USA Scholarships
Pre-University & Secondary Scholarship Guides
Pre-University & Secondary Scholarships
US scholarship guides for high school, junior college, and other study before a bachelor's degree. Each one covers who qualifies, what it pays, and how to apply.
YES Scholarship 2028 - Kennedy-Lugar High School Exchange
The YES Scholarship, formally the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) Program, is a US Department of State exchange that brings high school students from nine partner countries to live with an American host family and attend a US high school for a semester. Airfare, the host family placement, a monthly stipend, health insurance and program activities are all paid for. The spring 2027 round closes between 15 and 23 September 2026 depending on the country, so this guide is set up for the next intake, which is expected to recruit around August and September 2027 for a program starting in early 2028.
Supporting STEM Scholarship 2027 - $1,000 USA Award
The Supporting STEM Scholarship is a $1,000 annual award from HoshizakiIceMaker.com, hosted by B & G Refrigeration in Jacksonville, Florida, for US students studying science, technology, engineering or mathematics. One winner is chosen each year and the money is split evenly between the fall and spring semesters, paid straight to the school's financial aid office. Undergraduates already enrolled and high school seniors heading to a four-year accredited US university can both apply. The 2027 cycle closes on 30 June 2027, with the winner named in late July.
SHE-CAN Scholarship 2026 - Full Ride to US Colleges
SHE-CAN, short for Supporting Her Education Changes a Nation, coaches young women from Cambodia, Guatemala and Liberia into full-ride scholarships at top US colleges, then supports them through the degree and back home again. The 2026-27 cycle opened in July 2026. Cambodia and Guatemala close on 1 October 2026 and Liberia on 1 November 2026, with no application fee at any stage. Applicants must be female, aged 17 to 20, from a low-income household, with under a year of post-secondary education and strong national exam or WAEC results. What follows is long: interviews in the capital, test preparation and a community project from January to June 2027, college applications through late 2027, decisions in December 2027 and arrival in the US in August 2028. Every scholar pledges to return home within a year of graduating and work there for at least three years.
Rising Explorer Grant 2027 - $2,000 Field Research
The Rising Explorer Grant is The Explorers Club programme that funds field research by high school students and college undergraduates, with awards averaging $2,000. The 2027 cycle is open now and closes on 31 August 2026 at 6:00 PM ET. Anyone can apply from anywhere: the Club states the programme is open to high school students and college undergraduates worldwide, plus independent researchers working at an equivalent level. Funded work spans the field sciences, including biology and ecology, wildlife conservation, environmental science, archaeology and anthropology, and marine and freshwater studies. One rule decides most applications: the project has to be true science designed to generate new knowledge, not an adventure, a travel experience or a school field trip. Grantees are also considered automatically for Explorers Club membership.
1800CPAP $1,000 Scholarship - Closed
1800CPAP's own page says this $1,000 scholarship is closed and not available. The writeup still describes a one-time award for students heading to a US college in fall 2022. No later cycle is listed.