Some scholarships for college are merit-based. You earn them by meeting or exceeding certain standards set by the scholarship-giver. Merit scholarships might be awarded based on academic achievement or on a combination of academics and a special talent, trait, or interest. Other scholarships are based on financial need.
Many scholarships are geared toward particular groups of people; for instance, there are scholarships for women or high school seniors. And some are available because of where you or your parent work, or because you come from a certain background (for instance, there are scholarships for military families). Be aware of the potential application pool!
A scholarship might cover the entire cost of your tuition, or it might be a one-time award of a few hundred dollars. Either way, it’s worth applying for, because it’ll help reduce the cost of your education. Know that you may apply for 20 scholarships and only receive a couple but make sure that you follow the directions and make each application neat and focused to what the sponsor is looking for.
Students and their families can easily get overwhelmed by the number of scholarship options they find on the Internet or in the library. So before looking to what's "out there," students should first think about who they are and where they're headed.
1. Student/Family - Organizations of all types and sizes sponsor scholarships, so students should begin their search for scholarships by identifying characteristics that applies to either them or their families: religion, community service, fraternal organizations, military, union, or professional.
Many large companies offer scholarships or tuition programs for children of employees. Student employers like fast food chains, department stores, and supermarkets often give scholarships.
2. School Counseling Office - Any scholarship that comes across my desk is first listed in the Senior Checklist. Next, information for each scholarship (i.e. criteria, application process, application deadline, etc.) is placed in a comprehensive file. Check out my website for a comprehensive list. (See below.)
3. Local Scholarships – Many communities have businesses or organizations that sponsor scholarships for seniors. Dollars for Scholars is a national organizations that assists local chapters in raising money for scholarships. Solon has a local Dollars for Scholars Chapter as well as organizations that provides monies for student scholarships.
4. Colleges and universities - Over 90% of scholarships awarded to graduating high school seniors are given by post-secondary institutions. Thus, students should look into what scholarships are available at the schools that interest them. Check out college websites or catalogs and financial aid offices. These awards can be offered on a university-wide basis, or within a particular college or major. Eligibility can be based on a variety of factors including merit, financial need, intended major, and ethnicity.
Examples:
Kirkwood CC http://www.kirkwood.edu/scholarships
The University of Iowa https://uiowa.edu
Coe College http://www.coe.edu
5. Online—Finding scholarships is lightning-fast and free on the right Web sites. The trick is to avoid sites that promise information about scholarships, but deliver anything from spam to outright fraud. Students should be cautioned to never pay for scholarship information. A partial list of reputable sites include:
FastWeb www.fastweb.com/fastweb/
College Board https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search
Iowa College Student Aid Commission https://www.iowacollegeaid.gov
Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) http://www.icansucceed.org/index.cfm?nodeID=62990&audienceID=1
Student Scholarships https://studentscholarships.org/scholarships#google_vignette
Scholarships.com https://www.scholarships.com
The scholarships on these pages are from organizations that provide information to the Counseling Office. This page will be updated when I receive information about a scholarship. Seniors, I recommend you check these pages two times a month.
The pages of this website will be constantly updated through the end of this school year. Check back regularly to see new updates!
Click on the links to view scholarship information with deadlines in the designated month.
NOVEMBER DEADLINES DECEMBER DEADLINES
JANUARY DEADLINES FEBRUARY DEADLINES
Hills Bank Leadership Grant
Each year, Hills Bank provides 20 leadership grants through the Iowa 4-H Foundation to high school juniors from eligible counties. Apply today to take part in a year of leadership training and receive a $1,000 scholarship to continue your education! Applicants apply during their junior year in high school and must attend at least nine hours of leadership training during their senior year in order to qualify for the award.
Students must reside or attend school in Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Keokuk, Linn, Louisa, Muscatine, or Washington counties in Iowa. Applicants do not need to be 4-H members.
Information and applications for the Hill Bank Leadership Grants are available at https://hillsbank.com/leadership-grant. Applications must be submitted online no later than 11:59 PM, March 1, 2026, for consideration.
Hills Bank Leadership Grant Flyer (pdf)
For questions regarding the Hills Bank and Trust Leadership Grants, please contact:
Mary Clancy
Student Service Specialist
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Iowa 4-H Scholarship Coordinator
REAL Colors Personality Trainer
clancy@iastate.edu
515-294-5015 (office)
712-830-1321 (cell phone)
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ISL EDUCATION LENDING SCHOLARSHIP: The ISL Education Lending Scholarship awards 45 deposits of $1,000 into ISave 529 (formerly College Savings Iowa) accounts for Iowa residents in high school or undergraduate college, or the parents, guardians or others who hold an ISave 529 account for high school or undergraduate college student.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible, you must be an Iowa resident and either:
An Iowa high school student (ninth–12th grade).
An undergraduate college student (freshman–senior).
A parent or guardian of, or another adult who holds an ISave 529 account to benefit, an Iowa high school student or an undergraduate college student.
You can access the registration link here.
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Herbert Hoover Uncommon Scholarship Award
Juniors, are you "uncommon"? Would you like the opportunity to earn $11,500 to further your education?
The goal of the Uncommon Student Award (USA) is to challenge young Iowans to be uncommon as it relates to Herbert Hoover’s values and ideals, and then reward them with money for college!
Applicants are evaluated on standards other than grades, test scores, and financial need. The students propose and complete civic-minded projects of their own choosing and should be something in which they are passionate about. We'll choose 15 students from all over Iowa based on the merits of their proposal - and each will earn $1,500 upon completion of the program!
The 15 finalists will spend the summer working on their projects and will present their results in November (2026), and four of them will earn a $10,000 scholarship to the school of their choice!
For even more detail about this outstanding program, visit UncommonStudent.org. Applications for the program are due April 1, 2026.
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HORATIO ALGER ASSOCIATION OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS: Since 1984, Horatio Alger Association Members and Friends have funded need-based college scholarships for low-income youth to pursue their dreams through higher education. Through its many scholarship programs, the Association supports students pursuing career and technical certificates and degrees, bachelor’s degrees, and graduate studies. To find out more about available scholarships, please click HERE.
Deadline: March 1, 2026 at 12:00 PM EDT (Noon)