Carson Scholars Fund
Carson Scholars Fund (founded by Ben & Candy Carson)
Opens later
$1,000 college scholarship for students in grades 4-11 with a 3.75+ GPA and service — by educator nomination
- How much
- $1,000 (one-time)
- Who qualifies
- Grades 4-11 at an accredited US school; GPA 3.75+ for the current school year; active in service to others; not a previous Carson Scholar. Schools may nominate ONE student per grade category they serve (elementary 4-5, middle 6-8, high 9-11). Past scholars may apply separately for the non-monetary Recognition Program.
- attends accredited K-12 school in the US
- When to apply
- Opens later annual; nomination forms out mid-October, educator nomination deadline mid-December, student application + recommendation deadline mid-January, results in March (2026-27: Oct 19, 2026 / Dec 16, 2026 / Jan 13, 2027 / March 2027)
- How to apply
- Students can't request an application
- An educator nominates (nomination form emailed to schools in the Carson database starting Oct 19, 2026
- Nomination deadline Dec 16, 2026)
- Nominated students then submit the application with an essay, a teacher recommendation, and a current report card by Jan 13, 2027
- Results March 2027
- What you'll need
- school nomination + essay + recommendation + transcript
- Last checked
- October 5, 2026, against the official page (carsonscholars.org), page 2, page 3 and page 4
The details
$1,000 college scholarship for students in grades 4-11 with a 3.75+ GPA and service — by educator nomination Scholarship is held toward college. Carson Scholar alumni attending HBCUs can also apply for the separate Patterson HBCU Scholarship ($5,000/yr, renewable to $20,000).
More federal and national aid
- QuestBridge National College Matchfull four-year scholarship to a partner college (worth $360,000+; tuition, room/board, no loans)
- Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Programup to $55,000/yr for up to 4 years (last-dollar after institutional aid)
- Davidson Fellows Scholarship$100,000, $50,000, or $25,000 (one-time)
- Burger King Scholars Program$1,000 to $60,000 (most general-track awards $1,000 or $5,000; up to three $60,000 James W. McLamore WHOPPER Scholarships)
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)$37,000/yr stipend + $16,000/yr cost-of-education allowance to the school, for 3 years
Keep looking
We list programs; we don't decide who gets them. Always check the official page before you apply. Spot something wrong? Tell us.