Middle Class Scholarships to Apply for in 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 also considers family income, assets, and many other factors. Colleges and universities see the amount of federal aid that an applicant has available to them and devise a payment plan to present to the applicant.

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

Middle class students and their families may have an income that's too high to benefit from many need-based student aid offerings, but that doesn't mean you have to pay full tuition prices that higher-income students and their families can afford. Middle-class students at any stage of the college process can find funding options that can help make earning a degree possible below.

Several options include scholarships, work study, federal loans, private loans, and private scholarships. Students must be informed about their options to pay for college tuition.

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

How to qualify for scholarships for middle class students

Be middle class or come from a middle class family

To get a middle class scholarship, applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students in the middle class. Undergraduate students may be middle class if the applicant or their families have taxable income for the preceding year that exceeds 150 percent of the poverty level amount.

Meet any other eligibility requirements

Some scholarships have additional requirements beyond just being a middle class student. Students could need to have a certain field of study or career goals to get financial assistance. Ensure you check all the eligibility criteria for scholarships before applying.

How do you get a middle class scholarship?

At most colleges and universities, there are grants and scholarships that students can apply for. Most federal financial aid is based on your financial need, but private scholarships can also help.

Scholarships are incredibly competitive, so you will have to stand out to be chosen for scholarship programs. 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 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 daunting, but it is an important step for your college education. Many schools have scholarships you can apply for through the FAFSA or your university. If you want to find scholarships with an easy application process, though, 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, remember 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. 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 return to them later and apply.

For middle class students who may need scholarships, it can help to find scholarships without an income level requirement. You can find these scholarships by using the scholarship search feature. 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 middle class get financial aid?

Yes, middle class students do get financial aid. They can get financial aid through the government or their university. Students often skip filling out the FAFSA because they think their families make too much money to qualify for aid, but filling out the FAFSA is important to get financial aid to cover at least some college costs.

If federal financial aid is insufficient, middle class students can also get scholarships from private sources, including non-profits and online scholarship websites.

How do middle class families afford college?

Some middle class families can afford to pay for at least some of their college tuition out of pocket. Despite this, most families must find a form of financial aid to cover their tuition, whether scholarships and grants or student loans.

With a student loan, you will need to deal with repayment and debt. Therefore, the best option for families trying to afford college is scholarships, especially private scholarships that do not rely on how much money the government can give to each student.

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

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

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 low-income students.

The federal student aid website will only gift aid in large amounts to students who cannot pay only with parent contributions. 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 up to 40% of their families' income in financial aid. Government or university scholarships may make up most of this funding allocated to the student.

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 for these scholarships by making a profile on our website.