Scholarships by Grade Level

People often think scholarships are only awarded to incoming freshmen. Though these scholarships are popular, there are a multitude of other scholarships offered to students at every grade level.

A few scholarships will have open eligibility, allowing anyone who meets basic requirements to apply whether they are in middle school, high school, college, or attaining a graduate or professional degree. These awards can be sweepstakes, contests, or awards based on specific activities such as community service. Awards can also be divided by grade level or age group and may even give out multiple scholarship prizes within the group. These scholarships allow for a broad appeal and prevent any one group from having an unfair advantage.

Grade Level Limits

Scholarships commonly target specific age groups or grade levels. The specificity ranges from, say, high school juniors born in a particular calendar year to anyone currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or professional program. By limiting eligibility requirements to a specific population, scholarship providers are making sure that students are competing at an equal grade level.

Scholarships for High School Students

Scholarships for high school students belong to the most commonly-used category of grade level-based scholarships. High school students are planning to attend college for the first time and likely do not have funding sources available. Scholarships for high school students create an investment for new students to begin higher education.

Scholarships for Undergraduate Students

Not every student has four years of funding secured from the first day of college. Many students continually search for new scholarships because their first award was not renewable annually, or because their tuition has gone up as they have progressed through college. Scholarship providers recognize the need for funding beyond the first year of college and have created scholarships for undergraduate students to aid students who need continuous funding.

Scholarships for Graduate Students

While less common, there are scholarships available for graduate students. Graduate students typically rely on fellowships, but there are not enough fellowships for all graduate students, and they do not always cover living expenses. Therefore, a number of scholarship providers are willing to help graduate students finish their educational pursuits by providing funding.

Other Resources

To begin exploring Scholarships by Grade Level, check our free resources listed above. To get a customized list of scholarship awards, fill out a profile on Scholarships.com and conduct a free college scholarship search.