Scholarships

PLEASE READ: For all self-nomination scholarships, email heather.lowe@mvla.net. 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.

• DAR Good Citizens Scholarship – Deadline October 2nd, 2026: $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). 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.
• Bay Area All-Star Scholarship Team (BAASST) – Deadline January 18th, 2027: $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 18th, 2027: $8000. Renewable for 4 years. Merit and need-based. US Citizens and Permanent residents only. For students who have taken a rigorous course load, excelled academically, are significantly involved in their community, and demonstrate financial need to afford college.
• University Club of Palo Alto – Deadline January 18th, 2027: 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 extracurricular and volunteering experience.
• Silicon Valley Realtors Scholarship – Deadline January 18th, 2027: $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.

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 TBD: Renewable scholarship for 4 years in college. Need-based, must qualify as “low income” using San Mateo County/Santa Clara County HUD Income Guidelines. Local scholarship. GPA 3.0-4.0 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. Expired scholarship application linked HERE.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation Scholarships—Most Deadlines TBD. 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. Expired scholarship list here.

Hale/Ruppert Educational Scholarship—Deadline TBD: Up 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. Expired scholarship details here..  

Rotary Club of Los Altos--Deadline TBD: $800-2,500. Need-based. Minimum 3.0 GPA. Student committed to community service. Expired scholarship linked HERE. 

Rotary Club of Mountain View--Deadline TBD:  $500-2,000. Need-based. Student with a solid academic record. Student committed to community service. Expired scholarship linked HERE.  

MVLA Scholars--Deadline TBD:  $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. Expired scholarship linked HERE.  

Mountain View Chamber of Commerce--Deadline TBD: Need-based. Minimum 2.5 GPA. Student committed to community service. For students interested in community and 4-year colleges. Expired scholarship linked HERE. 

Kiwanis Club of Mountain View--Deadline TBD: 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. Expired scholarship linked HERE. 

Mountain View Sister City--Deadline TBD: $500. Merit-Based. Student should be involved in extracurriculars and community service. Expired scholarship linked HERE.

Deborah Dexter Science Scholarship--Deadline TBD: Complete and turn in to the MVHS CCC no later than 3:30PM:  $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. Expired scholarship linked HERE.

Deborah Dexter Engineering Scholarship--Deadline TBD: Complete and turn in to the MVHS CCC no later than 3:30PM: $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. Expired scholarship linked HERE.

Deborah Dexter Scholarship for New Americans--Deadline TBD: Complete and turn in to the MVHS CCC no later than 3:30PM: 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. Expired scholarship linked HERE.

Science for Good Scholarship--Deadline TBD: $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. Expired scholarship linked HERE.

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.

Scholarships with Deadlines that have passed

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 2026. 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.