21 Scholarships for High School Freshmen in 2024

While some freshmen in high school may think that scholarship searches and college applications are just for upperclassmen, there are freshmen in high school that are using their freshman year to prepare for college. There are so many scholarship opportunities out there for students who want to go to college eventually, including scholarships for high school freshmen. High school freshmen should start planning for their future college education, and that includes finding ways to pay for that education. 

About High School Freshman Scholarship

When a person thinks of university students and the college admissions process, they usually imagine high school seniors preparing for college. But high school students, including freshmen, sophomores, and juniors all have the opportunity to start looking for ways to pay for college before their senior year. Senior year of high school is a whirlwind of tasks, to-do lists, and emotions. Students who begin looking before the start of their senior year give themselves an advantage over their peers. They can begin their search without the stress that accompanies senior year, or even junior year, of high school. 

Because high school students early in their high school careers don’t have the pressure of a full senior to-do list, freshman year is the perfect time to start a scholarship search. A financial award search does not have to be stressful, chaotic, or rushed. If a freshman in high school is considering pursuing higher education, they should consider starting their search for financial awards as well. There are no limits to how many scholarships one student can have, and starting the search early will give students the ability to apply to many different scholarship opportunities. 

What are High School Freshman Scholarships?

A scholarship for freshman in high school is an award that only freshmen can apply to, or a scholarship with no specified education level. There are many financial awards out there that will only accept applicants for a specific education level, but there are also awards with no specified education level. Many people know that financial awards exist for graduate students and undergraduate students, and there are lots of award opportunities for upperclassmen high school students. 

But there are so many college scholarships that high school students can apply to as well, and it’s easy to find scholarships when you know what to look for. There are a few things that students should keep in mind when they consider what qualifies as a freshman scholarship.

What Qualifies as a High School Freshman Scholarship?

Typically, a scholarship is a financial award that does not have to be paid back. These financial awards have their own specific set of requirements, like deadlines or other parameters. Scholarships can also be available to students seeking a specific degree, like a science degree or art degree. Scholarships are also financial awards that can have lots of different qualifications. There are some scholarships that will be based on a student’s extracurricular activities, interests, volunteer work, or academic performance. All of these qualifications can be categorized as different types of scholarships, including merit based scholarships, student athlete scholarships, academic scholarships, and more. 

Types of High School Freshman Scholarships Available

There are types of scholarships for every student. There are scholarships based on academic interests, volunteer interests, and personal interests like sports or music. Here are a few examples of many different types of freshman awards available. 

Science Matters Scholarship

The Science Matters Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student interested in science and fascinated by scientific discoveries. To apply, students will need to write about which scientific discovery is their favorite and why. The application deadline is September 14, 2022, and the winner will be announced on October 14, 2022. 

Art Matters Scholarship

The Art Matters Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level. This award is meant for students who are passionate about art. To apply, students will need to share their favorite piece of art and why they’re drawn to it. The deadline to apply is July 14, 2022, and the winner will be announced on August 14, 2022. 

Optimist Scholarship

The Optimist Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who is dedicated to staying optimistic throughout all of life’s trials. To apply, students will need to share how they’ve stayed optimistic during difficult times, and what they have learned by doing so. The deadline to apply is July 14, 2022, and the winner will be announced on August 14, 2022. 

Financial Literacy Scholarship

The Financial Literacy Scholarship is a $500 award for one student at any education level. To apply, students will need to share about a personal finance lesson that has benefited them. The deadline to apply is July 14, 2022, and the winner will be announced on August 14, 2022. 

Climate Changmakers Scholarship

The Climate Changemakers Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level. This award seeks to support students who are passionate about advocating for and protecting the environment for future generations. To apply, students will need to share what they do to benefit the environment in their daily life. The deadline to apply is July 13, 2022, and the winner will be announced on August 13, 2022. 

Mentor Scholarship

The Mentor Scholarship is meant to support students who act as mentors and role models to others. To apply, students need to share how they hope to positively impact the lives of those they mentor. The deadline to apply to this $500 award is July 13, 2022. The winner will be announced on August 13, 2022.

Community Activist Scholarship

The Community Activist Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level. Any student who is passionate about helping their community may apply. To apply, students will need to share what they do in their local community to bring about positive change. The deadline to apply is July 13, 2022, and the winner will be announced on August 13, 2022. 

Learning and Changing Scholarship

The Learning and Changing Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who is dedicated to learning and changing. To apply, students will need to share something they have learned that changed their opinion on something important in their life. The application deadline is July 13, 2022, and the winner will be announced on August 13, 2022. 

Great Books Scholarship

The Great Books Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one study at any education level from any field of study. To apply, students need to share their favorite book and why they love it so much. The deadline to apply is June 30, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 30, 2022.

Caring for Seniors Scholarship

The Caring for Seniors Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who is passionate about caring for senior citizens and improving their lives. To apply, students will need to share one thing they do to make the lives of the elderly people in their community better. The application deadline is June 30, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 30, 2022.

Deep Thinking Scholarship

The Deep Thinking Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who  is passionate about thinking deeply and making a positive impact on the world. To apply, students will need to share which problem they think poses the greatest threat to the world, and one way to work towards fixing it. The deadline to apply is June 25, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 25, 2022.

Financial Freedom Scholarship

The Financial Freedom Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who wants to take a step towards financial freedom by helping lessen their college costs. To apply, students will need to share about the most beneficial piece of financial advice they have ever heard. The deadline to apply is June 25, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 25, 2022. 

Great Minds Scholarship

The Great Minds Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who is passionate about using their mind to the fullest in order to benefit the world. To apply, students will need to share about a historical figure that they admire, and why. The deadline to apply is June 25, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 25, 2022.

Future of Education Scholarship

The Future of Education Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level. To apply, students will need to write about one change to education they believe would positively impact future generations. The application deadline is June 25, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 25, 2022. 

Mental Health Awareness Scholarship

The Mental Health Awareness Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who struggles with mental health or is passionate about helping others who struggle with mental health. The deadline to apply is June 24, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 24, 2022. 

Creativity Scholarship

The Creativity Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level who applies. To apply, students will need to share how they apply creativity in their life. The deadline to apply is June 17, 2022, and the winner will be July 17, 2022.

Generosity Matters Scholarship

The Generosity Matters Scholarship will have five winners, and each winner will receive a $100 award. To apply, students will need to believe in the power of generosity and strive to help those around them whenever they get the chance. The deadline to apply is June 12, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 12, 2022. 

Persistence Scholarship 

The Persistence Scholarship is a $500 award that will be given to one student at any education level. To apply, students will need to share about how they’ve used persistence to overcome obstacles in the past. The deadline to apply is June 12, 2022, and the winner is July 12, 2022. 

Nature Matters Scholarship

The Nature Matters Scholarship will have five winners, and each winner will receive a $100 award. To apply, students will need to share about their love for nature and what they do to show their appreciation for it. The deadline to apply is June 12, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 12, 2022.

Study Strategies Scholarship

The Study Strategies Scholarship will have five winners, and each winner will receive a $100 award. To apply, students will need to share what study strategies they use. This scholarship seeks to reward bright students who use creative methods to study and learn. The deadline to apply is June 12, 2022, and the scholarship winner will be announced on July 12, 2022.

Goals Scholarship

The Goals Scholarship will have five winners, and each winner will receive a $100 award. To apply, students will need to share about their future goals. This scholarship seeks to reward motivated students who have big goals for their lives and are working hard to achieve them. The deadline to apply is June 12, 2022, and the winner will be announced on July 12, 2022. 

These are just a few of the many types of scholarships available for students at any education level. These scholarships range from academic interests to interests in nature and certain perspectives on life. Now freshmen students may wonder where they can look to find financial awards for college.

How to Find High School Freshman Scholarships to Apply for?

There are a few resources that students should look into when they decide it’s time to find ways to pay for college. 

School Counselor

School counselors help high school students with a variety of things regarding college, including the college application process, finding ways to pay for college, and any other topic related to a college search. School counselors can help students by offering insights on the best places to start applying when it comes to ways to pay for college. Counselors will likely have a generic list that they give to all students that ask for help, but they could also offer specific suggestions for a student based on the student’s interests. School counselors may also guide students on how to start earning money for college by performing tasks in the community, like dog walking. Counselors are only one great resource to give students a head start on their financial award search. Students should also consider asking club organizers about scholarships. 

Local Organizations or Clubs

If a student is involved in student sports, they should ask their coaches about any financial awards that are specific to student athletes. The same goes for students that are involved in other school activities, including band, theater, art, photojournalism, computer science, a computer graphic program, or any other on-campus club. If students are more involved in community organizations, they should speak to the directors of these organizations. Whether it be a local animal shelter, a senior citizen home, or a religious organization, there is no harm in asking the directors or supervisors about scholarships. These directors, supervisors, and coaches can also serve as references for students if students ask for letters of recommendation. Directors, supervisors, and coaches will be able to speak on a student’s work ethic, which could be helpful in the application process, depending on the scholarship. 

Online Searches

Performing online searches and looking on reliable websites for scholarships is a common way to find scholarships now. It’s important that students do a little research before filling out applications though, because there are also websites out there that only want to scam students. When searching online, students may want to avoid a broad search of “scholarships” and might want to include things they’re interested in like soccer, volunteering, or living sustainably. If these searches don’t yield a lot of results, students can always edit their searches, or search websites dedicated to providing students with countless scholarship opportunities, like bold.org. Either way, online searches can give students the opportunity to apply to many different financial awards. There are a few things that students should keep in mind for winning scholarships.

Tips for Winning High School Freshman Scholarships

There are a few things that students can do in their scholarship search. Scholarships for high school freshmen are not much different than scholarships for other education levels. Here are a few tips for winning high school awards to pay for college.

Stay Organized

One of the most important things that students can do is stay organized in their search for ways to pay for college, especially as high school freshmen. If a freshman in high school begins a scholarship search, they’ll likely continue searching into their sophomore, junior, and senior years, so it’s essential that they keep all of this information organized. One of the best ways to stay organized is by using a spreadsheet. Students can create one spreadsheet with a few different columns, including scholarship name, scholarship type, organization/place found, when they applied, and section for notes or whether they got the award or not. It’s a simple way to keep all of the important information on hand. Students can also include a column with a link to the scholarship if they found the award online.

Apply Early

Students should also consider applying early. Freshmen can apply early by starting their search as a freshman instead of a junior or senior. Junior year and senior year go by quickly, and if students can anticipate and prepare for the rush of being an upperclassmen by applying to scholarships early, why not? It will take the pressure off of the search for ways to pay for college, even if students only apply to a few scholarships here and there from freshmen year forward. 

Students should also apply early in terms of the award deadline. Students should give themselves plenty of time to read through the scholarship requirements, complete their application, proofread their application, and then rework their application based on their proofreading. When students submit authentic, polished applications, they have a better chance of winning that financial award. If students are rushed while completing and submitting applications at the last minute, they may make careless mistakes that will hinder their chances of receiving awards.

Apply to Many Scholarships

When searching for scholarships for high school freshmen, students should apply to as many scholarships that they can find that are relevant to them and their interests. Students should take the time to apply to awards of various amounts because any scholarship money is money that students can use for college without taking out loans. Any bit of scholarship money helps and adds up, so students should apply for smaller scholarships too. Current high school students will have an idea of what interests them, so they should certainly apply to awards that are relevant to their interests. The more scholarships that students apply to, the better the chance they have of earning scholarship money. 

Consider Attaching Letters of Recommendation

Lastly, students should consider attaching letters of recommendation to their applications. This will give application committees the chance to see students through the eyes of coaches, supervisors, and directors. These letters will speak for students in a way that an application won’t be able to. Letters of recommendation can also be helpful for students as they eventually begin the application process for colleges as well. If students want to use letters of recommendation, it’s important that they give the writers plenty of time to write the letters. Students might also consider giving these writers a student resume to help them write their letters. 

Frequently Asked Questions About High School Freshman Scholarships

Here are a few frequently asked questions about scholarships for high school freshmen.

Are high school freshman scholarships legit?

Yes, these awards are legit. Students can find legit scholarships through a school counselor, a local organization, or online.

How can I improve my chances of winning high school freshman scholarships?

To improve their chances of winning financial awards, students should stay organized, apply early, apply to many scholarships, and consider adding letters of recommendation to their applications. 

How many high school freshman scholarships can you get?

There is no limit to how many financial awards that a high school student can accept.

Are high school freshman scholarships taxable income?

No, scholarships are typically not taxable income.

What’s the best way to apply for high school freshman scholarships?

The best way to apply is for students to speak to their school counselors, talk to coaches and club directors, and perform online searches and use reliable sites dedicated to helping students pay for college.