Every month, we post a round-up of our absolute favorite scholarships for high schoolers with upcoming deadlines. This month, the award amounts are wide-ranging – from $100,000 to $200 – and the submission requirements are pretty diverse, too. But these scholarship opportunities do have one important thing in common: they're open for you to apply.
So, what are you waiting for? Dive into the April scholarship round-up, add a few scholarships to your to-do list, and start earning money for college. We know you can do it!
1. Students for Church and State Separation Essay Contest
Deadline: April 15, 2018
Eligibility: High school juniors and seniors in the U.S.
Award: 3 awards of $1500, $1000, and $500.
Requirements: Write a 750-1,200 word response to the following prompt: “What do you think has been the greatest threat to church-state separation in the past year?”
You can base your response on one of the following issues, or write about what you consider to be the greatest threat to the separation of church and state:
- Discrimination against the LGBTQ community, women and religious minorities in the name of religion
- Attempts to change the tax code so politicians can pressure nonprofits — including houses of worship — for endorsements
- Efforts to ban people from entering the country because of their religion
2. A Voice for Cats Essay Contest
Deadline: April 30, 2018
Eligibility: High school seniors who plan to enroll in an institution of higher education for the 2018-19 year. Must be permanent residents of the U.S.
Award: One award of $1000.
Requirements: Write an essay about how to best promote the humane treatment of cats. Include a 50-100 word personal bio with your essay submission.
3. Humane Education Network: A Voice for the Animals Contest
Deadline: April 30, 2018
Eligibility: Middle and high school students ages 14-18. Participants must be under 19 years of age as of 1/22/18, but otherwise this opportunity is open to all eligible applicants worldwide regardless of nationality, citizenship, or country of residence.
Award: $5,900 total will be awarded to 18 different winners. Amounts range from $200 to $500.
Requirements: Applicants must write an essay or create a video related to animal welfare. Several prompts and formats are available, so be sure to browse the entire website to learn about all of your options.
4. American College Foundation's College Visionary Scholarship
Deadline: May 1, 2018
Eligibility: All high school students in grades 9-12 are eligible to apply. Open to United States citizens or eligible non-citizens.
Award: Multiple awards of $1000-$5000.
Requirements: Sign up online to receive an application package by mail. (The package takes about 2 weeks to arrive, so order now!) Then, write a 500-word essay with the topic “why college is important to me.”
5. Paradigm Challenge Project
Deadline: May 1, 2018
Eligibility: Open to students worldwide between the ages of 4 and 18.
Award: One Grand Prize of $100,000, two first prizes of $10,000, three second prizes of $2,000, one third prize of $1000, and 90 finalist prizes of $200.
Requirements: The Paradigm Challenge is an annual competition designed “to encourage students to create solutions to real life problems using kindness, creativity, and collaboration.” This year, all projects must focus on improving personal health. Students can submit posters, videos, inventions, public messages, community events, websites, mobile apps, etc., and can participate individually or as a team.
6. Ocean Awareness Scholarship
Deadline: June 18, 2018
Eligibility: Open to all high school students worldwide.
Award: Multiple awards of $1500, $1000, $500, $750, and $250.
Requirements: Submit a creative work (visual art, poetry, prose, film, or music) related to the theme of climate change and oceans. All applicants must also submit a 100-250 word reflection related to their submission. Visit the Ocean Awareness Contest overview page and click “consider these questions” for a full list of questions to consider when working on your creative piece.
Looking for expert guidance to increase your chances at scholarship success? Check out our scholarship guidance and essay review services.