College is expensive: there, I said it. So if you have plans to go to college – or any higher education – I’m sure you are aware that any money you can get to help pay for education, boarding, food, etc. can help minimize the dent college causes to your finances. Whether you make fifty dollars, or fifty thousand dollars, any amount of money can help.
With all this being said, here are some of the countless scholarships, contests, and organizations that can help with paying for higher education.
- The Jane Austen Society of North America
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a high school student with plans to go to college may be in want of a scholarship. The Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) annually hosts both an essay contest and a film contest. For the essay contest, prompts are typically released in the fall, and submissions are accepted in February of the following year. Film contests on the other hand have a deadline of June 2024. Both contests include prompts that relate to Jane Austen and one of her famous works. Scholarships/cash awards can range from $1000 to $200, and may even include an invitation to JASNA’s Annual General Meeting. You can find more information here: https://jasna.org/programs/. (Jane Austen Society of North America, n.d.)
- Engineer Girl
As another writing contest, Engineer Girls focuses on (as the name suggests) engineering. Specifically, that of which affects the environment, and/or has been impacted by women and minority groups. This year’s prompt: “How do the items we use go from raw materials to the things we depend upon?” High school participants will be judged together, and the opportunity to win $1000 hangs in the balance! Remember that all entries must be submitted by February 1, 2024. For more detailed information, (and examples of winning entries from past years), you can visit their website here: https://www.engineergirl.org/128750/EngineerGirl-Writing-Contest. (Engineer Girl, n.d.).
- McDonald’s HACER Scholarship
McDonald’s has awarded over $33 million to students of Hispanic or Latino descent across the country. Prizes range from $100,000 to $5,000, with recipients being chosen based on academic achievement, financial need, community involvement, the personal statement applicants give, and personal qualities portrayed in a personal interview (in-person or via phone). Students applying are also required to be seniors with a minimum 2.8 GPA, and have intentions to attend higher education, etc. Winners will be announced in June of next year, but semi-finalists will be notified in April. Check the website here for more details and requirements: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/community/hacer.html. (McDonald’s, n.d.)
- The Ford Family Foundation
Ford invites seniors in high school (as well as recent graduates) who may face significant financial barriers toward higher education to apply for their scholarship. Applications started December 1st and will close March 1st. Scholarships may include a renewable award of up to $40,000 per year. More information can be found here: https://www.tfff.org/. (The Ford Family Foundation, n.d.)
Other contests like the annual Scholastic Art and Writing Awards and the Doodle for Google contest can provide significant financial support, though these require skill with a pen… or pencil, whichever you prefer. For an even larger list of scholarships you can apply to, make sure to check out the SPHS website and search for “Financial Aid and Scholarships.” Our amazing counseling department compiled an enormous list of a variety of financial aid resources.
If you are interested the link is here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1FySgVhGs30LxbTDGN2DKnQDhLt49YPxgBeHlf9WB6xU/edit#gid=0.
Other sites like BigFuture (part of Collegeboard), Bold.org, and UNIGO compile lists of scholarships that meet your requirements. And, specifically for the latter two, there are options for “No-essay” (literally meaning you do not have to write an essay), as well as writing for prompts that may align with your interests: Netflix, Anime, Olivia Rodrigo, Superpowers, etc.
One important thing to remember though is that not all scholarships are legit, and they could be scams. Be wary of any that sound too good to be true, especially ones that ask for sensitive information, or ones that pressure you to accept their “Limited time offer.”
The bottom line is: there are a ton of really great opportunities for your financial needs – take the chance to apply to as many as you can. Maybe you’ll get it, maybe you won’t; but the wins in this case outweigh the losses. So for those who do plan to apply for a scholarship – good luck out there!
