College Financial Planning

Scholarships with December Deadlines

December Scholarships

Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarship

Amount: Varies

Apply by: December 8, 2025

Description: Open to all students who are citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Puerto Rico who can provide a 300-word (high school) or 500-word (college) essay on how Denny’s can unite communities.

Sponsor: Denny’s

Americanism Essay Contest

Amount: Up to $5,000

Apply by: December 1, 2025

Description: Contest is open to students in grades 7 through 12 (or equivalent). Applicant must be sponsored by a branch of the Fleet Reserve Association or a unit of the Ladies Auxiliary. Applicant must submit an essay on the theme, “How can we support families who provide care for their veterans?”

Sponsor:  American Legion for Veterans

Hagan Scholarships

Amount: Up to $6,000 each semester

Apply by: December 1, 2025

Description: Scholarships are open to graduating high school seniors with at least a 3.5 GPA and from a rural area (a county with less than 50,000 people).

Applicant must live in an eligible state (see website for details – Middle America) and demonstrate financial need.

Sponsor: Hagan Scholarship Foundation

Elite Lawyer Scholarship

Amount:$1,000

Apply by: December 22, 2026

Description: Open to students pursuing higher education to make a difference in their own communities.

Sponsor: Elite Lawyer

Lamber-Goodnow Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Apply by: December 1, 2025

Description: Open to all students enrolled at an accredited high school, college, or university with at least a 2.8 GPA. (Requires an essay.)

Sponsor: Lamber-Goodnow law firm

Your Time to Climb Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Apply By: December 1, 2025

Description: Open to high school seniors and current undergraduate students who are U.S. Citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients who must submit an essay on a time they pushed themselves to work harder to achieve a goal.

Sponsor: The Tenge Law Firm LLC

Military Child of the Year Award

Amount: $10,000

Apply by: December 2, 2025

Description: Award is open to young people ages 13 to 18 who are children of someone who is/was in the military.

Sponsor: Operation Homefront

Tom Joyner Foundation – Denny’s Hungry for Education Scholarship

Amount: Varies

Apply by: December 9, 2025

Description: Open to students enrolled in an accredited Historically Black College or University educational institution in the United States or Puerto Rico.

Sponsor: Denny’s/Tom Joyner Foundation

Plagiarism Search Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Apply by: December 10, 2025

Description: Open to students, 18 or older, attending or planning to attend colleges or universities in the coming academic year who can write a 500-word essay on one of the specified topics.

Sponsor: PlagiarismSearch

Forte Foundation Scholarship for Women in Stem

Amount: $1,000

Apply by: December 1, 2025

Description: Open to all undergraduates who identify as women and are currently attending a U.S. college or university. 

Sponsor: Forte Foundation

Forclosure.com Scholarship

Amount: Up to $2,500

Apply by: December 15, 2025

Description: Scholarship is open to currently enrolled undergraduate students. Applicant must submit an essay on the steps needed to research and acquire financially distressed properties.

Sponsor: Forclosure.com

Rubincam Youth Writing Competition

Amount: $500

Apply by: December 15, 2025

Description: Open to a student in either the junior category (grades 6-8) or senior category (grades 9-12) for an appropriately prepared genealogy.

Sponsor: National Genealogical Society

Burger King Scholars Program

Amount: Up to $50,000

Apply by December 15, 2025

Description: The Program is open to graduating high school seniors who live in the United States, Canada, or Puerto Rico. Applicant must have a cumulative high school GPA of at least 2.5 and plan to enroll full-time, without interruption, for the entire 2025-2026 academic year at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or vocational-technical school.

Sponsor: Burger King McLamore Foundation

Science Ambassador Scholarship

Amount: Full tuition

Apply by: December 15, 2025

Description: Open to female high school seniors or undergraduate students who submit a three-minute educational video on a STEM topic they’re passionate about. 

Sponsor: Cards Against Humanity

Equitable Excellence Scholarship

Amount: $5,000 and up

Apply by: December 18, 2025

Description: Open to current high school seniors who plan to enroll full-time in an accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States for the entire upcoming academic year.

Sponsor: Equitable

AWWA Scholarships

Amount: Varies

Apply by: December 20, 2025

Description: Scholarships are open to current undergraduate and graduate students with an interest in working in the water industry (engineering, research, etc.). In addition to the general scholarships, there are scholarships specifically for female students and minority students.

Sponsor: American Water Works Association

Achieve Today Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Apply by: December 31, 2025

Description: Scholarship is open to any current student of an accredited U.S. university or college. Applicant must submit a video OR essay on personal development or high performance.

Sponsor: Achieve Today

Because College Is Expensive Scholarship

Amount: $500

Apply by: December 31, 2025

Description: Scholarship is open to high school students, adults looking to head back to school, current college students, and anyone looking to attend college or graduate school within 12 months. Applicant must submit a short form.

Sponsor: Cedar Education Lending

Travis W. Watkins Tax Attorney Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Apply by: December 31, 2025

Description: Open to any current or soon-to-be student who has had his or her family’s life altered because of tax controversies (back taxes owed, audits, etc.).

Sponsor: Travis W. Watkins Tax

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