20 Scholarships High School Juniors in 2023
It’s never too early to think about college. Even with another full year in high school, juniors will start to feel the pressure of facing their new opportunities. There are programs they can get started on early before they become seniors in order to get a jump on the exclusive opportunities available from selectively funded scholarships. Here is a list of scholarships to apply for as a high school junior to set up your college fund early.
1. William Randolph Hearst Foundation US Senate Youth Program
Amount: $10,000
Eligibility: High school juniors, members of student government, plans to take government related courses in college
Deadline: December 1, 2023
2. Carson Scholars Program
Amount: $1,000
Eligibility: High school junior, 3.75 GPA minimum, nomination by an educator one per school
Deadline: December 15, 2023
3. National Merit Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Eligibility: High school junior, PSAT index score 212 or better, submit application
Deadline: January 31, 2024
4. Voice of Democracy Scholarship Competition
Amount: up to $35,000
Eligibility: High school student, Audio essay recording for prompt
Deadline: October 31, 2023
5. American Legion National High School Oratorical Contest
Amount: up to $25,000
Eligibility: High school students, deadline varies by state, requires 8 to 10 minute oration on US Constitution plus three to five minute speech on assigned topic
Deadline: Varies
6. The Fountainhead Essay Contest
Amount: $5,000
Eligibility: High school junior, topical essay
Funded and run by the Ayn Rand foundation. Prize is cash, but is intended for pursuing higher education based on English literature of philosophies
Deadline: Varies
7. Gen and Kelly Tanabe Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Eligibility: High school student, short personal essay
Deadline: December 31, 2023
8. John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Essay Contest
Amount: up to $10,000
Eligibility: High school student, US citizen, topical essay
Students write a politically minded essay or reflection on political courage as described by JFK
Deadline: September 1, 2023
9. Speak Up! Scholarship
Amount: $2,000
Eligibility: High school Juniors, communications club or extracurricular, educator recommendation letter, essay prompt, media proof of participation
For students in reporting or public speaking pastimes including yearbook, visual communications, marketing/PR or broadcast/radio/newspaper
Deadline: September 1, 2023
10. Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Eligibility: High school student, US Citizen,
Requires a 140 word prompt of a promise not to text and drive on application and a 500-1,000 word essay on the topic
Deadline: September 30, 2023
11. YoungArts Competition
Amount: $10,000
Eligibility: High school junior, US Citizen, YoungArts Week first-time winner
For students who participate primarily in dance and song related activities
Deadline: October 13, 2023
12. Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award
Amount: $10,000
Eligibility: High school student, November 15 deadline, musical arts focus
For young classically trained musicians, the scholarship covers instrument purchases, summer programs and private lessons as well as college tuition
Deadline: November 15, 2023
13. Concerto Competition
Amount: $500 - $2,500
Eligibility: High school student, musical arts focus
Applicants are asked to play from a repertoire list of songs, no edits, with accompaniment. String, Piano and Harp players are eligible, Woodwind, brass and percussion are on alternating years
Deadline: November 15, 2023
14. Elevate Mental Health Awareness Scholarship
Amount: $500
Eligibility: High school students, November 30 deadline, personal experience with mental health
Students applying to the scholarship will be required to write an essay about how their experience with mental health has influenced their beliefs, relationships, and career aspirations.
Deadline: November 30, 2023
15. Rubincam Youth Award
Amount: $500
Eligibility: High school students, verified professional genealogy report
For students with an aim to become historians, this focuses on personal family history and is funded by the National Genealogical Society
Deadline: December 15, 2023
16. Apprentice Ecologist Initiative
Amount: $1,750
Eligibility: High school student, personal essay
Students are expected to work on their own behalf in an ecological project to protect or enrich the environment, submit proof of it, and an essay of its impacts
Deadline: December 31, 2023
17. Samsung American Legion Scholarship
Amount: $10,000
Eligibility: High school juniors, attend session of The American Legion program for boys or girls, direct descendant of US wartime veteran
The scholarship is awarded based on academic record, involvement in school, and community service
Deadline: Varies
18. Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Science Competition
Amount: $10,000
Eligibility: High school student, STEM focus
Requires writing a full project with an abstract, description, bibliography and five sample web pages, approximately 10 pages long, on the prompt for the given year
Deadline: January 31, 2024
19. American College Foundation Visionary Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Eligibility: High school student, transcript
High quality 500 word essay on the importance of college, financial need not considered
Deadline: December 1, 2023
20. Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
Amount: $10,000
Eligibility: High school students, community and environmental service
The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes, a program of the nonprofit organization Young Heroes Project, celebrates inspiring, public-spirited young people from diverse backgrounds all across North America
Deadline: Varies
