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. 

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up Annual Art Contest
Sponsor: Nvigate
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: October 9, 2026
Description: Contest is open to students attending a public, private, religious, charter or home school located within the State of Nevada and who are enrolled in Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten, or 1st through 12th grades. Applicant must submit a piece of art on the prompt: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

Hispanic Heritage Essay Contest
Sponsor: Optimum and TelevisaUnivision
Amount: Up to $3,000
Closing Date: October 15, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to legal residents of the United States who attend school in an Optimum serviceable area of Arkansas, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, New York, New Jersey, North Carolina, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, or West Virginia. Applicant must be enrolled in the 6th-12th grade. In 500 words or less, applicant must share what connects them to Hispanic Culture.

Congressional App Challenge
Sponsor: Internet Education Foundation
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: October 26, 2026
Description: Challenge is open to U.S. students in middle school or high school who live in a Congressional district that is participating (check website for details). Applicant must create any type of app they like on any platform they like.

Patriot’s Pen Competition
Sponsor: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Amount: Up to $5,000
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Competition is open to students in grades 6-8 in the United States, its territories and its possessions. Applicant must submit an essay on the following theme: “What a Veteran Taught Me About America.”

Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
Sponsor: From the Top
Amount: Up to $10,000
Closing Date: November 9, 2026
Description: Award is open to classical instrumentalists, vocalists, and composers between the ages of 8 and 18 who have not yet entered college during the 2026-2027 academic year.

Youth Art Contest
Sponsor: Debbie’s Dream Foundation: Curing Stomach Cancer
Amount: UP to $200
Closing Date: November 13, 2026
Description: Contest is open to students 18 years of age or younger who are directly or indirectly affected by cancer. Applicant must submit an original piece of artwork or photo.

Fields of Corn Photo Contest
Sponsor: National Corn Growers Association
Amount: Up to $500
Closing Date: November 17, 2026
Description: Contest is open to legal residents of the United States. Applicant must submit a photo that helps tell the story of farming field corn in America.

Tommy Tranchin Award
Sponsor: The Dallas Foundation
Amount: Up to $3,000
Closing Date: December 31, 2026
Description: Award is open to North Texas students in grades 8-12 who have a physical, emotional, or intellectual disability.

Paradigm Challenge
Sponsor: Project Paradigm
Amount: Up to $100,000
Closing Date: May 1, 2027
Description: Challenge is open to students aged 4 to 18 years of age worldwide. Applicants may work in a team or alone to use kindness, creativity, and collaboration to help solve real-life problems.