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Need-Based ScholarshipsLong shot

Hagan Scholarship

Offered by Hagan Scholarship Foundation · Free to apply

Award
Up to $7,500/semester x 8 semesters (up to $60,000)
renewable in later years
Deadline
December 1, 2026
deadlines recur around December each year
Estimated odds
1 in 2,000
Solyo estimate, not a published rate
Application effort
~6 hrs
about $8 of expected value per hour

Rural seniors headed for a four-year, not-for-profit college can draw up to $7,500 a semester across eight semesters, roughly $60,000, with the stated aim of graduating debt-free. Eligibility is narrow: the high school must sit in a county under 50,000 residents or graduate fewer than 100 seniors, household adjusted gross income is capped at $125,000 in the current cycle, and applicants need a 3.5 unweighted GPA plus 240 hours of paid work starting January 1 of the application year. Applications open September 1 and close December 1. Interviews are no longer part of the process; every applicant learns their status after an eligibility review, and finalists then submit supporting financial documents. Recipients also commit to life-skills workshops and a foundation-funded brokerage account, with an optional study-abroad benefit in year three.

How hard is the Hagan 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
~3,500 students
Payoff per hour of work
$8 / 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 rivalsAn income ceiling applies
  • Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
  • Fewer rivalsRequires at least a 3.5 GPA
  • More rivalsA large award draws far more applicants

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 Hagan 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 seniors
  • GPA of 3.5 or higher (unweighted)
  • Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card), DACA/Dreamer students, students on other visas, or undocumented students
  • Household income of $125,000 or less
Confirm these before applying
  • Rural requirement: must graduate from a public high school with fewer than 100 students in the graduating class, OR from a public high school located in a county with fewer than 50,000 residents
  • Must complete 240 hours of paid, supervised work between January 1 of the application year and the start of the fall college semester
  • Must be fluent in English and have no felony conviction
  • Recipients must attend mandatory life-skills workshops and manage a foundation-provided Schwab account in later years; an optional study-abroad benefit is available in year three
Good to know
  • Income cap has risen: adjusted gross household income must not exceed $125,000 for the class of 2027 cycle (earlier cycles used $100,000)
  • Must enroll the first fall after graduation at an eligible four-year or higher not-for-profit college; community colleges and online institutions do not qualify, and a four-year-or-less graduation schedule must be maintained
  • Applicants may apply regardless of nationality or citizenship: US citizen finalists submit FAFSA Summary pages, while non-citizen finalists provide a copy of a foreign passport or green card

What the application takes

  • Essay required. The prompt centers on career goals.
  • 1 letter 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 current deadline is December 1, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 1 each year. Applications open September 1. The 240 paid work hours must be logged from January 1 of the application year, so line up a job before the September 1 opening.

Paid work hours start counting
January 1, 2026
Applications open
September 1, 2026
Application closes
December 1, 2026
All applicants notified of status
Winter
Finalists submit documents and awards are made
Spring
Apply on the official site →Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee.

Does your student actually qualify?

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Common questions about the Hagan Scholarship

How much is the Hagan Scholarship worth?

The Hagan Scholarship awards up to $7,500/semester x 8 semesters (up to $60,000) and is renewable in later years.

When is the Hagan Scholarship deadline?

The current deadline is December 1, 2026. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around December 1 each year. Applications open September 1. The 240 paid work hours must be logged from January 1 of the application year, so line up a job before the September 1 opening.

When do Hagan Scholarship applications open?

Applications open September 1, and close December 1, 2026. The 240 paid work hours must be logged from January 1 of the application year, so line up a job before the September 1 opening.

Who is eligible for the Hagan Scholarship?

Key requirements: Open to high school seniors; GPA of 3.5 or higher (unweighted); Open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents (green card), DACA/Dreamer students, students on other visas, or undocumented students; Household income of $125,000 or less.

Does the Hagan Scholarship require an essay?

Yes. The application requires an essay, 1 recommendation, and a transcript. Expect to spend about 6 hours on it.

How hard is it to win the Hagan Scholarship?

Solyo estimates the odds at roughly 1 in 2,000 applicants, against a modelled field of ~3,500 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 6 hrs of work, that is about $8 of expected value per hour. This is an estimate from award structure, not a published acceptance rate.

Is the Hagan Scholarship free to apply?

Yes. The Hagan 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.