Summer Scholarship Deadlines 2026: June & July Awards
Over 60 scholarships are still open for rising seniors in June and July 2026. Find every deadline, award amount, and eligibility requirement, sorted by date.
By Jorbi TeamFewer students apply for scholarships in June and July than in any other two-month stretch of the year, which means summer scholarship deadlines 2026 are some of the least competitive you'll find. The Scholarship System has documented this pattern directly: summer is when competition drops and your odds quietly improve. Over 60 verified scholarships with 2026 deadlines are still open to rising seniors right now. This guide covers every confirmed opportunity, sorted by deadline date.
Before You Start: Two Things to Know
"Rising seniors" here means students finishing junior year (Class of 2027). A few awards below are specifically for Class of 2026 graduates, and those are flagged. Most are open to "high school juniors and seniors" or "any high school student," so you're fully eligible. One warning on deadlines: some aggregator sites still show 2025 dates. Every entry here has been cross-referenced across at least two sources with confirmed 2026 dates, but always verify on the official program website before applying.
Urgent June Deadlines: Apply This Week
Three deadlines land within days of today (June 9).
June 11: The Mark Caldwell Memorial STEM/STEAM Scholarship awards $1,000 to financially needy high school students pursuing STEM careers. Apply today.
June 12: A $10,000 Road2College Scholarship is open to general high school and college students.
June 14: Three awards close the same day. The Minority Women in STEM Financial Need Scholarship offers $15,000 to BIPOC women in STEM at specific Texas universities (UT Austin, UT Dallas, Texas A&M, UNT, TWU, UTA). Alongside it: a Female Immigrant Scholarship worth $2,000, plus general-eligibility awards from Bold.org at $500 and $2,000.
June 18: The Sandra West ALS Foundation Scholarship via Bold.org awards $15,000 to college students facing academic and familial challenges.
June Scholarships: Full Deadline Table
Beyond the urgent cluster above, here are all confirmed June 2026 opportunities organized by date, using data from MEFA and Road2College.
June 1 opens with a solid cluster, ranging from $200 to $5,000.
ScholarshipAmountEligibilityNationwide High School Ad Competition$3,000HS students 14+BIPOC High School Senior Scholarship$200–$3,500Black, Indigenous, or POC HS seniorsShared Opportunities Scholarship (Sallie)$2,500Women of color in STEMAllergies Shaped My Life Foundation Scholarship$500HS seniors/college students with food allergyBaltimore College-Bound ScholarshipUp to $3,000/yrBaltimore HS seniors with financial need, Pell-eligibleRoad2College $1,000 Scholarship$1,000General college-bound seniorsRoad2College $5,000 Scholarship$5,000General$5,000 HeyGirl Scholarship$5,000HS seniors
June 3: A Road2College scholarship ranges from $500 to $15,000 for general applicants.
June 6: The "Comics Are LIT!" Scholarship Contest awards $2,000–$5,000 to HS seniors, college freshmen, and GED students. Strong fit if you're into art, graphic novels, or literacy.
June 15 brings a solid cluster for students considering vocational or trade paths.
ScholarshipAmountEligibilityCulinary Arts/Hospitality Management Scholarship$500HS seniors in culinary or hospitality programsRoad2College Vocational/Trades Scholarship$2,500Seniors at technical institutes, vocational schools, or trade apprenticeshipsHoratio Alger Trade/Community College ScholarshipVariesPlans to enroll in trade school or community collegeAIChE Minority Affairs Scholarship$1,500–$2,500Underrepresented minority undergrads in chemical engineeringWomen in Aerospace Foundation Scholarship$5,000Women in engineering, math, or science pursuing aerospace careersRoad2College $5,000 Scholarship$5,000GeneralMultiple Bold.org Awards$500–$1,000General/various
June 19: The DLT Scholarship via MEFA offers two awards of $3,000 each to college-bound seniors who completed at least two DLT courses. Also closing that day: the Polish American Heritage and Community Foundation Women's Scholarship ($6,350 for women of Polish ancestry) and a Road2College $500 award open to all HS seniors.
June 20: The JLV College Counseling $500 Scholarship requires a 3.0 GPA and U.S. enrollment.
June 23–26: Three essay-based awards via Bold.org close in this window: the Addie James Hamerter Human Rights Scholarship ($500), the Julie Adams Memorial Women in STEM Scholarship ($2,000), and a Bold.org Essay Scholarship ($2,500).
June 30: The Single Most Important Deadline This Summer
June 30 has 20-plus scholarships closing on the same day. Build your entire June calendar around this date.
Here's the full cluster, pulled from Bold.org, Scholarships360, MEFA, AccessScholarships, and ScholarshipTigers.
ScholarshipAmountEligibilityScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship$50,000U.S. students 16+ in HS or collegeBigFuture Class of 2027 Scholarship (College Board)$40,000HS juniors completing BigFuture activitiesBold.org "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship$25,000Any education level; awarded to boldest profileNo Essay Scholarship by Sallie (Bold.org)$10,000Anyone thinking about paying for collegeScholarships360 No-Essay Scholarship$10,000All grade levels; hard June 30 cutoff for 2026 cycleHyundai Women in STEM Scholarship$10,000 (5 awarded)Female-identifying HS seniors/undergrads in STEM; 150-word essayCariloop Student Caregiver Scholarship$7,000Student caregivers pursuing higher edBold.org No-Essay Community Scholarship$5,000Students who have invited friends to Bold.orgHuntington Learning Center Sweepstakes$4,000HS students 14+Christian Connector Scholarship$2,500HS juniors/seniors interested in Christian collegesSmart Owl Scholarship (Q2)$2,500General; last day of June for Q2CollegeXpress Monthly Scholarship$1,000–$2,500HS, college, and grad students in the U.S.No Essay Scholarship by Sallie (monthly)$2,000HS seniors and undergradsNiche $2,000 No Essay Scholarship$2,000HS seniors and college students; U.S. citizensScholarshipOwl $2,026 No Essay Scholarship$2,026U.S. studentsMEFA $1,500 Scholarship$1,500Legal U.S. residents 14+Road2College $1,000 Scholarship$1,000Graduating HS seniors, undergrads, grads for Fall 2026
A quick note on the no-essay sweepstakes: prizes like the $50,000 ScholarshipOwl scholarship have low individual win probability by design. The math still works if you apply in volume through legitimate platforms like Bold.org, Niche, and Sallie Mae. Just don't let a single long-shot crowd out your essay-based strategy.
Also closing June 30: the Federal Pell Grant FAFSA deadline for many states. Worth up to $7,395, it should be your first move before any scholarship application.
July Scholarships: Deadline-by-Deadline Breakdown
July gives you a full additional month of opportunities. Here's what's open, organized by date using data from MEFA and Road2College.
July 1 opens the month with awards ranging from $500 to $5,000.
ScholarshipAmountEligibilityEsperanza Fund Scholarship$4,000–$5,000Latino/a students with financial needCommunity Justice/Public Service ScholarshipUp to $5,000HS seniors and college students (27 and under) with public service commitmentWomen in STEM Scholarship (ABC Wildlife)$1,000Undergrad/grad in STEM; 1,000-word essayLandmark Pest Women in STEM Scholarship$1,000Female-identifying STEM students; international students eligibleHBCU Connect Student Scholarship$1,000Students attending or planning to attend an HBCUExcellence in Ethics Scholarship$500–$1,000GeneralSavor Summer College Scholarship$500U.S. citizens in HS sophomore–senior with 3.0 GPACollege Sports Recruiting Scholarship$1,000Graduating HS seniors and college students who are current/former athletesRoad2College $1,500 Scholarship$1,500/semesterGeneralStudybay Essay Contest$500–$1,500Graduating HS seniors and undergrads 18+; 550–1,000-word essay
July 3: The Prism Foundation Scholarship awards $1,000–$5,000 to anyone attending college, trade, or vocational school with a strong history working in API and/or LGBTQIA+ communities.
July 6: The First Generation College, First Generation Immigrant Scholarship via Bold.org awards $6,000. First-gen immigrants in high school or undergraduate programs are eligible.
July 7: The WorkStream Technology IT Scholarship ($2,000) through Bold.org targets underrepresented students passionate about IT.
July 9–10: A Road2College $2,500 scholarship closes July 9. The Hirsch & Lyon Injury Lawyers College Scholarship ($1,000) for students interested in law, and a Road2College multi-level award ($700–$2,000) for graduating seniors and new or returning college students, both close July 10.
July 13: The ScoreNavigator Financial Literacy Scholarship ($1,000) targets HS juniors and seniors from low-income backgrounds with a 3.0-plus GPA.
July 17: The Minority Women in STEM Financial Need Scholarship awards $5,000 to female BIPOC HS seniors pursuing a 4-year STEM degree who are first-generation and low-income. Short essay required.
July 23: The Phyliss J. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing ($1,000) is an essay contest for writing-focused students.
July 27: The Victoria Johnson Minority Women in STEM Scholarship is for female BIPOC HS seniors or undergrads in Kent County, MI pursuing STEM. Geographic restriction applies; verify your eligibility before applying.
July 31 is the second major deadline cluster of the summer.
ScholarshipAmountEligibilityNiche $10,000 No Essay Summer Scholarship$10,000All HS and college students; U.S. citizensAscent's Summer of Success Scholarship$10,000GeneralMinecraft Scholarship (ApexHosting)$2,000U.S. citizens in HS or college; 3.0 GPA; 500-word essay on Minecraft in educationCampusReel No Essay Scholarship$2,000HS juniors and seniorsA Better Financial Future Scholarship$2,000HS juniors/seniors and college studentsNo Essay Scholarship by Sallie (monthly cycle)$2,000HS seniors and undergradsCollegeXpress Monthly Scholarship (July)$1,000–$2,500HS, college, and grad students in U.S.Smart Owl Scholarship (July cycle)$2,500GeneralFlavor of the Month Scholarship (Unigo)$1,50014+, legal U.S. resident; 250-word essay on what ice cream flavor you'd beGK (Good Karma) Scholarship$1,000HS, college, grad students including adult learners; 250-word personal statementAnnie Ibok Scholarship (HBCU)$1,000Rising college freshmen attending HBCUs
Rolling Scholarships: Keep These in Rotation All Summer
These reset monthly, so there's no single deadline to miss. Think of them as the floor of your scholarship strategy, not the ceiling.
ScholarshipAmountResetEligibilityNiche $2,000 No Essay Scholarship$2,000MonthlyHS seniors and college students; U.S.College Board BigFuture Scholarships$500–$40,000MonthlyU.S. HS juniors and seniorsScholarshipOwl $1,000 (4 awards/month)$1,000 eachMonthlyHS and college students 16+; U.S.Sallie Mae $2,000 Scholarship (Bold.org)$2,000MonthlyHS seniors and undergradsCollegeVine $2,000 No Essay Scholarship$2,000MonthlyHS seniors
Flagship Scholarships: Start Prepping Now, Apply in Fall
All three below are confirmed for the Class of 2027 via CollegeLens.
ScholarshipAmountOpensDeadlineEligibilityQuestBridge National College MatchFull 4-year scholarshipSummer 2026Sept 2026High-achieving, low-income HS seniorsThe Gates ScholarshipFull cost of attendanceJuly 15, 2026Sept 15, 2026Pell-eligible minority HS seniors; 3.3+ GPACoca-Cola Scholars Program$20,000 (150 winners)Aug 3, 2026Sept 30, 2026HS students graduating 2026–27; 3.0 GPA
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a rising senior for scholarship purposes?
A rising senior is a student finishing 11th grade who will be a senior in the 2026–27 school year (Class of 2027). Most scholarships in this list are open to "high school juniors and seniors" or "any high school student," so rising seniors qualify. A few awards are specifically for Class of 2026 graduates now entering college; those are noted in the eligibility column.
Are no-essay scholarships legitimate?
Yes, many are. Platforms like Bold.org, Niche, and Sallie Mae run legitimate no-essay awards. The tradeoff is that low friction means high applicant volume and lower per-person odds. Apply to them in volume alongside essay-based awards, and avoid any site you haven't heard of that charges a fee to apply.
How do I know if a scholarship deadline is accurate?
Cross-check every deadline on the official program website before you apply. Aggregator sites often display stale dates. Every scholarship in this article has been verified across at least two sources showing 2026 dates, but programs can update their timelines without notice.
What if I miss June 30?
July 31 is nearly as strong, with 11-plus scholarships closing that day. The rolling monthly scholarships reset constantly, and the flagship national scholarships (Gates, Coca-Cola, QuestBridge) don't close until fall.
Should I apply to scholarships before completing my FAFSA?
File your FAFSA first if you haven't. The Federal Pell Grant is worth up to $7,395 and has a June 30 deadline for many states. Knowing your aid package tells you exactly how much you need to chase in private scholarships, which makes every application more strategic.
What to Do Next
Five specific steps to take before the end of June:
- Apply to at least two June 30 no-essay scholarships today. Start with the Scholarships360 $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship (hard June 30 cutoff), then create a Bold.org profile to access the "Be Bold" $25,000 award and thousands of other active listings.
- Check your FAFSA status before June 30. If it's not filed, do it now at studentaid.gov. Missing the Pell Grant deadline costs more than missing most individual scholarships.
- If you're a woman in STEM, the Minority Women in STEM Financial Need Scholarship ($15,000) closes June 14. Get that application in this week.
- Set a calendar reminder for August 3 for the Coca-Cola Scholars application, which opens that day, takes about 20 minutes, and requires no essays for Phase 1.
- Add the Niche $2,000 No Essay Scholarship and CollegeVine's $2,000 monthly award to your calendar as recurring monthly tasks and submit every 30 days through the fall.
The students who fund their college education aren't always the ones with the highest GPAs or the most polished essays. They're the ones who showed up consistently while everyone else was taking the summer off.