Below are this year's hyper local scholarships.
Apply on Your Own Scholarships
PLEASE READ: For the scholarships below, the applications either are open or will soon be open for you to apply independently--no nominations needed, you get to complete the application on your own. Of course if you have questions about the applications, please do ask us in the College and Career Center.
Pavan Reddy Scholarship--Deadline April 21st, 2025: $2,000. For seniors admitted to and attending Cal Poly SLO. Merit-Based and Need-Aware. Future science or engineering majors given special consideration. Expired application
linked HERE.
Mountain View Sister City--Deadline April 12, 2025. $500. Merit-Based. Student should be involved in extracurriculars and community service. Application
linked HERE.
MVHS PTSA Scholarship--Deadline May 1st, 2025. $1,000. Minimum 3.0 GPA. Must by MVHS PTA member. Note PTA member rules. Application
linked HERE.
Barbara Emerich Memorial Scholarship-- April 2025. $750. Merit-based. For US Citizens and Undocumented students. For seniors who may attend community college or 4-year universities and are current members of the PTA. Must have demonstrated community service. Expired application
linked HERE.
Mountain View Odd Fellows Scholarship--Deadline Early May 2025. $1,000. Need-based and merit-based. For seniors with dedicated service to their community. Application coming.
And don’t forget, fill out the
FAFSA or
Dream Act application before March 2! It is the best way to access need-based financial aid.
JUNIORS
There are a few national scholarships that you might be interested in as a junior. Keep in mind national scholarships are VERY competitive to get, make sure that you match the criteria for these opportunities. And while they are a lot of work, it's great practice for applying to scholarships your senior year.
Horatio Alger National Scholarship- Deadline March 15, 2025. $25,000. Minimum 2.0 GPA. US Citizens only. Be involved in volunteering/community service. Have a family adjusted gross income less than $55,000 a year. Application
linked HERE.
Questbridge–Deadline, September 2025.
Click HERE for eligibility criteria and the application process. And yes, you will be a senior by the time you apply but this is an extensive application that you should know of in advance.
Expired Scholarships 2024-2025
DAR Good Citizens Scholarship--Deadline October 6 : $500-5000. Merit-based. For male or female high school seniors. U.S. citizenship not required. $500 for district winner, and up to $5000 for national winner. For students who exemplify the qualities of a good citizen: dependability, service, leadership, patriotism. Finalists will write a proctored essay with a two-hour time limit (no studying or preparation needed whatsoever). The essay topic is usually related to an aspect of good citizenship, and you are asked to draw examples from personal experience, your observations of society, and/or any academic knowledge you may have gained.
Self-Nomination Scholarships--DEADLINE 1/14
PLEASE READ: For all self-nomination scholarships, email Ms. Lowe at heather.lowe@mvla.net by January 14th, 2025. Please list all of the self-nomination scholarships you would like to be considered for. For every self-nomination scholarship, you need to have an updated resume available in Naviance. If you have a resume that is a Google doc, you can simply link the resume into Naviance. For particular scholarships, there may be additional steps to self-nominate, so pay attention to your email for further instructions. And lastly, if you are nominated there will be more application steps in the future, so please be aware of the possible future commitment that you are making.
Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team (BAASST)—Deadline January 14: $5000. Need-aware. For students who display leadership qualities in and outside the classroom, demonstrate the value of education, good work ethic, community outreach and extracurricular activities. Minimum GPA 3.0. Only two male and two female nominees from each high school can be nominated.
Northern California Scholarship--Deadline January 14: $8000. Renewable for 4 years. Merit and Need-based. US Citizens and Permanent resident only. For students who have taken a rigorous course load, have excelled academically, are significantly involved in their community, and demonstrate financial need to afford college.
University Club of Palo Alto--Deadline January 14: Up to $5,000. Renewable for 4 years. Need-based. No citizenship requirements. Strong GPA of A-/B+ average. Students with work experience strongly preferred. Student should also have extracurriculars and volunteering experience.
Silicon Valley Realtors Scholarship--Deadline January 14: $1,500. Must be attending a four-year college in the fall of 2023. U.S. Citizens and permanent residents only. Students need extensive commitment to community service. It is recommended that students have a GPA of 3.7 and above.
Apply on Your Own Scholarships
PLEASE READ: For the scholarships below, the applications either are open or will soon be open for you to apply independently--no nominations needed, you get to complete the application on your own. Of course if you have questions about the applications, please do ask us in the College and Career Center.
Peninsula College Fund—Deadline February 16 2025 : $3000 per year for 4 years. Need-based. Local scholarship. GPA 2.8-3.8 cumulative GPA (unweighted). No citizenship requirements. Must plan to attend a four-year accredited college/university beginning in the fall. Underrepresented minority and/or first-generation college student. Demonstrate an ability to overcome obstacles to achieve academic and personal goals. Demonstrate active involvement in the community or active engagement with others via work, school, or family responsibilities. Application
linked HERE.
Silicon Valley Community Foundation Scholarships—Deadlines Vary. Many February 2025. This is an AMAZING set of scholarships to check out because many are VERY local. Some are specifically for Santa Clara county residents only too! Be careful to check for their citizenship requirements as well. See the full list here:
https://www.siliconvalleycf.org/scholarships
Hale/Ruppert Educational Scholarship—Deadline February 28, 2025 to $10,000. US Citizens and AB 540 students. Need-based. Applicant is a 'late bloomer' who demonstrates academic promise and continuous grade point average improvement during high school or college; Maximum cumulative GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale; Applicant demonstrates community involvement. Application
linked HERE.
Rotary Club of Los Altos--Deadline 2/28/25: $800-2,500. Need-based. Minimum 3.0 GPA. Student committed to community service. Application
linked HERE.
Rotary Club of Mountain View--Deadline 2/28/25: $500-2,000. Need-based. Student with a solid academic record. Student committed to community service. Application
linked HERE.
MVLA Scholars--Deadline 2/28/25: $2,000-6,000. Need-based. Renewable. Minimum 2.75 GPA. First-generation college students given special consideration. Students would be assigned a mentor to support them in college. Application
linked HERE.
Mountain View Chamber of Commerce--Deadline 2/28/25: Need-based. Minimum 2.5 GPA. Student committed to community service. For students interested in community and 4-year colleges. Application
linked HERE.
Science for Good Scholarship--Deadline 2/28/25: $1,500-7,000. Needs-based and Merit-based. Recommended above 3.0 GPA. A scholarship in memorial of R. Scott Chan, a former high school physics teacher. For seniors interested in majoring in science or engineering. Application
linked HERE.
Deborah Dexter Science Scholarship--Deadline 2/28/25: $1,000. For women only. Merit-based. Must love science and excel in science classes. Rigorous science classes suggested. Minimum 3.5 GPA for unweighted Academic 10-12 GPA. Application
linked HERE.
Deborah Dexter Engineering Scholarship--Deadline 2/28/25: $1,000. Merit-based. Must love engineering and science or simply engineering. Demonstrated excellence in science or engineering courses. Minimum 3.5 GPA for unweighted Academic 10-12 GPA. Application
linked HERE.
Deborah Dexter Scholarship for New Americans--Deadline 2/28/25: Merit and Need-Based. For undocumented, DACA, or international students. Must demonstrate high motivation and commitment to your community. Minimum 2.5 GPA for unweighted Academic 10-12 GPA. Application
linked HERE.
Kiwanis Club of Mountain View--Deadline 2/28/25: Up to $2,000. Need-based. Recommended be 3.0 GPA or above. Student committed to community service. Students involved in Key Club and Girl or Boy Scouts given special consideration. Application
linked HERE.
Los Altos Kiwanis Scholarship--Deadline 2/28/25. $3,200. Need-aware and Merit-Based. For seniors who plan to attend Foothill or De Anza Colleges. Expired application
linked HERE.
Pavan Reddy Scholarship--Deadline April 2025: $2,000. For seniors admitted to and attending Cal Poly SLO. Merit-Based and Need-Aware. Future science or engineering majors given special consideration. Expired application
linked HERE.