Scholarship Information

We understand that paying for college is not easy. There are many scholarships available to students for some extra financial aid. Your best resource is to meet with your College and Career Navigator. They will help guide you in your search for scholarships and answer any questions you may have. I have included a list of scholarship links and applications below for your convenience.

**REMEMBER - When searching, it is very important to read all scholarship requirements carefully to determine if you are eligible. You do not want to put time and effort into completing an application for a scholarship that you are not eligible to win.

Monitor and visit this page periodically as Mr. Nalda updates and adds scholarships regularly!

Also, keep in mind that some scholarship applications may require a letter of recommendation from a teacher or responsible adult. Pay attention to deadlines and give these people at least three weeks to complete this part of the application for you. If you already have a teacher that has written a college recommendation for you, you can ask them to write a scholarship recommendation as well.

After the 'Quarterly Scholarships' below, you will see scholarships organized by month. When you click on a month, the number in bold is the scholarship's deadline date. Again, please read scholarship requirements carefully so you know what needs to be turned in and when all application materials are due. Plan ahead and be organized! We do not want you to miss any deadlines!!

MONTHLY Scholarships (Recurring; See Sites For Exact Deadline Dates) - Click Here

Citizens Scholarship Sweepstakes - monthly $2,500 prize, and eventually our yearly $15,000 prize; high school senior; plan on attending college and be enrolled at least half-time; legal U.S. resident (including D.C. and U.S. Territories); 16 years of age or older; to be eligible for a chance to win the 'Citizens Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Scholarship' entrants must also be an: American Indian or Alaskan Native, African American or Black, Hispanic or Latino/a, Asian, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander, Women, member of the LGBTQ+ community, individual with disabilities, and/or a veteran; fill out an application; no essay.
Courage to Grow Scholarship - $500; Junior or Senior; min 2.5 GPA; 250 words or less why you should win $.
Quick Entry Course Hero Scholarship - $1,000; Senior; must be at least 16 years old to enter; create an account and submit a response of up to 1000 words on the monthly topic.
$2,000 No Essay Scholarship - $2,000; 9-12 grade; U.S. Cit. or legal res.; register for site; random winner drawn monthly; you can enter once each month for a chance to win.
Pulse of Perseverance Scholarship - $1,000; 9-12 grade; read the book, "Pulse of Perseverance: Three Black Doctors on Their Journey to Success" and submit a 250-word essay and 60 second video; see link for essay and video guidelines.

QUARTERLY Scholarships (Recurring; See Sites For Exact Deadline Dates) - Click Here

Because College is Expensive Scholarship - 1-$500 award; 11 & 12 grade; legal U.S. residents or International students with valid visas; fill out an application; winner selected by random drawing, then contacted directly and announced on hosting web page.
OppU Achievers Scholarship - 1-$2,500 award per deadline; senior; U.S. Citizen or resident; min. 3.0 GPA (unweighted); submit an essay of 500 words or fewer on why you’re an achiever; see link for full essay prompt.
- Winners for the OppU Achievers Scholarship are selected four times a year, with submission deadlines on September 30, December 31, March 31, and June 30.
Easterday Poetry Award - awards ranging from $100 - $500; all U.S. high school students are eligible to enter this contest; poems must be 20 lines or less (title and spaces between stanzas do not count), unpublished, the sole work of the entrant, and not be entered in any other concurrent contest; see link for full rules and guidelines; only ONE poem per poet may be entered during any 90 day span.
- Winners are selected four times a year, with submission deadlines on September 30, December 31, March 31, and June 30.

November 2026 Scholarships - Click Here

12 - The Cooke College Scholarship Program - multiple awards of up to $55,000/year to attend a four-year school; senior; min. 3.75 GPA (un-weighted); judged on persistence, service to others, and leadership; essays, letters of recommendation; financial need (will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000); students can apply via Common App.
12 - Elks Most Valuable Student Award - 500 awards ranging from $1,000-$30,000 per year for four years; senior; U.S. Citizen; judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need; top 20 national finalists traditionally win a leadership trip to interview for up to $30,000.
15 - 10 Words or Less Scholarship - one $1,000 and one $500 award; be between the ages of 17-25; plan to attend a college or university, in the United States or Canada, in the Fall of 2027; in 10 words or less, tell why you deserve the scholarship; before or after writing your answer, you will need to "Like" or “Follow” their Facebook page; see link for details.
20 - National Honor Society (NHS) Scholarship* - (*deadline is 5pm on 11/20) 600 awards ranging from $3,200 - $25,000; senior; active NHS member in good standing; currently enrolled at a school with an affiliated NHS chapter; planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. college or university; student membership must be verified by an active NHS advisor at an affiliated NHS chapter.
30 - U.S. News No-Essay Scholarship Sweepstakes - one $5000 award; legal resident of the 50 United States including the District of Columbia, a high school student (grades 9-12) or a parent or legal guardian of a high school student (grades 9-12) and who are at least 14 years old at the time of entry and have or create a U.S. News Education account; create an account or login, complete your profile, and you are entered.

December 2026 Scholarships - Click Here

01 - Ron Brown Scholars - 20-25 awards of $40,000 ($10,000 per yr for 4 yrs); senior; U.S. citizen or permanent resident; Black/African American; attend a 4 year college or university in the Fall; academic achievement; character; financial need; leadership; seriousness of purpose; service to others.
01 - Hagan Scholarship Foundation - need-based merit scholarship worth up to $60,000; senior; min 3.50 Cumulative Grade Point Average; enroll in an eligible four-year not-for-profit College or University the first semester following high school graduation; must work 240 hours from January 1, 2027 until September 1, 2027; applicant’s Adjusted Gross Household Income reported for 2025 Federal Income Tax Purposes must not have exceeded $125,000; personal essay; four-year plan.
01 - The Coolidge Scholarship - multiple full-ride scholarship awards; juniors; U.S. Citizen or Permanent Legal resident; must enroll full time at a college or university in the fall of 2028; distinguished academic record; competitive candidates will have pursued and succeeded in the most rigorous course of study available to them; also exhibit an interest in policy; the application requires students read President Coolidge's Autobiography and a few other essays, then write three essays.
- *Scholarship application closes at 8pm EST on December 1.
01 - Lamber-Goodnow Injury Law Team - College Scholarship - 2-$1,000 awards; senior; min 3.5 GPA; submit a 500- to 750-word essay on how you are driven to innovate, how are you driven to innovate or affect positive change.
01 - Lamber-Goodnow Injury Law Team - Nursing Scholarship - 1-$1,000 awards; senior; min 3.5 GPA; awarded to a driven and compassionate future nurse to help offset educational costs; submit a 500- to 750-word essay on why you want to pursue a nursing degree and enter the profession.
05 - Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship - (deadline is at 6pm EST on 1/5) up to $40,000 in college funding and paid internship opportunities at Amazon; senior; min 2.3 GPA (unweighted); U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Employment Authorized to work in the United States; have taken computer science or hardware engineering classes in high school or at a college dual program, or currently be enrolled in one (see link for details); plan to pursue a computer science or engineering degree in college (see link for list of eligible majors); can attend a two-year college and transfer; demonstrate financial need.
15* - Burger King Scholars Program - multiple awards ranging from $1,000-$60,000; senior; min 2.0 GPA (unweighted); must enroll at a school full-time next Fall; recipients are selected based on their grade point average, work experience, extracurricular activities and/or community service.
- *Scholarship closes on December 15 or when 30,000 applications are submitted, whichever occurs first.
15 - MoreWithUs Spring 2026 Scholarship - 1-$500 award for high school students; senior; submit a one-page essay OR a short video (about 2 minutes) about a work or volunteer experience; create a MoreWithUs profile; see link for full details and guidelines.
15 - Common App Scholarship - one $1250, one $500, and one $250 award; senior; attend college or university no later than October 1, 2027; achieved a GPA of 2.5 or greater during their last academic year; answer ONE of the seven essay prompts in an essay of under 700 words.
22* - Equitable Excellence Scholarship - up tp 100-$5,000 awards (renewable up to for four years); seniors in one of the 50 U.S. states, District of Columbia or Puerto Rico who plan to enroll full-time in an accredited two-or four-year college or university in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year; min 2.5 GPA (unweighted); financial need; demonstrate ambition and self-drive to be a force for good in your community by encouraging others to pursue higher education; willing to provide a release to publicize their identities and information about their achievements along with photographs for use in program promotion and information; essay; transcript.
- *Scholarship application closes at 4pm EST on December 22.
31 - Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship - $1,000; 9-12 grade; legal U.S. resident; submit a 250 word essay; feel free to use something you have already written! Easy!!!
31 - Around the Corner from College Scholarship - 1-$1,000 award; open to current high school students (9-12 grade); US citizen, permanent resident, or with DACA status; must be planning to attend a college or university in the US; create a personalized checklist that you can use (max 10 items) to help you best prepare for college.
31 - Cirkled In “No Sweat” Scholarship - $2,500 award; legal resident of the United States or the District of Columbia; must be currently enrolled in 8th - 12th grade in a school; create a FREE account and portfolio and earn as many points as you can; see link for rules and guidelines.
31 - Rescue One Tree of Life Art Contest & Scholarship - grand prize of a $2,500 Scholarship; open to Montgomery County, MD (MCPS) High School Students; grades 9-12; artwork submitted will help bring to life a meaningful community installation at Rescue One’s headquarters in Gaithersburg, Maryland; the winning artwork will be enlarged and transformed into a 7′ x 7′ Tree of Life mural celebrating lives saved through emergency preparedness, CPR, AED use, and lifesaving action throughout our region.
31 - Science Buddy Scholarship - one $1500, one $500, and three $250 awards; senior entering, or currently pursuing, an educational program in the sciences; plan attend a college or university no later than September 15, 2027; achieved a GPA of 2.5 or greater during their last academic year; as a current or future science student, tell us in under 500 words what made you choose to study science in college/university.

January 2027 Scholarships - Click Here

05 - Taco Bell Foundation Live Más Scholarship* - (*deadline is 8pm on 1/5) up to $14.5 million in scholarship funding for 2026; senior; legal U.S. resident or the dependent child of an active duty member of the U.S. military; submit a video (between 30 seconds to 2 minutes or less in length) or essay (250-500 words) about your passion and your future.
07 - GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship Program* - (*deadline is 3pm on 1/7) up to $40,000; senior; U.S. Citizen; Display strong academic performance (minimum 3.0 grade point average/4.0 scale or equivalent); plan to enroll in a full‑time undergraduate course of study at an accredited 4‑year college or university in the U.S. for the entire 2027-2028 academic school year; demonstrate the attributes of leadership, integrity, drive, and citizenship within their communities, schools, and workplaces.
11 - JFK Profile in Courage Essay Contest - 1-$10,000, 1-$3,000, and 3-$1,000 awards; grades 9-12; write a 700-1,000 word essay describing an act of political courage by a U.S. elected official that occurred during or after 1917; must use five sources and include a bibliography; see link for all rules and guidelines.
14 - Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship* - (*deadline is 5pm on 1/14) 60 awards of up to $8,500 per year; minority high school senior; U.S. citizen; financial need; demonstrated record of academic excellence; leadership potential and dedication to community service; plan to attend a JRF approved 4-year college/university within the United States or affiliated with a United States based college or university; have not accrued more than 25% of credits needed to graduate from college; letter of recommendation; transcript; ACT or SAT test score; an account of activities and distinctions; household information; a CSS profile; three brief essays.
20 - MCPS Educational Foundation Student Scholarships - opportunities from $750 - $20,000; seniors; opportunities allow scholars to use funds for tuition, and many also allow scholars to receive funds directly and use for other educational expenses such as books, computers, and living expenses; see link for a list of scholarship opportunities.
31 - Montgomery Scholars Program at Montgomery College - senior; min 3.0 GPA; the Montgomery Scholars Program is a selective-admission two-year interdisciplinary honors program designed for high school graduates as the first step in completing a four-year degree; each student admitted into the Scholars program is awarded merit scholarships that cover the cost of tuition and fees for two years of study at Montgomery College (30 credits per year at the in-county resident tuition rate); essay; 2 letters of rec; personal creative work; click link for more information and details.
- Please note: students must have already applied to MC and received their M Number before they can begin the application! Apply ASAP! (click here for the link)

Scholarship Search Sites - Click Here

Fastweb - I recommend all students register and create an account on this site!
BigFuture
Appily (formerly Cappex)
Scholarships360
Stand Out College Prep - Washington, D.C. and Maryland Scholarships
MOS
Peterson's
Niche
CareerOneStop
TuitionFundingSources
GetSchooled
StudentScholarships.org
Unigo
Scholarships.com
Collegeanswer
MCPS Educational Foundation S cholarships
MCPS Scholarships Link
My College Scholarship
Scholarship America
Imagine America

Open Education Database is a great, extensive resource featuring information about MD schools, scholarships, loans, and more! Check it out: oedb.org/maryland/.

Resources for Undocumented Students - Click Here

Immigrants Rising - list of undergraduate Scholarships that don't require proof of U.S. Citizenship or legal Permanent Residency

ADDITIONAL DATABASES

Check out these additional databases of scholarships and fellowships available for undocumented young people:

MALDEF: www.maldef.org/resources/scholarship-resources/
My Undocumented Life: mydocumentedlife.org
Scholarships A-Z: www.scholarshipsaz.org
Sillicon Valley Community Foundation: www.siliconvalleycf.org/scholarships
The College Expo: www.thecollegeexpo.org/resources/scholarships

More Resources (Many for Minority Students) - Click Here

Montgomery College Scholarships - Click Here

Montgomery Scholars

The Montgomery Scholars Program is a selective-admission two-year interdisciplinary honors program designed for high school graduates as the first step in completing a four-year degree.

Montgomery Scholars will launch their college studies at a fraction of the cost of most four-year schools. The College will award merit scholarships to each student admitted into the Scholars program. These Montgomery Scholars scholarships cover the cost of full-tuition and fees, for two years of study at Montgomery College (30 credits per year at the in-county resident tuition rate).

Interested students must also submit a general Montgomery College application ahead of time as they need to include their Montgomery College 'M Number' on their application.
- Fall 2026 Deadline: January 31, 2027
Click here for more information and learn how to apply

Board of Trustees (BOT) Scholarship

The Board of Trustees Academic Specialty Scholarship is for talented Montgomery County high school graduates who plan to enroll at any Montgomery College campus. This is a one-year scholarship that covers the full-time cost of tuition and fees at the county resident tuition rate, up to a maximum of 15 credits per semester.

Application Eligibility Requirements: 3.0 or higher weighted grade point average; Letter of recommendation; Essay questions; admission to a degree program at Montgomery College.

Applications are typically available to students in January of their senior year
More information

The Macklin Business Institute (MBI) Honors Program

Are you looking for a highly-selective and competitive business program that parallels that of the best business schools? MBI might be for you!

The Macklin Business Institute (MBI) Honors Program provides a collegiate experience that parallels that of the best business schools in the country, bringing together highly talented students with an interest in business. The two-year program is designed for incoming MC freshmen, while the one-year program is for second-year college students. Upon completion of the program, students will have had unique opportunities which will expand your transfer options.

Interested students must also submit a general Montgomery College application ahead of time as they need to include their Montgomery College 'M Number' on their application.
- Applications are typically available to students in January of their senior year
Click here for more information and learn how to apply

Montgomery College Foundation Scholarships

Montgomery College Foundation Scholarships – The Montgomery College Foundation offers more than 300 Foundation scholarship opportunities, generously provided by businesses, organizations, and individuals. Scholarships are available for students who are in good academic standing and have financial need. There are two deadlines: June 30 for the fall semester and December 31 for spring semester.

Admitted students can apply for all MC Foundation scholarships by completing one online application through AcademicWorks. This online tool automatically matches you up with relevant scholarships. Go to the online application and use your MyMC login to begin the process.

More information

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