30 of the best scholarships for college students you should know about

Established in 1955, the National Merit® Scholarship Program was created to identify and support academically talented American students. National Merit Scholarships are awarded through a nationwide competition based on standardized test scores. Each year 2,500 Finalists are awarded a $2,500 National Merit Scholarship. Special Scholarships are also awarded to other high performing participants who meet a corporate sponsor’s eligibility criteria.

Scholarship amount: $2,500

Official scholarship website: National Merit® Scholarship Program

The Horatio Alger Association administers several college scholarships. Its most prestigious award is the Horatio Alger National Scholarship, awarded to high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their lives, including having significant financial need to be able to afford college. The National Scholarship, worth $25,000, is awarded to more than a hundred students in all fifty states and the District of Columbia.

Scholarship amount: $25,000

Official scholarship website: Horatio Alger Association

The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective scholarship awarded annually to 300 minority students who have substantial financial need. Scholars receive funding for the full cost of college attendance that is not covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Scholarship amount: Amount varies

Official scholarship website: The Gates Scholarship

Initiated in 1942 as the Westinghouse Science Talent Search, the Regeneron Science Talent Search recognizes promising young scientists who are developing ideas that address society’s most pressing challenges. Each year, nearly 1,900 high school students enter the Regeneron STS, submitting their original research projects. The awards vary in amounts, with the first-place prize worth $250,000.

Scholarship amount: Amount varies

Official scholarship website: Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarships are nationally competitive scholarships awarded to high school students from low-income backgrounds. The scholarships vary in amount, depending on the costs of the institution attended and other scholarships a student might receive, but they can be worth up to $55,000 per year, and they are renewable.

Scholarship amount: Up to $55,000

Official scholarship website: Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarships

Davidson awards are given to young people who’ve developed highly significant projects with extraordinary potential to benefit society. Recipients receive one of three scholarships: Laureates earn a $50,000 award, and Fellows receive either $25,000 or $10,000. The awards are given for projects in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, literature, music, philosophy, and a category termed “outside the box.”

Scholarship amount: Between $10,000-$50,000

Official scholarship website: Davidson Fellow Scholarships

The Elks National Foundation awards up to 500 4-year scholarships in its national competition. Male and female students compete separately. The scholarships range in value from $1,000 per year to $12,500 per year.

Scholarship amount: $1,000-$12,500

Official scholarship website: The Elks National Foundation

High school seniors planning to attend a two-year or four-year college or a vocational-technical school in the U.S., Canada or Puerto Rico are eligible to apply. Award amounts vary all the way up to three $50,000 Scholarships. Most awards are $1,000. Although they are not renewable, recipients of the $1,000 awards may reapply to the program each year during which they meet the eligibility criteria, up to a maximum of four annual awards worth a total of $4,000.

Scholarship amount: $1,000-$50,000

Official scholarship website: Burger King Scholarship

These scholarships are awarded through the Equitable Foundation, which awards $5,000 annual scholarships to 100 recipients. They are renewable for four years, for a total of $20,000 per recipient. The company also awards 100 one-time $2,500 scholarships to help students cover their college costs. The high school of every recipient, regardless of the scholarship amount, receives a $500 grant.

Scholarship amount: $500-$20,000

Official scholarship website: Equitable Excellence Scholarship 

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarship is awarded to students in their final year of high school. Each year, 150 Coca-Cola Scholars receive a $20,000 scholarship. They’re chosen for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.

Scholarship amount: $20,000

Official scholarship website: Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation

QuestBridge partners with a group of prestigious colleges to identify and support high-achieving, low-income students who are applying to college. Through QuestBridge, students complete one application where they rank up to 15 of the partnering colleges in order of their preference for attendance. Those students who are then selected as finalists have their information forwarded to all their ranked QuestBridge colleges.

A “match” occurs when one of a student’s ranked colleges offers admission and a guaranteed four-year Match Scholarship. Match Scholarships cover the full cost of attendance, including tuition, room and board, books and supplies, and travel expenses.

Scholarship amount: $200,000

Official scholarship website: QuestBridge

An initiative of the Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, the scholarships are awarded annually to 300 college students who’ve overcome significant socioeconomic disadvantages to pursue a college degree. In addition to providing a laptop and textbook funding, Dell Scholars receive $20,000. Eligible candidates are high school seniors who’ve completed the foundation’s college readiness program and are planning to attend a 4-year school immediately after graduation.

Scholarship amount: $20,000

Official scholarship website: Michael and Susan Dell Foundation

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research. The NIH Scholarships pay up to $20,000 per academic year in tuition, educational expenses, and living expenses. Scholarships can be renewed up to 4 years.

Scholarship amount: Up to $20,000

Official scholarship website: National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program

The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. In 2023, the Udall Foundation anticipates awarding 55 scholarships of up to $7,000 each.

Scholarship amount: Up to $7,000

Official scholarship amount: The Udall Foundation

This foundation award scholarships to high school seniors or to current colleges students who are working toward an associate, bachelor’s, or graduate degree in manufacturing engineering, technology, or a closely related field at an accredited college or university in the United States or Canada. Both need-based and non-need-based scholarships are available. They vary in award amount.

Scholarship amount: Amount varies

Official scholarship website: SME Education Foundation

Awarded to students currently enrolled in college who are majoring in a discipline including, but not limited to: oceanic, environmental, biological, and atmospheric sciences, mathematics, engineering, remote sensing technology, computer and information science, physical and social sciences including geography, physics, hydrology, geomatics, or teacher education that support NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) programs and mission. The awards cover up to $9,500 per year for two years of full-time study and a

Scholarship amount: 10-week, full-time paid ($700/week) internship at a NOAA facility during the summer.

Official scholarship website: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation provides scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering.

Each Goldwater Scholar annually receives an amount equal to the cost of tuition and other educational expenses minus the amount of support provided from other sources, up to a maximum of $7,500 per full academic year. Scholars who receive the award as sophomores can receive support for a maximum of two years or until graduation, if sooner. Scholars who receive the award as juniors can receive support for a maximum of one year or until graduation, if sooner.

Scholarship amount: Up to $7,500

Official scholarship website: The Barry Goldwater Scholarship and Excellence in Education Foundation

These nationally competitive scholarships are awarded to students between the ages of 16-26. They may be applying to college or already enrolled in college. Scholarship awards range from $5,000-$25,000 per student.

Scholarship amount: $5,000-$25,000

Official scholarship website: Taco Bell Foundation

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program supports recent college graduates and graduate students to travel to a foreign country to pursue graduate study, conduct research, or teach English abroad. During their grants, Fulbrighters work and live with people of the host country, engaging in in-depth cultural exchange, learning, and service. The length and value of the grant vary by award and host country.

Scholarship amount: Amount varies

Official scholarship website: Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Gates Cambridge Scholarship program was established in 2000 with a $210 million gift from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the largest private donation to any UK university in history. The scholarship covers the cost of attendance at Cambridge plus a living allowance of about $24,000 a year for up to four years for PhD candidates. Additional discretionary costs are also covered, including academic development funds and a family allowance if the recipient has children.

Scholarship amount: Up to $24,000

Official scholarship website: Gates Cambridge

Established in 1971 by the Sperry and Hutchinson Company to honor Edwin, Frederick, and Walter Beinecke, these scholarships are awarded to students pursuing graduate education in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. Each scholar receives $5,000 immediately prior to entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school.

Scholarship amount: $35,000

Official scholarship website: Sperry and Hutchinson Company

“Junior Fellowships” are awarded to outstanding college seniors and college graduates without teaching experience who intend to become secondary school teachers of American history, American government, or civics classes. The maximum award is $24,000, prorated over the period of study; in no case shall the award exceed $12,000 for one academic year of study. Normally, Fellows receive less than these maximum amounts.

Scholarship amount: Up to $24,000

Official scholarship website: James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation

Considered the premier graduate scholarship for students who intend to enter governmental work or public service, the Truman Scholarship is awarded annually to about 60 recipients selected from hundreds of college juniors who apply. The stipend is up to $30,000 toward a public service graduate degree, although some institutions match the award with supplemental funding. In addition, scholars receive leadership training, career counseling, and special internship and fellowship opportunities with the federal government.

Scholarship amount: Up to $30,000

Official scholarship website: Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation

These scholarships are awarded to academically exceptional Americans who’ve recently earned an undergraduate degree from a 4-year college or university in the United States. Considered one of the most prestigious postgraduate awards available to U.S. students, the scholarships pay for up to three years of postgraduate study at a British university of the student’s choice.

Scholarship amount: Amount varies

Official scholarship website: Marshall Scholarships

Despite its relatively short history (the first class was named in 2001), the Mitchell Scholarship – named in honor of former U.S. Senator George Mitchell – has become one of the country’s most prestigious postgraduate awards. It covers educational expenses for a year of graduate study – including all tuition, room and board, and a monthly stipend to cover living expenses – at one of eleven participating universities in Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Scholarship amount: Amount varies

Official scholarship website: George Mitchell Scholarship Program

Awarded annually to 32 students from the United States, Rhodes Scholarships cover all the costs for students to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oxford. The award, considered the most prestigious international scholarship for American college graduates, was established in 1903. The scholarships average more than $70,000 per year and cover all expenses for two or three (in some cases, four) years of graduate study. Recipients are free to study the full range of disciplines offered at Oxford, including life sciences, arts and humanities, social sciences, mathematics, and the physical sciences.

Scholarship amount: Up to $70,000 a year

Official scholarship website: United States Rhodes Scholarships

Considered one of the world’s most prestigious graduate fellowships, this is a global competition. In the most recent round of awards, 151 Scholars were selected from 36 countries and 121 universities around the world. Schwarzman Scholars receive a one-year, fully-funded Master’s degree program in Global Affairs at Schwarzman College on the campus of Tsinghua University in Beijing, China.

Scholarship amount: Amount varies

Official scholarship website: Schwarzman Scholars

Each year, 18 scholarships are awarded, comprised of 16 Churchill Scholarships in science, mathematics, and engineering, and two Kanders Churchill Scholarships in science policy. The award covers tuition for one year of Master’s study, roundtrip airfare to the UK, visa fees and health surcharge, and a stipend set 5% higher than the UK Research Council standard. Recipients are eligible to apply for a $4,000 special research grant. The total value is around $65,000.

Scholarship amount: $65,000

Official scholarship website: The Churchill Scholarship

These fellowships support graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.

The oldest graduate fellowship of its kind, the GRFP provides students with a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, along with a $12,000 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees.

Scholarship amount: $49,000

Official scholarship website: Graduate Research Fellowship Program

College seniors, first-year graduate students, or students taking a gap year before applying to graduate school are eligible for this award. They must be intending to pursue a PhD in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, or engineering and direct their studies toward understanding and solving major, near-term problems facing society. The award, which can be distributed in various combinations with other support, includes tuition, a $34,000/9-month personal stipend, and a $5,000/year stipend for fellows with dependent children. It is annually renewable for up to 5 years.

Scholarship amount: $34,000/nine-month personal stipend

Official scholarship website: The Hertz Foundation