester at Sea” voyage. Winners will also be sent to Washington D.C. (all expenses paid) to meet with a member of the State Department.
16. National Merit Scholarship Program
Amount: Up to $2,500
Provider: National Merit Scholarship Corporation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Currently enrolled in high school
- Have taken the PSAT
Application Requirements: PSAT scores
The National Merit Scholarship Program is one of the best-known scholarship competitions for high school juniors — and one of the most compelling reasons to take the PSAT during your junior year of high school. That’s because anyone who takes the PSAT is automatically entered to win this prestigious award. If you’re interested in being considered, contact your guidance counselor to ensure that your school offers the PSAT (or make other arrangements to take it). The top 50,000 highest PSAT scorers will qualify for recognition. The NMSC will then narrow this pool down to 15,000 finalists. From here, winners will be chosen based upon a students’ PSAT scores, high school grades, recommendations, essays, and resumes. But you don’t have to earn finalist status to benefit: every student who makes it past the first round will be eligible for additional special scholarships.
17. $2,000 Protestant Faith-Based College Scholarship
Amount: $2,000
Provider: The Christian Connector, Inc.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Current high school student
- 13 years or older
- Planning to attend a Protestant faith-based college or university
Application Requirements: None
If you’re a high school student hoping to attend a Christian college or university, the $2,000 Protestant Faith-Based College Scholarship should be on your list. Since winners are chosen via a random drawing, the application process is simple. All you need to do is sign up for Christian Connector, a platform that aggregates information about Christian and Bible colleges, and you’ll automatically be entered to win. High school juniors and other aspiring college students are welcome to apply.
18. SolidEssay Scholarship Essay Contest
Amount: Up to $1,000
Provider: SolidEssay
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
Application Requirements: Essay
The SolidEssay Scholarship Essay Contest is a fun, stress-free scholarship opportunity for students of all grades and achievement levels. There’s no minimum GPA or other eligibility requirements. To apply, you’ll just need to write a 600- to 800-word essay answering one of three prompts. This scholarship selection committee prioritizes originality, creativity, and individuality, so feel free to let loose and be yourself. Write about what makes you different, and express your unique perspective.
19. The Cynthia E. Morgan Memorial Scholarship Fund
Amount: $1,000
Provider: The Cynthia E. Morgan Scholarship Fund
Eligibility Requirements:
- Maryland resident
- Currently enrolled as a high school junior or senior, attending a four-year college or university, or attending a trade school or medical school
- Be the first person in your immediate family to attend higher education
- Planning to enter a medical or medical-related field
Application Requirements: Proof of acceptance/enrollment, essay
The Cynthia E. Morgan Memorial Scholarship Fund is named for a courageous student who lost her life to stomach cancer. The award was designed to assist deserving first-generation college students from Maryland in paying for their higher education. To apply, students should write an essay about their future goals, career plans, and why they’d be an excellent candidate. One deserving student will take home the $1,000 award.
20. The Hamilton Award
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Alexander Hamilton Scholars
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
- Currently enrolled as a high school junior
- Household adjusted gross income of less than $100,000
Application Requirements: Transcript, letter of recommendation, tax returns, SAT and/or ACT scores, essay, list of extracurricular activities, list of honors and awards
The Alexander Hamilton Scholars Program is a five-year, needs-based program that helps high-achieving students transition from high school to college and beyond. The Hamilton Award itself is given out in two installments: $500 at the beginning of the program and $500 at the end of the five years. Hamilton Award recipients will also receive a laptop to help with their studies. To be eligible, students must attend the New York Leader Week in NYC, which is held annually in June (a virtual option will also be made available due to the Covid-19 pandemic.)
21. Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Digital Responsibility
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a high school, college, or university
Application Requirements: Personal statement
Getting a driver’s license is an exciting milestone for many high school sophomores and juniors. But getting behind the wheel comes with a lot of responsibility. To help encourage smart driving habits, Digital Responsibility (a nonprofit created by Silicon Valley executives to educate the public on the impacts of tech) sponsors the annual Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship. To apply, you’ll write a 140-character response to the prompt “I pledge to not text and drive because…” If you’re selected as a finalist, you’ll then be asked to write a 500- to 1000-word essay about texting and driving. From here, one winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship.
22. Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Digital Responsibility
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a high school, college, or university
Application Requirements: Personal statement
According to the Pew Research Center, 95% of teenagers in 2022 have access to a smartphone, and 54% of teens say it would be hard to give up social media. Digital Responsibility wants to talk about our collective obsession with being online and how to fix it. That’s why they sponsor the Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship, which is open to students of all ages. Similar to their scholarship to end texting and driving, the only entry requirement is a 140-character statement answering the following prompt: “Instead of spending time with technology, I’d rather…” One finalist will take home the $1,000 prize.
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23. Patricia W. Edwards Memorial Art Scholarship
Amount: Up to $500
Provider: Rhode Island Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Rhode Island resident
- Currently enrolled as a high school freshman, sophomore, or junior
- Declared interest in visual arts
Application Requirements: Work sample
Sponsored by the Rhode Island Foundation — which aims to strengthen the state of Rhode Island through investments in education — the Patricia W. Edwards Memorial Art Scholarship is given annually to a high school student with an interest in visual arts. The scholarship is designed to fund an art class to further the winner’s practice at a Rhode Island-based arts institution. Note that while artists of all disciplines are welcome to apply, the selection committee prioritizes students interested in painting.
24. Courage to Grow Scholarship
Amount: $500
Provider: CourageToGrowScholarship.com
Eligibility Requirements:
- Minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale
- Currently enrolled as a high school junior or senior
Application Requirements: Essay
Making the leap from high school to college can feel overwhelming, especially if you come from a family with financial need. That’s why the Courage to Grow Scholarship was created. This $500 award helps offset the burden of student loans to enable students to realize their educational dreams. To apply, you’ll write an essay about why you deserve this award and how you’ll put the scholarship money to good use.
25. Going Merry No Essay Scholarship
Amount: $250
Provider: Going Merry
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or planning to enroll in a college or university
Application Requirements: None
Going Merry is an online platform that makes it easier for students to find and apply for scholarships. To further that mission, we’ve created our own scholarship. The Going Merry No Essay Scholarship is given out four times a year, which means you’ll have eight opportunities to win if you start applying as a junior. There’s no essay, and you’ll need to meet very few requirements to apply. After signing up for Going Merry, you’ll answer a few questions to fill out a basic profile. That will both enter you into the scholarship contest, and help you get automatically matched to hundreds of other scholarship opportunities that you’re eligible for. You’ll also gain access to other seasonal Going Merry scholarships, none of which require an essay or specific GPA.
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The college admissions process takes a lot of time and energy. From filling out the FAFSA to preparing for the SAT or ACT, there are a ton of tasks to complete before graduation. The easiest way to reduce stress and set yourself up for success is to get started early.
To that end, it’s best to start applying for scholarships during your junior year of high school. Scholarships can help you avoid student loans, beef up your resume, score internships, and connect you with important organizations. And the best way to find those high-dollar scholarships? Sign up for Going Merry.
At Going Merry, we use your unique profile to find and organize top scholarships that you’re already eligible for. We also help you keep track of application deadlines and allow you to apply for multiple awards at once. Simplify your college application process and scholarship search today by signing up for a free Going Merry account.
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