USA Scholarships
December Deadline Scholarships
December Deadline Scholarships
Scholarships and fellowships with application deadlines in December. Plan ahead and submit your applications before the year-end rush.
Commonwealth Mongan Fellowship 2027 - $80,000
The Commonwealth Fund Mongan Fellowship in Minority Health Policy at Harvard University, now branded as the Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Policy Leadership, is a one-year, full-time programme for US physicians who finished residency and want to lead health equity work. Up to five fellows per year receive an $80,000 stipend, full tuition for an MPH at Harvard Chan or an MPA at Harvard Kennedy School (if you already hold an MPH), health insurance, books, travel, and practicum support. You must be a US citizen or permanent resident, board eligible or certified, and committed to policy, public service, or academia. Expect simultaneous Harvard graduate school and fellowship applications around early December for a July start.
Dave Family Humor Studies Scholarship 2027 - $500
The Dave Family Humor Studies Scholarship from the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor (AATH) supports college students who are pursuing humor or laughter studies and plan to work in applied or therapeutic humor. One $500 award is granted annually, with priority for applicants entering US colleges and universities. You typically submit three short essays of up to 250 words each on how you will use humor education after college, why you deserve the award, and how laughter helped you through a hard time. AATH administers the scholarship alongside its Annual Humor Conference and Humor Academy; apply through aath.org/scholarships when the portal opens for the 2027 conference year. The 2026 cycle closed December 14, 2025 at 11:59 PM Central, and the 2027 cycle is expected to follow the same mid-December deadline pattern. Contact [email protected] or 815-708-6587 with questions.
Emma Nakuina Aloha 'Aina Patriot Scholarship 2027
The Emma Ka''ilikapuolono Metcalf Beckley Nakuina Aloha ''Aina Patriot Scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation supports full-time undergraduates and graduate students in law, pre-law, political science, archival or library science management, cultural or natural resources management, or Hawaiian history. Applicants need at least a 2.5 GPA. Reviewers give special consideration to students focused on protecting water rights and public trust resources in Hawaiʻi. Pauahi lists one award per cycle and gives preference to Hawaiian ancestry where law allows. Learners in Hawaiʻi and on the U.S. continent may apply. The 2027-2028 postsecondary portal opens October 1, 2026 and closes December 1, 2026.
Stanley Schoenfeld Scholarship NY 2027
The New York State Government Finance Officers Association awards the Stanley M. Schoenfeld Memorial Scholarship to NYGFOA public-sector members and their employees who study accounting, finance, economics, business, or public administration at a New York college or university. Awards typically run from $750 to $3,000, with more than one recipient possible. You must be enrolled or accepted in an associate, bachelor, or master program and plan a career in state or local government finance. Download the 2027 application from nysgfoa.org and submit it by December 11, 2026.
Teresa Kaleiopu Lau Scholarship 2027 - Education
The Teresa Kaleiopu Lau Scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation supports full-time undergraduates and graduate students pursuing education degrees at accredited U.S. colleges. Applicants need at least a 2.5 GPA, demonstrated financial need, community service or extracurricular involvement, and Pauahi''s standard hardship and personal-growth essays plus tax paperwork. Past Pauahi Foundation scholarship recipients may not apply. Pauahi gives preference to students of Hawaiian ancestry where law allows. Residents of Hawaiʻi and the continental United States may apply. One award is listed per cycle. The 2027-2028 postsecondary portal opens October 1, 2026 and closes December 1, 2026.
Crowder Law Firm Scholarship 2027 - $1,000 Essay
The Crowder Law Firm Scholarship from Darlina Crowder's Plano, Texas criminal defense practice awards $1,000 to high-achieving students nationwide who are enrolled or planning to enroll at an accredited US college or university for the Spring 2027 semester. You must be at least 18, a US citizen or permanent resident, and hold a cumulative GPA of 3.6 or higher. The application asks for proof of Spring 2027 enrollment, an approximately 1,000-word essay on how you define the American Dream and whether you believe it is attainable today, and a professional headshot. The firm runs the program twice a year and may select two winners per cycle. Submit through crowdercriminalfirm.com before December 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM. Questions go to [email protected] only.
Shops Lustre $2,000 Scholarship 2027
ShopsLustre.com runs an annual camera-themed essay contest with up to $2,000 in prizes for original human-written work between 1,000 and 2,500 words. First place receives $1,200, with additional prizes for runners-up listed on the official page. The contest opens January 1 each year and closes December 31. You email [email protected] with subject line The Essay Topic and your country to receive an assigned topic, then submit the finished essay with subject line The Completed Essay plus your name, address, phone, photo, and school details. Plagiarized or AI-generated content leads to immediate disqualification.
Shainfeld Law Scholarship 2027 - $500 Pre-Law
Shainfeld Law PC awards a $500 scholarship to a US student pursuing pre-law studies or entering law school who writes an original one- to three-page essay on a legal topic that interests them. You need at least a 3.0 GPA, acceptance into a US program for the upcoming fall term, a resume, complete transcripts, a letter of acceptance, and a headshot if selected as a winner. The firm pays the check directly to the recipient for tuition and school-related expenses. CareerOneStop lists the Shainfeld Law Scholarship with a mid-December deadline pattern. Apply through the Lemon Law Now scholarship form at lemonlawnow.com.
Second Chance Foundation Scholarship 2026 - $1,000
The Umansky Law Firm Second Chance Foundation Scholarship awards $1,000 to US students who write about overcoming hardship and what a second chance means in their lives. High school seniors, college students, and graduate students with at least a 3.0 GPA may apply if they are legal residents of the 50 states or Washington, DC, and enrolled in a vocational program or two- to five-year post-secondary institution for the 2026 Spring semester. You submit a 750- to 1,000-word original essay, a resume or LinkedIn profile, and transcripts or acceptance proof by December 31, 2026. Essays are screened for AI-generated text. Firm employees and their households are ineligible.
Sarah Keli'ilolena Lum Konia Nakoa 2027 Hawaii
The Sarah Keli''ilolena Lum Konia Nakoa Scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation supports Hawaiʻi residents pursuing undergraduate or graduate degrees in Hawaiian language, culture, or history at accredited two- or four-year colleges in Hawaiʻi or on the U.S. mainland. Applicants need full-time classified enrollment, demonstrated financial need, and a commitment to share knowledge with the Hawaiian community. Pauahi gives preference to students of Hawaiian ancestry where law allows. Expect essays on your language journey plus hardship documentation and tax forms. The 2027-2028 Pauahi postsecondary portal opens October 1, 2026 and closes December 1, 2026.
Sanborn 'Ohana Ho'omau Scholarship 2027 - Trade
The Sanborn ''Ohana Ho''omau Scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation supports students in technical, vocational, or community college programs across the United States. CareerOneStop lists one award per cycle for U.S. residents with at least a 2.0 GPA who enroll part time or full time at an accredited institution. Hawaiʻi high school graduates who completed one semester of trade education or six months of licensed journeyman experience receive special consideration, and Pauahi gives preference to students of Hawaiian ancestry where law allows. Apply through Pauahi''s unified portal with a personal statement, activity list, and transcript. The 2027-2028 cycle opens October 1, 2026 and closes December 1, 2026.
Roy L. Cachola Scholarship 2027 - Pauahi First-Year
The Roy L. Cachola Scholarship from the Pauahi Foundation supports graduating high school seniors entering their first year of college at an accredited U.S. institution. CareerOneStop lists two need-based awards per cycle for U.S. residents who document financial need through Pauahi''s portal essays and supplemental paperwork. Reviewers give preference to North Kohala, Hawaiʻi residents, Kohala High School seniors, and students of Hawaiian ancestry where law allows. Applicants need a personal statement, activity list, and transcript with final grades. The 2027-2028 Pauahi postsecondary portal opens October 1, 2026 and closes December 1, 2026.