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Scholarships worth $100,000 or more

Written by Mark Kantrowitz | Updated March 4, 2022

Some scholarships are so generous that they cover a big part of college costs. Every qualified student should consider applying to these scholarships. If they win one of these scholarships, they can afford to attend even the most expensive colleges and still graduate with little or no student debt. These scholarships eliminate cost as a barrier to college access.

Of course, the most generous scholarships are also among the most competitive, since hundreds of thousands of students apply for them. The odds of winning them may be as low as 1 in 500, if not lower.

Many of the most generous scholarships involve science, technology, engineering and mathematics, otherwise known as STEM. Like the arts and humanities, STEM majors are intellectually worthwhile fields of study. But, STEM fields often add practical utility, which contributes to a greater number of generous scholarships.

Scholarships offering $100,000 or more

Surprisingly, there are only four private scholarship programs with a top prize of $100,000 or more. These scholarships can provide the winners with a free ride to the college of their choice.

In addition to these scholarships, the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarships cover up to the full cost of attendance for low-income students.

Scholarships offering $50,000 to $99,999

There are ten scholarships that fall short of the $100,000 threshold, but nevertheless can significantly enhance college choice and reduce student loan debt at graduation.

Other Famous scholarships

A scholarship that offers $25,000 to $49,999 is still worth the student’s time and effort. Even a scholarship worth $500 deserves an application, since every dollar won is a dollar less borrowed. There are many more scholarships at these award levels, but here are a dozen of the most famous scholarships.

There’s also the National Merit Scholarship. Most of these scholarships are worth a few thousand dollars, but a few are available at specific colleges for much larger amounts.

The Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation Scholarships are also among the most prestigious programs.

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About the author

Mark Kantrowitz is a nationally-recognized expert on student financial aid, scholarships and student loans. His mission is to deliver practical information, advice and tools to students and their families so they can make informed decisions about planning and paying for college. Mark writes extensively about student financial aid policy. He has testified before Congress and federal/state agencies about student aid on several occasions. Mark has been quoted in more than 10,000 newspaper and magazine articles. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reuters, Huffington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Bottom Line/Personal, Forbes, Newsweek and Time Magazine. He was named a Money Hero by Money Magazine. He is the author of five bestselling books about scholarships and financial aid, including How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid, Twisdoms about Paying for College, Filing the FAFSA and Secrets to Winning a Scholarship. Mark serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Student Financial Aid and the editorial advisory board of Bottom Line/Personal (a Boardroom, Inc. publication). He is also a member of the board of trustees of the Center for Excellence in Education. Mark previously served as a member of the board of directors of the National Scholarship Providers Association. Mark is currently Publisher of PrivateStudentLoans.guru, a web site that provides students with smart borrowing tips about private student loans. Mark has served previously as publisher of the Cappex.com, Edvisors, Fastweb and FinAid web sites. He has previously been employed at Just Research, the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Bitstream Inc. and the Planning Research Corporation. Mark is President of Cerebly, Inc. (formerly MK Consulting, Inc.), a consulting firm focused on computer science, artificial intelligence, and statistical and policy analysis. Mark is ABD on a PhD in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). He has Bachelor of Science degrees in mathematics and philosophy from MIT and a Master of Science degree in computer science from CMU. He is also an alumnus of the Research Science Institute program established by Admiral H. G. Rickover.

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