Applying for Scholarships 

• DCHA Commitment to Excellence Scholarship (Due May 15) — The annual Commitment to Excellence Scholarship Program (CESP) accepts applications from students who are DCHA Public Housing residents or HCVP household members. These scholarships, which are paid directly to the learning institution, can pay for books, tuition, equipment, or other items needed to assist in studies; minimum 2.0 GPA required.

• DC Batter Up Scholarship (Priority Deadline May 11, Due May 18) — $1,500 scholarship specifically for softball and baseball players in DC. Click here to apply.

• UNCF HBCU Scholars Empowerment Program Scholarship (Due June 8) — need-based scholarship open to students receiving four-year degrees at Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) and Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); minimum 2.5 GPA and 26-27 FAFSA completion required. Click here and search for the scholarship to apply. See flyer for more details.

• Citizens Bank Monthly Scholarship Drawing (Contest Ends April 5, 2027) — Monthly drawing of $2,500 and an opportunity for a $15,000 scholarship drawing.

• Dollars4College Newsletter (varying deadlines) — Please see this newsletter for scholarships for DC students.

• HBCU Money Guide (varying deadlines) — Discover 4-year & 2-year full-ride scholarships, free pre-college summer programs, and paid internships

• Scholarship America  (varying deadlines)  — A catalog of several different scholarship opportunities.

• Scholarships.com (varying deadlines)  — Search this website for scholarship opportunities specifically for high school seniors, sorted by deadline.

• Matriculate (rolling admission) — FREE virtual college advising program that connects high-achieving low-income students with a near-peer college mentor who works one-on-one with students throughout the college and financial aid processes.

• College Board Opportunity Scholarships (ongoing) — $500 for each step, $40,000 once all are completed. Gives six different steps in the application process; students complete each step, notify College Board, and are entered into the drawing.

• List of Fly-In Programs (various due dates) — fully-funded opportunities to visit a college this fall. Please note that most due dates are over the summer and require an official transcript, so if you choose to apply for one, please try to secure your transcript before the end of the school year.

National Scholarship Websites

• Cappex: curates lists of scholarships for BIPOC, first-generation, low-income, undocumented, LGBTQ+, and other represented backgrounds.

• Fastweb: a free scholarship search platform for national scholarships

• Going Merry: A free, one-stop scholarships platform that matches students with scholarships and can bulk-apply for multiple scholarships, which share similar essay prompts, using one application.

• Niche: a free scholarship and college search platform 

• Scholarships.com: a free database that matches students to scholarship opportunities based on their profile

• BigFuture: powered by CollegeBoard, BigFuture allows students to explore scholarships while providing educational resources about searching for and paying for college

• Bold.org: a free scholarship search engine which allows users to search by education level, category, and application criteria 

• Ace Tools: curates lists of scholarships for students interested in architecture, construction, or engineering (A/C/E)