Scholarships for High School Seniors

Senior year of high school is a mix of stress and excitement. One of the major checklist items are to apply for scholarships to help pay for the upcoming college fees. There are seemingly endless opportunities, but they can be difficult to win because applicants from several different career levels are eligible to apply and it can be challenging to compete with older students. However, there are several prestigious scholarships for high school seniors that are only open to talented and competitive students and based solely on their hard work and dedication during high school.

Most of these scholarships for high school seniors are aimed at specific subsets of students from one of the following categories: students who already know what field or vocation they wish to pursue, students who live in a specific geographical area, or students within a certain ethnic group or having a specific documented physical or learning disability. More broad scholarships for high school seniors are set up as a contest, usually a video or essay competition based on something the student would have studies while in high school.

Below are some of the larger major scholarships for high school seniors. This list represents the larger broader scholarships, but there are many smaller more specific categories of this type of scholarship. High school seniors should consult their guidance counselors or check their local department of education website to look for these scholarships.

The Coca Cola Scholars Program

The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship for high school seniors preparing to graduate. Students are recognized for their demonstrated leadership, community involvement,and their commitment to making a difference in their schools and communities. This is a major scholarship for high school seniors; each award is $20,000.

The Ronald McDonald Scholarship Program

This scholarship recognizes exceptional high school seniors of all backgroundswho wish to pursue higher education and demonstrate financial need. Scholarship requirements can vary slightly depending on the local chapter of Ronald McDonald House Charities, but they must be graduating seniors intending to begin university in the upcoming fall. Students must submit four short essays answering specific questions about their leadership experience, community service, and academic merit. Students also need to submit transcripts, financial need information, and a letter of recommendation. The award amount varies based in merit and financial need, but can be as much as $100,000.

Engebretson Foundation Scholarship

The Engebretson Foundation is a philanthropic foundation dedicated to helping promising students chase their dreams. The award one recipient each year who demonstrates both financial need and exceptional academic achievement. The award grants $5,000 per semester toward college tuition.