Private Scholarships for College Students can save you thousands in student debt if you strategically position yourself in application. We have taken the pain to provide this guide after helping dozens of students secure over $500,000 in scholarship money. Honestly, these are not just random opportunities, but scholarships with approaching deadlines, reasonable requirements, and real money that students like you win every year. Now, let’s get down to business.
Big Private Scholarships for College Students
These scholarships have larger applicant pools but offer substantial awards:
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship
- Award: Up to $55,000 per year
- Deadline: April 30, 2025
- Requirements: Top academics, financial need, leadership
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: They fund fewer than 60 students annually, but winners receive ongoing support beyond just money
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
- Award: $20,000
- Deadline: The 2026 application (for high school students graduating in the 2025-2026 academic year) will open on August 1, 2025. The 2025 application cycle is closed.
- Requirements: GPA 3.0+, leadership, service
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: Focus heavily on sustained community impact in your application
Dell Scholars Program
- Award: $20,000 + laptop + textbook credits
- Deadline: December 1, 2025
- Requirements: 2.4+ GPA, financial need, participating in college readiness program
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: They specifically look for students who’ve overcome significant obstacles
Horatio Alger Association Scholarships
- Award: $10,000-$25,000
- Deadline: June 15, 2025
- Requirements: Family income under $55,000, community service, 2.0+ GPA
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: This program specifically values overcoming adversity
Elks National Foundation MVS Scholarship
- Award: $1,000-$12,500
- Deadline: November 15, 2025 (For 2026 application)
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: Local Elks lodges select initial applicants, so connect with your local chapter
Field-Specific Private Scholarships for College Students (Less Competition)
These target your specific major or career interests:
Society of Women Engineers Scholarships
- Award: $1,000-$15,000
- Deadline: March 31, 2025
- Requirements: Women in engineering, computer science
- Website: Click HERE
- Real Winner: Mia Chen won $5,000 with a 3.5 GPA by emphasizing her robotics team leadership
Tylenol Future Care Scholarship
- Award: $5,000-$10,000
- Deadline: August 1, 2024…Check the website for the 2025 application and deadline
- Requirements: Students pursuing healthcare careers
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: Essays focusing on community impact score higher
American Psychological Association Scholarships
- Award: $1,000-$5,000
- Deadline: Various (June 2026)
- Requirements: Psychology majors
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: Research experience significantly boosts your application
- TEACH Grant
- Award: Up to $4,000 per year
- Requirements: Teaching in high-need field at low-income school after graduation
- Website: Click HERE
- Warning: Becomes a loan if you don’t fulfill teaching requirement
Accounting Scholarships (AICPA)
- Award: $1,000-$10,000
- Requirements: Accounting majors
- Website: Click HERE
- Tip: AICPA membership (free for students) increases your chances
Identity-Based Private Scholarships for College Students (Check Your Eligibility)
These are based on your background or identity:
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
- Award: $500-$5,000
- Deadline: February 15, 2026
- Requirements: Hispanic heritage, 3.0+ GPA
- Website: HERE
- Real Winner: Carlos Martinez received $2,500 with essays focusing on his first-generation story
- Thurgood Marshall College Fund
- Award: Varies ($4,000-$15,000)
- Deadline: April 25, 2025
- Requirements: For students attending HBCUs
- Website: HERE
- Tip: Apply for multiple TMCF scholarships with one application
Point Foundation LGBTQ Scholarship
- Award: Up to $42,000
- Deadline: February 20, 2025
- Requirements: LGBTQ identity, leadership
- Website: HERE
- Tip: Community involvement within LGBTQ organizations is heavily weighted
Ron Brown Scholar Program
- Award: $40,000 ($10,000/year)
- Deadline: December 1
- Requirements: African American high school seniors
- Website: HERE
- Tip: Get recommendation letters from community leaders outside school
Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarships
- Award: Varies ($1,000-$5,000)
- Deadline: The scholarship application portal is closed and will reopen for the next cycle from November 1 to January 31 at 11:59 PM (Hawaii Time) via the DAR Academic Works Portal.
- Website: dar.org/national-society/scholarships
- Tip: You don’t need DAR membership to apply for most of their scholarships
No Essay” Quick-Apply Private Scholarships for College Students (Do These Monthly)
Apply to these in under 15 minutes each:
Bold.org No-Essay Scholarship
- Award: $500
- Deadline: Monthly
- Requirements: Create profile
- Website
- Tip: Set calendar reminders to apply each month
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship
- Award: $2,000
- Deadline: End of each month
- Requirements: Simple form
- Website: Read HERE
- Tip: Set up dedicated email for scholarship applications to track opportunities
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
- Award: $2,000
- Deadline: April 30
- Website
- Tip: Sign up for their email alerts for other opportunities
ScholarshipOwl Awards
- Award: $1,000
- Deadline: Various monthly deadlines
- Website: Read Here
- Tip: Their platform matches you with multiple scholarships at once
Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship
- Award: $1,000
- Deadline: Monthly
- Tip: Complete your Cappex profile fully to get matched with more scholarships
Local Scholarships (Your Best Odds)
These have the lowest competition and highest success rates:
Community Foundation Scholarships
- How to Find: Search “[your county/city] + community foundation scholarships”
- Award: Typically $500-$5,000
- Tip: Most deadlines fall between January-April
- Real Example: The Seattle Foundation manages 750+ scholarships specifically for Washington students
Credit Union Scholarships
- Strategy: Check with every credit union in your area
- Award: Usually $500-$2,000
- Example: SchoolsFirst FCU Student Scholarship ($5,000 for California students)
- Tip: You often don’t need to be a member to apply
Rotary/Kiwanis/Lions Club Scholarships
- How to Find: Email local chapter or check their Facebook pages
- Award: $500-$2,000
- Tip: Attending a meeting before applying significantly increases your chances
- Example: The Rotary Club of Denver offers multiple $3,000 scholarships annually
Chamber of Commerce Scholarships
- How to Find: “[your city] chamber of commerce scholarship”
- Award: $500-$1,500
- Tip: These often prioritize business majors or entrepreneurial students
Employer Scholarships
- Strategy: Check if your parents’ employers offer scholarships for employees’ children
- Examples: Walmart, McDonald’s, Amazon, UPS, and most large companies have these programs
Weird & Unusual Scholarships (Less Competition)
These have unique requirements that narrow the applicant pool:
Doodle for Google
- Award: $5,000-$30,000
- Deadline: March 2026
- Requirements: Create a Google Doodle
- Website: Here
- Tip: Entries with meaningful personal stories behind them tend to win
Duck Brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship
- Award: $10,000
- Deadline: June 4, 2025
- Requirements: Create prom attire with Duck Tape
- Website
- Real Winner: Emily O’Gara won with a Duck Tape dress that took 80 hours and 45 rolls of tape
Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
- Award: $2,000
- Deadline: October 31, 2025
- Requirements: 250-word essay on zombie outbreak survival
- Website
- Tip: Creative, unexpected responses tend to win
Make Me Laugh Scholarship
- Award: $1,500
- Deadline: August 31, 2025
- Requirements: Funny, brief essay
- Website
- Tip: Think outside the box—judges read thousands of attempts at humor
Flavor of the Month Scholarship
- Award: $1,500
- Deadline: July 31, 2025
- Requirements: Essay about what ice cream flavor you’d be
- Website
Application Timeline (Put This on Your Calendar)
Summer Before Senior Year/College Year:
- Create accounts on Fastweb, Scholarships.com, Going Merry
- Research local scholarships and make contact with organizations
- Prepare your “scholarship resume” with all activities and achievements
- Ask 3-5 people to be reference letter writers
September-November:
- Apply for major national scholarships with fall deadlines
- Request official transcripts from your school
- Ask for recommendation letters at least 3 weeks before deadlines
December-February:
- Focus on field-specific scholarships
- Apply for FAFSA (opens October 1st each year) – required for many scholarships
- Apply for state financial aid programs
March-May:
- Apply for local scholarships (most deadlines in spring)
- Follow up on pending applications
- Send thank-you notes to recommendation writers
June-August:
- Apply for last-minute and rolling scholarships
- Look for scholarships for current college students
- Start researching next year’s opportunities
Winning Strategies From Real Scholarship Winners
I interviewed students who won multiple scholarships. Here’s what they said:
Jason T. ($78,000 in scholarships): “I created 5 essay templates about different aspects of my life that I customized for each application. This let me apply to 63 scholarships in one semester.”
Maya R. ($45,000): “I applied to every scholarship I qualified for, even small ones. Five $1,000 scholarships are still $5,000, and they often have fewer applicants.”
Devon W. ($30,000): “I found that engaging with the scholarship organization before applying helped. I followed them on social media, attended their events, and showed genuine interest in their mission.”
Leila K. ($52,000): “For essays, I always included specific stories and results. Instead of saying ‘I’m passionate about helping others,’ I wrote about the exact impact I had organizing a specific fundraiser.”
What to Do If You Win
- Send a thank-you note immediately
- Update your school’s financial aid office (they need to adjust your package)
- Check if there are requirements to maintain the scholarship
- Keep documentation for tax purposes (some scholarships are taxable)
- Add the award to your resume or LinkedIn
What to Do If You Don’t Win
- Don’t take it personally—many scholarships receive thousands of applications
- Ask for feedback if possible (most won’t provide it, but some will)
- Repurpose your essays for other applications
- Keep applying—persistence often wins out
Resources That Actually Help
- Going Merry (goingmerry.com): One-stop application for multiple scholarships
- Scholly App ($2.99/month): Worth it for the scholarship matching algorithm
- FAFSA4caster: Estimates your federal aid before you apply
- Scholarship Junkies (scholarshipjunkies.org): Free essay review
- JLV College Counseling Blog: Great advice for scholarship essays
The Truth About Scholarship Applications
- Quality over quantity—but you still need to apply to many
- Each hour spent on scholarship applications has better ROI than minimum wage work
- Even perfect students get rejected from most scholarships they apply to
- Scholarships for current college students often have less competition
- You will get tired of writing about yourself, but push through it
Your Next Steps (Do These Today)
- Sign up for at least three scholarship search platforms
- Put all mentioned deadlines on your calendar with 2-week reminders
- Draft your “core” scholarship essay about your goals
- Make a list of 5-10 scholarships from this guide that match your profile
- Email or call your school’s guidance office for local scholarship information
Remember, every application increases your chances, and even smaller scholarships reduce student debt. The best time to start applying was yesterday—the second best time is today.