High school freshman are starting to think about college. They may not know where they want to attend or what they want to study, but they know they are going to college. But, how will they pay for it? Here are scholarships open to high school freshmen.

Innovation in Education Scholarship
Sponsor: LaTutors
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: September 20, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students currently enrolled in high school or college within the United States with at least 3.0 GPA. Applicant must be a citizen of, permanent resident, or hold a valid student visa in the United States or Canada. Applicant must have designed an innovative project that makes a difference in the lives of others and submit an essay describing the goal of the particular project and provide supporting documentation.

Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship
Sponsor: BBB Pacific Southwest
Amount: Up to $1,500
Closing Date: September 27, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students in grade 9-12 (graduating classes of 2027-2030) residing and enrolled in school in Orange County (California). Applicant must submit an essay on a ethical issue that they faced and how they handled it.

$500 Easy Scholarship: Ripple Effect
Sponsor: DoSomething
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: September 30, 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. Create + submit your very own Ripple Effect PSA. You’ll help raise awareness about proper trash disposal and inspire others to protect our waterways. You’ll be eligible for a $500 scholarship! (For AZ, CA, CO + TX members).

$2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsor: Niche
Amount: $2,000.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school, college, and graduate students and those planning to enroll within 12 months. Applicant must be a legal resident of the United States or an international student with a valid visa. Applicant must log in to Niche or create a free account to apply for the scholarship.

Appily Easy College Money Scholarship
Sponsor: Appily
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: September 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.

Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship
Sponsor: Digital Responsibility
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school students in grades 9-12 and current college or graduate school students. Applicant must complete a short form and share a 140-character statement explaining why they will not text and drive.

I Can Do Anything Scholarship
Sponsor: The Scholarship Collective
Amount: $500.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school, undergraduate, graduate, community college, trade and vocational school students in the United States who are enrolled or planning to enroll in college. In less than 100 words, applicant must share their biggest goal in life.

No Sweat Scholarship
Sponsor: Cirkled In
Amount: $2,500.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
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 Circkled in account.

Scholarship Poetry Contest
Sponsor: Live Poets Society of New Jersey
Amount: Up to $500
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to all U.S. high school students. Applicant must submit an original poem with 20 lines or less.

School Survey Sweepstakes
Sponsor: Niche
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Sweepstakes is open to current high school students, high school alumni who graduated within the last four years, and the parents of those students or alumni. Individual must take a survey on a United States high school.

Shout It Out Scholarship
Sponsor: Unigo
Amount: $1,500.00
Closing Date: September 30, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students 14 years of age or older who are legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia and are currently enrolled (or will enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher education in the future. Applicant will need to submit a short response to a given prompt.

George Montgomery/NRA Youth Wildlife Art Contest
Sponsor: National Rifle Association of America (NRA)
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: October 1, 2026
Description: Contest is open to students in grades 1-12, including home-schooled students. Student must submit a piece of art on a given topic related to North American game birds or animals that may be legally hunted or trapped.

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?”

Ethical Torch Essay Scholarship
Sponsor: BBB Pacific Southwest
Amount: Up to $1,500
Closing Date: October 11, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students in grade 9-12 (graduating classes of 2027-2030) residing and enrolled in school in Greater Arizona. Applicant must submit an essay on a ethical issue that they faced and how they handled it.

The Music Center Spotlight Program
Sponsor: The Music Center
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: October 12, 2026
Description: Program is open to Southern California high school students who have talent in Acting, Non-Classical Voice, Classical Voice, Non-Classical Dance, Ballet, Jazz Instrumental and Classical Instrumental. Applicant must submit an audition video.

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.

NCWIT Award for Aspirations in Computing (AiC)
Sponsor: National Center for Women & Information Technology
Amount: Varies
Closing Date: October 27, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to U.S. high school and college women with an interest in computing and technology. College students must attend an NCWIT Academic Alliance institution and major or minor in computing.

Beyond School Walls Scholarship
Sponsor: Delete Cyberbullying
Amount: $1,000.00
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to high school students (9th-12th graders), college students, and graduate students attending or planning to enter an accredited U.S. college or university. Applicant must submit an essay on a topic related to cyberbullying.

Video Contest Scholarship for Creative Students
Sponsor: IvyPanda
Amount: Up to $1,000
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to current high school, college, and university students worldwide. Applicant must submit a video on a given topic related to ChatGPT, AI, or tips for creating a productive study environment.

Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition
Sponsor: Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States
Amount: Up to $35,000
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Program is open to students in grades 9-12 who are enrolled in a public, private or parochial high school or home study program in the United States, its territories and possessions. Applicant must submit a 3-5 minute essay on this year’s theme: “What a Veteran Taught Me About America.”

Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
Sponsor: Unigo
Amount: $2,000.00
Closing Date: October 31, 2026
Description: Scholarship is open to students 14 years of age or older who are legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia who are currently enrolled (or plan to enroll in the future) in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher education. Applicant will need to submit a short response to a given prompt related to zombies.

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.