Top 20 Private Scholarship Opportunities for August 14th – September 1st, 2026
CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List for August 14th – September 1st, 2026
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Looking for scholarships to help fund your education? College Aid Pro presents its latest weekly selection of private scholarships, tailored to meet a wide array of student needs. From high school graduates to current undergraduates and those considering studying abroad, you’ll find potential opportunities here. Act fast, as deadlines are near! Take a look at the list and keep in mind that creating a FREE MyCAP account and see what colleges cost before you commit can significantly decrease the number of private scholarships you’ll need.
Here’s a look at CAP’s curated private scholarship list with scholarship opportunities that have deadlines closing within the next week.
Top 20 Private Scholarship Opportunities for August 14th – September 1st, 2026
Mila Boyd Law Offices Scholarship Contest:
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: August 15, 2026
Description: Every year, our firm grants a scholarship to the U.S. college student who creates the best video essay that elaborates on why they want to be a lawyer. Applicants must record a one- to two-minute video explaining why they want to be a lawyer. Applicants should use plain English and speak honestly. Applicants must publish the video to their YouTube channel and title the video “Mila Boyd Law Offices Scholarship Contest.” A link that can be found on the scholarship’s website must be included. If submitting a video is not possible, applicants may also submit a written essay explaining why they want to be a lawyer. All submissions are due by August 15th each year but applications are accepted year round. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
Fielding Law Group Scholarship Contest:
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: August 15, 2026
Description: Every year, our firm grants a scholarship to the U.S. college student who creates the best video essay that elaborates on why they want to be a lawyer. Record a one- to two-minute video explaining why they want to be a lawyer. Applicants should use plain English and speak honestly. Applicants must publish the video to their YouTube channel and title the video “Fielding Law Group Scholarship Contest.” Applicants must include the link available on the scholarship’s website. If submitting a video essay is not possible, applicants must submit a written essay explaining why they want to be a lawyer. All submissions are due by August 15th each year but applications are accepted year round. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: August 20, 2026
Description: Perfect Plants is a family owned nursery operating on the same property and principals that were established in 1980 with the purchase of the family farm. As second-generation growers, we are proud of our industry and know how important it is to cultivate further interest and education in horticulture. Applicants must be an incoming freshman, sophomore, junior or senior enrolled into a course of study leading to a career in the horticultural industry. Two letters of recommendation from two of the following choices must be submitted: a member of the faculty of your school or college; a professional member of the horticultural field; a community leader; or an employer or supervisor. Applicants must submit the required attachments to Perfect Plants directly. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
NSHSS James W. Lewis High School Global Leader Scholarship:
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: August 25, 2026
Description: The James W. Lewis Global Leader Scholarship has been established to encourage and recognize young leaders who exemplify the values to which Mr. Lewis has dedicated his life and work: commitment to diversity and inclusion; commitment to helping create educational opportunities for all, including young people identifying with under-represented groups; commitment to encouraging leadership among youth; commitment to community engagement and volunteerism; commitment to global perspective; and commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship. Applicants must be NSHSS members graduating high school in 2025, 2026, 2027, or 2028. Applicants must submit an educator recommendation letter. It is optional but students may submit pictures, videos or media showing their leadership in action. Please visit the scholarship’s website or contact the National Society of High School Scholars for more information.
Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship:
Amount:$1,750 – $17,500
Closing Date: August 30, 2026
Description: The Massachusetts High Demand Scholarship Program was created by the Massachusetts Legislature to support economic growth and development. The purpose is to encourage degree completion in high demand disciplines that will help address the workforce needs of the Commonwealth by providing scholarship assistance to support the educational costs of students pursuing such programs of study. The scholarship will be open to students at Massachusetts public and independent institutions who are pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), Health Professions, Education, Social Work, Criminal Justice, Economics, or Business degree. Applicants must not have received a prior bachelor’s degree or its equivalent. New, first-year students may apply for this scholarship. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
Amount: $20,000
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: The OREF Clinical Research Award recognizes outstanding clinical research related directly to musculoskeletal disease or injury. The lead author must be a member (or candidate member) of the AAOS, ORS, Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA) or Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society (CORS). Manuscripts should be original and represent a large body of cohesive scientific work generally reflecting years of investigation. If the submission reflects a single project, it should be of high significance and impact. Please visit the award’s website for more information.
Amount: $1,500
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Scholarships can be fun. Take a break from the boring application routine and make us laugh. That’s right; we want a real LOL moment. Make Me Laugh is a fun scholarship that lets you cut loose and lighten things up. Now is your chance to show us your funny bone. Perhaps you always have an embarrassing, but funny, story to share. We’ll promise to laugh with you, not at you. The point is that not all scholarships have to be serious. Relax and have fun. The only thing serious about the Make Me Laugh Scholarship is the money you could win towards your college education. This award is for U.S. students. Applicants must be a legal U.S. resident and must reside in the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information. Applicants must be currently enrolled or enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution of higher learning (college, university or trade school). Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship:
Amount: $4,000
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: The Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship will be awarded to students who graduate from a publicly supported high school at least one year early. The scholarship may be used toward tuition and fees and any remaining funds shall be remitted to the student. This scholarship may not be used for remedial course work. Applicants must have had legal settlement in Indiana for at least the last two semesters prior to graduating from high school. Applicants must have attended a publicly supported high school on a full-time equivalency basis for at least the last two semesters before they graduated. They must have been awarded a minimum of a Core 40 high school diploma by the end of grade 11, including any summer course work completed by July 1 of the year of graduation. They must not have been enrolled in a publicly supported high school for any part of a fourth year (grade 12). The Indiana Department of Education uses data reported by the student’s high school to verify their eligibility for the scholarship. The deadline for the applicant’s high school to report this data to the Indiana Department of Education is October 30, 2024. Moreover, the complete list of eligible institutions is available on the Commission’s website. Please visit the scholarship’s website or contact the Indiana Commission for Higher Education for more information.
Florida Rentals Annual Dream Vacation Scholarship:
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: At Florida Rentals we know how hard you work all semester. Studying, stressing, and late night writing can take their toll. We think you deserve a vacation, or at least to dream about one. Unfortunately, dream vacations and college tuition can be expensive. To help with these costs, we are awarding a student a scholarship to put towards his or her education. Eligible students should submit a 1,000 word essay. Essays will be judged based on content, style and creativity. One essay per entrant only. They must include their name, college or university at which they are enrolled, mailing and email address. Applicants must be currently accepted to or enrolled at a college or university. Please visit the scholarship’s website or contact Florida Rentals for more information.
Gerald Miller Aspiring Criminal Defense Law Student Scholarship:
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Gerald Miller is thrilled to offer a scholarship to support law students who aspire to become criminal defense lawyers and open their own law firm after graduation. The Aspiring Criminal Defense Lawyer Law Student Scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance and empower future legal professionals to overcome challenges they may encounter during their studies. Applicants must be enrolled, or enrolling, as a student in an accredited law college or university in the United States. They must have a clear vision of opening their own firm or solo law office after graduation; and must comply with IRS rules to qualify for the tax-free benefits of the scholarship. Employees and affiliates of Gerald Miller are not eligible. The applicant’s current college or graduate school transcript or, if not already enrolled, their acceptance letter to a college or graduate school must be submitted. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
Danny Russell Law Firm LLC Scholarship:
Amount: $500
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: Danny Russell Law Firm, LLC will be awarding a $500 scholarship to a student pursuing an undergraduate degree in pre-law studies, or a student entering law school in the Fall 2025-2026 semester. This is to be used exclusively for tuition or other related expenses. Students must be accepted into a program at any U.S. school for Fall 2025-2026. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
Annual Be A Friend Project Scholarship:
Amount: $500
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: The Annual Be A Friend Project Scholarship is open to all high school students. Home-schooled students may apply. Applicants must be following at least one of Be A Friend Project’s social media accounts. Applicants must submit a script with the following prompt: We all know what we’re supposed to do when we see a classmate being bullied, but let’s be real, not everyone actually does it. Picture this: a group of friends are sitting together at lunch, chatting about a classmate who’s being bullied. Here’s the twist, the person doing the bullying is actually one of their own friends. But today? That friend is absent. The conversation shifts. Some say the bullying is wrong. Others hesitate. Should they speak up? Should they protect or reach out to the classmate? Should they “snitch” on someone they hang out with every day? Not everyone agrees. One friend doesn’t think it’s their place to get involved. But others feel deep down that “looking the other way” just isn’t right. Your challenge: Write a script of this lunchtime conversation. Why should they step in? What’s stopping them and how can they overcome it? Show us how these ordinary bystanders can become real-life UPstanders. The script must be 2-4 pages. Scripts will be assessed on creativity, realism (emotional depth) and knowledge of the subject of bullying and its consequences. Use of AI to generate the script from the writing prompt is discouraged. Please visit the award’s website for more information.
I Have a Dream Scholarship in Honor of Mary and Dick Granger:
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: August 31, 2026
Description: The “I Have A Dream” Scholarship in Honor of Mary and Dick Granger is available to “I Have A Dream” Southwest Washington participants and their children, or an individual that currently or has previously been in formal, informal or spontaneous foster care in Clark County, Washington. Applicants may be graduating high school seniors, current college students or returning students. Scholarship recipients must be one of the following: a “Dreamer” participant of the “I Have a Dream” Southwest Washington program, located in Clark County, WA; or a child of a “Dreamer” participant of the “I Have a Dream” Southwest Washington program, located in Clark County, WA; or an individual that currently or has previously been in formal, informal, or spontaneous foster care in Clark County, WA. This scholarship is renewable. Renewal applicants will have special consideration or priority. Please visit the scholarship’s website or contact the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington award’s website for more information.
North Carolina Vending Association Academic Scholarships:
Amount: $1,500
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: In an effort to contribute to the communities that have made the industry what it is, NCVA will award the North Carolina Vending Association Academic Scholarships based on academics, character and financial need to a deserving student. The student must be affiliated with or related to a person from the vending industry and a current member of NCVA from North Carolina. Applicants must include a copy of their current transcript, class rank and SAT scores in their application. They also may attach letters of recommendation from teachers or other leaders who feel strongly that they are a worthy candidate for this scholarship. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
ACS Research Professor Grants:
Amount: $80,000
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: The ACS Research Professor Grants are primarily honorific awards for individuals who have made seminal contributions in cancer research and/or seminal contributions in areas of clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy, or epidemiologic cancer research. The unrestricted award supports unique research opportunities to foster creativity and innovation in cancer research. Professor Awards provide flexible funding for individuals who are expected to continue to make contributions that will change the direction of cancer or cancer research. Applicants must be at the rank of full professor and have made, and will likely continue to make, impactful contributions to change the direction of cancer research. These notable cancer research achievements could have been fundamental, preclinical, clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy and/or epidemiologic in focus. Commitment and success in scientific mentoring and leadership as well as community engagement are also carefully considered. The award of up to $80,000 per year for 5 years can be budgeted at the applicant’s discretion to support creative and innovative pursuits in cancer research. ACS Professors are expected to be spokespeople for ACS and for cancer research in general. Interested applicants must first submit a letter of intent (LOI) available from June 1 to September 1. If an LOI is approved, full applications must be submitted by December 1. Applicants must provide the list the name, title, and current institution and department of five individuals from whom they have requested letters of recommendation. Two letters must be from mentees, ideally one current and one former. Five total letters are required. Applicants may also include up to an additional two letters from individuals in the non-scientific community who could speak to contributions in outreach, engagement and/or advocacy. Please visit the award’s website or contact the American Cancer Society, Inc. for more information.
Amount: $10,000
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: The Be More Grant is available to any NSHSS high school, college, or lifetime member with an established cutting-edge product, project, concept, service, or nonprofit that contributes to technological advancement and innovative solutions for world betterment. If you’re spearheading an innovative project with an entrepreneurial mindset, this program is tailor-made for you. It’s not just about the money; it’s about amplifying your impact in the world. Those eligible are those with projects across STEM, Humanities, and World Betterment, spanning domains like Engineering, Medicine, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Logistics and Supply Chain, App Development, Media, Social Research, Global & Social Good, Nonprofit, Microfinance, Conservation, and Climate Change, among others, where past Be More winners have achieved. Please visit the award’s website for more information.
Reducing Drunk Driving in Our Communities Scholarship:
Amount: $2,500
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: As drunk driving remains a concern across communities today, Shelly Leeke Law Firm, LLC, wants to encourage students to devise creative ways to keep their communities safer. As such, Shelly Leeke Law Firm, LLC, is offering its “Reducing Drunk Driving in Our Communities: What Can Students Do” Scholarship in 2025. This scholarship provides students with academic support based on the arguments for increased roadway safety they present in an essay. Applicants must be enrolled in or accepted at an accredited college, university, or graduate school in the United States. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowships for Folk Artists:
Amount: $3,000 – $10,000
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: The American-Scandinavian Foundation provides support for living Scandinavian folk arts and cultural traditions in the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan). Fellowships for artists will deepen the skills of master artists and/or foster relationships among masters and their apprentices. As a result, these grants will encourage the development of traditional skills and help transmit the skills from generation to generation. They will also heighten the public awareness of Nordic cultural traditions. Applicants are required to submit two 2-3 letters of support. Master folk artists or craft practitioners must append at least two letters of support demonstrating that their work is recognized by their community. Apprentices must have one of their two letters come from the master artist stating that they are aware of the project and willing to participate. Applicants must also submit samples of their folk art or craft tradition. Photographs, music, videos, or other documentation of the work should be submitted. Please visit the fellowship’s website for more information.
Region 4 Dr. Barbara Wright Scholarship:
Amount: $1,000
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: The Region 4 Dr. Barbara Wright Scholarship will be awarded to a registered nurse who is a NJSNA Region 4 member (minimum of one year) and/or a nursing student who lives in Region 4 and is enrolled in a nursing education program at one of the following levels: Entry Level RN (Diploma, Associates, or Baccalaureate); RN to BSN; Master’s in Nursing; Post Master’s; and Doctorate in Nursing. Applicants must have current membership in NJSNA Region 4. Applicants enrolled in a pre-licensure entry level program are exempt; however, they must reside in Region 4 or be enrolled in a Nursing Program located in Region 4 (Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Somerset, or Bucks PA Counties). Applicants must submit two letters of reference that address their academic achievement or potential. The Dean or Program Director of the Nursing Program must complete the second part of the application. Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
Industrial Metal Service Scholarship:
Amount: $500
Closing Date: September 1, 2026
Description: Industrial Metal Service believes in investing in the next generation of innovators, engineers, and industry leaders. To support aspiring students, scholarships will be awarded to a deserving undergraduate student or high school senior entering college for spring or summer semester 2025. Applicants must be a legal resident of the United States or a holder of a valid student visa and be currently enrolled in or accepted to an undergraduate program in an accredited US university or college. Applicants must submit their essay as an attached PDF file along with their full name; the name of their school; their major; and their expected graduation date (for high school seniors only). Please visit the scholarship’s website for more information.
💡 Final Thought: Scholarships = Free Money.
The best part? Every dollar in scholarships = one less dollar in loans. The earlier you start, the better.
Want a smarter way to plan for college costs and find scholarships that fit your family’s budget? Create your free MyCAP account today and start getting real numbers—because paying for college shouldn’t be a mystery.
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