January is Critical for Scholarship Success
Has your student applied for any scholarships in 2026 yet?
Getting off to a quick start is a great way to ensure they maintain momentum throughout the year.
For high school seniors, it's crunch time—only a few months remain to earn scholarships before deciding where to attend college and begin paying for it.
High school juniors, sophomores, freshmen, and even middle school students can gain an advantage over their peers by applying now, gaining valuable practice and experience in the scholarship process.
With the start of a new semester, January is an ideal time for college students to begin or resume their scholarship journey.
Consistency is essential.
Some students struggle to get started with the scholarship process, while others are eager but give up too quickly if they don't see immediate results.
To help you and your student kick off 2026 in the right way—and to celebrate the 900th episode of the Scholarship GPS Podcast—the latest episode features some of our most valuable advice from favorite guests.
In this episode, you will hear:
Reetu Gupta, Founder and CEO of CirkledIn, tell us about this exciting online student portfolio platform to help your students with college admissions, internships, employment, and even scholarships! Lisa Marker-Robbins of Flourish Coaching shares her findings from a study of the 50 state flagship colleges about college major-specific admissions. Jackie Pollina of J&J Test Prep shares her tips for how students can balance SAT & Act test prep with their other responsibilities. Dr. Kellie Coppi of Say Yes to the Essay shares some advice on your student’s college admissions essays. College financial planning expert, Luanne Lee, explains how changes to the student loan world could leave students without a way to pay for college beyond the second or third year. Class of 2025 grad, and winner of nearly $200,000 in scholarships, Victoria, and her mom, Nicole, explain the role of the Personal Narrative for earning scholarships.
The Scholarship GPS Podcast is available for free on Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, and other podcast apps. Or, click here to listen to our 900th episode, "A Complete College Planning Roadmap."
You can scroll to find a list of scholarships for your student based on their year in school. There is a list for middle school, high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, and college students...
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This quick quiz will help you understand where your 15–25-year-old stands in discovering their direction — and what simple next step can help them move forward with clarity and confidence.
This quick quiz will show you exactly what stage they’re in and what to do next to ensure they are on track to launch with confidence.
Click here to take the 2-minute quiz.
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Did you know that when our kids turn 18, we lose legal rights to help them in an emergency - unless you have the right documents in place. If your child is turning 18, whether they are going away to college or remaining at home, please consider getting a Power of Attorney in place. You can use my discount code, ScholarshipCoach20, to take 20% off the total price at Mama Bear Legal Forms.
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Scholarships for Current College Students:
Deadline: January 15, 2026 Note: Scholarships are awarded based on a 550-word essay that outlines your academic and professional goals and describes how your personal experiences will help you achieve them. A former Scholarship GPS student is a past winner of one of the MENSA scholarships. Check out the Scholarship Navigator for College Students Program to get the same support they received!
To get our next college student-specific scholarship email, download our free scholarship guide for college students here.
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The Scholarship Navigator for College Students program provides:
Online Support: You'll have direct email access to Dave The Scholarship Coach, a seasoned expert in the field. Dave is here to help you navigate the complex world of scholarships and get your questions answered! A custom list of scholarships based on the student's unique profile. Your student’s custom list will include a minimum of 20 scholarships. Personalized help with up to three scholarship applications & essays each month. These can be any scholarships of your choice. (Please allow three business days for feedback on your scholarship essays, projects, and applications.) Access to the Scholarship GPS Course to learn scholarship best practices, including access to examples of scholarship-winning essays.
Click here to get started today!
SCHOLARSHIPS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WITH FEBRUARY DEADLINES:
Would you like to get a list of scholarships just for college students? Then download our free Scholarship Guide for College Students, and you'll get on our list to receive our email list of scholarships just for college students. No spam, and we don't share your email with anyone else. Just 2-3 emails per month with verified scholarships that your college student can apply for! Click here to get your free guide today.
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Click here to learn more about student loans from Juno. |
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Scholarships for High School Seniors:
Note: Scholarships are awarded based on a 550-word essay that outlines your academic and professional goals and describes how your personal experiences will help you achieve them. A former Scholarship GPS student is a past winner of one of the MENSA scholarships. Check out the Class of 2026 Scholarship Navigator Program to get the same support they received!
Note: A former Scholarship GPS student is a past winner of one of the DAR scholarships. Check out the Class of 2026 Scholarship Navigator Program to get the same support they received!
Scroll for more scholarships for the Class of 2026. But first, learn how you can get a custom scholarship list based on your student's profile:
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A custom list of scholarships for which your Class of 2026 grad is eligible. Personalized help with scholarship applications & essays. Access to the Scholarship GPS Course, where students can learn best practices for scholarship success. Online Support: You'll have direct email access to Dave The Scholarship Coach, a seasoned expert in the field. Dave is here to help you navigate the complex world of scholarships and get your questions answered! Bi-weekly video updates: A new topic or scholarship will be covered in depth during these recorded sessions. One-on-One Zoom sessions: Schedule at your convenience (based on availability) to get your scholarship questions answered. Access to our partner's database of 6000+ vetted scholarships, which is updated daily. A digital student portfolio to organize and showcase your student's achievements, allowing them to be easily shared with colleges, scholarships, internships, and employers.
Click here to learn more and start your scholarship journey today!
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More Scholarships for the Class of 2026:
Would you like to get a list of scholarships just for Class of 2026 students? Then download our free Class of 2026 Scholarship Guide, and you'll get on our list to receive our email list of scholarships just for high school seniors. No spam, and we don't share your email with anyone else. Just 2-3 emails per month with verified scholarships that your college student can apply for! Click here to get your free guide today.
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Applying to college isn't just about submitting applications in senior year.
It starts with months or even years of preparation, which many families are caught off guard by once their teen becomes a rising senior.
But don't worry. We are here to give you some tips and tricks to reduce the stress and confusion that can come from having all the information thrown at parents at once.
Knowing how to write college admissions essays and how to find scholarship opportunities before things get too busy allows you to take some work off your plate now, making everything more manageable later.
Join college essay expert Dr. Kellie Coppi and Dave “The Scholarship Coach” Peterson on Sunday, January 25th at 6 pm Eastern time for this free session full of actionable steps that your Class of 2027, 2028, and even 2029 students can take this spring and beyond to make their college admissions journey less stressful and more successful.
Click here to register.
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Scholarships for High School Juniors:
To get our next Class of 2027-specific scholarship email, download our free Class of 2027 College Planning Timeline here.
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A custom list of scholarships for which your Class of 2027 grad is eligible. Personalized help with scholarship applications & essays. Access to the Scholarship GPS Course, where students can learn best practices for scholarship success. Online Support: You'll have direct email access to Dave The Scholarship Coach, a seasoned expert in the field. Dave is here to help you navigate the complex world of scholarships and get your questions answered! Bi-weekly video updates: A new topic or scholarship will be covered in depth during these recorded sessions. One-on-One Zoom sessions: Schedule at your convenience (based on availability) to get your scholarship questions answered. Access to our partner's database of 6000+ vetted scholarships, which is updated daily. A digital student portfolio to organize and showcase your student's achievements, allowing them to be easily shared with colleges, scholarships, internships, and employers.
Click here to learn more and start your scholarship journey today!
Would you like to get a list of scholarships just for Class of 2027 students? Then download our free list of scholarships for high school juniors, and you'll get on our list to receive our email list of scholarships just for the Class of 2027. No spam, and we don't share your email with anyone else. Just 2-3 emails per month with verified scholarships that your college student can apply for! Click here to get your free copy today.
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Scholarships for High School Sophomores & Freshmen:
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Scholarship GPS Sophomore, Madeline, picking up one of her multiple sophomore-year scholarship wins. She earned $15,000 in scholarships as a sophomore! Get the same support that Madeline received through the Scholarship Navigator for High School Freshmen & Sophomores Program.
Here is what's included:
Monthly video updates: A new topic or scholarship will be covered in depth during these recorded sessions. Online Support: You'll have direct email access to Dave The Scholarship Coach, a seasoned expert in the field. Dave is here to help you navigate the complex world of scholarships and get your questions answered! One-on-One Zoom sessions: Schedule at your convenience (based on availability) to get your scholarship questions answered. A custom list of scholarships for which your Class of 2028 grad is eligible. Your student’s custom list will include a minimum of 20 scholarships, including national and local scholarships (if local scholarships are available) and a mix of small and large scholarships. Personalized help with up to three scholarship applications & essays each month. These can be any scholarships of your choice!. (Please allow three business days for feedback on your scholarship essays, projects, and applications.) Access to the Scholarship GPS Course, where students can learn best practices for scholarship success. Lessons include: How/Where to find scholarships, application and essay best practices, sample scholarship-winning essays, and much more. Access to our partner's database of 6000+ vetted scholarships, which is updated daily. A digital student portfolio to organize and showcase your student's achievements, allowing them to be easily shared with colleges, scholarships, internships, and employers.
Click here to start your scholarship journey today!
Would you like to get a list of scholarships just for sophomores or freshmen? Then download one of our free guides: Scholarships for High School Freshmen or Scholarships for High School Sophomores, and you'll get on our list to receive our email list of scholarships just for students in those grades. No spam, and we don't share your email with anyone else. Just 2-3 emails per month with verified scholarships that your freshmen or sophomore students can apply for!
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Did You Catch Our Latest Podcast Episodes?
Episode 900: A Complete College Planning Roadmap: Insights From Trusted Experts Over 900 Episodes!
Episode 899: A Scholarship Open to Middle School, High School, and College Students
Episode 896: The $500,000 Implication of Earning $35,000 in Scholarships with Financial Advisor, Will Hoffman
Episode 893: What Recent Changes in Student Loans Mean for You
Episode 892: Finding Post-Graduation Employment
Episode 890: Successful College Transfers + $14.5M Scholarship Opportunity
The Scholarship GPS Podcast is available for free on Spotify, Apple, iHeart, Amazon, and other podcast apps. Most of our interviews are now available on YouTube, as well!
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Scholarships for Middle School Students
Would you like to get a list of scholarships just for your middle school student? Then download our free list of scholarships for middle school students, and you'll get on our list to receive our email list of scholarships just for middle school students. No spam, and we don't share your email with anyone else. Just 2-3 emails per month with verified scholarships that your middle school student can apply for!
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