Tuesday Tips for November 2023

Five Scholarships for Underclassmen

Dear FAME,

We all know some energetic young students who are ahead of the curve when it comes to preparing for college. One way those students can put that motivation to use is by beginning their scholarship application process early. While scholarships for underclassmen may be less plentiful than those for high school seniors, there are still some great opportunities available. Below are five scholarships that high school underclassmen can consider:

1. MyImpact Challenge

MyImpact Challenge is a civic engagement contest from the Bill of Rights Institute that rewards student service projects with prize awards of up to $10,000. Students plan and implement a civic virtue project and then submit a project report and an essay on how their project upheld a civic virtue. The goal of the contest is to foster a robust understanding of citizenship and to get students active in their communities today while building a portfolio for their future.

2. Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program

The Jack Kent Cooke Young Scholars Program is a selective scholarship program for high-achieving students with financial need. It also provides additional educational supports, including funding for summer programs, academic advising, and college planning.

3. Scholastic Art & Writing Awards

The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards program is a prestigious competition for young artists and writers in grades 7–12. Winners can receive scholarships, exhibition opportunities, and recognition for their creative work.

4. VFW Auxiliary Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest

This scholarship is an amazing opportunity for talented high school students to show off their artistic skills and earn scholarship money while doing so. The contest asks students to create a two-dimensional piece of art depicting American patriotism and provide a written explanation of the piece.

5. Stossel In the Classroom

Every year, Stossel In the Classroom holds an essay contest to give students an opportunity to express themselves and win great prizes. Students can choose from four essay topics, allowing them to write on the subject that most speaks to them.

Not only do these scholarships offer a potential head start toward scholarship dollars for college, but they also provide opportunities for students to start building their profiles and preparing for future scholarship applications. It's important that students continue researching and exploring scholarship opportunities as they progress through high school. 

Make sure to visit FAME’s Maine Scholarship Search page to find Maine-based scholarships, reputable online scholarship search tools, and our handy Scholarship Tracking Spreadsheet (in Excel format).

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