Scholarships for High School Seniors 2024/2025

The great thing about scholarships is, the money earned through them does not have to be paid back.

Because of that fact, most students make the mistake of waiting until the very end of their senior year in high school, not later, and miss out on so many great opportunities.

It’s best to begin as early in the year as possible for maximum success.

But don’t panic, even if you’re a little late to the party, as there are scholarships for high school seniors that are available and open throughout the whole school year, and even over the summer after you graduate.

If you are completely new even relatively new to the scholarship space, that’s okay! From experience, we understand finding and applying for scholarships can be an overwhelming process. That’s why, in this post, we make it easy to find scholarships for high school students of all kinds and link you directly to where you need to go to get those applications submitted!

Read Also: 2025 Erasmus Mundus Scholarship To Study In Europe | Fully Funded

How to find Scholarships for High School Seniors

Many resources are available that can help you find high school senior scholarships.

Scholarship resources

1. The financial aid office at a college or career school
2. Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
3. Federal agencies
4. Free scholarship search engines, like Scholarship Search by Sallie
Local libraries, businesses, or associations

Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try searching for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”

Read Also: bright futures scholarship requirements 2024-2025

Types of scholarships available for high school seniors

Need-based scholarships

These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government and specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.

Merit scholarships

Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid-highly selective schools typically don’t. The application process for merit scholarships differs depending on the source. At the colleges and universities that provide merit scholarships, you often don’t have to take any extra steps beyond applying to the institution itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.

Career-specific grants or scholarships

These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a particular industry. Perhaps they know they want to teach, become a nurse, or be an engineer. Students seeking grants need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). To locate the business-specific scholarships search for major and “association.”

Community or nonprofit scholarships

Non-profit and community groups frequently obtain funding from donors to establish scholarship funds for their students in need.

Tips for Successful Scholarships for High School Seniors

• Gather everything you need to apply, including transcripts, so you can send in a complete scholarship application.
• You will want one or several letters of recommendation to apply for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or anyone else who can recommend you—and give them ample time to write the letter.
• If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience.
• A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can pay off.
  Highlight strengths and achievements on your application.
• Discuss your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money toward if you won. How would it help?
• Have to interview for a scholarship? Wear a professional outfit. And do some research! Research how and why this particular scholarship came to be.
• Try and bring up in conversation why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterward.
• Keep a running list of the scholarships you are applying for and their deadlines. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
• Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you go on with your studies, getting more experience and trying out different extracurricular activities at college, you might become qualified for more scholarships that you weren’t qualified for originally.