Key Takeaways
- There are many scholarships for students in different fields like science, healthcare, and education.
- Each scholarship has rules about GPA, family income, or what you want to study.
- Deadlines are very important, so make sure to submit applications on time.
- Some scholarships cover full tuition, while others provide smaller amounts to help.
- You can also apply for grants and fill out the FAFSA to get more financial aid.
Going to college doesn’t have to feel out of reach. There are many scholarships out there for low-income households that can provide financial support. They can help cover tuition, books, and living expenses, making it easier to focus on learning and reaching your goals.
Many students don’t realize how much help is out there. Keep reading to find scholarship opportunities you can explore and learn tips to improve your chances of receiving one.
18 Need-Based Financial Aid and College Scholarships for Low-Income Households
1. JACKIE ROBINSON FOUNDATION (JRF) SCHOLARS
Award Amount: Up to $35,000 over four years; typically, 60 recipients each year
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: January 7
Eligibility Requirements:
- High school seniors who are U.S. citizens
- Demonstrate financial need and strong academic performance
- Leadership and community involvement
- Plan to attend a JRF-approved four-year college
- Should have completed less than 25% of college credits
2. DELL SCHOLARS
Award Amount: $20,000; 500 recipients
Application Status: Opens December 15
Deadline: February 15
Eligibility Requirements:
- High school seniors enrolled in an approved college readiness program
- Plan to attend a four-year college or university full-time after graduation
- Must be eligible for a Pell Grant
- Must have a minimum GPA of 2.4
3. ETHAN TO SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $1,000; 2 recipients
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: February 16
Eligibility Requirements:
- Undergraduate or graduate students
- Must come from a low-income background
- Studying psychology and/or counseling
- Minimum GPA of 3.5 (undergraduate) or 3.2 (graduate)
- First-generation college students are strongly encouraged to apply
4. ENGEBRETSON FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $10,000 per semester
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: March 1
Eligibility Requirements:
- Graduating senior from a U.S. high school
- Plan to attend a four-year college and demonstrate financial need
- GPA of 3.75 or higher, or be in the top 5% of their class
- Must have scored at least 28 on the ACT or 1240 on the SAT
- Applicants need to have applied for federal financial aid and received their Student Aid Report (SAR)
5. ROBERT F. LAWTON FUND FOR CAREERS THAT CARE
Award Amount: $500
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: April 15
Eligibility Requirements:
- High school seniors and undergraduate students
- Applicants should come from a low-income background
- Must plan to pursue a career in healthcare, social work, government, education, or a related field
6. WILLIAMS FOUNDATION TRAILBLAZER SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $1,000
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: May 19
Eligibility Requirements:
- High school seniors who are U.S. residents
- From marginalized or underserved populations
- Minimum GPA of 2.5 (some flexibility based on merit)
- Must submit a Bold.org profile with a personal statement
7. COOKE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
Award Amount: Up to $55,000; number of recipients varies; in April 2025, 70 new College Scholars were selected
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: November 12
Eligibility Requirements:
- High school seniors graduating in the spring
- Plan to enroll in a four-year college
- Minimum GPA of 3.75
- Must have taken at least one standardized test (SAT, ACT, AP, or IB)
- Should come from families with an annual income up to $95,000 and demonstrate unmet financial need
8. ELKS MOST VALUABLE STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $1,000 to $7,500 per year; 500 recipients
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: November 12
Eligibility Requirements:
- Current high school seniors or the equivalent
- Must be U.S. citizens at the time of application (permanent residents are not eligible)
- Do not need to be related to a member of the Elks
- Must plan to enroll in a four-year undergraduate program at an accredited U.S. college or university
9. SOROPTIMIST’S LIVE YOUR DREAM AWARDS
Award Amount: $1,000 to $16,000; over 2,300 recipients
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: November 15
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must be a woman who is the primary financial provider for herself and her dependents
- Demonstrate financial need
- Enrolled in or accepted to a vocational/skills training or undergraduate degree program
- Live in a Soroptimist member country or territory
- Motivated to achieve education and career goals
- Cannot have a graduate degree or be pursuing one
- Cannot be a Soroptimist member, employee, or immediate family member of either
- Must write application essays in her own words without using AI tools
- Cannot have previously received a Soroptimist Women’s Opportunity or Live Your Dream Award
10. BEACON SCHOLARSHIP FOR RURAL AMERICA
Award Amount: $1,000; three recipients (two awarded in July and one awarded in November)
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: November 30
Eligibility Requirements:
- Open to high school seniors and current college students
- Must come from a low-income, rural background
- Must reside in the United States
- Minimum GPA of 3.0
11. BESSIE MATHEW FOUNDATION’S EDUCATION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Award Amount: Award amount based on need but cannot guarantee full coverage of cost.
Application Status: Now accepting applications. Awards are awarded and distributed three times per year.
Deadline: November 30
Eligibility Requirements:
- A member of the household has been diagnosed with cancer
- The household must include at least one female
- Applicant has an education-related financial need
- Resides in the United States or a U.S. Territory
12. THE RON BROWN SIGNATURE SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $40,000 four-year scholarship ($10,000/year); 20 recipients
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: December 1
Eligibility Requirements:
- Black or African American high school senior
- S. citizen or permanent resident
- Demonstrate academic excellence
- Show leadership potential
- Participate in community service activities
- Demonstrate financial need
13. HAGAN SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
Award Amount: Undergraduate Scholarship – Up to $60,000 over 8 consecutive semesters. Graduate Scholarship – Up to $30,000 over 4 consecutive semesters
Up to 1,200 recipients.
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: December 1
Eligibility Requirements:
- S. citizen and resident of an eligible state
- Attended an eligible high school for both junior and senior years
- Must be in your high school graduating class and enroll in an eligible four-year or higher not-for-profit college or university during the first fall semester following high school graduation
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5
- Minimum ACT score of 24 or SAT score of 1150
14. STEGALL CHARITABLE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $1,000
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: December 1
Eligibility Requirements:
- High school seniors, graduates, or current college students entering a full-time college program within one year of the application deadline
- High school GPA of at least 2.8 or ACT score of 18 for first-time freshmen
- College upperclassmen and transfer students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0
- Demonstrate financial need
- Must be enrolled full-time (unless part-time status is required to complete degree)
- Must be in good academic standing (no suspensions)
- Preference given to students with civic engagement or who intend to pursue law
15. BRIGHT LIGHTS SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $600; 2 recipients
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: December 12
Eligibility Requirements:
- Open to high school and undergraduate students
- Applicants must identify as an underrepresented minority and/or a first-generation college student
- Intended for students who have overcome obstacles in pursuing higher education
16. BURGER KING SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Award Amount: $1,000 to $60,000; number of recipients varies, but there were nearly 4,200 recipients in 2024
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: December 15
Eligibility Requirements:
- Students attending college or post-secondary vocational/technical school
- Applicants are evaluated based on GPA, work experience, extracurricular activities, community service, and financial need
17. THE PURPLE DREAM SCHOLARSHIP
Award Amount: $528 for 1st winner; $527 for 2nd winner
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: December 21
Eligibility Requirements:
- Undergraduate student
- First-generation college student
- From a low-income background
- Single mother
18. DR. JUAN ANDRADE JR. SCHOLARSHIP FOR YOUNG HISPANIC LEADERS
Award Amount: $1,000 for a 4-year institution OR $500 for a 2-year institution
Application Status: Now accepting applications
Deadline: December 30
Eligibility Requirements:
- Enrolled or accepted as a full-time undergraduate student at an accredited two- or four-year institution in the U.S. or U.S. territories
- Demonstrate financial need
- At least one parent of Hispanic ancestry
- Non-U.S. citizens, including DACA or undocumented students, are eligible
- Full-time undergraduate status for the upcoming Fall-Spring academic year
- Open to high school seniors, college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors up to age 25
Tips on Winning Low-Income College Scholarships
1. Fill out your FAFSA.
The financial aid process can be tricky to navigate. Filling out your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) ensures your federal aid and other financial aid will be awarded.
Even if you don’t apply for any low-income college scholarships, filling out your FAFSA form makes you eligible for other funding like grants and scholarships. Low-income and need-based grants help thousands of students afford college each year. Need-based scholarship aid is only available when you fill out your FAFSA form and get a Student Aid Report (SAR).
2. Don’t miss a deadline.
Filling out the form for low-income college scholarships and writing the essays on time ensures your hard work pays off and your application gets full consideration. Create a calendar or add the deadlines to your planner. We suggest turning them in at least a week before the low-income scholarship is due. You can even set a reminder to apply for the same low-income college scholarships yearly, since many are awarded annually.
3. Follow scholarship rules.
Each low-income college scholarship has its own set of rules, eligibility, and guidelines that applicants must follow. Keep the odds in your favor and follow the low-income scholarship rules so you can have a better chance of winning. You’ll be surprised how many applicants don’t win simply because they didn’t follow the rules.
4. Don’t stop applying.
It can feel discouraging to apply for many scholarships without immediate success but remember, you’re competing with thousands of other motivated students. Each application builds experience and brings you one step closer to the opportunities that are the right fit for you. Keep applying to every scholarship you’re eligible for, not just the low-income college scholarships. When you keep your eyes open, you can find scholarships that are easy to apply for.
Explore Scholarships Today
Don’t let the cost of college hold you back. There are plenty of scholarships for students from low-income households that can help you cover tuition, books, and living expenses. Keep track of deadlines and apply to different scholarships. These steps can help you take advantage of every opportunity to make your college dreams a reality.
Try College Raptor’s FREE Scholarship Search tool to find more scholarships you may be eligible for.
