50+ Scholarships for College Students to Apply for in 2023

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    Introduction: Scholarships for College Students

    In the spirit of it being a NEW YEAR, I have compiled a list of awesome free scholarships for college students to apply for all throughout 2023.

    These scholarships vary in terms of eligibility and area of study. All of the opportunities you'll find in this post are open to current undergraduate students.

    However, you'll also find that some are additionally open to high school students interested in attending college in the near future So, if you're still in high school, don't worry, you're in the right place to find scholarships!

    Wherever you stand, I can guarantee that if you’re a student and you’re reading this, you will definitely find a few scholarships in this post that are a good fit for you.

    Before diving right into the full list, be sure to read through our frequently asked questions about scholarships for college students:

    Frequently asked questions about college scholarships

    What are scholarships for college students?

    Scholarships for College Students are opportunities that you, as a college student, can apply for to help you cover your high education costs.

    Some college scholarships can be put towards anything, whereas others may specify that they can only be put directly towards your tuition. 

    Do I have to be in college to apply for scholarships?

    Absolutely NOT! 

    While you certainly can and should apply for scholarships throughout your time in college, you do NOT need to be a current college student to apply for college scholarships. 

    There are tons of scholarships (some are even featured in this post!) that are open to high school students (mostly leaning towards high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors) looking to reduce their future college costs. Check them out! 

    I'm currently attending a community college or vocational school. Am I still eligible to apply for college scholarships?

    Yes! There are scholarships for students of all kinds. Even if you don't attend a four-year college or university, you will find that there are still tons of great opportunities out there that fit your profile. 

    What tips do you have for applying for scholarships?

    Great question! Here are a few of my top tips on applying for scholarships:

    1. Focus on your essays! For scholarships that require them, these are your best chance to help you stand out as an applicant. Try to make them as unique and cohesive as possible. Have someone else proofread your essay to help you identify mistakes or confusing areas. 
    2. Ask the right people for letters of recommendation. While not all scholarships require them, many competitive ones do. So, when you are thinking about who to ask for those rec letters, make sure you focus on adults in your community with who you have a great relationship. After all, you want a DAZZLING rec letter! 
    3. Double-check eligibility and application requirements, and the deadline BEFORE you apply. Don't waste your time working on an application only to find out you aren't eligible or that you missed the deadline completely. After you've made sure you're eligible, use this scholarship tracker to help you stay organized throughout the process.
    Scholarships for College Students

    50+ Scholarships for College Students (Current & Incoming!) to Apply for in 2023

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: September 30, December 31, March 31, June 30 

      Eligibility:

      -Open to high school, college, and graduate school students of all years 

      -Must be a US citizen/permanent resident, a student with DACA status, or an international student studying in the US. 

      PS - this is one of our very own easy scholarships. Head over to our no essay scholarships post for more!

    • Amount: $2,500

      Deadline: Monthy

      Eligibility:

      -Must be currently attending, or planning to attend, a college in the US 

      -Must be a US citizen or permanent resident

    • Amount: $2,222

      Deadline: End of each month

      Eligibility:

      -Open to students ages 16 and older 

      -Must be a current high school or college student

      -Must be a US citizen

    • Amount: $25,000

      Deadline: September 27

      Eligibility:

      Open to high school, college and graduate school students in the US. 

    • Amount: $2,000

      Deadline: Last day of each month

      Eligibility:

      -Open to high school seniors as all undergraduate students

    • Amount: $25,000

      Deadline: Continuous

      Eligibility:

      -Open to all students! The $25,000 “Be Bold” Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile.

    • Amount: $2,000

      Deadline: End of each month

      Eligibility:

      -Open to legal residents of the US who are 13 and older.

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: December 31

      Eligibility:

      -Open to high school students of all years studying in the US

      -No transcript required to apply!

    • Amount: $2,000

      Deadline: Rolling monthly

      Eligibility:

      -Open to all college students! 

    • Amount: $4,000 (4 awards, $1,000 each)

      Deadline: December 15

      Eligibility:

      -Open to high school and college students of all years studying in the US

      -No transcript required to apply!

      -Special consideration will be given to minority students, students who have experienced foster care, and students who are or will be the first in their family to attend college

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: January 1, April 1, July 1, October 1

      Eligibility:

      -Minimum 3.6 GPA 

      -Must be currently enrolled in a US high school or college 

      -One scholarship is specific to STEM students, and the other scholarship is open to students of all majors!

    • Amount: $36,000

      Deadline: January 5

      Eligibility:

      -Open to US residents ages 13-19

      -Must self-identify as Jewish

      -Must be serving in a leadership role on a project aimed at repairing the world

    • Amount: Varies by scholarship

      Deadline: January 6

      Eligibility:

      -Must be a high school senior or current college student from one of the following states: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

      -Must either identify as LGBTQ or be a straight ally

      -Must have demonstrated financial need

    • Amount: $500

      Deadline: January 11

      Eligibility:

      -Must be attending an accredited US college or university

      -Must be a US citizen

    • Amount: Up to $25,000

      Deadline: January 11

      Eligibility:

      -Open to students (ages 16-26) who are passionate about creating a better future and making a positive impact on their community

      -Must be a US citizen/permanent resident

    • Amount: Varies

      Deadline: February 1

      Eligibility:

      -Open to US citizens who are high school graduates, 18 years of age or older

      -Must be planning to study in an overseas program in a country outside of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand

    • Amount: $500 - $5,000

      Deadline: February 14

      Eligibility:

      -Open to the following students: high school seniors, undergraduate, transfer, and graduate students

      -Must be of Hispanic heritage

      -Must be a U.S. citizen, permanent legal resident, or have DACA status

      -Minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for high school students; minimum of 2.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) for college and graduate students

      -Must submit the FAFSA or state-based financial aid forms

    • Amount: Full-tuition (doesn't include books or room and board)

      Deadline: February 15

      Eligibility:

      -Applicants must be living in the United States and the college or university they attend must be located in the United States, however, US citizenship is not required

      -Minimum 3.7 GPA

      -Open to high school seniors and students currently attending four-year colleges and universities

    • Amount: $5,000 - $10,000

      Deadline: February 20

      Eligibility:

      -Must be a graduating high school senior

      -Must promote vegetarianism in your community and show a commitment to a vegetarian diet/lifestyle

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: March 11

      Eligibility:

      -Must be between 17 and 35 years old

      -Must attend a 2-year or 4-year college or university

    • Amount: $2,500

      Deadline: March 31

      Eligibility:

      -Open to female undergraduate and graduate students studying architecture or landscape architecture in the U.S. and Canada 

    • Amount: $2,500

      Deadline: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31

      Eligibility:

      -Be enrolled full-time in high school or at least part-time in college, graduate, professional, or trade school

    • Amount: up to $5,000

      Deadline: April 1

      Eligibility:

      -Any legal U.S. resident who will be a full-time student at a U.S. college or university is eligible to apply

      -Applicants must create their own original piece of work centered around the theme, This Is How I Frame My Future

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: April 1, November 15

      Eligibility:

      -Any legal U.S. resident in high school or college who will be attending an accredited university or college is eligible to apply

    • Amount: $10,000

      Deadline: April 1

      Eligibility:

      -The scholarship program is designed to provide opportunities to groups that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM: women, people of color, people with disabilities, individuals who identify as LGBTQ, and those that are or will be first-generation college students

      -Must have financial need

      -Current or planned 4-year degree enrollment in the following majors: Aerospace Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or Physics 

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: April 30, August 1

      Eligibility:

      -Open to current students in an eligible undergraduate program, or  graduating high school seniors in the U.S., working towards a bachelor’s degree or associate’s degree

      -Open to international students studying in the US, as well as students with DACA status

    • Amount: $500

      Deadline: May 1

      Eligibility:

      -Applicants should be part of the first generation of their family (i.e., parents and grandparents did not attend a college or university) to attend a four-year college program.

      -Must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent U.S. Resident.

      -Must be enrolled (or accepted) in an accredited college or university and planning on continuing the next year.

    • Amount: Varies

      Deadline: May 3

      Eligibility:

      -Open to college sophomores, juniors and seniors majoring in Criminal Justice or related discipline such as social sciences, public administration, computer science, finance, linguistic arts, chemistry, physics, etc., leading to a four-year degree

    • Amount: Varies

      Deadline: May 15

      Eligibility:

      -Must have 2.5 or higher G.P.A. (unweighted)

      -Must be a high school senior, incoming, or current college student to qualify for scholarships.

      -Must be majoring in one of the following areas: Culinary Arts, Baking/Pastry, Hospitality Management or Agriculture

      -Must attend college/university in the U.S.

    • Amount: $1,500

      Deadline: June 15, December 8

      Eligibility:

      -Open to students pursuing education in a science-related field (Life Science, Medical Science, Health Science)

      -Schools/Colleges/Institutes within the US, Canada, and European Countries only

    • Amount: Varies

      Deadline: June 30, December 30

      Eligibility:

      -Open to students pursuing degrees in nursing

      -Must be a resident of one of the following states: Arizona, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, Wisconsin

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: July 16, December 17

      Eligibility:

      -Student in good standing and enrolled at an accredited college or university

      -Declared STEM major

      -Open to international students

    • Amount: $5,000

      Deadline: July 20

      Eligibility:

      -Be accepted at, or enrolled in, a full-time degree program at a U.S. or Canadian school that MPOWER supports

      -Be an international student allowed to legally study in the U.S. or Canada (or a student with DACA status)

    • Amount: up to $3,000

      Deadline: July 30

      Eligibility:

      -Open to current freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, graduate students, or students attending a military academy

      -Minimum 3.0 GPA 

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: August 1

      Eligibility:

      -Must be a high school senior or undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate student about to attend or currently attending an accredited college or university in the United States

      -Must be a citizen or a legal resident of the United States

    • Amount: $2,000

      Deadline: September 15, March 15

      Eligibility:

      -Open to female high school and college students who want to start their own online business

    • Amount: up to $2,000

      Deadline: September 17

      Eligibility:

      -Different scholarships open to high school, college, and graduate school students

    • Amount: $2,000

      Deadline: September 30

      Eligibility:

      -Applicants for this scholarship should be enrolled at a public community college, junior college, technical college, or city college, and working towards a certificate, diploma, or degree at the associate’s level or a first-time bachelor’s level

      -Must be a US citizen

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: October 31

      Eligibility:

      -Be a student who is currently studying at or has been accepted to an accredited college or university in the United States.

      -Be currently enrolled in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM) degree-granting program OR demonstrate plans to pursue a career in the field of technology after graduation.

      -Identify as a woman.

    • Amount: $2,500

      Deadline: November 30

      Eligibility:

      -Open to college students attending 2-year and 4-year schools as well as trade/technical schools

      -Minimum 2.5 GPA

      -Must be a US citizen

    • Amount: Varies

      Deadline: December 10

      Eligibility:

      -Open to college students residing in the US, identifying as members of the LGBTQ community

      -Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents

    • Amount: $2,000

      Deadline: December 31

      Eligibility:

      -Applicants must be under the age of 30

      -Applicants must be U.S residents

      Applicants must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

    • Amount: $1,500

      Deadline: Varies

      Eligibility:

      -The Student-Caregiver Scholarship provides financial assistance to students who are caring for an elderly loved one while enrolled in college

      -Applicants must be full-time college students at an accredited two-or-four-year college or university in the United States

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: December 31

      Eligibility:

      -Open to high school and college students

    • Amount: Varies ($1,000 - $20,000)

      Deadline: Varies by scholarship

      Eligibility:

      -Scholarships open to Asian/Pacific Islander students in the US 

      -Minimum 3.0 GPA 

      -Applicants must be the first in their family to attend college (more details on APF website)

    • Amount: Varies

      Deadline: Varies, but the general application closes annually on March 31.

      Eligibility:

      -Open to students enrolled full-time and attending UNCF member Institutions

      -Must have a demonstrated financial need

      -Minimum 2.5 GPA required

    • Amount: $1,000

      Deadline: Rolling

      Eligibility:

      -Open to full-time students enrolled in two-year, four-year, or graduate programs

      -All majors welcome

    Find college scholarships by grade-level and more

    If searching through this post to find scholarships you're eligible for is not really up your alley, take advantage of our scholarship resource posts that organize opportunities by year in school, ethnicity, gender, and more:

    Scholarships for College Freshmen 

    Scholarships for Community College Students 

    Scholarships for Graduate Students

    Scholarships for Women

    Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Students & Allies

    Scholarships for Undocumented Students

    Scholarships for LatinX and Hispanic Students

    Scholarships for Black Students 

    Scholarships for Minority Students

    Scholarships for college students: where to find more, outside of this post!

    Scholarships offered by your college/university: The vast majority of colleges and universities also offer their own college scholarships to both incoming and current students. These awards are often broken down by area of study, but many schools also offer scholarships for things like studying abroad, student leadership, and more.

     

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