We always talk about the importance of planning when it comes to college admissions. A lot of this focuses on how to get into the school of your choice, but another component of this is how you can fund your studies once you get in. A lot of students and families are constantly worried about the rising cost of higher education, and they feel unprepared. If the options are out-of-state or private schools, coming up with a plan to cover tuition and living costs can feel even more overwhelming.

That’s why we urge you to start looking early on into scholarships. Make sure you try everything you can ahead of time so that you have more options down the line. There are many different types of scholarships including merit-based scholarships that focus on high-achieving students as well as those specific to certain backgrounds or demographics. 

But be ready to invest some time. Though generally not seen as being as effective as having a national win from a competition or contest, you'll find that the biggest scholarships are serious endeavors that will require either hours, weeks, or even months to prepare. But the prize is a big one for some. Make sure to carve out enough time to plan and prepare so you don’t regret not trying. 

To help you out, we’ve put together a short list of some of the largest, well-known, and generous programs out there to give you somewhere to start. Note the deadlines differ greatly. Mark these down on your calendar and make sure you prepare in advance. 

And stay tuned! We'll come back with breakdown posts on scholarships throughout the coming weeks as we get started on the year.

1. The National Merit Scholarship Program is probably one of the most well-known programs because it’s automatic and offers many scholarship awards, including the National Merit $2,500 Scholarships, the National Merit Corporate-Sponsored Scholarships, and the National Merit College-Sponsored Scholarships.

• Deadline: Winners announced February and September for semi-finalists

2. The Coca-Cola Scholars Program gives high school seniors with demonstrated leadership and academic excellence an opportunity for four-year scholarships worth $20,000 per year to 150 outstanding students. 

• Deadline: October

3. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College Scholarship Program was created with the goal of providing opportunities to students with demonstrated academic achievement and who are in need of financial assistance. The scholarship provides up to $40,000 per year for four years of undergraduate study to approximately 40 outstanding students each year. 

• Deadline: November

4. The Regeneron Talent Search is America’s oldest and most prestigious science and math competition. The competition awards a total of $1.25 mil. in scholarships to approximately 40 outstanding students each year, including a top prize of $250,000.

• Deadline: October/November 

5. The Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program provides African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest. Their goal is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need. 

• Deadline: January 

6. The Horatio Alger Association Scholarships combine economic and need with a third component: community outreach. They specifically look for students who are in financial need and have demonstrated a connection with their community. They offer 70 different programs, but their national scholarships award $25,000 dollars for undergraduate studies to 105 students. 

• Deadline: March 15

7. The ELKS Most Valuable Student Scholarships are awarded to US citizens who are current seniors and consistently demonstrate leadership and scholarship. The scholarships range from $50,000, $40,000, and $30,000 for two students each and $4,000 dollars to 480 students every year. 

• Deadline: ~expected November

8. The Prudential Emerging Visionaries is a partnership between Prudential and Ashoka that looks to benefit high-performing students who are driven to make a difference in their communities. Awards are given to approximately 102 outstanding students each year, with a top award of $15,000.

• Deadline: November

9. The Amazon Future Engineer program provides students interested in science and STEM with an opportunity to get a head start on their future careers in STEM with a $40,000 scholarship for 250 students, plus a paid summer internship program at Amazon.

• Deadline: January 20, 2023

10. Find the right scholarship for you among the dozens that are offered on an annual basis. Not only are some of them very large, but they also provide support for groups that have been traditionally underrepresented. We’ll do a post soon highlighting those types of scholarships specifically to help you dig through the mountain of scholarships that are out there.

• Deadline: throughout the year