What Are Some Popular National Scholarships for College?

I'm starting to search for scholarships and I was wondering what some popular national scholarships for college are. Are there any that I should definitely look into? And what kind of qualifications do they usually require?

There are several significant national scholarships that you might want to consider:

1. The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation: This scholarship awards 150 high school seniors each year with a $20,000 scholarship. The focus is on leadership, service, and action that positively impacts others.

2. The Gates Scholarship: This is a highly selective scholarship for outstanding minority high school seniors from low-income families. It covers the full cost of attendance and includes other benefits such as academic support and leadership development.

3. National Merit Scholarship: High school juniors who take the PSAT/NMSQT and score in the top 1% in their state may qualify for this scholarship. Finalists could receive a $2,500 scholarship or higher corporate-sponsored scholarships or college-sponsored scholarships.

4. The Regeneron Science Talent Search: It's one of the oldest science and math competitions for high school seniors, where students present an original research project. Top winners can receive awards of up to $250,000.

5. The Burger King Scholars Program: This scholarship awards between $1,000 and $60,000 to high school seniors with strong academic records and community service experience.

6. The Dell Scholars Program: This scholarship is for high achieving students in need of financial assistance. It offers a $20,000 scholarship, as well as various non-monetary supports like mentoring and financial aid coaching.

These scholarships typically have competitive selection criteria, such as a high GPA, leadership experience, community service or extracurricular involvement, and excellent letters of recommendation. Keep in mind deadlines and specific requirements that each scholarship may have, such as the field of study for some scholarships. It's best to start the application process early and thoroughly research each scholarship's unique criteria. Good luck!