It’s almost a general idea that most students who have just finished high school want to continue their education and get their college degree. However, most of the time, these students cannot, even though they are qualified, because college fees are too high. So due to high college fees, many individuals with high talents find themselves dropouts and they struggle to pay their daily bills through manual work.
The idea of this piece, therefore, is to provide a variety of scholarships for college, as well as a few guidelines on how to get scholarships in high school or college. In other words, providing a means for salvaging the great numbers of talents and brains that go to waste every year.
Having said this, let us explore the various scholarships available for college.
Scholarships in High School 2024/2025
1. University of Sunderland Tuition Fee Subsidization
This is for international students at Sunderland, and here, there’s no need to apply for this award! It will be automatically discounted from your school fees and reflected in your conditional offer letter. Undergraduates can save between €1400 and €900 on tuition fees. This reduction in tuition fees is for students who will start their studies in September, October, and November 2024, as well as January, February, April, and June 2025.
2. Wealth by Health Steps for Change Scholarship
This scholarship is an income- and merit-based scholarship that is awarded to high school seniors applying to a college or university to further their career goals. The applicant should be a high school senior from a low-income family. It aims to support students with a commitment to community service and leadership. Applicant must have legal U.S. status and should be a current high school senior applying to or accepted by a college university. The applicant’s household income must be less than $55,000. The application should be completed before May 3rd, 2025.
3. Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Due to the generosity of an anonymous donor, The Vegetarian Resource Group each year will award college scholarship money to graduating U.S. high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their schools and/or communities. Three awards will be given. Entries may only be sent by students graduating from high school in the spring, and winners of the scholarship give permission to release their names to the media. The deadline is on February 20, 2025.
4. The Gates Scholarship (TGS)
This is a highly selective scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households The scholars receive funding for the full cost of attendance that is not covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution. This includes tuition, fees, room, board, books, and transportation, and may include other personal costs. The applicant must be from one of the following ethnicities: African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander American, and/or Hispanic American. The student must be pell-eligible and a U.S. citizen, a national, or permanent resident. The deadline is September 15th, 2024
5. Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program
The Applicants should submit the Florida Financial Aid Application (FFAA) before or on August 31st, after high school graduation. This program establishes lottery-funded scholarships to reward Florida high school graduates for high academic performance. The amount to be won varies. The applicant must be a Florida resident and a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen as determined by the student’s post-secondary institution.
6. University of Minnesota National Scholarship
This scholarship is for students of any state across the US, excluding Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The incoming freshmen are considered for academic scholarships based on an overall assessment of the application for admission. Full consideration for academic scholarships is given to students who submit a complete application for freshmen admission by either the Early Action (November 1) or Regular (January 1) application deadlines. The recipients must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or eligible under the Minnesota Dream Act.
7. Future Clinicians Scholarship
This Scholarship aims to empower underrepresented students in the health professions, fostering their professional development, community service, and research engagement. This scholarship is intended for students pursuing MD, DO, MSW, DDS, PharmD, graduate-level nursing, or physician-assistant degrees. It is renewable for up to 4 years, if eligible, and awards $5,000 annually. The applicants must demonstrate leadership potential and a commitment to research addressing health problems in medically underserved communities.
8. University of Miami Ronald A. Hammond Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who have demonstrated academic excellence and who intend to continue their academic pursuits through graduate education. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. A Hammond Scholar must complete a full-time undergraduate program of study with no fewer than 12 credit hours during each fall and 24 credit hours per academic year. A minimum of 3.0 GPA for the academic year must be maintained at the University of Miami, with the initial calculation at the end of the second semester of attendance.
9. Golden Door Scholars
This awards large scholarships to high-performing students with DACA, TPS, or undocumented students who meet the newly expanded eligibility criteria. Strong preference will be given to applicants who have high financial needs and are interested in pursuing one of the following career paths: software engineering, nursing, data analytics, business analytics, or digital marketing. Applicants must have a minimum of 3.0 GPA and must be able to demonstrate significant financial need. Applications run from the beginning of August until October 1, 2024.
10. NMF Need-Based Scholarships
Established to help address the rising costs of obtaining a medical degree, this need-based scholarship will provide $10,000 awards to fifty 3rd and 4th-year students underrepresented in medicine who are enrolled in a U.S. accredited (MD/DO) program for the coming academic year. Applicants must demonstrate their financial need by submitting their Financial Aid information, Student Aid Report, and any other appropriate financial documents for consideration. Applicants must also comment on how this scholarship would help to relieve the burden of tuition and living expenses, as well as advance their professional development.
11. University of Alabama Out-of-State Merit Scholarships
As a first-time freshman applying for this scholarship, you must apply for admission and provide an official high school transcript. Additionally, you could submit official ACT or SAT scores, but this is optional. The deadline for application is November 1, 2024. The awards available vary.
12. Chalik & Chalik Cancer Survivors Scholarship
Deadline: August 15, 2024
Worth: $1000
High School Seniors, College & Graduate Students with minimum GPA of 3.0
13. Confident Writers Scholarship-Essay Contest
Deadline: August 8, 2024
Worth: $300-$700
Eligibility: All grade levels
14. Designli Empowering Women in Tech Essay Scholarship
Deadline: November 30, 2024
Worth: $3000
Eligibility: female high school seniors, undergraduates, and graduate students who are U.S. citizens
15. Maryland State Delegate Scholarship
Deadline: March 1, 2025
Worth: Up to $29,600
Eligibility: Current High School Seniors
16. Sullivan Deckard Scholarship Opportunity Program
Deadline: Application deadline is rolling
Worth: Varies
Eligibility: Incoming Cleveland State University Student who is a foster care child within the 17–20 age gap
17. Hathaway Scholarship
Deadline: Awarded Automatically by College
Worth; $800-$1600
Eligibility: High School student
18. Oregon Chafee Education and Training Grant
Deadline: Quarterly
Worth: Up to $5000
Eligibility: Foster Care Child between age of 14-25 and is a U.S. citizen/permanent resident.
19. Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing
Time : Reopens July 2025
Worth: $1000
Eligibility: High School Juniors and Seniors.
20. Edward T. Conroy Memorial Scholarship Program
Time: Reopens July 2025
Worth: (1) $1000
Eligibility: High School Senior, College and Graduate Students Academic Interest in Biology, Marine Biology, Neurobiology, Entomology and Oncology.
21. Project Yellow Light Scholarship
Deadline: Varies
Worth: $2000 – $8000
Eligibility: High School Upperclassmen and College Student.
22. Joan Myers Brown Equity Scholarship
Deadline: Biannual
Worth: Varies
Eligibility: High School or College Student who is an intermediate to advanced dancer
23. YoungArts Competition
Deadline: October 17, 2024
Worth: $250 – $1000
Eligibility: High School Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors. 15-18 year old
24. UCHICAGO Evans Scholarship By – University of Chicago
Deadline: October 15, 2024
Worth: Full funding for Both Housing and Tuition
Eligibility: High School Senior or College Freshman from Low income family having experience of being a golf caddie and wanting to attend/attending University of Chicago
25. NSHSS Nobel Good Earth Sustainability Scholarship
Deadline: August 15, 2024
Worth: (5) $2,000 awards
Eligibility: NSHSS high school or college members of all levels
26. Global Perspective Scholarship
Deadline: August 25, 2024
Worth: $1000 ($250 for four winners)
Eligibility: High school or College Student attending an accredited College or University in 2024
27. Annual Video Contest Scholarship
Deadline: October 31, 2024
Worth: $500 – $1000
Eligibility: U.S. citizen, All grade levels
28. Sustainability Essay Contest
Deadline: October 1, 2024
Worth: $250-$1000
Eligibility: High School Senior in U.S. with verifiable overall B/3.0 GPA in high school coursework
29. “Be Bold”-No Essay Scholarship Offered by bold.org
Deadline: September 2, 2024
Worth: $25,124 for one winner
Eligibility: Any education level
30. TrophyCentral Sportsmanship Scholarship Award
Deadline: September, 2024
Awards Worth: $1000
Eligibility: High school senior in U.S.
Limitations of Scholarships for College
Just like everything else that’s good and helps individuals, scholarships tend to be scarce. These are some limitations that may influence their efficiency in decreasing financial hindrances to education:
- Limited Availability And High Competition: A significant drawback is the short supply and intense rivalry for scholarships. Because there are too few scholarships compared to the increasing pool of candidates, some deserving learners may not get any financial assistance at all. Thus, not every worthy or underprivileged student can take advantage of these funding sources, with which they would have been able to further their studies and attain professional qualifications.
- The Importance Of Awareness And Application Support: Numerous students and their families do not know about the multiple scholarships available for college or how they can apply for them. In addition, it can be difficult to apply for the ones available because the application procedures take up a lot of time; hence, students need resources as well as support in order to succeed in making proper applications. Without enough assistance, several deserving learners could miss out on funding opportunities.
- Potential Gaps: Not all financial needs may be covered. While they can significantly reduce the cost of education, other expenses such as accommodation, books, and living expenses may still pose a financial burden. This gap can limit the overall effectiveness of scholarships in removing financial barriers, as students may still struggle to cover these additional costs.
Tips for overcoming these limitations
- Strive to maintain initial eligibility as of the time of application.
- Be aware of the kind of scholarship you applied for and discern whether it’s the type that needs to be renewed or not. If it’s the renewable type, be sure to keep a record and your reminders on so that you can reapply on time.
- Try to participate more in community services and outreaches related to the scholarship you are looking to apply for
- Early application is very crucial. Make up your mind on time and apply as soon as possible!
- Research more, to discover the multiple scholarships for college available so that you can make the best choice from a wide range of choices.
- Always keep yourself updated on the recent developments of the scholarship you applied for to know if you’re still eligible or to know things that need to be done to maintain eligibility.
Conclusion
Scholarships play a significant role in connecting the floating college prices with students’ monetary abilities. They are important since they help bright but needy students have access to higher education.
However, there are various challenges, like limited availability of scholarships, high competition, and complex application processes which limit their scope. This article therefore provides some active scholarships still available and also some guidelines on how to access and maintain these Scholarships for college.
