Merit-Based ScholarshipsLong shot

Cameron Impact Scholarship

Offered by Bryan Cameron Education Foundation · Free to apply

Award

Full tuition + qualified expenses for 4 years

renewable in later years

Deadline

September 3, 2027 (estimated)

projected from the annual cycle

Published odds

1 in 200

from provider-published counts

Application effort

~8 hrs

about $38 of expected value per hour

The Bryan Cameron Education Foundation built this scholarship to reward well-rounded excellence and demonstrated impact, judging candidates across four pillars: leadership, community service, extracurricular achievement, and academics. It seeks students who lead, serve, and can articulate a vision for the difference they will make. The Bryan Cameron Education Foundation is a private family foundation established in 2015 by Bryan Cameron, who built his career in asset management and created the program to pass on the investment others had made in his own education. The foundation named its first class of Cameron Impact Scholars in 2017. Fifteen or so students a year receive four years of tuition, fees, and books at any accredited four-year U.S. college, awarded on merit rather than financial need. Reviewers look for a 3.7 unweighted GPA plus sustained leadership and service; about 100 finalists get face-to-face interviews, usually at their own school, and recipients are announced in December. Only U.S. citizens enrolling full time straight out of high school qualify, so a planned gap year disqualifies, and two recommendations are required with one from current school staff. The application closes at noon PT or as soon as roughly 3,000 completed applications arrive, whichever comes first, and recent cycles have closed on May 1. Because the cap is often hit early, treat any posted date as an outside limit.

How hard is the Cameron Impact Scholarship to win?

A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first.

Published odds: roughly 1 in 200 applicants
Reported applicant field: ~3,000 students
Awards each cycle: 15
Payoff per hour of work: $38 / hr

What drives the odds here

Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.

More rivalsOpen nationwide, so the field is large
Fewer rivalsAn essay is required, which filters out casual applicants
Fewer rivalsRecommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip
Fewer rivalsAn official transcript is required
Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 3.7 GPA
More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

Where this number comes from: This provider publishes its real applicant and winner counts, so the rate above is the actual published rate from a recent cycle, not a Solyo model. Rates shift a little from cycle to cycle, and nobody can promise a win, but this is as real as scholarship odds get.

Who can apply for the Cameron Impact Scholarship?

These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.

Open to high school juniors and high school seniors
GPA of 3.7 or higher (unweighted)
Open to U.S. citizens

Confirm these before applying

Must plan to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year U.S. college or university immediately after graduation; gap years are not permitted
Two recommendation letters required, one of which must come from current school personnel
Relatives and pre-existing contacts of foundation staff, board, or selection committee members are ineligible

Good to know

GPA minimum is unweighted (3.7 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent)
The application closes early if the cap on completed applications (about 3,000) is reached, which happens regularly; an earlier spring deadline round also exists
Selection is purely merit-based regardless of race, socioeconomic status, religion, or background; roughly 10-15 winners are chosen each year

What the application takes

Essay required. The prompt centers on personal leadership.
2 letters of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.
Transcript required. Request it from the school registrar ahead of the deadline.

Deadline and application cycle

The next projected deadline is September 3, 2027 (estimated). The last verified deadline has passed; the next cycle is projected from this award's usual September 3 deadline. Confirm the exact date on the official site. Submit as early as the portal allows: the 3,000-application cap regularly closes the round before the posted date.

Application cap: Closes at about 3,000 completed applications
Application closes: September 3, 2027 at 12:00 p.m. PT (noon) (estimated)
Finalist interviews: Fall
Recipients announced: December 2027

Apply on the official siteFree to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

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Common questions about the Cameron Impact Scholarship

How much is the Cameron Impact Scholarship worth?

The Cameron Impact Scholarship awards full tuition + qualified expenses for 4 years and is renewable in later years. 15 awards are made each cycle.

When is the Cameron Impact Scholarship deadline?

Who is eligible for the Cameron Impact Scholarship?

Key requirements: Open to high school juniors and high school seniors; GPA of 3.7 or higher (unweighted); Open to U.S. citizens.

Does the Cameron Impact Scholarship require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay, 2 recommendations, and a transcript. Expect to spend about 8 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Cameron Impact Scholarship?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 200 applicants, against a modelled field of ~3,000 students. The pool stays that size because an essay is required, which filters out casual applicants and recommendation letters are required, a step many applicants skip. At 8 hrs of work, that is about $38 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the Cameron Impact Scholarship free to apply?

Yes. The Cameron Impact Scholarship is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.

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Lists this award appears on

Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.