The most popular time for a student scholarship search is junior year, maybe even senior year of high school. Most people don’t think about how they are going to pay for college much earlier than that, and most may not know what a college scholarships even is!
But it is never too early to start looking for free money for college, and looking for scholarships for young people, even students as young as 8 years old, can help you get a leg up on the competition for college funding and financial aid.
What kinds of organizations give scholarships to young people? All kinds of organizations! You’ll find that many youth scholarship programs are designed to reward outstanding community services efforts or high academic achievement.
One of the most prestigious youth scholarships is the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholars Program. Students must apply for the program in seventh grade, and then starting in 8th grade they are part of the program, which lasts through high school. For their efforts in the program, these young scholars receive scholarships of up to $25,000.
Are there also scholarships for younger students that don’t require especially high grades or community service? What about the Brickfish “Just Face It” Scholarship? All this wacky scholarships requires is that you be over the age of 13, and that you take a picture of yourself. Be creative and describe something unique about yourself to go along with the picture, and you’re in the running for $1,000 for school. Thirteen is the magic age for many scholarship contest for youth; OXY, Mountain Dew and American Students Fund host similar competitions for free college money.
There are college scholarships for kids, too! If you’re a kid who has done something for your community, you can qualify for scholarship money from Kohls or AngelSoft. Young volunteers also qualify for prestigious scholarships including the Glora Barron Prize for Young Heroes and The BRICK Awards. If you’re a kid who has a creative side, there are a bunch of fun contests (involving peanut butter, pasta and other goodies) out there for you as well.
Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program (and Brickfish award) >>>
