Scholarships for High School Juniors
Christen Arafeh 
You don't have to wait until your senior year in high school to apply for scholarships. Here is a list that you can start on now.
College Scholarships for High School Juniors
Are you currently a junior in high school thinking about college but really having no idea what to expect? Don’t worry about it! Every college student has been a little lost in the admissions process and figuring out how to afford college in the first place. To make that first step in the right direction, here’s a list of scholarships you can start applying to right now:
Award Amount: $1,000- $2,500
Deadline: May 31, 2021
Eligibility: Must be a current high school student, must not adopt an existing blood drive, legal resident of the United States, enrolled in school in U.S., will graduate high school at completion of senior year, will continue education after high school at two- or four- year university/ technical school/ community college/ trade school
Description: The Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program is a unique opportunity through the American Red Cross in which you “sign up to a host a blood drive while school is out of session and joining the impressive group of youth across the nation who are helping save lives.” The program is based on a lottery system, and the more pints of blood you collect for donation, the more money you could potentially win from the drawing. For example, blood drives that collect 25-59 pints are eligible to have a chance to win $1,000 whereas the 1,000+ range has a chance to win $2,500. This is a great way to not only try and save money for college but contribute to your community and save lives!
Award Amount: $250- $1,500
Deadline: April 30, 2021
Eligibility: Must be a high school sophomore or junior, currently enrolled in a public or private high school in Texas
Description: The Dedman Essay Competition is a gateway into the Dedman Scholars, a group that “[builds] the experiences and skills that allow them to successfully compete with the best students in the world by attending a world-class research university that provides them with enriching opportunities in education and research.” The goal of the Dedman family is “to offer these students the freedom – both financial and intellectual – and the opportunities to pursue their highest selves.” Sounds pretty nice, right? The essay itself is limited to 4,000 characters, which comes out to about 750-800 words. Judges are looking for how well you stick with the prompt, organization, creativity, and how much emotion you can get out of them. If you’re a junior going to high school in Texas, this is the scholarship for you!
Award Amount: $500-$3,000
Deadline: June 6, 2021
Eligibility: Must be a U.S. high school junior or senior in the Fall 2021- Spring 2022 academic school year, member of one or more of the following historically underrepresented minority racial or ethnic groups: (Black/African-American, Native American, Latinx-American), interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, GPA of at least 2.5
Description: The Desire to Inspire Scholarship is all about “recognizing young individuals from historically underrepresented minority groups who are interested in a career in healthcare and are making a determined effort to inspire others in some way, shape or form.” The application includes a couple of questions that require 500-word responses and a description of only three sentences of what you plan to do with the scholarship money. The judges will be looking at the content, grammar, organization, voice, and quality of your resume/CV within your application.
Award Amount: $3,000- $10,000
Deadline: January 26-29, 2022
Eligibility: Must have not reached your 18th birthday by January 29, 2022 (for Junior Division), must play violin/ viola/ cello/ double bass, resident of the U.S. or have a valid visa
Description: If you’re a musician in any of the aforementioned string instruments, this hefty scholarship is worth looking over. The Sphinx Competition is “national competition offering young Black and Latinx classical string players a chance to compete under the guidance of an internationally renowned panel of judges, and to perform with and receive mentorship from established professional musicians.” You have to submit a video audition along with a current biography, a repertoire list, and a high resolution headshot. There’s a Junior Division and Senior Division, so you can apply after your junior year as well!
Award Amount: $50- $500
Deadline: June 1, 2021
Eligibility: Currently enrolled in high school (grades 9-12), attend a school in New York/ New Jersey/ Connecticut, not have previously won or placed in this contest, not related to the Rise for Rohingya Team or current judge
Description: Are you a junior in high school with some time to spare? Take a look at the John Sextion Essay Contest for some potentially easy cash. All you have to do is write an essay that’s less than 500 words. Use at least three different kinds of sources with in-text citations and a bibliography. When you submit the essay, make sure to include your name, your email, your high school’s name, and your current grade level on the cover sheet. Winners even receive SAT Tutoring from Sentia Education!
Award Amount: $4,000- $20,000
Deadline: May 3, 2021
Eligibility: Must be a high school junior or senior, have solved an artistic, scientific, or technical problem in a new or unusual way, have come up with a distinctive solution to problems faced by your school, community or family, a Connecticut or New York City metro area resident who plans to attend an institution of higher education in the United States, a resident in any part of the U.S. who plans to attend an institution of higher education in Connecticut or the New York City metro are
Description: As stated on their website, the Milton Fisher Scholarship “is not a traditional scholarship focused on rewarding academic achievement and financial need...its specific goal is to reward and encourage innovative and creative problem-solving by honoring students who excel as creative problem-solvers and helping make their higher education goals more accessible.” The scholarship ultimately awards 5-8 students each year, which are renewable for up to four years! If you’re creative and have problem-solving skills you’ve utilized in the past, this is the scholarship for you!
Award Amount: $100-$1,000
Deadline: December 31, 2021
Eligibility: Must be enrolled in elementary/ middle school/ high school during the 2021-2021 academic year
Description: This writing contest is unique in that it’s ”celebrating the Second Amendment as an integral part of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.” The topic for the 2021 contest is “What Does the Second Amendment Mean to You?” Your essay should be about 1,000 words. Along with the essay, you’ll have to give information about yourself and your school as well as a statement from a teacher or parent that certifies that the essay is your original work.
Now that you have a solid list of scholarships and essay contests to apply to, you’ve got a few tools under your belt to help afford college. What about getting into college in the first place? If you’re super anxious about the admissions process, have no fear. The Hive’s One-On-One College Admissions and Scholarship Consult is guaranteed to help walk you through the college admissions process. You have an hour in which an expert helps you choose a major, make a target school list, brainstorm or edit admission essays, and much more! College is a big deal, so make sure you take advantage of every piece of advice you can get.
Categories: college, college admissions, high school, scholarships
About the Author
Christen is the founder of Hive Education. She is passionate about helping families navigate the college application and admissions processes. She helps students set goals to work towards their own debt-free degrees with her personalized scholarship searches, scholarship courses, and by sharing her scholarship strategies that won her over $900,000 in for her own college education. With four years of experience in higher education, two years working with teens in inner city high schools in New Orleans, and starting her first college consulting company during a pandemic in 2020 she strives to make college accessible for everyone, especially for first generation, low income, and minority students. In her spare time she loves to share her love for books with her daughters. You can find her on Facebook.
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