Many providers offer generous $10,000 scholarships. Unlike a loan, you do not usually need to pay the $10K back. And typically you may use the money for college tuition, books, supplies and more.
Some of the scholarship programs that award $10,000 prizes are contests. So, to win, you may need to do something creative. Like submit a video or write an awesome essay on a given topic.
A perfect example is the Unigo 10K Scholarship. To apply you need to imagine a historical figure comes back to life. Then, in 250 words or less, describe who it is and what their favorite mobile app is.
Yet other 10K scholarships are merit awards. These may reward students of specific majors (E.g. agriculture) who also have high grades. Also, having leadership experience and skills will you make you stand out.
There are also need based awards. These scholarships award $10,000 to student’s who need help to afford college. So, for these you may have to fill out a FAFSA as part of your application.
That said, each $10,000 scholarship comes with its own rules on how to qualify. To be eligible, you often need to be a U.S. citizen, and meet the specified age.
Some providers also want to see that you are a current student in an accredited school. You may need to furnish transcripts and even a resume to apply.
Are $10,000 Scholarships the Highest Paying Awards?
The highest paying scholarships are full ride scholarships. These tend to foot the entire bill for college. So, all four years of your tuition, housing, meals, books and supplies.
Ten thousand dollars is still a lot for a scholarship though. Smaller scholarships may award from $50 to $500.
To give you an idea of how far a $10,000 scholarship can take you, look at the cost of attending college.
At last check, undergrad tuition, fees, room, and board were around $17,237 at public colleges. The total cost of tuition and fees are $44,551 at private nonprofit schools, and $25,431 at private for-profit schools.
List of $10K Scholarships
Check out our list of $10K scholarships below. We have awards worth .
Catch A Break! Scholarship program will be celebrating its 10th year in 2024. CAB! has awarded $1.6 million in scholarships to date. CAB! awards $11,000 per year/renewable for 4 years 15 scholarships available each year
CAB! is also more than just financial support: scholarship recipients receive community support throughout their college years. Each CAB! scholar receives an individual mentor, and there are 3 community events per year to foster social support and networking. Earning a scholarship through CAB! comes with an built-in community.
