Scholarships for High School Juniors
Looking for scholarships for high school juniors? You’re in the right place! 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 for high school juniors. 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 scholarships for high school juniors just like you.
- Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship
- “Be Bold” No Essay Scholarship
- Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
- Altruism + All Good Deeds Scholarship
- Wizeprep USA High School Scholarship
- Ocean Awareness Contest
- LifeSmart Scholarship
- Breakthrough Junior Challenge
- ACF Visionary Scholarship
- $1,000 All Star Verified Scholarship
- Building Bridges Scholarship
- Act of Kindness Scholarship
- Aaliyah Lee Scholarship
- National Merit Scholarship Program
- Ayn Rand “Atlas Shrugged” Novel Essay Contest
- Ayn Rand “The Fountainhead” Essay Contest
- Ayn Rand “Anthem” Essay Contest
Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Access Scholarships
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be 13 years old or older.
- Must be a current full-time high school, college, or graduate school student.
- Must be a US resident, DACA or undocumented student, or an international student currently studying in the US.
Application Requirements: None
The “Too Cool to Pay for School” scholarship is part of Access Scholarship’s contribution to helping students save money for higher education. The scholarship can be used to cover education-related expenses such as tuition, textbooks, housing, technology, and other fees.
To apply, simply enter your info into the form and cross your fingers – it’s as easy as that. Click on the link below to apply based on the time of year.
Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship – Spring (March deadline)
Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship – Summer (June deadline)
Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship – Fall (September deadline)
Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship – Winter (December deadline)
“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 the 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.
Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholars
Eligibility Requirements:
- Any 9th-12th grade student, undergraduate or graduate student is eligible
- Must be over the age of 13
- Must be a legal resident of the United States
- Must be attending school within the United States
Application Requirements: Essay
For many students the biggest obstacle to higher education is money. The Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship Program aims to help remove this obstacle by providing deserving students of all ages with scholarships that can be used to pay for college or graduate school. The first scholarship was awarded in 2001 and since then the scholarship program has been awarding money to help students pay for school-high school juniors included.
Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship – Spring
Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship – Fall
Altruism + All Good Deeds Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: National Parent Volunteer Association (NPVA)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Be currently enrolled or plan to be enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited U.S. college or university. Vocational/technical, two-year, four-year, or graduate institutions are eligible
- Be a high school junior or senior, undergraduate student, or graduate student
- Have a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 system
- Participate in volunteer work and community service
Application Requirements: Short Essay
The Altruism + All Good Deeds Scholarship helps students who are involved in their communities. Each year NPVA offers merit-based scholarships for students who are committed to volunteering and making a difference in their communities. Our scholarships are open to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Wizeprep USA High School Scholarship
Amount: $500
Provider: Wizeprep
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be a current high school student (any age).
- Must attend high school in the United States.
Application Requirements: No-Essay
The Wizeprep USA High School Scholarship is a $500 scholarship for students currently enrolled in an American high school. Students in any year (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors) are eligible, and there is no GPA requirement.
Ocean Awareness Contest
Amount: $1,500
Provider: Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs, Inc.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Ages 11-18
Application Requirements: Essay and short answer question
The annual Ocean Awareness Contest is a platform for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication, explore their relationship to a changing world, and become advocates for positive change. Students ages 11-18 from around the world are invited to participate. Your voices, visions, and stories of hope are needed to help transform the world.
Each year brings a different creative prompt – check out the themes for this year!
LifeSmart Scholarship
Amount: Monthly stipend of $200 or more for one year
Provider: LifeSmart Education
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must have an interest in science or social science.
- Demonstrate diligent effort in your work
- Actively participate in community services and other volunteer activities to help those in need
- Must be between 12 and 17 years old.
Application Requirements: Essay
The LifeSmart Scholarship supports high school students aged 12-17 who are interested in science or the social sciences. Award winners receive a monthly stipend and academic guidance to prepare them for future studies and enable them to put into practice what they learn. Winners are not selected based on academic or sports excellence. LifeSmart Education focuses on students who are deeply committed to learning and displaying initiative.
Still looking for scholarships for high school juniors? Keep going! Don’t forget to check out these tips for winning scholarships!
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Amount: Up to $250,000
Provider: Breakthrough Prize Foundation
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be between the ages of 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. 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.
ACF Visionary Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Provider: American College Foundation (ACF)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a high school student.
Application Requirements: Essay
The American College Foundation welcomes all students in 9th- 12th grade to apply for the ACF Visionary Scholarship. Students must submit their most recent unofficial high school transcript and write a 500-word essay that covers the following topic: “Why college is important to me.”
ACF Visionary Scholarship – Fall (December 1 deadline)
ACF Visionary Scholarship – Spring (June 1 deadline)
$1,000 All Star Verified Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: Verified Scholarships
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a current high school, college, or graduate student. Or, applicant must be a parent of a high school or college student.
Application Requirements: Essay
Verified Scholarships designed this scholarship to help students pay for college and it may be used to pay for tuition or any related fees such as room and board. This is a merit-based scholarship and financial need is not considered. The first prize is $1,000. To apply for the scholarship you must complete an online application and respond to an essay prompt. Note: if you are a parent, you are welcome to apply but you must be the parent or legal guardian of a current college-bound high school or college student.
$1,000 All Star Verified Scholarship – Winter (April 30th deadline)
$1,000 All Star Verified Scholarship – Fall (December 31st deadline)
$1,000 All Star Verified Scholarship – Summer (August 31st deadline)
Are you needing help writing scholarship essays? Take a look at the top 10 scholarship essay prompts and how to answer them.
Building Bridges Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: National Parent Volunteer Association (NPVA)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be currently enrolled or plan to be enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited U.S. college or university. Vocational/technical, two-year, four-year, or graduate institutions are eligible.
- Applicant must be a high school junior or senior, undergraduate student, or graduate student.
- Applicant must have a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- Applicant must be involved in their community.
Application Requirements: Short Essay
The Building Bridges Scholarship helps students who are involved in their communities. Each year, NPVA offers merit-based scholarships for students who are committed to volunteering and making a difference in their communities. Applicants must write a 150-word essay in response to a prompt. In your essay, describe any community of which you are a part including school, neighborhood, ethnic, or other.
Act of Kindness Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: National Parent Volunteer Association (NPVA)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be currently enrolled or plan to be enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited U.S. college or university. Vocational/technical, two-year, four-year, or graduate institutions are eligible.
- Applicant must be a high school junior or senior, undergraduate student, or graduate student.
- Applicant must have a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale.
- Applicant must be committed to helping others in their school or community.
Application Requirements: Short Essay
The Act of Kindness Scholarship supports students who are committed to helping others in their schools or communities. Applicants must write a 150-word essay in response to a prompt. In your response, you might address what inspired you to be kind or what impact your act has had on others. The act of kindness may be a one-time occasion or a series of ongoing actions.
Aaliyah Lee Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Provider: National Parent Volunteer Association (NPVA)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be currently enrolled or plan to be enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited U.S. college or university. Vocational/technical, two-year, four-year, or graduate institutions are eligible.
- Applicant must be a high school junior or senior, undergraduate student, or graduate student.
- Applicant must have a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 scale.
Application Requirements: Short Essay
The Aaliyah Lee Scholarship honors the memory of Aaliyah Lee who committed herself to the educational opportunities of her children. Applicants must write a 150-word essay in response to a prompt. You’re encouraged to be specific with an example or anecdote from your own life about the importance of education instead of writing generally about education.
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.
Ayn Rand “Atlas Shrugged” Novel Essay Contest
Amount: $3,000
Provider: The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a high school, undergraduate, and graduate student.
- Applicant must have a solid understanding of Ayn Rand’s novel, Atlas Shrugged. (A free e-book is available on the application page.)
Application Requirements: Essay
The Atlas Shrugged novel essay contest is for students with a passion for reading and writing. Applicants must review a prompt and write an 800-1,600-word essay in which they analyze and make an argument about an aspect or plot point of Atlas Shrugged, a popular classic novel by Ayn Rand.
Ayn Rand “The Fountainhead” Essay Contest
Amount: $3,000
Provider: The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a high school student.
- Applicant must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophical meaning of Ayn Rand’s novel, The Fountainhead.
Application Requirements: Essay
Have you ever read one of Ayn Rand’s thought-provoking novels? Now’s the time! Enter an Ayn Rand Institute essay contest and you’ll have a chance to win thousands of dollars in scholarship prize money. Write about Ayn Rand’s novel The Fountainhead for a chance to win. The contest is free to enter and is open to all students in 8th through 12th grade.
Ayn Rand “Anthem” Essay Contest
Amount: $2,000
Provider: The Ayn Rand Institute (ARI)
Eligibility Requirements:
- Applicant must be a high school student.
- Applicant must demonstrate an outstanding grasp of the philosophical meaning of Ayn Rand’s novel, Anthem.
Application Requirements: Essay
ARI has been holding worldwide essay contests based on Ayn Rand’s fiction since 1985! Write about Ayn Rand’s novel Anthem for a chance to win up to $2,000 in scholarship prizes. The contest is free to enter and is open to all students in 8th through 12th grade.
Get matched to scholarships with Going Merry
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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