Scholarships for 8th Graders Entering High School: A Comprehensive Guide
Planning for college can seem daunting, especially when considering the financial aspect. However, it's never too early to start exploring funding opportunities. While many scholarships target graduating high school seniors and college undergraduates, a significant number are also available for younger students, including those in middle school preparing to enter high school. These scholarships are independently funded and designed to reward scholastic ability and extracurricular activities, often taking the form of contests where students are awarded scholarships based on their performance.
Why Start Early?
Families that successfully navigate the complexities of college funding often approach the process as a unit, starting early to maximize their options. The search for scholarships can be a part-time job in itself, so initiating the process early can be highly beneficial. Starting the search when your child is even younger, such as in elementary or middle school, can open doors to unique opportunities.
Early Scholarship Opportunities
Even at a young age, children can participate in national-level contests. For example, the Doodle for Google competition encourages children to design a Google logo based on a specific theme. As students enter middle school, even more opportunities for early scholarships become available, particularly those that encourage students to pursue careers in STEM fields or recognize excellence in writing through essay competitions.
It's crucial to involve your child in the scholarship search process and explore opportunities within your local community. Regularly checking local newspapers and hometown blogs can uncover hidden gems.
Important Considerations for Early Scholarships
When relying on early scholarship searches, it's essential to understand how the funds are disbursed. Some scholarship providers may contact the student closer to their college entry and issue a check to the school they attend. Others may provide a specific timeframe for using the scholarship, while some have stipulations regarding the type of institution where the money can be used.
Read also: Camp Scholarships Guide
Featured Scholarship Programs for Middle School Students
Here are some notable scholarship programs designed for middle school students:
The Christopher Columbus Awards: This national STEM program challenges middle school students to identify a problem in their community and use the scientific method to develop and implement a solution. Winning team members receive a $2,000 savings bond for their college fund.
Doodle for Google Competition: Open to students in grades K-12, this competition asks children to design a Google logo based on a predetermined topic. National finalists in each grade division (K-3, 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12) receive a $5,000 scholarship for college.
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes: This prize is awarded to 25 students aged 8 to 18 who have positively impacted their community and the environment. The award criteria focus on environmental issues related to people and their communities.
Kohl’s Kids Who Care Scholarship Program: Students aged 6 to 18 involved in community service can be nominated for this scholarship by an adult aged 21 or older. Ten national winners are chosen each year, each receiving a $5,000 scholarship.
Read also: Benefits of NSHSS Scholarships
National Geographic Geography Bee: This international contest promotes geography education in grade schools worldwide and is open to 8th graders at participating schools.
Letters About Literature: This national reading comprehension and essay writing competition, sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, is open to students in grades 4-12. Contestants write a letter to a famous author discussing how the author's work has impacted their life.
MATHCOUNTS: This national competition for middle school students in grades 6-8 takes the form of a spelling bee, with contestants answering increasingly difficult math questions. The national champion receives an $8,000 scholarship for college.
Additional Scholarship Opportunities
Beyond the featured programs, numerous other scholarship competitions benefit younger students with college aspirations. Students and parents should consult with middle school and high school counselors for information on eligible programs and competitions.
Here are some additional scholarship and award programs to consider:
Read also: Scholarship Guide
- Action for Nature: Youth Eco-Hero Scholarship is available to students between the ages of eight and 16 who exhibit environmental activism.
- Appily Easy College Money Scholarship: Scholarship is open to students 13 years of age or older who will be attending college in the future.
- Brighterly Math Equity Scholarship: Aims to help children in difficult financial situations build strong math foundations and advanced skills.
- Carson Scholars Program: Open to students in grades four through eleven with a minimum GPA of 3.75 and demonstrated humanitarian qualities.
- Directing Change Program and Student Film Contest: Contest is open to middle school and high school students and youth between the ages of 12 and 25 years of age from the state of California.
- EngineerGirl Writing Contest: Inspires children to think and show how engineers create a better world through artwork.
- Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes: Celebrates young people with leadership skills who have implemented projects to help others or the environment.
- Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program: Awards financial aid to promising 7th grade students based on merit.
- Joan Myers Brown Equity Scholarship: Offers financial aid for dance programs to support those who have historically faced restrictions in accessing equitable dance education.
- Junior Scholars Essay Contest: Invites students in grades 6 to 8 to wrestle with big questions and make their case with creativity and evidence.
- Lumiere Junior Explorer Program: A program for middle school students to work one-on-one with a mentor to explore their academic interests and build a project they are passionate about.
- Ocean Awareness Art Contest: Aims to inspire students to think about the importance of the ocean and display its role through art, writing, performance, film, or multimedia.
- Paradigm Challenge Student Contest: Invites students aged 4 to 18 from around the globe to engage in an ongoing competition that seeks their kindness, creativity, and collaborative spirit to address and solve real-world problems.
- Prudential Emerging Visionaries Program: Designed to recognize and reward young individuals between the ages of 14 and 18 who possess the foresight and initiative to drive positive changes within their communities.
- Rubincam Youth Award: Aims to recognize the next generation of young historians among the youth.
- Scholastic Art & Writing Scholarships: Provide a great opportunity for you if you are in grades 7 through 12, to showcase your creative talents in a wide range of artistic and literary categories.
- StudentCam: An annual competition where students can submit a short documentary video that shows critical thinking about a topic affecting the community or the nation.
- The Brighterly math and reading learning platform: Offers math-specific easy scholarships for middle school students.
- World of 8 Billion Student Video Contest: Invites students to create a short video of no more than one minute that addresses a pressing question related to how human population growth affects the world.
Tips for Finding and Applying for Scholarships
- Start Early: Begin your scholarship search as early as possible to maximize your options.
- Involve Your Child: Make the scholarship search a family affair and involve your child in the process.
- Check Local Resources: Explore opportunities within your local community, such as local newspapers and blogs.
- Understand Scholarship Requirements: Carefully review the eligibility criteria, application deadlines, and disbursement methods for each scholarship.
- Highlight Your Strengths: Focus on scholarships that align with your child's interests, talents, and achievements.
- Be Organized: Use a spreadsheet or calendar to track scholarship deadlines and application requirements.
- Think Outside the Box: Don't be afraid to explore unique scholarships that are specific to your child's hobbies, interests, and background.
- Apply Often: Consistency and dedication are key to success in the scholarship process.
- Seek Guidance: Consult with middle school and high school counselors for information on eligible programs and competitions.
High School Scholarship Opportunities
While this article focuses on scholarships for 8th graders, it's also helpful to be aware of scholarship opportunities available during high school. Many students begin their serious scholarship search during their junior year.
Here are some scholarships for high school students:
- Access Scholarships Search Engine: An awesome resource with tons of scholarships for high school seniors.
- AFSA National High School Essay Contest: Open to high school students.
- American Legion National Oratorical Contest: Open to junior high and high school students who are under the age of 20.
- Cameron Impact Scholarship: Available to high school juniors.
- Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest: Open to students who are at least 14 years of age.
- Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program: Assists high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives.
- Huntington Learning Center College Scholarship Sweepstakes: Available to high school students who are 14 years of age and older.
- International Young Eco-Hero Award: Available to students between the ages of eight and 16 who exhibit environmental activism.
- Optimist International Essay Contest: Open to students who are under the age of 19.
- President Gerald R. Ford Student Writing Challenge: Open to high school students.
- Project Yellow Light Video Contest Scholarship: Available to high school juniors and seniors and full-time undergraduate students.
- Stossel in the Classroom Essay Contest: Open to middle and high school students.
- The Christophers High School Poster Contest: Open to high school students.
- The MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge: Open to high school juniors and seniors.
- The We The Future Contest: Open to high school and college students.
- United States Senate Youth Program: A scholarship for high school seniors (and juniors!) holding elected student offices.
Examples of Scholarship Programs for High School Students
- GE Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program: This program honors the legacy of President Ronald Reagan, offering a renewable scholarship of \$10,000 for up to 4 years.
- Live Más Scholarship: Taco Bell's scholarship program contributes \$5,000 - \$25,000 to students' higher education goals.
- Ted & Holly Rollins Scholarship: This scholarship offers \$5,000 to college-bound high school seniors with big dreams.
- Profile in Courage Essay Contest: High school students can participate in this contest and win between \$500 - \$3,000.
- Edison Scholars Program: This program offers \$40,000 scholarships to 30 high school seniors planning to pursue STEM degrees at 4-year colleges and universities.
- Technology Addiction Awareness Scholarship: The winner of this scholarship receives \$1,000.
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund: Open to high school seniors who have at least one parent with Hispanic heritage, this scholarship awards up to \$25,000.
- Elks National Foundation Scholarship: \$4,000 four-year scholarships available for children and grandchildren of Elks in good standing.
- P.L.A.Y. Scholarship: This scholarship gives \$1,500 to high school students who promoted vegetarianism (includes veganism) in their schools and/or communities.
- Horatio Alger National Scholarship Program: Open to US high school students with critical financial need, this scholarship awards \$25,000.
- The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and The Sallie Mae Fund: These offer financial assistance to outstanding students.
- Rover Scholarship: This scholarship awards \$2,500 to help fund education.
- Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship: The winner of this scholarship receives \$1,000.
- Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship Program: An undergraduate scholarship program available to high-achieving high school seniors with financial need who seek to attend and graduate from the nation’s best four-year colleges and universities, this scholarship awards \$40,000 per year.
- National Honor Society Scholarship: The National Honor Society is committed to helping students achieve their secondary education goals.
- Nerd Scholar Scholarship: A serious 2-for-1 scholarship for high school students interested in computer science, this scholarship awards \$40,000.
- Access Scholarship: This scholarship is Access Scholarship's opportunity created just for high school students and awards \$1,000.
- C-CAP Scholarship: Applicants must be a senior in a C-CAP designated partner high school in Arizona; Prince George’s County, Maryland; Tidewater, Virginia; or the cities of Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, or Washington, DC.
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