Middle School students may not know where they want to go to college or what they want to study, but thinking about paying for college can be intimidating for their parents. Below are scholarships and contests for students in middle school. 

Angela Award
Sponsor: National Science Teachers Association
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: December 19, 2025
Description: Award is open to female students in grades 5-8 who are residents of the United States, US Territories, or Canada. Applicant must have a strong passion for STEM.

Appily Easy College Money Scholarship
Sponsor: Appily
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: December 31, 2025
Description: Scholarship is open to students 13 years of age or older who will be attending college in the future. Applicant must create a Appily profile (if they don’t have one already), share about their extracurricular, leadership, and volunteer activities, and then search Appily for scholarships.

No Sweat Scholarship
Sponsor: Cirkled In
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: December 31, 2025
Description: Scholarship is open to students 13 years of age or older who are legal residents of the United States or the District of Columbia. Applicant must create a free Cirkled in account.

NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Essay Contest
Sponsor: NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2025
Description: Contest is open to all students enrolled, or who will be enrolled, in an elementary, junior high or high school, including homeschooled students in an equivalent grade level. Applicant must submit an essay on the theme, “What Does the Second Amendment Mean to You?”

Scholarship for Students of Color
Sponsor: CollegExpress
Amount: $1,500.00
Closing Date: December 31, 2025
Description: Scholarship is open to students of color who are U.S. citizens and 13 years of age or older. Applicant must answer the following question in just one sentence: “How will attending college make a difference in your life?”

$250 Easy Scholarship: Ripple Effect
Sponsor: DoSomething
Amount: $250.00
Closing Date: March 31, 2026
Description: Most of the pollution impacting our waterways originates in our very own communities, due to improper trash disposal. And, 80% of our litter can actually be found on our coastlines. When trash isn’t disposed of correctly, it can be carried by rainwater into storm drains and eventually into rivers, lakes, and oceans, where it pollutes water, harms wildlife, and disrupts ecosystems. By creating and submitting your very own Ripple Effect PSA, you’ll become eligible for the opportunity to earn a $250 scholarship.

$500 Easy Scholarship: Street Sweep
Sponsor: DoSomething
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: March 31, 2026
Description: When trash and pollutants, like plastic bags, food wrappers, cigarette butts, and other discarded items are left on streets or in public areas, they often get washed into storm drains during rain. Participate by organizing a Street Sweep event with your own Sweep Squad, or join a community cleanup hosted by other DoSomething members, to collectively remove trash before it enters our waterways. By participating in Street Sweep, you’ll earn 10 volunteer credit hours and become eligible for the opportunity to earn a $500 scholarship.

Apprentice Ecologist Initiative Youth Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Nicodemus Wilderness Project
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarships are open to students between the ages of 13 and 21 who are candidates for a degree/diploma at a primary (middle school), secondary (high school), or accredited post-secondary educational institution from any country around the world. Applicant must conduct their own environmental stewardship project.