What types of scholarships are available for high school students?

I'm currently a junior in high school and am starting to think seriously about how I'm going to pay for college. I know scholarships can be a big help, but I'm a little overwhelmed by all the different types out there. Can someone break down the main types of scholarships that are generally available? Like, are there specific ones for athletes, artists, academic achievers, or specific majors? And how do I find out which ones I might be eligible for? Any advice or resources would be appreciated!

Sure, I'd be happy to offer some guidance! Scholarships can indeed be an incredibly helpful way to mitigate the cost of college. Not all scholarships are created equal though, so it's helpful to understand the main types:

1. Merit-based Scholarships: These are scholarships awarded to students who have demonstrated excellent academic performance, leadership abilities, artistic talents, or other accomplishments. The sponsor might be a university, a private foundation, or even a company.

2. Need-based Scholarships: These scholarships are awarded based on a student's demonstrated financial need, typically looking at the household income. Some might require that you fill out the FAFSA and provide an EFC/SAI or be eligible for free/reduced-price lunch.

3. Athletic Scholarships: These are scholarships offered to students who excel in a specific sport and are likely to be competitive at the college level. These tend to be offered by the universities themselves.

4. Subject-specific Scholarships: These are scholarships awarded to students who plan to study in a certain field or major. For example, there are engineering scholarships, nursing scholarships, and other career-oriented scholarships out there.

5. Demographic Scholarships: There are many scholarships specifically for individuals from certain demographic groups. This might include scholarships for women, first-generation college students, or students from certain ethnic or cultural backgrounds.

6. Local Scholarships: These are awards that are specific to residents of a certain city, county, or state. They tend to be less competitive than national scholarships.

To identify what scholarships you might be eligible for, start by identifying your demographic, academic, and extracurricular qualities. Also, consider looking at the specific colleges you're interested in to see what scholarships they offer. Often, scholarships from the universities themselves can be the most generous.

Specific to finding scholarships, Appily is a straightforward resource that lets you filter scholarships by different categories. Another resource you can look at is College Board’s scholarship search tool which includes scholarships from 2,200 programs.

Remember, applying for scholarships can be a long and tedious process, and you should treat it like a part-time job. However, the potential rewards can be significant.