Guidelines
ABLE is focused on supporting high school students and does not offer college scholarships at this time. However, we have assembled the resources below to help students find college scholarships that may be a good fit.
This list is not exhaustive but should be a good starting point in the scholarship search. We also highly recommend that students speak with college financial aid offices as they are often able to connect students with relevant scholarship programs (including some school specific programs not included below).
Please reach out to ABLE if you have any questions or additions to this document.
Good Resources for Searching Scholarships
https://blog.collegevine.com/you-were-accepted-to-your-dream-school-but-cant-afford-it-now-what/
https://blog.collegevine.com/scholarships-for-african-american-students/
https://blog.collegevine.com/scholarships-for-asian-american-students/
https://blog.collegevine.com/scholarships-for-hispanic-students/
Scholarship Aggregators
https://www.cappex.com/scholarships/
https://www.fastweb.com/college-scholarships
https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/high-school-students
Individual Scholarship Providers
Questbridge – Program that links students with educational and scholarship opportunities at some U.S. colleges and universities. QuestBridge provides a College Prep Scholarship for high school juniors and a National College Match program for high school seniors.
Ronald McDonald House Charities Scholarships – Varying amounts. Honors students with financial need who have demonstrated academic achievement, leadership, and community involvement. Must be a high school senior.
Coca-Cola Scholars Program – 150 Coca-Cola Scholars each receive $20,000. Recognizes students for their leadership and commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities. Must be a high school senior with a 3.00 GPA or above; may not be related to a Coca-Cola employee.
Dell Scholars Program – 300 Scholars receive $20,000 each. Recognizes students for their determination to succeed rather than just academic record and test scores; “Grit, Potential, and Ambition” are recognized. Must be attending an approved college; must have a 2.4 GPA or above; must be eligible to receive a federal Pell grant.
Gates Millennium Scholars – Enough to fund the college education of 20,000 high-achieving minority students. Honors students who have future potential as leaders of America. Must be a minority with a minimum 3.3 GPA.
Prudential Emerging Visionaries Award – Up to $15,000. Students are selected based on their ability to challenge the status quo and generate solutions for social and financial challenges.
Create-a-Greeting Card Scholarship Contest (Gallery Collection Scholarship) – This scholarship is pretty unique, and it’s great for students with some untapped artistic talents! Students compete for this award by submitting a photo, piece of artwork, or computer graphic for the front of a greeting card. The winner receives $10,000, and the winner’s school receives an award of $1,000. The competition is open to high school, college, and university students.
Burger King Scholars Program – Applicants to this scholarship are judged on their GPA, work experience, extracurricular activities, and community service. Award amounts really range—they can be as small as $1,000 and as large as $50,000. Applicants must have at least a 2.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) for the General Track ($1,000 awards) and at least a 3.5 GPA for the James W. McLamore Whopper Scholarship ($50,000 award). This scholarship is open to US high school seniors who plan on going to college or vocational/technical school. The application period typically opens in October and closes in December.
Horatio Alger Scholarship Award – This generous need-based scholarship is geared toward students who have faced and overcome great obstacles. To be considered eligible, your gross adjusted family income must be at or below $55,000. At the national level, there are 105 $25,000 awards; there are also state scholarships that are $10,000 each. This one scholarship application will get you considered for many other national, state, and specialized scholarships—which means less work for you and many more opportunities for scholarship funding! This scholarship is open to US high school seniors who plan on getting a BA. Application season typically runs from August to October.
Jackie Robinson’s Foundation Scholarship Program – Applicants to this need-based scholarship are judged on leadership skills and commitment to community service. To be considered eligible, you must identify as a minority student. As many as 60 new scholarships are awarded annually. The scholarships are four-year awards, and recipients can receive as much as $30,000 over four years. This scholarship is open to minority high school seniors. The application period typically runs from November to February.
Engebretson Foundation Scholarship – This scholarship is pretty straightforward: it’s awarded to one student each year who demonstrates financial need, in addition to impressive academic performance and leadership ability. The annual award winner receives $5,000 per semester of college. This scholarship is open to current high school seniors. Applications must be submitted via mail. The application submission deadline is typically in March.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program – In addition to providing funding for school, this scholarship program offers personal advising on selecting a college, navigating financial aid, and transitioning from high school to college. Applicants are judged on academic ability and achievement, financial need, persistence, desire to help others, and leadership. Awards are given to up to 40 students each year, and can be as much as $55,000. This scholarship is open to high school seniors with financial need who will attend a 4-year college. The application is open from late August to early November. Get notified when the application opens.
Elk’s National Foundation Most Valuable Student Competition – Applicants to this need-based scholarship are judged on their scholarship and leadership abilities. In total, 500 scholarships are awarded across the country, and total award amounts (over four years) range from $4,000 to $50,000. Applications must be submitted to the Elk Lodge closest to your home address, so research the Elk Lodges in your area before you apply! This scholarship is open to US high school seniors. Last year’s application period opened September 1st. The start date and deadline for this year have yet to be announced but is typically in November.
National Institute of Health Undergraduate Scholarship Program – Up to $20,000 for tuition, fees, or living expenses. Given to a student pursuing a biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related degree program. For every year of support, scholars will commit to 2 service obligations with the NIH (internship and full-time employment after graduation). Must be a current university student or graduating high school senior accepted to an accredited 4-year college or university.