30 Great Merit Scholarships

Here at Great Value Colleges, we’ve researched and presented you with many types of scholarships, and this time, we’re bringing it with your list of the best merit scholarships available right now. For students with upper-level grades and conduct, this list is one great resource to keep at the ready. So, without further adieu, here are the top 30 merit-based scholarships today.

Related resource: 50 Most Affordable Competitive Colleges and Universities

1. Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a resident of one of the 18 South Carolina/Georgia counties served by the scholarship.

– Hold at least a 3.0 GPA.

Specifically for students in the Georgia and South Carolina border area, the Watson-Brown Foundation Scholarship has been a long-running option for securing tuition funds. This foundation was first established in 1970 and has since helped many students in this region to gain a college education. These scholarships are also renewable with renewal details being found at the official foundation website.

Scholarship Website

2. Virginia Smith Scholarship

Eligibility

– Applicant must be a full-time California college student next year.

– Applicant must have attended public high school in the City of Merced for at least three full years.

– Applicant must have at least 60 college units satisfactorily completed by the start of the fall semester.

– Applicant must hold at least a 2.8 GPA.

​​​​Virginia Smith was a Merced County native who contributed an extraordinary sum to her community and in numerous ways. Today, much of her allotted resources go toward the ​​​​Virginia Smith Scholarship through the Merced County Office of Education, in Merced County, California. May 15th marks the annual deadline to apply for funding via this opportunity.

Scholarship Website

3. Tien Bui Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a graduating high school senior in North Carolina.

– Have a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5 with a challenging course selection.

– Score a high score on the SAT or ACT test.

– Demonstrate financial need and/or merit.

– Plan to attend North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering.

The Tien Bui Memorial Scholarship is a helpful, annual funding offer administered by The Winston-Salem Foundation for graduating high school seniors in North Carolina who plan to attend North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering. For those who fit this bill, this scholarship offers fall and spring funding disbursements based on the scholarship’s current year’s holdings. Tien Hy Bui himself was a remarkable immigrant to the US with a life story to inspire anyone.

4. SSF Scholarship

Eligibility

– Hold at least a 3.0 GPA.

– Demonstrate financial need.

– Demonstrate exceptional personal merit and character.

– Be accepted into one of the scholarship’s seven, partnering colleges or universities. See site for up-to-date, participating school lists.

– Be no older than 25 at the time of application.

The annual SSF Scholarship is a great offer courtesy of the Southern Scholarship Foundation, an organization dedicated to the advancement of educational access to all deserving students in the southern regions of the US. For winning applicants of this offer, tuition credit is provided to their school of choice and is perpetually renewable with each year as long the student remains in good standing at their school. The application deadlines to remember for this opportunity are November 1st for the spring semester and April 1st for the fall semester.

Scholarship Website

5. Sheryl A. Horak Law Enforcement Explorer Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility

– Any law enforcement Explorer who is at least in the 12th grade may apply.

For students planning to go into law enforcement and participating in one of the many law enforcement Explorer Programs out there, the Sheryl A. Horak Law Enforcement Explorer Memorial Scholarship is worth checking out. This offer provides a quick, $1,000 award to those selected applicants in addition to some great, commemorative booty and networking opportunities. This one is graciously administered by the National Law Enforcement Scholarships and Awards organization out of Irving, Texas.

Scholarship Website

6. Paul Tsongas Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a Massachusetts student with a GPA of at least 3.75 and a highly competitive Scholastic Aptitude Test score of at least 1200.

– Be planning to attend one of the scholarship’s nine, participating schools.

– Be a permanent legal resident of Massachusetts for at least one year prior to the opening of the academic year.

– Be a US Citizen or non-citizen eligible under Title IV regulations.

-Applicant must have applied for financial aid, using the standard Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

– Be in compliance with Selective Service Registration.

– Applicant must not be in default of any federal or state student loans for attendance at any institution or owe a refund for any previous financial aid received.

– Applicant must meet eligibility criteria established by the state university and approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

The Paul Tsongas Scholarship is yet another, great opportunity for students with high levels of merit to gain some valuable college funding. With this award, those chosen receive tuition coverage to attend one of nine, participating universities. The Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance is the facilitator of this scholarship, and it is specifically meant for Massachusetts students of high merit.

Scholarship Website

7. Park Scholar Program

Eligibility

– Applicant must be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen and apply to Ithaca College for an undergraduate major within the Roy H. Park School of Communications. Transfer students are not eligible for the award.

The Park Scholar Program is an offer of Ithaca College, in Ithaca, New York. With a win of this college funding opportunity, winning applicants can look forward to either a fully-paid or partially-paid tuition for their entire time at the school. January 2nd marks the deadline to get in on a chance to win this valuable award.

Scholarship Website

8. ODK Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be an initiated member of Omicron Delta Kappa.

– Plan to or be currently enrolled in an accredited graduate or professional program in the United States or abroad.

– Hold a cumulative GPA of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale on all academic work.

An ODK Scholarship is a great chance at college funding through the Omicron Delta Kappa Society. This organization’s mission is simply to uplift and promote great leaders throughout the community. To that end, the group’s namesake scholarship offers up to $2,500 per winning, meritorious applicant. To secure your chance at a win, March 2nd is the application deadline to stay ahead of.

Scholarship Website

9. BSA Eagle Scout Scholarship

Eligibility

– Potential applicants are advised to inquire with the official website for the scholarship eligibility requirements of each, individual offer.

The Boy Scouts of America’s Eagle Scout Scholarship series offers three chances for interested applicants to win valuable educational funding. These scholarships each range in their ultimate funding reward from several thousand dollars on up to a very significant $50,000 award amount. Potential applicants are advised to inquire with the official website for individual scholarship details.

Scholarship Website

10. LUC Scholarship Series

Eligibility

– Potential applicants are advised to check with the official LUC website for individual scholarship eligibility requirements.

Every year, the Loyola University of Chicago offers students an array of great funding opportunities via its LUC Scholarship Series. This series represents seven individual scholarship opportunities, each designed to cater to the needs of a certain student population. For those interested, numerous other grants and loans are offered through LUC, and these are also available for viewing at the website link posted above.

Scholarship Website

11. Levine Scholars Program

Eligibility

– Applicant must be admitted to UNC Charlotte to receive a Levine Scholarship.

– Applicant must demonstrate a commitment to community service, hold an academic record that reflects a sustained passion for knowledge, and possess a capacity for ethical leadership that elevates fellow students to a higher standard.

– Applicant must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

The Levine Scholars Program is courtesy of UNC Charlotte’s Division of Academic Affairs. In brief, this program was setup to reward outstanding merit and motivate those with such merit to enroll at UNC Charlotte. 20 incoming freshmen applicants are selected for this award each year. November 1st is the deadline to apply.

Scholarship Website

12. Leo Bourassa Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a resident of Virginia.

– Complete, by the award date, at least two semesters of undergraduate study.

– Be a full-time undergraduate, full-time graduate student, or a part-time graduate student enrolled in a curriculum related to water resources including but not limited to biology, conservation, ecology, engineering, environmental science, geology, hydrology, limnology, stormwater management, water quality, or wildlife studies. Other areas related to water resources may also qualify.

The Leo Bourassa Scholarship is an exclusive offer of the Virginia Lakes and Watershed Association, and organization that strives to help manage the ongoing health of Virginia’s many water systems. With a win of this award, selected applicants receive one of the numerous awards that go up to a maximum of $3,000. Virginia residents who are studying in a water science-related concentration are the target recipients of this offer.

13. Josh Gomes Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility

– Applicant must be HIV positive or have AIDS.

– Applicant must be accepted into or enrolled in a US college, university, institute, or technical college as a full-time undergraduate or graduate study student.

Joshua Gomes was a hardworking student who touched the lives of many in his short time in this life. In his honor, the Josh Gomes Memorial Scholarship Fund provides an annual offer to other deserving students. July 15th is the application deadline that all must meet for consideration of this award, and previous winners are allowed to reapply for continued funding consideration.

Scholarship Website

14. Humana Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a dependent child, age 25 or under, of a Humana employee.

– Be a high school senior or recent high school graduate planning to attend an accredited US college.

The Humana Foundation is an organization that performs a number of tasks to help many throughout the community, and one of those ongoing endeavors is the group’s yearly provision of the Humana Scholarship. Winning applicants to this fund can look forward to one of several tuition awards of up to $3,000. Even better, these awards renew for up to three years or until the time that the student’s degree is finally completed.

Scholarship Website

15. Gladys Carol Scholarship

Eligibility

– Applicant must be enrolled full time as defined through credit hours at their institution.

– Applicant must be majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or math field.

– Applicant must have a minimum, cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

– Applicant must have a minimum SAT score of 1290 or minimum ACT score of 28.

– Applicant must be a US citizen or a permanent resident with a permanent resident ID card or current passport.

The Gladys Carol Scholarship is a great offer for all exceptional students that entails an award of up to $5,000. Great grades and the intention to major in a STEM-related major are all that are needed to gain consideration of this very helpful opportunity. A complete submission turned in by the annual March 31st application submission deadline is also required.

Scholarship Website

16. The Flinn Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a US citizen or lawful permanent resident that has lived in Arizona for two years prior to application and that is planning to attend an Arizona college or university.

The Flinn Scholarship is an exceedingly valuable scholarship offer that is worth up to $120,000 to selected applicants. Those selected must be Arizona residents who are willing to attend an Arizona college and desiring of an eventual opportunity to learn abroad via the program. An incredible, 20 students are chosen for this award each year, making it a top provider among all on this list.

Scholarship Website

17. FRCF Scholarship

Eligibility

– The applicant must be the child of a first responder (biological, adopted, or step-child).

– Candidates must be pursuing their first bachelor’s degree, associate’s degree, or certificate at any accredited college, university, or technical/vocational institution in the United States that participates in the federal financial aid programs offered through the US Department of Education.

– Candidate must be enrolled as a full-time student during the entire academic year.

– Candidate must maintain a 2.7 out of a 4.0-grade point average or the equivalent, as documented by the Office of the Registrar, at the academic institution.

– Candidate must be making satisfactory academic progress toward the completion of their program as defined and documented by the academic institution.

– Candidate must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States attending school in the United States.

– Current First Responders Children’s Foundation officers and employees and members of their immediate families are not eligible to apply.

The First Responders Children’s Foundation is an organization that works to assure surviving family members of first responders of educational access and other, important opportunities in light of their parent’s absence. In accomplishing that very goal, the group’s annual FRCF Scholarship goes out to many applicants every year. $6,250 is the max amount of this award, and it is available for up to four years of renewal, depending on organizational scholarship funds on hand.

Scholarship Website

18. Allwork Scholarship

Eligibility

– Students seeking their first degree in architecture from an NAAB-accredited school in the State of New York are eligible.

– Students must have a high level of academic performance and be able to demonstrate financial need.

– Students in their final year of school are not eligible to apply. A graduate student is eligible if his or her professional undergraduate degree is in a field other than architecture.

The Allwork Scholarship is courtesy of AIA New York, an organization in New York that focuses on all things architecture. This scholarship opportunity provides winning applicants with up to $7,500 in tuition funding along with an additional chance at the group’s attached, Honor Award Grant of $10,000. March 20th is the deadline to submit an application for this offer, though this date is subject to change each year.

Scholarship Website

19. Edward C. Bryant Scholarship for an Outstanding Graduate Student in Survey Statistics

Eligibility

– Applicant must show potential to contribute to survey statistics.

– Applicant must show exceptional performance in graduate school.

As its name suggests, this great scholarship offer is meant to foster further interest and excellence in the US survey statistics workforce. If you have experience in survey statistics and/or are getting an education therein and have good grades to show for it, you have a great chance to win. $2,500 is the award amount which also comes with an honorary certificate from the fund’s sponsor, the American Statistical Association.

Scholarship Website

20. David Geffen Medical Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a student at UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine.

The David Geffen Medical Scholarship is a great offer to aspiring medical professionals. Here, applicants who are outstanding students that are also pursuing a career in medicine can get a chance to win complete educational funding for the remaining duration of their medicine-related academic pursuits. This valuable offer is only available, however, to those who might go to school at UCLA.

Scholarship Website

Related resource: 30 Great Scholarships for Pre-Med Students

21. Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a graduating Connecticut high school student entering some college-level program in architecture, construction-related engineering, construction management, surveying, planning, or other courses of study leading to an associate, baccalaureate, or master’s degree in the construction field.

Connecticut Building Congress is an organization that represents the collective interests of the larger building and construction industry in Connecticut. The group’s annual Connecticut Building Congress Scholarship is one component to this group’s ongoing mission in which winning applicants can receive up to $3,000 in tuition coverage for up to five, consecutive years. Recipients are also treated to a banquet and award ceremony along with their family and friends.

Scholarship Website

22. CMU Merit Scholarship

Eligibility

– Applicants must apply to Colorado Mesa University in order to gain automatic consideration.

– Applicants must meet specific SAT and ACT score requirements. These can be found at the official CMU Merit Scholarship website.

Every year, Colorado Mesa University offers a great funding opportunity through its CMU Merit Scholarship. This scholarship offers winning applicants up to $6,000 in college monies. There are multiple tiers of this scholarship, and potential applicants are recommended to investigate which tiers they may individually qualify for. This offer is also renewable.

Scholarship Website

23. CMAA Mid-Atlantic Chapter Scholarship

Eligibility

– Must be currently enrolled in one of the approved areas of study and must have a minimum of one full academic year remaining prior to graduation (CM, Architecture, Engineering).

– Must show a strong interest in a career in construction management.

– Membership in CMAA is not required, however, it will increase the applicant’s chances of winning, and the cost of the student membership process will be reimbursed by the MAC CMAA.

– Applicants must reside or attend a college/university in Pennsylvania (zip code >17000), New Jersey (zip code >08000), or Delaware.

The CMAA Mid-Atlantic Chapter Scholarship is a generous offer that comes from the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Construction Management Association of America. With a win of this great offer, the applicant will receive up to $3,500 and the potential for some very real, industry-leading networking contacts. Beat the annual March 15th application deadline for your chance to win.

Scholarship Website

24. UA Incoming Student Tuition Scholarship

Eligibility

– Applicant must be an incoming freshman and must have a high school GPA of at least 3.0 and an ACT score of at least 22 or SAT score of at least 1010.

– Applicant must be an Information Systems major.

The University of Akron offers incoming students a great opportunity at tuition funds every year with its UA Incoming Student Tuition Scholarship. Up to $2,000 per year in tuition is the exact offer at stake. For those potentially new to this particular school as freshmen and who are pursuing an information systems degree, this might just be the ideal offer.

Scholarship Website

25. Cameron Impact Scholarship

Eligibility

– All US Citizens who have an unweighted GPA of a 3.7 or higher are eligible to apply.

– Demonstrate strong evidence of leadership, involvement in extracurricular and community service, a greater, positive impact.

The Cameron Impact Scholarship is a funding opportunity facilitated each year by the Bryan Cameron Education Foundation, a non-profit devoted to providing all deserving students with fair access to education. This scholarship gives winning applicants a very valuable, fully-paid, four-year tuition credit. A strong background of merit and US citizenship are all that are needed for consideration too.

Scholarship Website

26. Berklee Lollapalooza Endowed Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be an outstanding musician from the US with demonstrated financial need.

– Applicants must apply to the college and participate in a live audition and interview at one of Berklee’s many audition sites.

Berklee is a renowned US educational network, and the group’s namesake Berklee Lollapalooza Endowed Scholarship is a chance for many students to win valuable tuition funds each year. The specific award offered by this scholarship is fully-paid tuition that is renewable for up to four years. Application deadlines for this award are subject to change, but recipient announcements typically come in April.

Scholarship Website

27. APF Scholarship Program

Eligibility

– Potential applicants are recommended to check with the official APF website for eligibility criteria in each of this program’s individual offers.

The APF Scholarship Program is yet one more, great funding opportunity out there, this time brought to you by the Asian Pacific Fund. There are actually 10 different scholarships offered through this program, and as such, students are encouraged to check into which of these they may be eligible for. Across all of the individual offers provided by this scholarship program, the range of awards sits between $1,000 and $20,000.

Scholarship Website

28. ASCF Scholarship

Eligibility

– Be a US citizen enrolled as an undergraduate in a US four-year college or university.

– Have at least 30 hours of completed undergraduate credit by the time of the study abroad term’s start date.

– Intend to study abroad in a program that is outside of the US.

– Be enrolling in a study abroad term (the days that you are actually enrolled in classes abroad) that is no shorter than 14 weeks.

– Be applying for either the fall or spring semester. Summer applicants will not be considered unless their academic term abroad is longer than 14 weeks, in which case they should apply for the spring semester scholarship.

– Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.

The annual ASCF Scholarship comes courtesy of the Ashley Soule Conroy Foundation, an organization focused on helping those in need to gain academic accomplishment and meant to honor the memory of Ashley Soulé Conroy. Each winner of this award receives $4,000 in tuition coverage, and up to three students are chosen per term. There are two terms each year for this award, with their respective spring and fall application deadlines being October 1st and June 1st.

Scholarship Website

29. Ashbrook Scholar Program

Eligibility

– Applicant must be majoring or minoring in Political Science, History, Political Economy, International Political Studies, or Integrated Social Studies at Ashland University.

The Ashbrook Scholar Program is a great chance for students to win schooling, internship, and networking opportunities that are top-notch. This program is offered exclusively by Ashland University Ashbrook and is intended to award and attract talent in political science and American History majors. A brief online application and one letter of reference are all that are needed to apply.

Scholarship Website

30. WDCAPA Scholarship

Eligibility

– Must be a member in good standing at a fully participating sorority of the National Panhellenic Conference.

– Must be enrolled in classes beginning in the fall.

– Must be from the Washington DC metropolitan area or attending school in the Washington DC metropolitan area.

The Washington DC Alumnae Panhellenic Association is the provider of this helpful offer. The organization’s annual WDCAPA Scholarship awards selected member applicants with $750 to go toward their various schooling costs. To get in on a chance at this final award on our list of the best merit scholarships right now, all applicants must submit their applications by February 29th to the organization.

Scholarship Website

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