Understanding Scholarships
Scholarships are financial awards that help students pay for education after high school. They are offered by colleges and universities, businesses, foundations, community organizations, nonprofits, and professional associations.
Scholarship eligibility and requirements vary. Awards may be based on academic achievement, financial need, leadership, community involvement, career interests, extracurricular activities, talents, or other criteria. Applications may require essays, recommendations, transcripts, or other materials.
Unlike loans, scholarships generally do not need to be repaid. Depending on the scholarship, funds may be used for tuition, fees, books, housing, and other education-related expenses.
Students are encouraged to explore a variety of opportunities and carefully review each scholarship's eligibility requirements, application instructions, and deadlines. The South St. Paul High School Career Center can help students find scholarship opportunities, understand requirements, and stay organized throughout the application process. Scholarships for juniors and seniors are also listed in the students' schoology page inside the Scholarship Folder.
Search Engines and Scholarship Programs
- American Indian College Fund – Provides Native American students with scholarships and financial support for the nation’s 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities.
- American Indian Graduate Center & AIGCS - The largest scholarship providers to Native students in the United States, awarding $15 million in scholarships annually and more than $200 million since inception. For almost 50 years, AIGC has funded students pursing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in any field of study at any accredited institution of choice, working with over 500 tribes in all 50 states.
- Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund – The nation’s largest non-profit organization devoted to providing college scholarships for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).
- Cappex – A free website where you can learn which colleges want you, before you apply and learn about more than $11 billion in merit aid scholarships.
- CashCourse – Information that helps college students stay financially informed.
- Chegg – A place to connect with scholarships and learn about colleges.
- The Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship - The Coca-Cola Scholars Program scholarship is an achievement-based scholarship awarded to students in their final year of high school. Students are recognized for their capacity to lead and serve, as well as their commitment to making a significant impact on their schools and communities.
- The College Board Opportunity Scholarships - The program guides juniors and seniors through the college planning process and offers the chance to earn scholarships, from $500 to $40,000, for every action that students complete.
- Common Knowledge Scholarship Foundation – Educational and scholarship opportunities for students of all levels.
- Dell Scholars Program – Recognizes academic potential and determination in students that have a definite need for financial assistance.
- Fastweb – Create a profile and let fastweb do the research on scholarships, internships colleges and more for you.
- The Gates Scholarship - The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential.
- Girl Friends Fund Scholarship - $1,500 renewable for four academic years. Requirements: African-American student with demonstrated need, 3.0 GPA or higher, US citizen, attend a 4-year accredited institution of higher education. Deadline: Monday, Feb. 17th, 2025
- Going Merry - A free, one-stop scholarships platform. It matches you with scholarships and then helps you apply directly. It has both local and national scholarships and you can bulk-apply for multiple scholarships, which share similar essay prompts, using one application.
- HS Finder (Hispanic Scholarship Fund) – Scholarship information for Latino students.
- Jack Kent Cooke Foundation - A national scholarship provider dedicated to advancing the education of promising students who have financial need. Open to high-achieving high school seniors who seek to attend and graduate from some of the nation's best four-year college and universities.
- KnowHow2GO – Complete information on college prep, whether in middle school or seniors.
- McDonald's Hacer Scholarship - The McDonald’s HACER National Scholarship opens doors and transforms futures with $1 million in scholarships awarded to support up to 100 outstanding students across the country, giving them the boost they need to chase their dreams. To date, more than 17,000 students have written their own stories with the help of over $35 million in scholarships. They are proof that dedication, passion and hard work have no limits. Deadline to apply: February 17, 2026
- The NSHSS Foundation - The NSHSS Foundation fosters the growth of students pursuing the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math), business, economics, public policy, and environmental science and sustainability fields. The NSHSS Foundation connects young scholars with additional opportunities to advance their education, personal growth and career interests.
- Page Grant - What is the Page Grant? It is a scholarship ranging from $2,500 - $3,500 per year while you are attending a 2 year or 4 year institution. This scholarship is for students of color, a Minnesota high school graduate and be enrolled full-time at a Minnesota post-secondary educationl institution. Be willing to complete a minimum of 50 hours of volunteer service with K-8th grade students. Application window January 1 - April 1.
- Peerlift - Proven scholarships, internships, summer programs, and more gathered by fellow students like you. (Founded by a team of 2017 Coca-Cola Scholars!) Learn more about the creation of Peerlift.
- Reagan Foundation Scholarships - Scholarship opportunities for outstanding student leaders.
- Scholar Snapp - A free, simple to use data standard that allows students to reuse their application information - including contact information, essays, transcripts, etc. - from one scholarship application to another thereby streamlining the college scholarship application process.
- Scholarships.com– A free college scholarship search and financial aid information.
- Scholarship America – Provides information and resources for your scholarship search.
- Scholly – A mobile app that provides students with a fast and simple way to find scholarships for college. (Created by Christopher Gray, a Coca-Cola Scholar!)
- Thurgood Marshall College Fund – Provides scholarships, programmatic and capacity building support to the 47 public Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).
- UNCF – United Negro Scholarship foundation - Awards 10,000 students each year through 400 scholarship and internship programs so that students from low- and moderate-income families can afford college tuition, books and room and board.
