-
Colleges
-
Graduate School
- Scout Grad School Search Find and compare grad schools based on your preferences, goals and academic interests.
- $5,000 Grad School No Essay Scholarship Enter to win our $5,000 no essay grad school scholarship in 2 min or less.
- Graduate Degrees Explore graduate degree options that fit your goals.
- Paying for Graduate School Understand costs and explore ways to pay for grad school.
-
Scholarships
- $2,000 No Essay Scholarship Enter to win our no essay $2,000 college scholarship in 2 minutes or less.
- Scholly Scholarships Easily find and sort through thousands of college scholarships for free.
- Scholarships for High School Seniors Explore scholarships for high school seniors and get tips on how to apply.
- Scholly Easy Apply Scholarships Apply for up to $10,000 in scholarships each month with just one form.
- $5,000 Grad School No Essay Scholarship Enter to win our $5,000 no essay grad school scholarship in 2 min or less.
-
Financial aid
- Financial Aid Grants, work-study, and federal student loans can all be part of your financial aid package.
- FAFSA® Guide Learn how to answer the 2026-27 FAFSA® questions like a pro.
- Financial Aid Offers Compare financial aid offers to determine the most affordable schools for you and your family.
- College Grants Learn more about federal and state grants and how to apply.
- Federal Pell Grants Discover what a Pell Grant is, who is eligible, and how to apply.
- Financial Aid Resources Get expert guidance on maximizing your financial aid options to make education more affordable.
-
Pay for School
- Sallie Mae® Student Loans
- Private Student Loans Find a private student loan designed to fit your needs.
- Undergrad Student Loan For college students earning a bachelor's or associate's degree.
- Graduate Student Loans Choose the right loan for your graduate degree or post-graduate studies.
- Career Training Loan For students taking professional training or certificate courses.
- Student Loan Resources Everything you need to navigate student loans with confidence.
Scholarships
Top Virginia scholarships for you
Find Virginia scholarships that can help you pay for college.
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
Enter $2,000 scholarship
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
Scholarships for Virginia
2 days left!
Apply now
Eddison Hermond Memorial Scholarship Fund
Due: 3/27/26
|No essay
|No Recommendations Required
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
$2,500
The Eddison Hermond Memorial Scholarship Fund was established by The Restaurant Association of Maryland and the Victoria Restaurant Group to honor the life of Eddie Hermond. Eddie lived to serve and he died serving. This competitive scholarship is awarded to students interested in pursuing culinary, food service, or hospitality-related coursework. Applicants may be high school seniors or current college students. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the Maryland Restaurant Association Education Foundation for more information.
7 days left!
Apply now
Joann and Chester Fritts Scholarship
Due: 4/1/26
|No essay
|No Recommendations Required
|No Transcripts Required
$500
The Joann and Chester Fritts Scholarship is available to an incoming or current Salisbury University student who is a resident of a Maryland or Virginia county. Preference will be given if the student attends Immanual Baptist, Christ United Methodist, St. Francis De Sales, or Beth Israel Synagogue - all in Salisbury.
Michael Birchenall Scholarship Fund
Due: 4/14/26
|No Recommendations Required
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
$1,500
Michael Birchenall was the editor of Foodservice Monthly, a Mid-Atlantic magazine for the hospitality and foodservice industry. He was a man of strong conviction and passion. Among his many attributes, Michael Birchenall is fondly remembered as a man who offered tremendous support, help, and encouragement to young people looking to make careers in the foodservice industry. This competitive scholarship is awarded to students interested in pursuing culinary, foodservice, or hospitality-related coursework. It is available to high school seniors and current college students. For more information, kindly visit the scholarship's website.
Leslie A. Ebert Legacy of Life Scholarship
Due: 4/14/26
|No Recommendations Required
|No min. GPA Required
|No Transcripts Required
$5,000
Did you know more than 100,000 people are waiting for a lifesaving transplant? As a high school senior, you have the power to raise awareness about the importance of registering to be an organ, eye and tissue donor through the Leslie A. Ebert Legacy of Life Scholarship Program. Applicants must write a persuasive essay and/or produce a video that educates, then motivates, an audience to become registered organ, eye and tissue donors. All essay and video entrants must be current high school seniors who (1) both reside and attend high school, or are home-schooled, in one of the following locations: The state of Maryland; Northern Virginia (in specific counties as well as the independent cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Manassas, and Manassas Park); and the District of Columbia; and (2) plan to attend a college, university or community college in the 2025 Fall semester. Different emails are used to submit the essay and video submissions. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Dominion Energy Educational Equity Scholarship Program
Due: 4/15/26
$10,000
Dominion Energy has established a scholarship program to assist students residing in one of the eligible states, who plan to continue their education in college or vocational school programs. Applicants must be high school seniors or graduates or current college undergraduates. Awards of $5,000 will be granted to students pursuing 2-year programs and awards of $10,000 will be granted to students pursuing 4-year degrees. Awards may be renewed for up to three additional years or until a bachelor's degree is earned, whichever occurs first. Applicants must have demonstrated commitment to fostering a welcoming community where everyone feels valued and supported. Financial information will be collected from applicants; 80 percent of scholarships will be awarded on a combination of need and merit with the remaining 20 percent awarded on the basis of merit. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Major Don S. Gentile Scholarship
Due: 4/15/26
|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.
William C. Davini Scholarship
Due: 4/15/26
|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.
Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Graduate Scholarship
Due: 4/15/26
|No Recommendations Required
|No min. GPA 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.
Louise Torraco Memorial Scholarship for Science
Due: 4/15/26
|No Recommendations Required
$2,500
The Louise Torraco Memorial Scholarship for Science will be awarded to students currently pursuing a degree in the Physical Sciences including but not limited to Agro-Sciences, Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Physics; or in the Life Sciences including but not limited to Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biology, Botany, Microbiology and Zoology. This program is open to applicants of all ethnicities. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. 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.
Enter to win a $2,000 scholarship
No essay | Apply in 2 minutes or less
What are Virginia scholarships?
Virginia scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for students living in Virginia or looking to go to school in Virginia. Virginia scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for Virginia scholarships
Before you apply for Virginia scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. To qualify for Virginia scholarships, you’ll most likely need to prove you’re a resident or you’re attending school in that state. Some other common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are Virginia scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over Virginia scholarships with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find Virginia scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find Virginia 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
Find scholarships now
Find scholarships that are right for you
Easily search through thousands of college scholarships based on your background, major, state you live in, and more.
Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
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 Virginia 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?
Private student loans can help you cover additional costs for school.
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.
No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. See Official Rules and Entry Periods on each scholarship page.
FAFSA® is a registered service mark of U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid.