18 Best Scholarships for 3 to 12 Year Olds

Most scholarships focus on college and high school students and only a few think of awarding funds to pupils in Pre-K down to grades 6. Even though few, these scholarships will definitely help families reduce their school expenses, and even offset the cost of early childhood education.

One of the things you should know about some of these scholarships is that they are based on competition, so you might need to prepare your kid(s) for different kinds of competitions which, we must say that some of their awards are huge. Scholarships for Pre-Kindergarten are not in the form of contests but mostly based on applicants’ residence and household income.

As your kid(s) advance in age, you should consider some of the scholarships for middle schoolers, and if their grades are not so decent these scholarships for students with low GPA might be perfect for them.

Let’s get started with these scholarships.

scholarships for 3-12 year olds

Scholarships for 3 to 12 Year Olds

1.  Doodle for Google Contest

Age Grade: 5 to 18

The Doodle for Google Contest is an annual art contest open to students in grades K-12. Students are invited to create their own Google Doodle for the chance to have it featured on Google.com, as well as win some great scholarships and tech packages for their schools.

The winner will receive a $30,000 college scholarship, and a $50,000 tech package for his/her school; four runners-up will also receive a $5,000 college scholarship.

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2. Ocean Awareness Contest

Age Grade: 11 years old to 18

This is an annual contest provided for young people to learn about environmental issues through art-making and creative communication. This is among the scholarships for 12 year olds which winners can receive cash prizes of up to $1,000 plus other privileges. The contest is all about sharing your unique story about our Climate.

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3. The Paradigm Challenge

Age Range: 4 to 18 years

This scholarship is exclusively for those who will need to use their kindness, creativity, and collaboration to make a difference in the world. They offer up to $100,000 to the top 100 entries, where the winner will receive $10,000, the second place will receive $2,000, the third place $1,000, and the 91 finalists will receive $200 each.

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4. Lifesteps Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship Program

  • Age Range: 3 to 5 years old

This is among the scholarships for 3-year-olds to 5 that can help kids access quality education at Lifesteps Preschool. Your kid(s) must reside in Pennsylvania and must meet household requirements.

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5. One Earth Film Festival Young Filmmakers Contest

  • Age Range: 8 to 25 years old

This contest is provided to young filmmakers in grades 3 up through age college (age 25) in the United States. Winners will receive up to $1,000.

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6. The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes

  • Age Range: between the ages of 8 and 18

The Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes was established to encourage young people who have positively impacted both the people and the environment. Winners will receive $10,000 each which can be used for their higher education plus other gifts like Recognition Certificate, Young Heroes Materials, Networking Opportunities, and Media Coverage.

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7. Folds of Honor Scholarship

  • Age Range: between 5 to 18 years old

This scholarship is awarded to families of those who have sacrificed or who are still sacrificing for our country whether it’s in the military or first responders. The scholarship is worth up to $5,000.

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8. UWCarlisle Pre-Kindergarten Scholarships

  • Age Range: Between 3 to 6 years old

The United Way of Carlisle & Cumberland County is a local non-profit serving the Carlisle & Cumberland County area. It provides two scholarships for 3 to 6 year olds, which are;

  • Paul and Patricia Strickler Pre-Kindergarten Scholarship
  • Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Preschool Scholarship

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9. Action For Nature Eco-Hero Award

  • Age Range: Between ages 8-16

Just like the name, this scholarship is awarded to international young people who are fighting to see that the world’s environmental problems are solved. Winners will receive a cash prize worth up to $500 plus other benefits.

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10. Davidson Institute Fellows Scholarship

  • Age Range: From 18 years and under

This scholarship is awarded to U.S. citizens or permanent residents who have brilliant academics and have completed a significant piece of work. The award ranges from $10,000 to $50,000.

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11. MathCounts Competition of Middle Schoolers

  • Age Range: 11 to 14 years old

This National Middle School Mathematics Competition provided by MathCounts helps to build problem-solving skills and foster achievement through four levels of fun contests.

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12. South Florida School Of Excellence Preschool Scholarship

  • Age Range: 3 years old

This scholarship is awarded to 3-year-olds from families that are economically disadvantaged, children who have been determined to be at risk of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, and children with special needs.

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13. Haiku Society of America Student Awards

  • Age Range: 12 to 18 years old

This is among the scholarships for 12-year-olds and older that was founded in 1990 by the Sacred Heart Church in Camden, N.J.

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14. Stephen J. Brady Stop Hunger Scholarships

  • Age Range: 5 to 25 years old

This is one of the scholarships for middle school students provided by the Stop Hunger Foundation to students between the ages of 5 to 25 who are recognized at the national level and hail from across the country. National Scholarship winners will receive a $7,500 scholarship and a $5,000 grant for their hunger-related charity plus other privileges.

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15. Stossel in the Classroom Essay Contest

  • Age Range: Between 10 to 18 years

This contest is for writers between grades 5 to 12 residing in North America, Hawaii, or a U.S. military address who want to express themselves through an essay. The award ranges from $50 to $2,500.

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16. Carson Scholars Fund

  • Age Range: 9 to 17 years old

This $1,000 worth of scholarship is awarded to students who have great academic records and strong potential to do more or maintain their pace and are dedicated to community service.

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17. Waves of Compassion Foundation Pre-K Scholarship Program

  • Age Range: 3 to 4 year olds

Waves of Compassion Foundation helps eligible Pre-Kindergarten pupils to reduce the expenses their parents spend on school supplies and also provides scholarships to cover part of the fees.

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18. POISE Foundation Pre-K Scholarship

  • Age Range: 3 to 5 years

Thanks to the generous donation from corporations approved through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, the POISE Foundation are able to provide scholarships for 3-year-olds to 5.

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Key Takeaway

You can see there are several scholarships for 3 to 12 year olds which can help relieve parents of some burden in school fees. You’ll also notice that some of these scholarships are won by contest, so your kid(s) need to bring their A-game to qualify.

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