Horatio Alger National Scholarship

High school juniors who are U.S. citizens, come from low-income families, and have shown integrity and perseverance in overcoming significant adversity while remaining determined to pursue higher education.

• U.S. citizen (recipients verify citizenship with documentation)
• High school junior at the time of application
• Critical financial need; adjusted gross family income of $100,000 or lower
• At least a 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Demonstrated integrity, perseverance over adversity, and commitment to higher education
• Funds aren't sent to for-profit or online colleges

• Up to $25,000 toward college
• Support services through senior year and college: financial-aid counseling, college advising, mentors, and free mental-health counseling

• Completed online application (Horatio Alger portal)
• Adversity essay on challenges experienced and overcome
• American Dream essay
• Academic transcripts
• Counselor Certification Form (verifies GPA, ranking, coursework)
• Support Form completed by an unrelated adult over 21 familiar with the adversities described
• Financial information / income verification
• Proof of U.S. citizenship (for recipients)

• In the Adversity essay, be detailed and specific so the committee clearly understands your circumstances.
• Choose a Support Form Provider who genuinely knows your story and can corroborate it.
• Confirm your counselor submits the Certification Form well before the deadline.
• Start early so transcripts, financial documents, and third-party forms are ready.
• Tie your essays to the program's values: achievement, integrity, community, and resilience.

Highly competitive — recent classes awarded 105 high school juniors each, ~$2.6M total. Junior application period runs December 1 – March 1. The official site blocked automated fetches; figures grounded via official-site search excerpts — confirm current amounts on the portal.