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Scholarships
Top Connecticut scholarships for you
Find Connecticut scholarships that can help you pay for college.
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Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
What are Connecticut scholarships?
Connecticut scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for students living in Connecticut or looking to go to school in Connecticut. Connecticut scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for Connecticut scholarships
Before you apply for Connecticut scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. To qualify for Connecticut scholarships, you’ll most likely need to prove you’re a resident or you’re attending school in that state. Some other common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are Connecticut scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over Connecticut scholarships with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find Connecticut scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find Connecticut scholarships.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
Scholarships for Connecticut
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The Scholarships360 $10,000 "No Essay" Scholarship
Due: 6/30/2025
No Essays
$10,000
Timothy S. and Palmer W. Bigelow, Jr. Scholarship
Due: 5/31/2025
$2,000
The Timothy S. and Palmer W. Bigelow, Jr. Scholarship was created in 1988 by the Bigelow family to aid students from New England who are seeking a career in horticulture. Applicants must be enrolled in an accredited landscape or horticulture program or related discipline. Applicants must be enrolled in good standing. Applicants must have senior standing in a two-year curriculum (having completed the first year), junior standing in a four-year curriculum (having completed the first two years), or a Graduate Students standing. It is not required for students to attend an institution at one of the six New England states that is required in student's residency. UnderGraduate Studentss must have a minimum GPA of 2.25, and Graduate Studentss must have a minimum GPA of 3.0. Preference will be given to an applicant who plans to work in any aspect of the nursery industry following graduation, including the desire to own one's own business. Preference will also be given to an applicant in financial need. Previous Timothy Bigelow Scholarship award winners are not eligible for additional funding. Applicants must submit two letters of recommendation. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Horticultural Research Institute for more information.
Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Graduate Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
$3,000
The Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Graduate Scholarship is open for application to a senior undergraduate at any public or private college or university or a graduate thereof who is initiating graduate studies in the United States. Students already attending grad school do not qualify. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education Scholarships
Due: 6/20/2025
$1,000
The Connecticut Association of Latinos in Higher Education Scholarships will be awarded to either high school seniors or GED equivalent and undergraduate college students. Applicants must be Latino students from Connecticut. They must be residents of Connecticut for the past twelve past months. Applicants must be seeking their first undergraduate degree. Applicants must also have demonstrated community service within the Latino community. The CALAHE scholarship is renewable for one year only, recipients must reapply. Undocumented or DACA students must submit the Verification of Financial Need. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship
Due: 5/1/2025
Amount Varies
The Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund makes college more accessible by removing financial barriers. The scholarship will be awarded to permanent residents of New England states, with financial need, who display academic achievement, a commitment to serving others, a strong work ethic and leadership qualities. Applicants must be an entering or returning student at an accredited undergraduate institution in the United States and must be pursuing a bachelor's degree (BA, BS, BFA, BSN for example) for the first time. Students in one-year or two-year certificate or associate's degree programs do not qualify. Students in five-plus year programs ending in a master's degree or beyond may apply for the first four (undergraduate) years of their programs. Applicants should be enrolled in a demanding course of study and demonstrate skilled writing. High school applicants are welcome to apply using the Early Response deadline of April 3, 2025. Applicants must submit the contact information for at least one recommender. High school applicants must add a school counselor as their required recommender. They may add up to three other recommenders. Recommenders should not be relatives or personal friends. College applicants may add a college professor, high school teacher, or another community contact as their required recommender. They may add up to three other recommenders. Recommenders should not be relatives or personal friends. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut Scholarships
Due: 7/1/2025
No Transcripts Required
Amount Varies
The proud tradition of awarding scholarships to college and university students was begun in 1982. Scholarships are funded by the generous donations of our Connecticut member clubs and other individuals and organizations. Applicants must be junior and senior college students, and Graduate Studentss. PhD candidates are not eligible. Eligible students must also be majoring in one of the following fields: Agronomy, Botany, City Planning, Conservation, Environmental Studies, Floriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Land Management, Landscape Design, Plant Pathology, or allied subject. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Major Don S. Gentile Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Transcripts Required
$6,000
The UNICO Foundation will award the Major Don S. Gentile Scholarship to high school seniors at any public or private secondary school who will be attending an accredited campus-based college or university program in the United States. The scholarship will be paid out for up to a maximum of 4 years. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
EPOC Environmental Scholarship
Due: 4/30/2025
No min. GPA Required
Amount Varies
EPOC recognizes its duty to assist in the education of individuals planning a career in the environmental industry. The purpose of the EPOC Environmental Scholarship is to assist students enrolled in accepted programs of study to become a Technical Environmental Professional in the State of Connecticut. Applicants must be a Connecticut resident, or an immediate family member (spouse or child) of an EPOC member in good standing. They must be attending an accredited college or university (CT colleges or out of state colleges) and enrolled in a bachelor's, master's or PhD degree program. They must be enrolled in the following programs of study: Environmental Science; Environmental Studies; Geology; Biology; Chemistry; Hydrogeology; Hydrology; Earth Science; Natural Resource Management; Ecology; Soil Sciences; Water Resources; Toxicology; Wetland Science; Engineering: Civil, Environmental, Chemical; and other related Environmental programs. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information. Two recommendations are required. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
William C. Davini Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Transcripts Required
$6,000
The UNICO Foundation will award the William C. Davini Scholarship to high school seniors at any public or private secondary school who will be attending an accredited campus-based college or university program in the United States. The scholarship will be paid out for up to a maximum of 4 years. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity
Due: 5/15/2025
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
$5,000
The Milton Fisher Scholarship for Innovation and Creativity is a four-year renewable scholarship open to exceptionally Innovative and Creative high school seniors and first-time college freshmen. This scholarship is not a traditional scholarship focused on rewarding academic achievement and financial need. Its specific goal is to reward and encourage innovative and creative problem solving. This scholarship seeks students who have developed a new or unusual solution to an artistic, scientific or technical problem faced by their family, school or community. High school seniors and first-time college freshmen are eligible to apply. Applicants must either be (A) a Connecticut or New York City metropolitan area resident planning to attend or attending an institution of higher education anywhere in the United States, or (B) a resident of any part of the U.S. planning to attend or attending an institution of higher education in CT or NYC. The Selection Committee will select the applicants who show the most promise as innovative, creative problem solvers, on the basis of their essays, letters of recommendation, and other information included with the application. Two recommendations must be submitted. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Renee B. Fisher Foundation for more information.
What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the FAFSA® to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®. To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for Connecticut scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
Need more money for college?
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More resources to explore
Tips for writing scholarship essays
Get tips for writing scholarship essays. Learn what makes a good scholarship essay.
Find scholarship resources
Explore our scholarship resources, articles, and guide to get all the tips and tricks to help pay for college.
Fill out the FAFSA®
Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
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