These are US scholarships with upcoming deadlines from November 2026 to early 2027, each checked against the sponsor’s own page on 24 October 2026. The first closes on 5 November 2026 (Regeneron Science Talent Search) and the big ones follow soon after: the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship on 11 November, the Elks Most Valuable Student award on 12 November, and the Ron Brown and Coolidge scholarships on 1 December.
Most of these US scholarships with upcoming deadlines are limited to US citizens or permanent residents, and I mark the rule for each one. If you are an international student, the short answer is that only a few US awards are open to you, and I list them in their own section. The August 2026 lists still circulating online are out of date, since every award on them has closed.
US scholarships with upcoming deadlines: the full calendar
All dates below are in US time zones as the sponsor states them. Eastern Time (ET) is 5 hours behind GMT from early November, and Pacific Time (PT) is 8 hours behind.
| Deadline | Scholarship | Award | Who can apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 Nov 2026, 8 p.m. ET | Regeneron Science Talent Search 2027 | See the 2027 official rules | High school seniors with an original, independent research project |
| 11 Nov 2026 | Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship | Up to $55,000 a year | High school seniors (class of 2027) with a 3.75 unweighted GPA and family income up to $95,000 |
| 12 Nov 2026, 11:59 p.m. PT | Elks Most Valuable Student | 500 awards, $4,000 to $30,000 over four years | High school seniors who are US citizens |
| 1 Dec 2026 | Ron Brown Scholar Program | $40,000 ($10,000 a year) | Black or African American seniors who are US citizens or permanent residents |
| 1 Dec 2026, 5 p.m. PT | Coolidge Scholarship | Full tuition, room, board and expenses for four years | High school juniors (class of 2028) who are US citizens or permanent residents |
| 9 Dec 2026 | Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship | Up to $55,000 a year for two to three years | Community college students moving to a four-year college |
| 7 Jan 2027, 11:59 p.m. ET | NSHSS + DECA Scholarship 2027 | 3 awards of $1,000 | DECA members in grades 11 and 12; US or international |
| 12 Jan 2027 | Dell Scholars Program | $20,000 plus a laptop and support | Texas high school seniors in an approved college readiness programme |
| 22 Jan 2027 | Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship | Up to $40,000 plus a paid Amazon internship | Seniors planning a computer science degree; US citizens, permanent residents or EAD holders |
| 1 Mar 2027 (expected) | Horatio Alger National Scholarship | See the Horatio Alger site | High school juniors who are US citizens, family income $100,000 or less |
Closing first
Regeneron STS closes on 5 November 2026 at 8 p.m. ET, which is 1 a.m. GMT on 6 November. Jack Kent Cooke follows on 11 November. Both need teacher or counselor input, so ask your recommenders this week.
November 2026 deadlines
Regeneron Science Talent Search (5 November)
Run by the Society for Science, this is a research competition for high school seniors that also pays scholarship prizes. The 2027 application is open until 8 p.m. ET on Thursday 5 November 2026. Research from any year of high school counts, but it must be your own original, independent project. The prize amounts and residency rules are in the 2027 official rules on the Society for Science website, so read them before you start.
Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship (11 November)
This is one of the largest undergraduate awards in the US, paying up to $55,000 a year as last-dollar funding after your college’s own aid. You apply through the Common App. Semifinalists are named in January 2027 and recipients in March 2027.
- Graduating from high school in spring 2027, after four years of high school in the US, a US territory or on a US military base.
- Cumulative unweighted GPA of at least 3.75.
- Family income up to $95,000.
- SAT, ACT, AP or IB scores submitted, with no minimum score.
- Plans to start at an accredited four-year college in fall 2027.
Elks Most Valuable Student (12 November)
The Elks National Foundation gives 500 four-year scholarships. The top 20 receive $30,000 each (they must attend a Leadership Weekend) and the other 480 receive $4,000 each. Male and female applicants are judged separately. You must be a US citizen on the day you apply, and permanent residents do not qualify. You do not need any family link to the Elks.
December 2026 deadlines
Ron Brown Scholar Program (1 December)
The Ron Brown Scholar Program awards $40,000 over four years, paid at $10,000 a year, to about 20 Black or African American high school seniors. The application closes on 1 December 2026 and transcripts and recommendation letters are due by 15 December. Late or incomplete files are not considered. SAT and ACT scores are not required, and there is no advantage in applying early.
Coolidge Scholarship (1 December)
This one is for juniors, not seniors. The 2026-27 round is for students who will start college as first-year students in fall 2028. It is a full ride covering tuition, room, board and expenses at any accredited US college. Everything, including two reference letters, is due by 5 p.m. PT on 1 December 2026. Finalists are interviewed in Vermont in spring 2027 and all applicants hear by 1 June 2027.
Jack Kent Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship (9 December)
For strong community college students with financial need who want to finish a bachelor’s degree at a four-year college. It pays up to $55,000 a year for two to three years, again as last-dollar funding.
QuestBridge Match Day (1 December)
QuestBridge is not open to new applicants this cycle. The National College Match application closed on 1 October 2026. If you are already a finalist, Match Day results come out on 1 December 2026, and finalists who do not match must send the Regular Decision Form by 10 December 2026 (11:59 p.m. PT).
January to March 2027 deadlines
- NSHSS + DECA Scholarship 2027 (7 January): three $1,000 awards for DECA members in grades 11 and 12 who plan to study marketing, finance, hospitality or business. US and international students may apply. Our NSHSS scholarships guide lists the other NSHSS awards opening in late November.
- Dell Scholars Program (12 January): opened 1 October 2026. It pays a $20,000 flexible scholarship plus a laptop, book credits and emergency funds. The current page limits it to Texas seniors in an approved college readiness programme in grades 11 and 12, who are Pell-eligible, have at least a 2.4 GPA and plan to attend a public four-year college in Texas.
- Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship (22 January): College Board’s BigFuture lists it as opening on 10 November 2026. Amazon’s own page has not posted dates yet. It pays up to $10,000 a year and includes a paid summer internship at Amazon. You need a minimum 2.3 GPA, financial need and a plan to study computer science or a related field.
- Horatio Alger National Scholarship (expected 1 March): the official FAQ gives 1 March for juniors, noon ET. It is for US citizens only, with family income of $100,000 or less and a GPA of 2.0 or higher. Confirm the date when the 2027 application opens.
Two more are worth watching. The Hispanic Scholarship Fund ran its last round from 5 January to 15 February 2026, paying $500 to $5,000, so its 2027 deadline is 15 February 2027. The Davidson Fellows Scholarship says its 2027 application opens in fall 2026; its last deadline was 18 February 2026, so the next is 18 February 2027. Its awards are $25,000, $50,000 or $100,000.
Big US scholarships that have already closed
Some of the best-known names already closed for the class of 2027. Do not apply to anything claiming to be their current round. The deadlines below are this year’s dates one year later (based on this year’s date; confirm on the official page when the call opens).
| Scholarship | Closed | What to expect next |
|---|---|---|
| The Gates Scholarship | 15 Sep 2026 | The 2026 round opened 15 July; semifinalists are being reviewed December 2026 to January 2027; deadline 15 Sep 2027 |
| AAUW International Fellowships | 17 Sep 2026 | For women who are not US citizens or residents; the 2026 round opened in mid August; deadline 17 Sep 2027 |
| Coca-Cola Scholars Program | 30 Sep 2026, 5 p.m. ET | 150 scholars get $20,000; the 2026 round opened 3 August; deadline 30 Sep 2027 |
| QuestBridge National College Match | 1 Oct 2026 | Match Day 1 December 2026; deadline 1 Oct 2027 |
| Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford) | 6 Oct 2026, 1 p.m. PT | Graduate award; 2027 cohort application closed; deadline 6 Oct 2027 |
The August 2026 roundups on other sites (Employment BOOST, Appily’s Easy Money, CREW Chicago, USRA and others) all had deadlines between 1 and 31 August 2026, so those rounds are over. A few, like the 1st Financial Bank award, run monthly, so check the sponsor’s site for the next date.
Upcoming US scholarships for international students
Almost every award in the calendar above requires US citizenship or permanent residency. If you are applying from Nigeria, India, Brazil or anywhere else outside the US, the realistic routes are:
- Partner awards that state they accept international students, such as the NSHSS + DECA Scholarship 2027.
- Financial aid from the US college itself. QuestBridge partners and other colleges set their own rules for international applicants, so check each college’s aid page.
- Next year’s AAUW International Fellowships (for women in STEM master’s and doctoral programmes) and Knight-Hennessy (Stanford graduate study), both of which closed in September and October 2026.
- Fully funded awards elsewhere, such as the Lester B. Pearson Scholarship in Canada.
Two more international deadlines are coming up: the East-West Center Graduate Degree Fellowship closes on 1 December 2026 (11:59 pm Hawaii time) for master’s and PhD study in Hawai’i, and the AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship closes on 15 January 2027 for first-year undergraduates. Humphrey Fellowship calls for 2028-2029 usually open in mid-2027; see our Humphrey Fellowship guide.
How to plan your applications before the deadlines
- Check your status first: cross off every award whose citizenship, grade or state rule you do not meet. It saves the most time.
- Convert each deadline to your time zone: 11:59 p.m. PT on 12 November is 7:59 a.m. GMT on 13 November.
- Ask recommenders early: give teachers and counselors at least three weeks. Ron Brown and Coolidge both reject files with missing letters.
- Collect financial documents: Jack Kent Cooke, Horatio Alger, Amazon and Ron Brown all look at income or need, so have your family’s tax figures ready.
- Reuse, then rewrite essays: one strong personal story can be adapted for several prompts, but answer each prompt as asked.
- Submit two days early: sponsor portals slow down on deadline day.
Our guide on the recommendation letter for scholarship applications has samples you can send to your teachers.
Frequently asked questions
Which US scholarships have deadlines in November 2026?
Regeneron STS (5 November), the Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship (11 November) and the Elks Most Valuable Student award (12 November).
Is the Coca-Cola Scholarship still open?
No. The class of 2027 round closed at 5 p.m. ET on 30 September 2026. The deadline is 30 September 2027; the last round opened on 3 August.
Can international students apply for these US scholarships?
Mostly no. Jack Kent Cooke needs four years of US high school, Elks and Horatio Alger need US citizenship, and Ron Brown, Coolidge and Amazon need citizenship or permanent residency (Amazon also accepts EAD holders). The NSHSS + DECA award is one that accepts international students.
Can a high school junior apply now?
Yes. The Coolidge Scholarship (1 December 2026) and the Horatio Alger National Scholarship (expected 1 March 2027) are both for juniors.
Sources and updates
Every date was checked on 24 October 2026 on the sponsor’s own website: the Society for Science’s Regeneron STS application page, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation College and Transfer scholarship pages, the Elks National Foundation MVS page, the Ron Brown Scholar Program site, the Coolidge Scholarship 2026-27 selection timeline, QuestBridge’s dates and deadlines page, the NSHSS + DECA 2027 award page, the Dell Scholars students page, the Horatio Alger undergraduate FAQ, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and Davidson Institute application pages, and the Gates, Coca-Cola, Knight-Hennessy and AAUW pages for closed rounds. The Amazon Future Engineer dates come from College Board’s BigFuture listing, because Amazon had not posted them yet. The AAUW dates come from Scholars4Dev’s summary. I will update this list as sponsors post new rounds.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
