When applying for scholarships to fund your college education, it's critical to maximize your chances of winning by applying for narrow awards. Scholarships with many eligibility requirements will have fewer eligible applicants, so you'll have a better chance of winning!

Grade-level scholarships are for a specific group of students in specific academic years that not everyone can apply for. By targeting grade-level scholarships, you position yourself in a smaller pool of applicants, thereby increasing your chances of securing the financial support you need for your college education.

Scholarships by year can come in many forms, including private scholarships, athletic scholarships, merit scholarships, and more. They also have varying eligibility requirements. For example, scholarships can request applicants to be students pursuing an undergraduate degree, require only Hispanic students as applicants, or ask that students attend specific schools, etc. It's important to read the scholarship criteria so you can ensure you qualify. Let's take a look at scholarship opportunities by academic year!

High School Scholarships

Students of all ages can benefit from financial aid, especially scholarship money. Many high school students don't take advantage of scholarships because they don't realize that they qualify. However, you can start applying as early as your freshman year! High school students of all grade levels can find scholarships to start covering their impending college expenses.

High School Freshmen Scholarships

Since high school freshmen are just beginning their high school journeys, many don't think about applying for scholarships. However, high school freshmen can qualify for many scholarships on Bold.org.

To be eligible, students must be at least fourteen years old and in high school. By starting as a freshman, you'll have up to four years to earn scholarship funding before beginning college.

Scholarships for High School Sophomores

Your sophomore year of high school is a great time to apply for scholarships. By applying early, students can maximize the financial aid they receive. Additionally, the early years of high school are typically less stressful since many students haven't yet started their college applications, standardized testing, or AP classes.

Scholarships for High School Juniors

As upperclassmen, high school juniors can unlock even more scholarships than younger high school students. As juniors begin considering their college options, the costs can start to be overwhelming. To begin securing financial aid to cover your upcoming college costs, start applying for scholarships today!

Scholarships for High School Seniors

High school seniors typically qualify for the most scholarships of any grade level. As seniors prepare to transition from high school to college, there are many forms of financial aid available to support them.

Students entering a four-year college can take advantage of hundreds of scholarships awarded based on financial need, merit, artistic talent, or extracurricular activities. Some scholarships are awarded solely based on experience or essay quality, while others take applicants' financial need into consideration.

For additional scholarships for high schoolers, browse these exclusive scholarships for high school students!

College Scholarships

It's advisable to start applying for scholarships during high school, but it's never too late to begin at any stage of your educational path. Scholarships are available for students across all educational levels, encompassing high school, undergraduate and graduate students, and even recent graduates dealing with student loans.

College Freshmen Scholarships

College freshmen are often surprised by just how expensive their courses and related costs are. Even if you received a financial award from your school or grant aid from the government, you likely have remaining costs. Since Pell Grants have a maximum award amount of $7,395, scholarships can be vital in covering your unmet financial need.

The transition to college may feel overwhelming, but it's important for college freshmen to continue applying for scholarships so they can remain in school. Whether you're attending a four-year college, a technical school, or a community college, scholarships can help you reduce your financial need.

Scholarships for College Sophomores

No matter your academic year, scholarships should be a part of your financial plan. College sophomores can continue applying for scholarships from their schools, local organizations, or private sources like Bold.org.

Award amount varies, but scholarships can go a long way toward your costs - especially when combined with need-based financial aid from your college or university. College sophomores can benefit from the exclusive scholarship awards tailored specifically to undergraduate students to help reduce their costs at any accredited college!

Scholarships for College Juniors

As college juniors begin nearing the end of their degree program, many may stop applying for scholarships. Between internships, jobs, extracurricular activities, and recruitment, many college juniors have limited time to devote to scholarship applications.

However, qualified students should consider applying for scholarship aid in order to avoid or reduce their student debt. Busy students can even take advantage of quick, no-essay scholarships. Regardless of your needs, there's a scholarship for you!

Scholarships for College Seniors

Some college seniors may be preparing to enter the workforce, while others may be continuing their education at graduate school. Either way, scholarships continue to be important. For students who are graduating, there are many scholarships and grants for students and graduates with student loans.

Even after leaving school, graduates can continue applying for these debt-relief grants. Future graduate students can also take advantage of loan-forgiveness scholarships and can continue applying for regular scholarships that can be applied to their graduate program costs.

Scholarships for Graduate Students

Scholarships for graduate students are designed to support those continuing their education beyond the undergraduate level, pursuing advanced degrees such as master's, PhDs, or professional degrees. These scholarships aim to alleviate the financial burden associated with higher education, enabling students to focus on their research, studies, and professional development.

Students interested in additional scholarship opportunities can find grants to pay off student loans!

Average Student Debt by Grade Level

As students progress in their higher education pursuits, their student debt tends to grow. High school students typically don't have any student debt until they begin college, though some seniors begin considering loans before graduating. On Bold.org, college students pursuing an associate degree owe an average of $3,929, while bachelor's degree students owe $4,417, and master's degree students owe an average of $7,047. As shown by these statistics, students typically end up owing more as they get further into their education.

For this reason, it's important for students to continue applying for scholarships for the entire duration of their college education. By securing additional scholarship aid each year, you can reduce your need to take out student loans.

Scholarship Interest by Grade Level

A significant majority of Bold.org users, approximately 63%, are high school students, indicating a strong interest in scholarship opportunities among this group. Meanwhile, around 37% of users are college students at various levels, including associate, bachelor's, master's, and PhD students, suggesting that students across different stages of higher education are also keen on securing scholarship funds.

Additionally, smaller categories of users include those in trade schools, boot camps, and other educational programs, demonstrating a wide range of educational pursuits among Bold.org's user base. This diverse interest underscores the importance of scholarship availability across all levels of education.

Learn about financial aid through our Scholarship Blog, whether you're interested in a federal grant or an undergraduate private scholarship. You can even learn about scholarship statistics, too!

Financial Aid Available/Awarded by Grade Level

There are scholarships open to students of all grade levels and even for recent graduates who are still paying off their student loans. No matter what grade you're in, what background you're from, and what goals you have for the future, there are scholarships available for you.

Scholarship Applications by Grade Level

Users pursuing higher education degrees tend to apply for more scholarships on average per user than those at lower education levels. Specifically, master's degree students on Bold.org apply for the most scholarships on average per user, followed by PhD students and undergraduate students. This suggests that as students advance in their education, they might be more proactive or feel a greater need to seek out multiple scholarship opportunities.

Despite these findings, in terms of total applications submitted, high school students have collectively submitted the most applications on Bold.org, followed by undergraduate students and then master's and PhD students.

Although high school students are the largest group and submit the most applications in total, higher education students are more proactive on an individual basis in seeking scholarships. This highlights the broad interest in scholarships across different educational levels and the importance of making scholarships available to all.

Scholarship Winners by Grade Level

High school students win approximately 25% of the scholarships awarded on Bold.org, indicating a strong presence and active participation among this group. Meanwhile, bachelor's degree students win about 53% of scholarship opportunities, suggesting that a significant portion of scholarships are targeted at or successfully obtained by students pursuing their undergraduate degrees.

Additionally, students at the associate level win about 8% of scholarships, and those pursuing master's degrees also win roughly 8%. PhD students secure around 4% of the scholarships, while trade school students receive about 2%. This distribution reflects the varying availability and competition for scholarships at different educational levels.

On average, scholarship applicants typically go through a competitive selection process, showcasing their academic achievements, extracurricular involvement, and personal essays. These figures suggest that while there is robust participation across all educational stages, bachelor's degree students might have access to a wider range of scholarships or be more competitive in the application process.

High school students also show substantial success, highlighting the importance of scholarships in supporting students as they transition to higher education. The smaller percentages for other categories indicate either fewer available scholarships or less competition in those areas.

This data underscores the importance of providing ample scholarship opportunities across all educational levels to ensure diverse and inclusive support for students pursuing various academic and career paths.

Federal grant money awarded to students has its limits. That's why scholarships outside FAFSA are important in reducing college costs. Apply for Bold.org scholarships to help you pay for college!