The Best Scholarships for High School Students with Upcoming Deadlines in 2025

About Scholarships for High School Students

It is important for high school students to start looking for college scholarships early. In 2023, student loan debt reached about $1.7 trillion, with the average student loan debt being $37,693. By starting to find ways to save for college, high school students can ensure that they can attend college without worrying about debt.

86.4% of first-time, first-year undergraduate students receive financial aid in some form. While some colleges offer private scholarships and grants, financial aid doesn’t cover the costs of college for everyone, with 58% of 2023 graduates holding student debt. Bold.org is committed to fighting this issue by eliminating the need for student loans in order to make higher education more accessible.

Despite the costs, college is an important step for students to take. College enrollment rates have declined by an average of 1.67% per year since 2010, but higher education offers opportunities to explore what you are passionate about and even allows you to prosper later in life. Employees holding a bachelor's degree, a four-year college degree, take home an average of 66% more income than those with a high school diploma.

For high school students who wish to attend college but don't know how they can afford it, there are plenty of options for you. While there are many federal grants and loans that you can turn to, another option is scholarships.

Over 1.7 million scholarships are awarded annually, but only 7% of college students receive a scholarship. Many scholarships are left unclaimed due to lack of access, but by applying early, high school students can ensure that they are able to get an undergraduate degree without the stress of paying back student loans. Scholarships are a key component of affording college or graduate school and Bold.org is here to help.

On Bold.org, high school students can start early and apply for plenty of scholarships. While a majority of scholarships are for college or graduate students, there are also lots of scholarships for high school students.

To find scholarships on Bold.org, you can go to the list of scholarships and switch the education level to "High School" or you can take a look at this list of exclusive scholarships for high school students categorized be grade.

Discover High School Scholarships by Grade

Scholarships for High School Freshmen

If you are a high school freshman, there are some scholarships that can help you start saving for college. Although many high school scholarships cater exclusively to upperclassmen, there are plenty of scholarships for younger high schoolers.

Freshman year can be a great time to start thinking about finding and applying for scholarships for high school students, because freshmen usually have a lighter workload than upperclassmen, making it easier to get a head start on securing financial aid.

By applying for scholarships early, you can guarantee that you are able to apply for scholarships without the additional stress of college applications. There are some scholarships for high school students that allow you to get started early, including the list below.

1. Bold Memories Scholarship
2. Bold Climate Changemakers Scholarship
3. Robert Welchman Mental Health Scholarship
4. Paige's Promise Scholarship
5. Bold Love Yourself Scholarship
6. My Brother's Keeper Scholarship
7. "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship
8. Devin Chase Vancil Art and Music Scholarship
9. Bold Financial Literacy Scholarship
10. Andrew Perez Mental Illness Suicidal Awareness Education Scholarship
11. Bold Learning and Changing Scholarship
12. Bold Community Activist Scholarship
13. Robert Lee Sr. and Bernice Williams Memorial Scholarship
14. Wisegeek Women in Stem No Essay Scholarship
15. Haiti Rising Christlike Scholarship

For more freshman scholarships, you can look at Bold.org's list of 16 Exclusive Scholarships for High School Freshmen

Scholarships for High School Sophomores

If you are a high school sophomore, there are some scholarships that you can apply for. As noted above, many scholarships cater to high school juniors and seniors, but there are still some scholarships which include underclassmen.

By finding and applying for scholarships early, high school sophomores can guarantee that the college admissions process will be less stressful. Since high school sophomores typically have more free time on their hands than high school seniors and college students, they should start applying for scholarships as soon as possible. You can find some examples of these scholarships below.

1. Bold Memories Scholarship
2. Bold Climate Changemakers Scholarship
3. Robert Welchman Mental Health Scholarship
4. Paige's Promise Scholarship
5. Bold Love Yourself Scholarship
6. My Brother's Keeper Scholarship
7. Devin Chase Vancil Art and Music Scholarship
8. Bold Financial Literacy Scholarship
9. Andrew Perez Mental Illness Suicidal Awareness Education Scholarship
10. "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship
11. Bold Learning and Changing Scholarship
12. Bold Community Activist Scholarship
13. Robert Lee Sr. and Bernice Williams Memorial Scholarship
14. Wisegeek Women in Stem No Essay Scholarship
15. Haiti Rising Christlike Scholarship

For more scholarships, you can also look at Bold.org's list of Exclusive Scholarships for High School Sophomores with Upcoming Deadlines.

Scholarships for High School Juniors

If you are a high school junior, you may be just starting to think about college admissions. Juniors have to worry about standardized test scores and challenging honors and AP classes, but with college around the corner, it is also important to think about how you can fund your college education.

If you are a high school junior, you may be considering college admissions. Juniors worry about standardized test scores, AP classes, and participating in extracurricular activities. Still, with college around the corner, it is also essential to think about how you can fund your college education. While there are more scholarships available for high school seniors, many scholarship awards include high school juniors in their description, including the list below.

1. Janey Mae Memorial Scholarship
2. Dr. Rajesh Aggarwal Scholarship for Scientific Studies
3. Isaac Yunhu Lee Memorial Arts Scholarship
4. Bold Memories Scholarship
5. Bold Climate Changemakers Scholarship
6. Robert Welchman Mental Health Scholarship
7. Paige's Promise Scholarship
8. Devin Chase Vancil Art and Music Scholarship
9. Bold Financial Literacy Scholarship
10. Andrew Perez Mental Illness Suicidal Awareness Education Scholarship
11. Robert Lee Sr. and Bernice Williams Memorial Scholarship
12. Wisegeek Women in Stem No Essay Scholarship
13. Haiti Rising Christlike Scholarship
14. Expand Your Horizons Scholarship
15. HSINTELLIGENCE Minority / Indigenous Nurse Leader Scholarship
16. Bold Love Yourself Scholarship
17. Bold Learning and Changing Scholarship
18. Bold Community Activist Scholarship
19. My Brother's Keeper Scholarship

For more scholarships, you can also look at this list of 17 Exclusive Scholarships for High School Juniors (2022).

Scholarships for High School Seniors

If you are a high school senior, you're in luck! There are many scholarships that cater specifically to high school seniors who are preparing for college and searching for financial aid. In the last year of high school, many students struggle with submitting their college applications and making decisions about their college education while keeping up with challenging classes.

Although high school seniors are extremely busy, it is still important that students take some time to apply for scholarships. There are plenty of scholarships on Bold.org that graduating high school seniors can easily apply for, including some of the scholarships below.

1. Ace Spencer Rubin Scholarship
2. Carol S. Comeau Environmental Scholarship
3. Loxy Burckhard Love is Kind Memorial Scholarship
4. Richard Neumann Scholarship
5. My Brother's Keeper Scholarship
6. Dark and Light Scholarship
7. Cardel Love Scholarship
8. Shine Your Light High School Scholarship
9. Tony Alviani Memorial Scholarship
10. Tanya C. Harper Memorial SAR Scholarship
11. Jolynn Blanton Memorial Scholarship
12. Graduate Debt-Free Scholarship
13. BTL Athletes Scholarship
14. Young Women in STEM Scholarship
15. Tyrell Terry "Challenge and Opportunity" Scholarship
16. Melaninwhitecoats Podcast Annual Scholarship
17. Janey Mae Memorial Scholarship
18. Latinas in STEM Scholarship
19. Stephanie Ann Cronin Make a Difference Scholarship
20. Eleven Scholarship
21. Dr. Rajesh Aggarwal Scholarship for Scientific Studies
22. Isaac Yunhu Lee Memorial Arts Scholarship
23. Carlynn's No-Essay Coming to America Scholarship
24. Environmental Impact Scholarship
25. Rita's First-Generation Scholarship

For more scholarships, you can also look at Bold.org's list of Top 23 Scholarships for High School Seniors with Upcoming Deadlines.