What do most high school juniors and seniors need? Money and scholarship access for college. Ideally, your parents or guardians have been adding to your college fund from the moment you are born. However, if you’re like most Americans, you do not have that college fund to look forward to. Worse still, tuition rates are through the roof. The average student loan amount is around $39,000 after a four-year degree. Scholarships are a tremendous resource for college students, but it’s not always easy to find the right one for your needs. Here are a few places to start.

Raise.me

Raise.me is a scholarship opportunity started by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, so you know it’s smart in its design. Basically, you get paid for your grades. The better your grades, the more money you can earn toward your college education. Best of all, it isn’t just the traditional classes that count for this scholarship. Extracurriculars like debate or football can count too. There is no need to pay it back either.

Applicants must be under 21 years old and currently enrolled in high school or community college to qualify. Individual investors are here to give you the money you need. Just like the scholarship ranges in reward by grade, each investor has their own amount that they provide for grades or extracurricular activities. Apply today and see how much money you can raise to fund your education.


Gates

Founded in 2018, this new scholarship is not easy to receive, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t apply if you qualify. This scholarship is available only for minority high school seniors. The Gates scholarship grants students who are well-rounded in both academic and extracurricular activities with a nearly-full college ride. It also requires applicants to be eligible for the Pell grant. The goal is for the scholarship to work in tandem with the Pell grant.

The scholarship does not require anything to be paid back, and it covers books, boarding, tuition, supplies and even some personal items in addition to tuition. Don’t let the competitiveness of the scholarship scare you either. It never hurts to try and who knows, maybe you’ll be one of the lucky 300 recipients to receive this extraordinary scholarship.

Coca-Cola

No, you don’t have to drink an excessive amount of Coca-Cola to get this scholarship. However, community involvement and a good academic record are a must. The Coca-Cola scholarship wants applicants who are leaders in their schools and community. They are looking to award those who make an impact on their world.

The criteria for this scholarship focuses on academic excellence, extracurricular activities, and community involvement alike. To qualify for the Coca-Cola scholarship, you must be current high school student graduating within the current school year and planning to pursue a degree in the U.S.

Like most scholarships, the Coca-Cola scholarship does not ask grantees to pay back their award. What they do require are interviews with scholarship winners to talk about their school experience.

McDonald’s

McDonald’s doesn’t have just one scholarship; they have an array of them. Each McDonald’s scholarship has unique prerequisites for applicants. These scholarships encourage community outreach and promote education. There are scholarships specifically for minority students as well.

All of McDonald’s scholarships are based on student achievements both in and out of school. They want to invest in students with the ambition to be a positive change to the world. These scholarships can also go to DREAMERS, helping promote and increase higher education for everyone. All I can say is I am loving it.

McDonald's scholarship

Fastweb

Fastweb may be the mother of all search engines for finding scholarships. By answering a series of questions, Fastweb will narrow down potential scholarships you can apply for. They make sure that all the scholarships are safe and real so there’s no risk for applicants. They also provide updates on new scholarships, statutes of scholarships, and deadlines.

Some of the scholarships have applications that are as easy as writing an essay. Others may ask for a video or an innovative idea to apply. They are all equal opportunity scholarships but some are more competitive than others. With Fastweb, anyone can get a scholarship. There are so many to choose from and apply to. In the wise words of Oprah, everybody gets one!

oprah scholarship meme

Work should could (and should!) celebrate your education. If you need scholarships to get you where you want to go, apply to your heart’s content. If you don’t get the exact scholarship you want, just keep working toward your goals and moving forward. We wish you the best of luck. Let the scholarship application process begin, and don’t worry so much if you can. Bookmans is here if you need a break. You got this!