Last-Minute Scholarships Open in May & June 2026

Committed to college but still need funding? Find scholarships open right now in May and June 2026, sorted by deadline with award amounts and apply links.

By Jorbi TeamMay 8, 2026

College Board's Trends in Student Aid data puts the average unmet need gap at about $12,880 per year for bachelor's degree students, even after grants and scholarships are factored in. Nearly 73% of those students still carry unmet financial need. You committed to your school on May 1. Now comes the part nobody warned you about: actually paying for it. The good news is that dozens of scholarships are still open right now, and Fastweb notes that students who keep applying through spring often end up with more award money and less student debt than those who quit after Decision Day.

Quick disclaimer: Scholarship deadlines change without notice. Verify every deadline directly on the official scholarship website before you apply. Use this list as your starting point, not your final word.

Why You Should Keep Applying After May 1

Here's something most seniors don't realize: the competition actually thins out in May. The majority of applicants disappear after committing to a school, which means the pool for spring awards is noticeably smaller than it was in October. Fastweb puts it plainly: "Many students drop off the scholarship radar once they've committed to a school, which means the competition for spring awards can be lighter than in the fall."

Scholarship Workshop confirms the same thing: even after College Decision Day, opportunities exist with deadlines running through the end of the month and into June. Your college's financial aid office may also have unclaimed institutional awards sitting in a drawer. It costs you one email to ask.

Two scholarship applications per week between now and the end of May adds up to eight submissions. That math can mean thousands of dollars by August.

May 2026 Scholarships Still Open

Closing This Week (May 7–11)

Move on these immediately. Some have deadlines within days.

AbbVie CF Scholarship: $3,000 | Deadline: May 7

Open to undergraduate and graduate students diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Requires an essay and diagnosis verification. If this is you, apply today.

Science Saves High School Video Scholarship: Up to $10,000 | Deadline: May 11

All U.S. high school seniors entering college in fall 2026 are eligible. The entire application is a 20–30 second video about what science has done for you. No essay. This is one of the most accessible high-dollar awards on this list.

US Foods Scholars Program (via AccessScholarships): Up to $20,000 | Deadline: May 11

One of the biggest awards closing this month. Open to high school seniors and current college students pursuing a two-year associate degree in Culinary Arts, Culinary Science, Baking, or Hospitality Management. Requires an essay, but the award size more than justifies the effort.

NAAAP Philadelphia Future Leaders Scholarship: $2,000 | Deadline: May 10

For high school seniors and college students of Asian American descent in the Greater Philadelphia area. GPA 3.0 or higher.

Presbyterian Scholarships for Undergraduates: Up to $4,000 | Deadline: May 10

High school seniors and current college students who are members of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) entering a PCUSA-related college in fall 2026.

Mid-May Deadlines (May 13–22)

Building Futures Scholarship (via Fastweb): $5,000 | Deadline: May 14

Undergraduate and graduate students who are veterans or legal dependents of veterans with mental health experience.

Believe in Me Scholarship (via Fastweb): $2,500–$10,000 | Deadline: May 15

First-generation, marginalized college students in Washington State, Northern Idaho, and Oregon. Maximum age 24, GPA 2.75 or higher. If you're in this region, this one deserves your full attention.

Youth Foundation Hadden Scholarship: $10,000 | Deadline: May 15

High school seniors with strong academics, demonstrated character, leadership, and financial need. Renewable up to four years, which puts the actual total value closer to $40,000.

Cameron Impact Scholarship (via Fastweb): Full Tuition | Deadline: May 22 (Early Round)

Worth a serious look if you have a 3.7 GPA or higher and a strong extracurricular record. Full U.S. citizenship required. You'll need two letters of recommendation, but the payoff is full tuition.

"Comics Are LIT!" Scholarship Contest (via Fastweb): $2,000–$5,000 | Deadline: May 20

Open to high school seniors, college freshmen, and GED students. You create a 10-page comic book spin-off and write a 500-word artist statement. If you're a creative person, this is a low-competition way to win real money.

The Big May 31 Cluster: No-Essay Scholarships

The end of May is the single best deadline cluster for students who want to apply fast. Several major no-essay scholarships close on May 31, and the competition-to-reward ratio here is hard to beat as a volume strategy.

Niche $25,000 No-Essay Scholarship: $25,000 | Deadline: May 31

Open to all high school and college students who are U.S. citizens or have a valid visa. Winner selected by random drawing. Takes a few minutes to enter. The next major draw after this is June 15.

Niche $2,000 No-Essay Scholarship (via Niche): $2,000 | Deadline: May 31 (also monthly)

Same platform, smaller award, same ease of entry. Create a Niche account and you can keep entering this every month through the summer.

"Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship (Bold.org): $25,000 | Deadline: May 31

Awarded to the student with the boldest Bold.org profile. If you're already on the platform, this takes minutes. If you're not, creating a profile now lets you access dozens of scholarships simultaneously.

Sallie $2,000 No-Essay Scholarship: $2,000 | Deadline: May 31 (also monthly)

Open to high school juniors, seniors, and current college students who are U.S. residents age 16 or older. Sallie reports the scholarship has distributed over $300,000 in awards since 2016, and the application takes under two minutes. Miss May 31 and your application rolls automatically to the June 30 cycle.

ScholarshipOwl $50,000 No-Essay Scholarship: $50,000 total ($1,000 x 4 monthly winners) | Deadline: Monthly

Largest monthly prize pool of any no-essay scholarship currently running. All high school and college students who are U.S. residents 16 or older are eligible.

Fifth Month Scholarship (Unigo): $1,500 | Deadline: May 31

U.S. legal residents age 14 or older at any education level. Write 250 words or less about why the number five is important to you. It's quirky, which means most people skip it. That works in your favor.

"College Here I Come" Scholarship (Scholarships360): $1,000 | Deadline: May 31

Specifically for Class of 2026 high school seniors in the U.S. Only 250 words required. This one should be on every senior's list.

A quick reality check before you go all-in on no-essay scholarships: they're legitimate, but they're also lotteries. Empowerly advises treating them as a volume strategy alongside targeted essay awards, not instead of them. Niche-specific scholarships for future nurses, first-generation students, or aspiring engineers tend to have far fewer applicants and meaningfully better odds.

June 2026 Scholarships

June is underrated. Most students think the season is over. It isn't.

June 1 Deadlines

CVS Health Minority Scholarship for Pharmacy Students (via AccessScholarships): $20,000 (21 recipients) | Deadline: June 1

Open to minority students (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander) enrolled in a PharmD program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Twenty-one awards means your odds are meaningfully better than a typical national scholarship.

NYL Golden Futures Scholarship: $10,000–$20,000 | Deadline: June 1

National merit-based scholarship with a strong track record of awards. Worth the essay investment given the dollar range.

Joe Francis Haircare Scholarship: $3,000 | Deadline: June 1

For students enrolled in or accepted to cosmetology or barber school. Requires responses to six essay questions, but this audience is severely underserved by most scholarship lists. If this is your path, the competition pool is small.

CollegeBound Last Dollar Grant (via AccessScholarships): Up to $3,000/year | Deadline: June 1

Baltimore high school seniors with financial need who have been accepted to a four-year college. Must be Pell-eligible. If you're in Baltimore, this is a high-priority application.

June 2–15 Deadlines

"Stuck at Prom" Scholarship (Duck Brand Duct Tape) (via Fastweb): $250–$10,000 | Deadline: June 3

Create and wear prom attire made from Duck Brand Duct Tape, then submit a photo. Open to U.S. and Canadian high school and homeschool students. The top prize is $10,000, and this is the definition of low competition.

Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship: $5,000 (multiple awards) | Deadline: June 7

High school seniors and college students age 27 or younger, enrolled in a U.S. community college or four-year university, with an active commitment to community justice work.

AbbVie Immunology Scholarship (via AccessScholarships): Up to $20,000 | Deadline: June 10–14

Students living with specific immune-mediated diseases. Requires medical documentation. Niche eligibility means a far smaller applicant pool. If you qualify, this should be near the top of your June list.

Horatio Alger Career and Technical Education Scholarship: Up to $2,500 | Deadline: June 15

Specifically for students in CTE programs, certificate programs, or two-year technical pathways. Trade school students are consistently underserved by scholarship lists. If this is your path, this award was built for you.

AmericanMuscle Automotive Scholarship (via AccessScholarships): $2,500 | Deadline: June 15

High school students or seniors pursuing post-secondary education. Requires a 700–1,500 word essay on automotive education. Automotive enthusiasts who bother to write this essay face a very thin field.

June 30 Deadlines (and FAFSA)

Scholarships360 $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship (via Scholarships360): $10,000 | Deadline: June 30 (final 2026 cycle)

Open to all students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Winner announced July 31. This is the last cycle for 2026, so if you haven't entered yet, June 30 is your final shot.

Do-Over Scholarship (Unigo) (via Scholarships360): $1,500 | Deadline: June 30

U.S. legal residents age 14 or older. Write 250 words or less answering: "If you could get one do-over in life, what would it be?" Short, personal, and genuinely interesting to write.

Digital Privacy Scholarship: $1,000 | Deadline: June 30

High school through graduate students. The entire application is a 140-character response to a digital privacy prompt. Yes, 140 characters.

FAFSA Deadline: June 30, 2026. If you haven't filed your FAFSA yet, this belongs at the top of your to-do list right now. The federal Pell Grant alone is worth up to $7,395 for the 2025–26 academic year, and you can't access it without filing.

Your 60-Minute Action Plan for Right Now

You don't need a perfect strategy. You need to start.

Make your target list (10 minutes). Pull 8–10 scholarships from this article that match your eligibility. Include at least two no-essay options, two essay-based awards, and one local or niche award.
Write a core essay (20 minutes). Aim for 150–250 words covering your financial situation, your goals, and your intended impact. This becomes your base draft. Swap out a paragraph to customize for each prompt.
Recycle your college essays. Fastweb recommends this explicitly: many scholarship prompts are close enough to your college application essays that targeted edits can turn one piece of writing into multiple submissions.
Gather your documents (10 minutes). You'll need an unofficial transcript PDF, a short activities list, and one recommender's contact info. Most scholarships don't require more than this.
Submit one application before you close this tab. Start with a no-essay option if you want momentum fast. Sallie's $2,000 scholarship takes under two minutes. Momentum beats perfection every single time.

One more thing: contact your college's financial aid office and ask whether any institutional awards are unclaimed. Scholarship Workshop notes that local organizations often extend deadlines without advertising it, and financial aid offices sometimes have funds left by students who withdrew.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there really scholarships open after May 1?

Yes, quite a few. May 1 is College Decision Day, not the end of scholarship season. Dozens of scholarships have May and June deadlines, including several worth $10,000 or more. The applicant pool also shrinks after Decision Day, which can improve your odds significantly.

What are the easiest scholarships to apply for right now?

The fastest applications are no-essay scholarships like the Sallie $2,000 No Essay Scholarship (under two minutes), the Niche $25,000 No Essay Scholarship, and the ScholarshipOwl monthly sweepstakes. For a slightly larger time investment, the "College Here I Come" scholarship from Scholarships360 requires only 250 words and closes May 31.

Is it worth applying to scholarships after committing to a school?

Absolutely. Your enrollment deposit doesn't affect your scholarship eligibility. Every dollar you win between now and August is a dollar you don't borrow. Smaller awards in the $500–$2,500 range add up quickly across multiple applications, and niche scholarships for your intended major or background often have far fewer applicants than general national contests.

What should I watch out for with last-minute scholarships?

Two things. First, always verify the deadline on the official scholarship website before you spend time applying. Deadlines in aggregators sometimes lag reality. Second, watch for scams. Legitimate scholarships never ask for your Social Security number upfront or charge an application fee. Empowerly recommends Googling "[scholarship name] + scam" before applying and sticking to scholarships listed on verified platforms like Fastweb, Niche, Scholarships.com, Bold.org, and Scholarships360.