Scholarships for High School Juniors: A Comprehensive Guide
High school students often believe that scholarship applications are exclusively for seniors. However, many scholarship providers welcome applications from high school juniors. Applying for scholarships as a junior can alleviate the stress of senior year and potentially secure funds for college early.
Why Apply for Scholarships as a Junior?
It's not only worth applying for scholarships as a high school junior, it is strongly recommended. In fact, you can begin even earlier and potentially find some free money for college. Starting early allows you to get ahead of the game. Your senior year of high school will be stressful enough with the college application process. If you can start applying for scholarships in your junior year, you can alleviate some of the burden that you would otherwise face next year. Applying early provides valuable experience. Applying for scholarships can be a daunting process, and there’s often a learning curve involved.
Finding Scholarship Opportunities
There are many resources to help you find scholarships for high school juniors. You can find scholarship opportunities for high school juniors in scholarship directories, or by directly going through non-profit and professional organizations. Ask your high school college counselor if they have any suggestions for finding scholarships as a junior. To make the scholarship application process easier, create a free Fastweb profile. From this you'll be matched to scholarships that fit YOU.
Scholarship Types
Scholarships for the Class of 2027 range from small, school-specific awards to national contests and competitions that give away big scholarship money. These scholarships can be competitive and targeted toward student accomplishments, merit scholarships with eligibility requirements, and financial aid for students that demonstrate financial need. High school junior scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for high school junior students. High school junior scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons.
- Merit Scholarships: These 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 process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself.
- Need-Based Scholarships/Grants: 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. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).
- Career-Specific Scholarships: These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer.
Where to Look
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships.
Read also: Camp Scholarships Guide
Eligibility Requirements
Before you apply for high school junior scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. Because many scholarships are designed for current high school seniors, juniors need to read through scholarship requirements carefully to confirm they are eligible to apply. Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out! Some common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).
Scholarship Examples
Here are some examples of scholarships available to high school juniors:
- ConnectHER Film Festival: Welcomes submissions that focus on issues that affect the lives of women and girls with a special emphasis on amplifying BIPOC voices. Films, be they animated, documentary or narrative, must be related to any of the following themes, all centered around women’s issues: refugees/IDPs, war and conflict, political enfranchisement and power, gender inequality, ending. Amount $5,000 Deadline October 1, 2025
- NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC): Honors 9th-12th grade students who self-identify as women, genderqueer, or non-binary for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Amount $500 Deadline October 28, 2025
- Coolidge Scholarship and the Cameron Impact Scholarship: Provide a full-ride to college and allow high school juniors to apply.
- Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity: A four-year renewable scholarship open to exceptionally innovative and creative high school juniors and does not require a specific major as a qualification to apply.
- Breakthrough Junior Challenge: The Breakthrough Junior Challenge is available to students between the ages of 13 and 18. To take part in the challenge, you must create a two - minute video explaining a big idea in one of the following fields: physics, mathematics, or life sciences. Additionally, you must perform a peer-to-peer review of five other student submissions. Your film entry can take any form you like: animation, talking head, documentary, dramatic reconstruction, etc.
- Fastweb Scholarship: What's your scholarship application goal? Let us know for a chance to win a $1,250 scholarship! New semester, fresh start! Your future is now, and your finish line-whether high school graduation, trade school completion, or earning your college or advanced degree-is getting closer each day. To enter, you must be a Fastweb member.
- The Atlas Class $1,000 Scholarship: The Atlas Class $1,000 Scholarship is available to students who are 14 years of age or older.
- Sustainability Essay Contest: The Sustainability Essay Contest is open to high school juniors and seniors. You must submit an essay on a sustainable construction - related topic and have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be considered for this award.
- United States Senate Youth Program: The United States Senate Youth Program is open to outstanding high school juniors and seniors who are interested in pursuing careers in public service. Recipients of this award will serve as delegates to Washington Week in Washington D.C in March. During Washington Week, the student delegates meet and learn from the highest level elected and appointed officials in Washington.
- Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition: The Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition is open to high school students.
- G2 Overachievers Student Grant: The G2 Overachievers Student Grant is available to middle and high school honor roll students between the ages of 13 and 19.
- Huntington Learning Center College Scholarship Sweepstakes: The Huntington Learning Center College Scholarship Sweepstakes is available to high school students who are 14 years of age and older. To be considered for this award, you must text a four - digit code to the sponsor and opt - in to text messages.
- Profile in Courage Essay Contest: The Profile in Courage Essay Contest is open to high school students. elected official who served during or after 1917.
- Christophers High School Poster Contest: The Christophers High School Poster Contest is open to high school students. To enter, you must create a 16" x 20" poster that illustrates the idea that one person can change the world for the better, and includes the following statement: "You can make a difference." The poster concept, design, and any photos or artwork used must be the original work of the student entering the competition.
- Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest: The Create-A-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest is open to students who are at least 14 years of age. To enter, you must submit an original design for a Christmas card, holiday card, birthday card, or all - occasion greeting card.
- Carson Scholars Program: The Carson Scholars Program is open to students in grades four through eleven. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.75 and display humanitarian qualities through community service to be eligible for this award. Interested students MUST be nominated by an educator at their school. Only one student from each school is able to apply.
- American Legion National Oratorical Contest: The American Legion National Oratorical Contest is open to junior high and high school students who are under the age of 20 and are citizens or lawful permanent residents of the United States. Constitution, with emphasis on a citizen's duties and obligations to our government. Each state winner certified into and participating in the first round of the national contest receives a $2,000 scholarship.
Strategies for Success
- Organization is Key: Next, start organizing all the scholarships you find and use a spreadsheet or calendar to track the deadlines.
- Meet Deadlines: Don’t wait until the last minute to apply for scholarships, no matter how busy you are. If you do, you’re more likely to have typos or basic errors in your application. Stay on top of the scholarship deadlines and keep applying.
- Apply Widely: The more you apply for, the better your odds. Even small scholarships are worth applying to, because they are less likely to have a huge influx of candidates.
- Tailor Your Application: If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won.
- Prepare for Interviews: Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you.
- Don't Give Up: Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college.
Common Questions and Misconceptions
- Do I need to know my major? You don't necessarily need to know what you want to major in to apply for scholarships as a high school junior. However, some scholarships are only given to students who are committed to a specific academic major.
- Do I need to know which college I'm attending? You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships.
- Are essays always required? Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay-different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
- Is it worth applying for smaller scholarships? Absolutely yes, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money.
Read also: Benefits of NSHSS Scholarships
Read also: Scholarship Guide
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