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.
Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation - $500-$5,000; take a quiz, show what you know, win scholarships. It's that easy!
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.

September 2025 Scholarships - Click Here

10 - California Freethought Day Video Scholarship - 2-$750 awards; currently attend a middle school (grades 7-8), high school (grades 9-12), college (any level), or trade school; be a resident of the United States; plan to pursue (or currently pursuing) postsecondary education at a community college, four-year college, trade school, or vocational school; create a public post that responds to the above prompt and share it on either Threads, X (Twitter), Instagram, or TikTok, tagging us (@FreethoughtDay) and using the hashtag #ScholarshipPSA; the entry must be in the form of a video (live-action or animated) between 30-60 seconds in length.
15 - The Gates Scholarship - scholars will receive funding for the full cost of attendance that is not already covered by other financial aid; senior; US citizen, national, or permanent resident; min 3.3 GPA; for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households; financial need; pell-eligible; must enroll full-time in a four-year degree program; outstanding academic record; demonstrated leadership; personal success skills.
15 - Breakthrough Junior Challenge - winner will receive a $250,000 post-secondary scholarship, $50,000 for a math or science teacher that has inspired them, and $100,000 for their school's renovation or addition of a science lab; available to students 13-18 years old; students must create a short, two-minute maximum video explaining a big idea in one of the following fields: physics, mathematics, or life sciences; additionally, you must perform a peer-to-peer review of five other student submissions; film entry can take any form you like: animation, talking head, documentary, dramatic reconstruction, etc.; see link full rules and details.
15 - The Headway’s Book Lovers Scholarship - $1,500 award; high school seniors and undergraduate students; must be a U.S citizen who is at least 16 years old; min 3.0 GPA; planning to enroll full-time at an accredited college, university, or vocational-technical school within the United States; must submit an essay or video on the topic provided by the sponsor.
30 - QuestBridge National College Match - recipients granted early admission to one of QuestBridge's college partners with a full four-year scholarship (worth over $200,000); any high school senior, regardless of citizenship, is eligible (review Additional Citizenship Requirements); earned primarily A's in the most challenging courses available (Honors, AP, and/or IB); financial need as finalists typically come from households earning less than $65,000/year (household of 4).
30 - College JumpStart Gratitude Scholarship - $1,000; Current student (high school 10th-12th or college) or planning to enter college within the next 12 months; U.S. citizen or legal resident; answer one of two questions in 250 words or less; financial need is not considered nor are grades or test scores.
30 - Don't Text and Drive Scholarship - $1,000; grades 9-12 or entering college; U.S. citizen or legal resident; submit a 140-character statement about texting and driving.
30 - HostingAdvice.com Future Web Developers Annual Scholarship - $1,000 award; current or future college student (e.g., high school senior); must be a U.S. resident; minimum GPA of 3.5; majoring in a computer science-related field; complete an essay for submission (see essay guidelines on linked website); submit a cover letter outlining civic involvement and/or extracurricular activities; official transcript.
30 - The Home Depot Foundation Path to Pro Scholarship $2,500 Construction Careers Scholarships - $2,500 awards; high school senior, high school graduate or have a GED equivalent; plan to enroll, or be enrolled within 1 year, in an approved trade-related program at an accredited two-year school or institution (i.e. technical/vocational school, community college or training center) in the United States; not be an employee or dependent of an employee of the The Home Depot. Employees of The Home Depot and their dependents are eligible to apply for a scholarship from The Homer Fund; Programs/Career Paths: Carpentry, Construction Management, Electrical, HVAC, Plumbing.
30 - The Donohue Family SkilPointe Scholarship for Skilled Trades - $2,000 awards; high school senior, pursuing or have obtained a high school diploma, GED or secondary education equivalent; available to individuals of all backgrounds pursuing vocational training in industries such as Construction, Communications, Energy, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Public Service, Technology, and Transportation; enrolled or planning to enroll within one year, in a postsecondary educational training program (includes community college, technical or vocational schools, training centers).
30 - Going Merry Future Fund Scholarship - $500 no-essay award open to all high school students, no matter your post-graduation plans; money can be used for tuition, books, supplies, or other education-related costs; the application is quick and easy, with no GPA requirement.
30 - Coca-Cola Scholars Program* - (*deadline is 5pm on 9/30) 150-$20,000 awards; senior; U.S. Citizen, legal resident, refugee (see link for full eligibility list); min 3.0 GPA; achievement based scholarship; planning to pursue a college degree after high school; involved in school and community activities; transcript.

October 2025 Scholarships - Click Here

08 - AES Engineers Scholarship - $500 award; available to high school seniors and students attending a post secondary educational facility; scholarships are intended for our future leaders across a wide spectrum of fields of study; you are not required to be taking Engineering courses to be eligible; submit an essay of between 500 and 1000 words; see link for prompt.
10 - CouponBirds "Help to Save" Scholarship - one $1,000 award and four $500 awards; high school students: must be at least 15 years old and provide an enrollment certificate or proof of enrollment; create a 2-3 minute video (no longer than 5 minutes) on the topic: "Money-Saving Secrets for Students" and upload it to YouTube; subscribe to CouponBirds' social media. Follow CouponBirds on X and Facebook; share your video with money-saving tips on your social media channels (X/Facebook) to help more students; complete the application form, including the links to your YouTube video and social media post, and submit your application; see link for full rules and guidelines.
17 - The Sustainability Essay Contest - ranging from $500 to $1,500 based on their performance; open to high school juniors and seniors; min 3.0 GPA; submit an essay on a sustainable construction - related topic.
28 - Chick-fil-A Community Scholars Program* - (*deadline is 4pm on 10/28) up to thirteen (13) awards of up to $25,000 plus a scholars program; senior; must be 18 years of age by July 15, 2026; min. 3.0 GPA (unweighted); involved in community service, extracurricular activities and/or a leadership role in the twelve (12) months prior to application deadline; willing to participate in Chick-fil-A’s Scholars Program (a one-year experience of mentoring, activities, and professional development), if selected; copy of first two pages of tax return (yours or parent).

November 2025 Scholarships - Click Here

01 - Young Writers Awards - $1,000, $500, and $250 awards for each category; winners and finalists could also be eligible for up to $60K in undergrad scholarships at Bennington College; 9-12 grade; enter an original work in one of three categories: poetry, fiction, and nonfiction; see link for full rules and guidelines.
02 - Hispanic Heritage Youth Awards - educational grants to fund higher education or community-based project; Youth Awards honors Latinx high school seniors who excel in the classroom and community and for their excellence in various categories (see link for categories); senior; be of Hispanic heritage (includes Spain, Brazil, Philippines); min unweighted 3.0 GPA; must enroll at an accredited higher education institution in 2025-2026; letter or recommendation; transcript; multiple essays; if selected, attendance to virtual regional awards ceremony is mandatory.
06 - Regeneron Science Talent Search - win up to $250,000; senior; students will be given the challenge of conducting independent science, math, or engineering research; to be considered, you must submit a maximum 20 - page research report explaining your experiments and conclusions; research must be the work of a single individual, group and team projects are not eligible; see link for full details and guidelines.
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.
17 - National Space Club and Foundation Keynote Scholar Application - invitation to speak at the Goddard Memorial Dinner and a $20,000 scholarship; senior; U.S. Citizen; must have the intention of pursuing a career in the STEM fields and plan to attend an accredited U.S. college or university to follow a course of study to pursue a career in the STEM field, with a preference for those with space related interests; unofficial transcript; at least 2 letters of recommendation; statement of Intent: A brief statement of 150 words or less on your study/career plans with an emphasis on STEM; video audition; see link for full guidelines and details.
24 - National Honor Society (NHS) Scholarship* - (*deadline is 5pm on 11/24) 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 adviser at an affiliated NHS chapter.

Scholarship Search Sites - Click Here

Fastweb - I recommend all students register and create an account on this site!
goingmerry - I recommend all students register and create an account on this site!
BigFuture
Appily (formerly Cappex)
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 2025 Deadline: January 31, 2025
Click here for more information and learn how to apply
- Fall 2025 Application Guidelines

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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