Best Middle Class Scholarships – May 2025

When preparing to attend college, you may be worried about how much financial aid money you will get. Many middle-income families do not qualify for a lot of need-based aid or financial grants, but many are also unable to pay for rising tuition costs without taking out loans.

In calculating a student's federal student aid eligibility, the government uses the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which measures a household's financial situation. The EFC takes into account family income, assets, and many other factors as well. Colleges and universities see the resulting amount of federal aid that an applicant has available to them, and come up with a payment plan to present to the applicant.

The limited amount of federal or university federal aid can make college payment difficult for middle-class students. A student's financial aid status may fluctuate throughout their enrollment, but for middle-class families who cannot afford to pay out of pocket, they may feel like they have limited options.

Scholarship aid can make a huge difference in helping you afford college. Your self-help student contribution—work-study or other repayable grants—can also help bring down the cost of tuition. Applying for a student loan, if managed properly, is another possible game-changer.

On Bold.org's website, you can find plenty of scholarship options and blog articles to help you figure out how to make college more affordable. Create a profile and start applying to our scholarships on our website.

What types of scholarships are there for middle-class students?

Most scholarships for middle class students are either need-based or merit-based scholarships. Some scholarships may even combine these criteria to get applicants from even more specific demographics.

Need-based scholarships are intended to support students whose background or personal circumstances might make it harder for them get a degree. These scholarships are usually based on family income or family makeup, so if you are from a nontraditional family, for example a single-parent household, you may be eligible for need-based scholarship aid. Because of their income level, though, many middle class students eligible for financial aid may not get as many need-based scholarships.

Merit-based scholarships are intended to help the students with the most academic or extracurricular ability complete their education. To win one of these you need to be amongst the best students who apply, based on your transcripts, GPA, or extracurricular experience.

California Student Aid Commission Scholarships

Certain specific scholarships, like the middle-class scholarship, MCS award offered by the California Student Aid Commission, help middle-class students afford school. Whether you're attending California State University or another school in-state, California high school students should definitely check out this and other available gift aid. A middle-class scholarship award like this one can make a huge difference in affording college.

How do you get a middle-class scholarship?

At most colleges and universities, there are grants and scholarships that students can apply for. Most of the federal financial aid is given out based on your financial need, but private scholarships can also help. Remember to check the middle-class scholarship eligibility for all scholarships you apply to.

Scholarships are incredibly competitive, so in order to get chosen for scholarship programs, you will have to stand out. You can do this by writing compelling essays or applications that will impress the scholarship committees.

If you are worried about the competitiveness of financial aid for middle-class undergraduate students, Bold.org has a variety of scholarships for any student. You can easily apply for scholarships on Bold.org. Just make sure that you have a strong profile before you apply.

How to apply for a middle-class scholarship

Applying for financial aid can be a daunting process, but it is an important step for your college education. Many schools have scholarships that you can apply for through the FAFSA or through your university. If you want to find scholarships with an easy application process, Bold.org is the perfect place.

On Bold.org, it is extremely easy to find and apply for scholarships. Once you have a profile, you can apply for scholarships in only a few clicks. Applying for scholarships typically requires an essay submission, but no-essay scholarships often just require a few minutes to apply. Each scholarship will have relevant instructions or essay prompts in the description, making the application process simple.

When you apply for scholarships, keep in mind that there are certain ways to increase your chances of winning, such as having a detailed profile, earning as many bold points as possible, and writing impressive essays.

How to find scholarships for middle-class students

You can find plenty of scholarships on Bold.org. If you go to our website, you can explore exclusive scholarships for your state, major, year, demographic, and more. You can even bookmark scholarships you're interested in so you can go back to them later and apply.

For middle class students who may need scholarships, it can help to try to find scholarships without an income level requirement. You can find these scholarships by sorting the scholarships by category. The "general" category has scholarships available to most students regardless of income level.

If you are getting your trade certification in a certain field, you can also find specific scholarships by going to the "education" category or by searching for scholarships by major. There, you will find scholarships that apply to specific programs.

When to start applying for middle-class scholarships

When it comes to securing financial aid for your college degree, it's never too early to start. You can begin applying for scholarships as early as high school so that you can apply for a larger range of scholarships and minimize your need for student loans. Many students begin applying for scholarships as high school seniors, but applying earlier will give you a head start on tackling your college costs.

However, don't worry if you're already in college and just starting to apply. Many scholarships are geared towards students pursuing college degrees or even graduate students, so you have plenty of time to apply. Bold.org has college scholarships for high school, undergraduate, and graduate students.

Frequently asked questions about middle-class scholarship

Can I get FAFSA if my parents make a lot of money?

You can still fill out the FAFSA if your parents make a lot of money. Once you get your financial aid offer, though, you may get a lower amount of money given to you than you need. A student's total cost is determined by the family's income level, so if your family makes enough money, your final award amount may not cover a lot of your tuition.

How much income is too much for FAFSA?

There is no income limit for eligibility to qualify for financial aid through the FAFSA website. To get certain kinds of financial aid, though, you may need a certain income level.

Some federal financial aid is distributed only to low-income students, including Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized Loans, and sometimes state and institutional aid like scholarships. Work study is also only awarded to students who are low-income.

The federal student aid website will only gift aid in large amounts to students who cannot pay only with parent contribution. Dependent students may need to consider how their family's income will affect their financial aid amount.

How much do you get for a middle class scholarship?

For a middle class scholarship program, usually students get only a fraction of their tuition dedicated to financial aid. Of this, government or university scholarships may make up a majority of this funding allocated to the student. You can calculate your expected financial aid on any university's website.

Beyond federal student aid, though, you can get up to $25,000 dollars in scholarships on Bold.org. Large scholarships like the "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship are open to any student regardless of income level. You can apply to these scholarships by making a profile on our website.