The Gates Scholarship
Offered by Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
About This Scholarship
The Gates Scholarship is a last-dollar award that covers the full cost of attendance — tuition, fees, housing, food, and books — that isn't already covered by other financial aid. It targets high-achieving, Pell-eligible seniors, and 300 students win every year, making it one of the largest full-ride programs in the country. The catch is an early fall deadline, so rising seniors need to move in the summer.
Eligibility
- High school senior planning to enroll full-time at an accredited four-year U.S. nonprofit college
- Pell Grant-eligible (lower-income household)
- U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
- Minimum 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale; ideal candidates are in the top 10% of their class
- Demonstrated leadership through service, work, or extracurriculars
How To Apply
- Submit the Phase I application at thegatesscholarship.org between July 15 and September 15, 2026
- If selected as a semifinalist, complete the fuller Phase II application with essays and recommendations
- Finalists interview in winter; scholars are named in the spring
Frequently Asked Questions
What does 'last-dollar' mean for the Gates Scholarship?
It pays whatever portion of your official cost of attendance is left after Pell Grants, state aid, and institutional aid — so the dollar value varies by student and school, but the result is essentially a debt-free path to graduation.
How competitive is it?
Very. Roughly 300 scholars are chosen from tens of thousands of applicants, so strong grades plus a distinctive leadership story are effectively table stakes.