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10 Scholarships to Start the School Year Off Right

10 Scholarships to Start the School Year Off Right
9/1/2015
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Susan Dutca-Lovell

With summer quickly coming to an end, Scholarships.com is keeping you well-equipped with the top ten, hottest scholarships to bring in the new school year. What better way to enjoy the last weeks of summer than to win free college money? With scholarships available for all ages and across a variety of subjects, we've compiled top dollar scholarship opportunities for you - all you have to do is apply! Explore some of our back to school scholarships below:

Beat the Odds Scholarship

Deadline: September 14, 2015
Available to: Oregon public high school senior
Maximum Award: $2,500

Are you an Oregon public high school student who has succeeded academically despite hardships? Do you plan to continue your education by enrolling in a two or four-year college program? If education has made a difference in your life, Stand for Children Leadership Center wants to hear from you! Sponsored by Stand for Children Oregon, Beat the Odds Scholarships Award & Fundraising awards three $2,500 renewable scholarships for up to four years provided the recipient maintains a 3.0 GPA or better, remains a full time student, and funding is available.

Recipients agree to share their story at the Beat the Odds award events and participate in all related publicity, including the creation of a short, inspirational video about their lives and accomplishments.

For more information and to apply, please visit Beat the Odds Scholarship.

U.S. Bank Financial Genius Scholarship

Deadline: September 17, 2015
Available to: High school seniors through undergraduate college students
Maximum Award: $5,000

U.S. Bank knows paying for college can be challenging, especially with the cost of college tuition increasing and student financial aid resources decreasing. Navigating financial concepts can be tough, but the Financial Genius online financial education courses are available to provide you with every tool possible to build financial success. In addition to a chance to win one of five $1,000 scholarships, you have an opportunity to win a $5,000 scholarship by completing the eight education modules in our U.S. Bank Financial Genius online financial education program.

To be eligible for the Financial Genius Scholarship, in addition to the entry criteria, entrants must also complete all eight Financial Genius education modules.

For more information and to apply, please visit U.S. Bank Financial Genius Scholarships.

Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship

Deadline: September 30, 2015
Available to: High school freshmen through Graduate students, Home-schooled students
Maximum Award: Covers full tuition and housing

The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship is a full tuition and housing college scholarship for golf caddies that is renewable for up to four years. Each year, more than 800 deserving caddies across the country attend college on a four-year scholarship from the Evans Scholars Foundation. Selected applicants must have a strong caddie record, excellent grades, outstanding character and demonstrated financial need.

For more information and to apply, please visit Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship.

Don't Text and Drive Scholarship

Deadline: September 30, 2015
Available to: High school freshmen through Graduate students, Home-schooled students
Maximum Award: $1,000

According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, texting while driving makes drivers 23 times more likely to get into a "safety-critical event." The purpose of this scholarship is to help you understand the risks of texting while driving.

High school through college graduates are eligible to apply. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. An application and brief, 140-character response about texting while driving is required. The top 10 applications will be selected as finalists. The finalists will be asked to write a full length 500-1,000 word essay.

For more information and to apply, please visit Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship.

The "Tell a Friend Scholarship" Sweepstakes

Deadline: Available every three months - September 30, 2015
Available to: All Scholarship.com members
Maximum Award: $1,000

As a Scholarships.com member, you have free access to a customized scholarship search, detailed financial aid information, an organized college search, standardized test study guides and more. So if you like what you see, simply spread the word about Scholarships.com to your friends through our "Tell A Friend" Scholarship and you will have a chance to win money for college - $1,000 for you and $500 for one of your friends. Just enter your email and password on our website to obtain a personalized referral link. Then take that link and blog it, tweet it, email it, or Facebook it and for every one of your friends who creates a profile on our site by clicking your link, you will be entered to win a $1,000 award. There's no limit as to how many people you can send your link to and if you win, one of your friends will be chosen at random to win $500.

For more information and to apply, please visit The "Tell a Friend Scholarship" Sweepstakes.

$1,000 College JumpStart Scholarship

Deadline: October 17, 2015
Available to: High sophomores through college seniors, Non-traditional students
Maximum Award: $1,000

The College JumpStart Scholarship is an annual, merit-based competition that recognizes students who are committed to using education to better their life and that of their family and/or community.

Applicants must be 10th-12th graders, college students and non-traditional students. The main requirement is that you are committed to going to school and can express your goals for getting a higher education. Applicants must write a 250 word personal statement that answers one of four questions, which will be judged based on content and not writing style.

For more information and to apply, please visit $1,000 College JumpStart Scholarship.

Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship

Deadline: October 31, 2015
Available to: High school and home-schooled seniors
Maximum Award: $20,000 Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation supports more than 1,400 college students each year, with annual scholarships of $3.4 million through two nationally recognized programs on behalf of the Coca-Cola System. Scholarship recipients excel academically and in service to others. Most Coca-Cola Scholars share a passion for social justice and many have overcome tremendous challenges to pursue their dreams.

To enter, you must be a current high school or home-schooled) senior attending school in the United States and anticipating completion of your high school diploma at the time of application. Applicants must be planning to pursue a degree at an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution and carry a minimum 3.00 GPA at the end of their junior year of high school. No essays or additional materials are required.

For more information and to apply, please visit Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship.

Megan Meier Memorial Scholarship

Deadline: November 6, 2015
Available to: High school seniors
Maximum Award: $1,000

The Megan Meier Foundation is seeking high school seniors that have made a positive impact regarding issues of bullying and cyberbullying in their own school and community. The hope is to honor students that, like the Foundation, aim to promote awareness, education and positive change in response to the issues surrounding bullying and cyberbullying.

Applicants must be currently enrolled as a full time student, possess senior status, and maintain a minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA. To enter, you must write a 1-2 page essay describing how your accomplishments relate to the mission of the Megan Meier Foundation and how you have proactively helped to lessen all forms of bullying within your school community.

For further information and to apply, please visit Megan Meier Memorial Scholarship.

Resolve to Evolve Scholarship

Deadline: December 1, 2015
Available to: Scholarships.com members
Maximum Award: $2,000

The Resolve to Evolve Scholarship is about more than just making resolutions - it's about creating change and furthering our evolution as individuals and a society. We must resolve to proactively and progressively confront challenges, however daunting. The "R2E" essay scholarship is an opportunity to move beyond finger-pointing and offer constructive criticism and workable solutions for problems facing an administration or an organization.

To enter, you must write an essay of no more than 5,000 words addressing one of two questions, as well as writing a 1,200 character response that addresses why attending college is important. Applicants must be between the ages 13 and 19. The applicant who submits the overall best essay will receive a $2,000 scholarship. One (1) winner will also be selected from each grade level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and will receive a $1,000 scholarship each.

All applicants must be registered members of Scholarships.com in order to qualify. If you have not already registered, please go to the Scholarships.com home page and register now.

For further information and to apply, please visit Resolve to Evolve Scholarship.

The Paradigm Challenge

Deadline: May 1, 2016
Available to: Ages 7-18
Maximum Award: $100,000

The Paradigm Challenge is an annual competition that inspires youth innovation to address important social issues. The first annual Challenge aims to generate new ideas to prevent injuries and fatalities from home fires – America's #1 disaster threat. All ideas are welcome, including posters, videos, inventions, messages, community events, websites, mobile apps, or anything else that will help save lives.

For more information and to apply, please visit The Paradigm Challenge.

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