Amount: Full cost of attendance (minus other aid)
Deadline: September 15
Level: undergraduate
Renewable: Yes
About
The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding minority high school seniors from low-income backgrounds.
Eligibility
- Citizenship: US
- GPA: 3.3+
- Demographic: african-american, hispanic, asian, native-american
- Must be a high school senior from at least one of the aforementioned minority groups.
- Pell-Grant eligible.
- Demonstrate academic excellence, leadership potential, and community service.
Required Materials
- Online application
- Essays
- Official transcript
- SAT/ACT scores
- 2 letters of recommendation
- FAFSA/SAR
Timeline
Applications open in July. First round deadline September 15. Finalists notified in December. Final deadline in January. Scholars notified in April.
Tips
This scholarship is extremely competitive. Highlight your academic achievements, leadership roles, and community impact. Demonstrate how you have overcome challenges.