Need-Based Scholarships
74 scholarships · Updated November 2026
Need-based scholarships go to students whose families can't cover the full cost of college. Sponsors measure need in different ways, including your Student Aid Index, a household income cap, Pell Grant eligibility or a written statement about your circumstances.
File the FAFSA early even for private awards, since many sponsors ask for your Student Aid Index or a copy of your FAFSA Submission Summary. Have your family's tax returns ready too. Each listing notes the documents the sponsor requires and any income limit it publishes.
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program Last Chance
Offered by Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
SFM Foundation Scholarship (Kids' Chance of Minnesota and Iowa)
Offered by SFM Foundation
Ron Brown Scholar Program
Offered by Ron Brown Scholar Fund / CAP Charitable Foundation
Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County
Offered by Scholarship Foundation of Indian River County
Equitable Excellence Scholarship
Offered by Equitable Foundation (administered by Scholarship America)
Governors' Scholarship for Foster Youth Opening Soon
Offered by College Success Foundation
Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Sibling Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Northwestern Mutual Childhood Cancer Survivor Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Northwestern Mutual Foundation
Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee
W.H. "Howie" McClennan Scholarship
Offered by International Association of Fire Fighters
CICF Scholarship Collaborative Application
Offered by Central Indiana Community Foundation / The Indianapolis Foundation
Greater Worcester Community Foundation Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region
Hampton Roads Community Foundation Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Hampton Roads Community Foundation
Horatio Alger State Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
San Antonio Area Foundation Common Scholarship Application Opening Soon
Offered by San Antonio Area Foundation
Kids' Chance of Louisiana Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Kids' Chance of Louisiana (Louisiana Bar Foundation)
AFFCF Foster Care Scholarship Program
Offered by Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation (AFFCF)
DAR Occupational/Physical Therapy Scholarship
Offered by National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Grand Rapids Community Foundation Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation Scholarships Opening Soon
Offered by Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
CollegeCounts Scholarship Opening Soon
Offered by Office of the Alabama State Treasurer (CollegeCounts 529)
Caroline E. Holt Nursing Scholarship
Offered by National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. Scholarship for Young Hispanic Leaders
Offered by United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI)
Need-Based Scholarships By The Numbers
- Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship Program
Based on the 74 listings above. Typical award is the median top amount each sponsor publishes.
What Is A Need-Based Scholarship?
A need-based scholarship is awarded because your family can't cover the full cost of college, not because of grades, test scores or talent. Need is usually measured with a simple formula: your college's cost of attendance minus your Student Aid Index equals your demonstrated financial need.
The FAFSA produces your Student Aid Index, which replaced the old Expected Family Contribution starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA. Many private colleges also use the CSS Profile, which looks deeper at assets like home equity. Neither form sets a fixed income cutoff, since household size and the number of family members in college both count.
How Sponsors Measure Financial Need
Private sponsors use the same data in different ways. Some require Pell Grant eligibility, some set a household income cap, such as the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's $95,000 limit, and others ask for your FAFSA Submission Summary or a short essay about your circumstances. Each listing above notes the documents and any income limit the sponsor publishes.
Last-Dollar Vs. First-Dollar Scholarships
A last-dollar scholarship fills whatever cost remains after grants and other awards, the way the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship works. A first-dollar scholarship pays a set amount no matter what other aid you receive. Last-dollar awards can shrink when other aid grows, so read the terms before you count on the full amount.
Need-Based Vs. Merit-Based Scholarships
Merit-based scholarships reward achievement regardless of income, while need-based awards look at what your family can pay. Some programs weigh both, requiring a minimum GPA and demonstrated need. If your family earns too much to show need, our merit scholarships page lists awards that don't consider income.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Need To File The FAFSA For Need-Based Scholarships?
For many of them, yes. Private sponsors often use your FAFSA results to measure need, and filing also qualifies you for federal grants and loans.
What Income Counts As Financial Need?
There is no single cutoff. Some awards set an income cap, such as the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation's $95,000 limit, while others compare your aid package with your college's cost of attendance.
Do Need-Based Scholarships Have To Be Repaid?
No. Need-based scholarships are gift aid, like grants. The only exceptions are awards with a service or completion requirement, and those listings say so.
Are There Scholarships Not Based On Financial Need?
Yes. Merit scholarships and most contests ignore income entirely, and our merit scholarships page lists the open ones.
Can Graduate Students Get Need-Based Scholarships?
Fewer exist at the graduate level, and most graduate aid comes from departments and federal loans. Graduate students file the FAFSA as independent students, so parents' income doesn't count.
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Why Trust The College Investor
The College Investor has helped millions of readers navigate paying for college and student loans since 2009. Every scholarship in our database is individually reviewed by our team before it goes live, and re-checked regularly so deadlines and links stay current.
Our Scholarship Standards
A listing here means our team checked that the award is real, currently active, and actually pays out. We won't list a scholarship that:
- Charges any kind of fee to apply
- Makes you join a paid membership, or sign up for an app or service, just to be eligible
- Has a privacy policy that would let the sponsor sell or misuse your information
- Collects essays, ideas, or contact details mainly to feed the sponsor's marketing
- Can't show a winner from the past 12 months, or offers no way to reach the sponsor
One nuance: established companies and nonprofits that run applications through their own systems may still be listed, even though creating an account there is part of applying.
Spot a listing that doesn't meet this bar? Email [email protected] and we'll review it. You can also read our editorial guidelines.