The biggest scholarships for U.S. students

Updated September 10, 2026 · Amounts and windows are for the 2026–27 cycle and should be confirmed on each provider's site before you apply.

The largest private scholarships in the United States pay between $20,000 and the full cost of college, and nearly all of them are decided by the provider on a fixed annual calendar. Most open for high school seniors between July and September and close between September and February, which makes the fall of senior year the single most important window for scholarship applications. Below is every major national award we match students to in Scholarly, with the award amount, who qualifies, and when the application typically opens and closes.

Largest national scholarships at a glance

Scholarship	Award	Who qualifies	Typical window
The Gates Scholarship Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation	Full cost of attendance	High school seniors from a minority background who are Pell-eligible, with a 3.3+ GPA. About 300 scholars a year.	Opens July, closes mid-September
McDonald's HACER National	Up to $100,000	High school seniors with at least one parent of Hispanic or Latino heritage, 2.8+ GPA, planning to attend a two- or four-year college.	Opens fall, closes early February
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship	Up to $55,000 per year	High school seniors with financial need (family income generally under $95,000), 3.75+ GPA. Renewable for up to four years.	Opens late summer, closes mid-November
Elks Most Valuable Student	$4,000 to $50,000	High school seniors who are U.S. citizens. 500 awards a year, judged on scholarship, leadership, and financial need. Top two awards are $50,000 over four years.	Opens late summer, closes mid-November
Burger King Scholars	$1,000 to $50,000	High school seniors and Burger King employees or their families in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Most awards are $1,000; the James W. McLamore award is $50,000.	Opens October, closes mid-December
Amazon Future Engineer	$40,000 ($10,000 per year)	High school seniors from underserved and underrepresented communities planning to study computer science or engineering. Includes a paid Amazon internship offer.	Opens fall, closes late January
Horatio Alger National Scholarship	$25,000	High school juniors who have faced and overcome significant adversity, with family income under $65,000 and a 2.0+ GPA.	Opens August, closes late October
Coca-Cola Scholars	$20,000	High school seniors with a 3.0+ GPA. About 150 scholars are selected each year from more than 1,400 semifinalists.	Opens August, closes late September
Dell Scholars	$20,000 plus a laptop	Low-income high school seniors who participate in an approved college readiness program, with a 2.4+ GPA and Pell eligibility. Includes textbook credits and ongoing support.	Opens fall, closes December 1
Generation Google Scholarship	$10,000	Undergraduate and graduate students studying computer science or a related field, with a focus on students from underrepresented groups in tech.	Opens winter, closes spring
Hispanic Scholarship Fund	$500 to $5,000	Students of Hispanic heritage, from high school seniors through graduate students, with a 2.5+ GPA (3.0+ for high school). Thousands of awards a year.	Opens January, closes mid-February

How much scholarship money goes unclaimed?

Private scholarships from corporations, foundations, and nonprofits total more than $7 billion a year in the United States. A meaningful share of that money is never awarded or goes to a small pool of applicants, because most students never find the awards they qualify for or run out of time to complete each separate application. That gap is the reason Scholarly exists: one profile and one personal statement are reused across every application, so a student can realistically apply to dozens of awards instead of two or three.

Four kinds of scholarships every student should check

Private and corporate scholarships. Funded by companies and foundations like the ones in the table above. Often the largest single awards and open to students nationwide.
Merit-based awards. Tied to academic, athletic, or creative achievement. Many are offered directly by colleges and are automatic with admission.
Identity and community awards. Specific to heritage, background, religion, hometown, employer, or interests. These usually have far fewer applicants.
Need-based aid. Money set aside for students based on household income, starting with the federal Pell Grant through the FAFSA, plus private need-based scholarships.

When to apply

For high school seniors, the highest-value deadlines fall between September and February. Gates, Coca-Cola, and Horatio Alger close first, in September and October. Jack Kent Cooke, Elks, Dell, and Burger King close in November and December. HACER, Amazon Future Engineer, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund close in January and February. Current college students have awards available year-round, and many providers, including HSF and Generation Google, accept undergraduate and graduate applicants.

How Scholarly helps

Scholarly is a scholarship app for U.S. high school and college students. You build one profile in about five minutes, and Scholarly shows only the scholarships you actually qualify for, ranked by amount and deadline. Swipe right and Scholarly fills out and submits the application using your saved profile and essays, after you review and authorize it. It is free to start on iPhone or in any browser.

Find the scholarships you qualify for