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Merit-Based ScholarshipsLong shot

Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship

Offered by Carson Scholars Fund · Free to apply

Award
$1,000 (invested until college)
one-time award
Deadline
January 13, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET
deadlines recur around January each year
Estimated odds
1 in 2,000
Solyo estimate, not a published rate
Application effort
~3 hrs
about $0 of expected value per hour

Recognition here runs through the school: an educator nominates one student per building, and only nominated students in grades 4 through 11 can then complete an application. Winners receive a $1,000 award invested until they enroll in college, plus a medal, a certificate, and an invitation to a regional awards banquet with family and educators. A 3.75 GPA in core academic subjects is the academic bar, and volunteer work beyond what school requires carries real weight in scoring. Nomination forms reach educators in mid-October and the educator step closes in mid-December, about a month before the student application is due in January at 11:59 p.m. ET. Notification letters go out in March, so ask a teacher about nomination early in the fall.

How hard is the Carson Scholars Fund 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.

Estimated odds
roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants
Modelled applicant field
~4,000 students
Payoff per hour of work
$0 / 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 rivalsRequires at least a 3.75 GPA

How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.

Who can apply for the Carson Scholars Fund 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 freshmen, high school sophomores, and high school juniors
  • GPA of 3.75 or higher (unweighted)
Confirm these before applying
  • Requires nomination by an educator; students cannot apply on their own, and only one student per school may be nominated each year
  • Volunteer and community service beyond what school requires is a core selection criterion
Good to know
  • Also open to students in grades 4-8, younger than the levels tracked in this database
  • The GPA requirement applies to core academic subjects
  • Must attend an accredited K-12 school in the United States
  • Award funds are invested and held until the winner enrolls in college; past winners can be re-nominated for recognition status

What the application takes

  • Essay required. The prompt centers on community impact.
  • 1 letter of recommendation. Ask teachers or counselors early; good letters take time.

Deadline and application cycle

The current deadline is January 13, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 13 each year. Applications open mid-October (educator nominations). Only one student per school can be nominated, so raise it with a teacher in October when nomination forms go out.

Nomination forms sent to educators
Mid-October 2026
Educator nomination closes
Mid-December, 11:59 p.m. ET 2026
Student application due
January 13, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET
Notification letters mailed
March 2027
Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

See if your student qualifies in 30 seconds. Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.

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Common questions about the Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship

How much is the Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship worth?

The Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship awards $1,000 (invested until college).

When is the Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship deadline?

The current deadline is January 13, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around January 13 each year. Applications open mid-October (educator nominations). Only one student per school can be nominated, so raise it with a teacher in October when nomination forms go out.

When do Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship applications open?

Applications open mid-October (educator nominations), and close January 13, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Only one student per school can be nominated, so raise it with a teacher in October when nomination forms go out.

Who is eligible for the Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship?

Key requirements: Open to high school freshmen, high school sophomores, and high school juniors; GPA of 3.75 or higher (unweighted).

Does the Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay and 1 recommendation. Expect to spend about 3 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants, against a modelled field of ~4,000 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 3 hrs of work, that is about $0 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the Carson Scholars Fund Scholarship free to apply?

Yes. The Carson Scholars Fund 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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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.