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. 

Young Scholars Program
Sponsor: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Amount: Up to $40,000
Closing Date: April 29, 2026
Description: Program is open to high-performing 7th grade students with financial need. Program provides comprehensive academic and college advising, as well as financial support for school, Cooke-sponsored summer programs, internships, and other learning enrichment opportunities.

Appily Easy College Money Scholarship
Sponsor: Appily
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: April 30, 2026
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.

I Am Texas Contest
Sponsor: The Bryan Museum
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: April 30, 2026
Description: Contest is open to students in grade 2 through 12 in Texas. Applicant must submit an essay or their original artwork on a topic related to Texas.

KSCPP’s 18th National Essay Contest
Sponsor: Korean Spirit and Culture Promotion Project (KSCPP)
Amount: Up to $500
Closing Date: May 3, 2026
Description: Contest is open to students enrolled in home school or a public/private middle or high school within the United States. Applicant read “King Sejong the Great: The Everlasting Light of Korea” (free to download at website) and then write an essay on the reading. 

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.

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.