Scholarships for High School Sophomores

Scholarships for high school sophomores are one of the most common categories of scholarships that are offered to students at the beginning of his or her academic career. 

Many scholarship providers give big awards to the students early in their academic careers. Federal financial aid limits such as smaller student loans and later disbursement dates placed on aid for college freshmen can really help. It will be easier to get these scholarships if you begin preparing early in high school. There are some competitions that allow you to enter before your senior year of high school, thus keeping a better option in front of you to make the final search for scholarship opportunities much easier. It is always better to research on the various college scholarships you can apply for based on your requirements and win one easily. 

Eligibility Criteria for Scholarships for Sophomores

• You must be a permanent resident of the US, US citizen.

• The minimum GPA needed varies depending on the award but generally, it ranges anywhere from grade point average between 2.0 to 3.0 

• The class rank requirement also varies depending on the scholarship and can range anywhere from the top 10 percent to the top 25 percent.

• Demonstrate a financial need.

Some tips to win High School Sophomores Scholarships

Before we go over the scholarships you can apply for, let's quickly review the best ways you can use this list of scholarships for sophomores and freshmen.

• Play with your Strengths: Count on your strengths and bring in your creativity. Apply to the scholarships in which you can do justice to your strengths. For example, if you're an excellent writer, consider applying to scholarships that require essays. 

• Apply to as many Scholarships as Possible: Use your time wisely to apply to as many scholarships as possible to be on the safe side. 

• Pay Attention to Details: Make sure you read all the rules carefully before you apply for a scholarship, and be certain that your essays and other application materials address what is being asked. It's a waste of time to apply to scholarships if you're going to end up disqualified simply because you failed to follow the instructions.

  Similarly, make sure to stay on top of important deadlines. You don't want to miss out on a great scholarship because you accidentally missed a due date.

• Do Your Own Research: Keep in mind that this list is just a starting point. There are many more scholarships available to younger students, and they're very well might be some that are more suited to your talents and interests. Don't be afraid to do some Google searches to see whether there are any scholarships out there that correspond to one of your unique traits.

Is the Scholarship for High School Sophomores taxable? 

The high school sophomores scholarships are typically tax-free. Generally, if the following requirements are meant then the scholarship money is tax-free. 

• You use the scholarship to pay for the qualified education expenses.

• It’s not designated or earmarked for other purposes — for example, room and board — and doesn’t require that you use it for non-qualified education expenses only.

• It’s not considered payment for teaching, research, or other services.

It doesn’t matter who awarded you the scholarship, and you can even take advantage of the tax-free status if you’re attending school overseas.

Conditions for Tax on Scholarship for High School Sophomores

If one or more of the above requirements aren't meant, you could be on the hook to pay taxes on your scholarship.

1. Your school is not eligible

• The school offers higher education beyond high school.

• If the school is eligible to participate in a student aid program through the U.S. Department of Education.

Most accredited public, nonprofit, and private for-profit universities are considered eligible educational institutions. It’s possible, however, that your school is eligible but isn’t on the list, so it may be a good idea to check with your school directly.

Any scholarship money you receive is taxable if you aren’t eligible for a degree for any reason

2. The amount that exceeds your qualified education expenses

Tuition, fees, and other expenses required to enroll or attend school count as qualified education expenses, according to the IRS.

For tax-free scholarship, the following are not considered -

• Rent

• Groceries

• Insurance

• Medical expenses

• Transportation

• Other similar living expenses

3. The funds are reserved for non-qualified expenses

The amount reserved for nonqualified expenses, purposes is considered taxable.

If you’re a student-athlete, and you don’t have extra time to get a part-time job. In such cases, your college may offer an athletic scholarship that includes funds reserved for both tuition, room, and board. Such cases require money that is taxable for both board and room.

4. The funds are considered payment for services

If there is a requirement for you to offer some kind of service as a condition to receive your scholarship, then that money you receive is considered taxable.

For instance, you receive a $2,000 scholarship for tuition, but in such cases, you can get an extra $1,000 if you work part-time at a college or university. Accepting an offer of $2,000 money you receive is tax-free, but you’ll receive a W-2 showing the extra $1,000 as taxable income.

The same also applies if you’re required to perform future services to get the scholarship. So double-check in advance to see if there are any such stipulations or caveats.