At the national contest, first-, second-, and third-place winners receive cash prizes of $1,000, $500, and $250, respectively.
The grand prize is a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to Case Western Reserve University. Partial tuition scholarships are awarded to Chaminade University (Honolulu, Hawaii) and the University of Maryland (College Park).
Special prizes are awarded in topic areas such as African American history, colonial history, and women's history.
The History Channel awards numerous prizes of up to $5,000 each at the national contest for students and teachers.
At the Montgomery County Level
- Special Prizes in Women’s History - Presented by Emily and Gary Correll
- Special Prizes in Legal History - Presented by the J. Franklyn Bourne Bar Association, Inc.
- Special Prize in Jewish American History - Presented by The Jewish Historical Society of Greater Washington
- Special Prizes in Education - Presented by Members of the Parents Coalition of Montgomery County, Maryland
- Special Prize in Citizenship Participation - Presented by the League of Women Voters of Montgomery County, Inc.
- Special Prizes in Civil War History - Presented by the Civil War Roundtable of Montgomery County
- Special Prize in Archaeology - Presented by PFB Consult
- Special Prize in Women’s History - Presented by the Potomac Valley Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women
- The Charles T. Jacobs Prize in Local History Presented by the Montgomery County Historical Society and the Boyds Historical Society
- Special Prize in African American Heritage- Presented by the Potomac Valley Chapter of the National Council of Negro Women
At the Maryland State Level (that is, if you advance from Montgomery County)
- Special Prize for History in the Federal Government, sponsored by the Society for History in the Federal Government
- SENATOR THOMAS V. MIKE MILLER, JR. AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN GOVERNMENT HISTORY
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY, sponsored by the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture
- AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN CIVIC ACTION AND ENGAGEMENT, sponsored by the Maryland Council for the Social Studies
- THE BARRY A. LANMAN AWARD FOR ORAL HISTORY, MARTHA ROSS CENTER FOR ORAL HISTORY, UMBC, sponsored by John D. Willard V
- THE EMILY HOFFMAN AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY, sponsored Amy Plummer and Kenneth Hoffman
- MILTON ZASLOW AWARD IN CRYPTOLOGY, sponsored by the National Cryptologic Museum Foundation
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN ETHICAL ISSUES IN HISTORY, sponsored by the Hoffberger Center for Professional Ethics, University of Baltimore
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN HISTORIC PRESERVATION, sponsored by the Maryland Historical Trust
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN LABOR HISTORY, sponsored by Community College of Baltimore County, Labor Studies Program
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN MARYLAND HISTORY, sponsored by the Maryland Historical Society:
- PATTEN MEMORIAL HISTORY AWARD FOR BEST USE OF PRIMARY SOURCES
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN MILITARY HISTORY, sponsored by the Historical Miniatures Gaming Society
- THE MARY DOUGLAS GLASSPOOL SPECIAL AWARD FOR RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
- NAVAL AND MARITIME HISTORY AWARD, sponsored by the National Capitol Commandery of the Naval Order of the United States
- THE PEACE STUDY CENTER AWARD, sponsored by the Peace Study Center, Baltimore
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, sponsored by the UMBC Human Context of Science & Technology Program
- SPECIAL PRIZE IN WOMEN’S HISTORY, sponsored by the Department of History, UMBC
At the National Level (again, assuming you advance from Maryland)
- Outstanding Entry Tied to a Historic Site: The History Channel sponsors this award, which goes to the best senior entry that uses at least one historic site as a major focus for entry research and presentation.
- Star-Spangled 200 Special Prize: The Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission and its affiliate non-profit, Star-Spangled 200, Inc. award a prize to an outstanding entry that incorporates one or more of the Commission’s four themes: courage, unity in diversity, inspiration or preparedness