College can be one of the most rewarding yet financially daunting experiences for students and their families. With tuition, books, housing, and living expenses constantly on the rise, scholarships have become more essential than ever. Fortunately, several scholarship opportunities with deadlines at the end of May are still available. Whether you’re a high school senior, a current college student, or a non-traditional learner, there are opportunities you can apply for now to help fund your education.

In this article, we’ll cover:

• The importance of applying before deadlines
• Tips for submitting a standout scholarship application
• A curated list of scholarships with May deadlines
• A comparison table for easy reference
• Final thoughts and next steps

Why Apply Before the Deadline?

Most scholarships operate on a strict deadline—some even closing at specific times down to the hour. Once a deadline has passed, the window of opportunity typically shuts completely, with no exceptions and no grace periods. For many scholarships, especially those offered by private organizations or foundations, there may not be another cycle until the next academic year, if the program even continues at all. That’s why submitting your application well before the deadline is not just a matter of convenience, but often the key to eligibility.

Applying early, especially by the end of May, provides several strategic advantages:

• A Better Chance of Being Considered Among Fewer Procrastinators: Many applicants wait until the last few days—or even hours—to submit their materials. By applying early, your application lands in the initial batch of submissions when reviewers are often fresher, more focused, and possibly less overwhelmed. This can help your application stand out more clearly without being lost in a sea of last-minute entries.
• Fewer Technical Issues or Glitches Due to Deadline Traffic: Online scholarship portals and submission forms can become overwhelmed with traffic as thousands of applicants rush to beat the clock. This often leads to slow site performance, login issues, or even system crashes. By avoiding the last-minute rush, you reduce your chances of running into technical errors that could delay or even disqualify your application.
• Ample Time for Corrections, Edits, and Polish: Submitting early gives you the time to thoroughly review your essays, double-check formatting, confirm that all documents are attached, and proofread your work carefully. If you’re rushing, it’s easy to miss small but costly mistakes—like submitting the wrong version of an essay or forgetting a required document. Early submission allows you the peace of mind to polish your application to perfection.
• Room to Follow Up if Necessary: Sometimes, after submitting, you may realize you forgot something, or the scholarship committee may reach out asking for clarification or additional materials. Submitting early gives you a cushion of time to respond appropriately without falling outside the deadline. It also gives your recommenders more time in case you need to follow up with them for letters or references.

In short, early action reduces stress, prevents errors, and maximizes your chances of success. Treat scholarship deadlines as you would a job interview—timing and preparation can make all the difference in the outcome.

Quick Tips for Winning Scholarship Applications

1. Tailor Your Essays: Avoid using generic applications. Instead, customize your essays to reflect the specific goals and values of each scholarship provider.
2. Gather Quality Recommendations: Ask teachers, counselors, or community leaders early and provide them with context on the scholarship to help them write a stronger letter.
3. Check Eligibility Criteria Thoroughly: Some scholarships have specific requirements regarding major, ethnicity, GPA, or volunteer hours.
4. Keep a Spreadsheet: Organize deadlines, application statuses, essay prompts, and contacts.
5. Proofread Everything: Spelling or grammar mistakes can make a bad impression quickly.

Scholarships with Deadlines at the End of May

The following is a curated list of scholarships that are open through the end of May. These opportunities encompass a range of categories, including academic merit, community service, creative writing, and more.

Scholarship Name	Amount	Deadline	Eligibility	Application URL
Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship	$1,000	May 31	High school/college students; essay on cyberbullying	www.deletecyberbullying.org/scholarship
American College Foundation Visionary Scholarship	$1,000–$5,000	May 1	U.S. students in grades 9–12	www.americancollegefoundation.org
Because College is Expensive, a Scholarship	$500	May 31	High school juniors/seniors, college students, adults	www.cedaredlending.com/scholarship
We, the Students Essay Contest	Up to $7,500	May 20	U.S. high school students: essay on the Constitution	www.billofrightsinstitute.org
OppU Achievers Scholarship	$2,500	May 31	GPA of 3.0+; essay required	www.opploans.com/scholarship
MyMozaic Monthly Scholarship	$1,000	May 31	Ages 13–25; must create a free MyMozaic profile	www.mymozaic.com
Tallo Monthly Scholarship	$1,000	May 31	Students age 13+; create a profile on the Tallo platform	www.tallo.com
University Network “$1,000 Scholarship”	$1,000	May 31	Open to all U.S. college-bound students	www.tun.com/scholarships
SuperMoney Financial Literacy Scholarship	$500	May 31	Open to U.S. high school seniors and college students	www.supermoney.com/scholarship
Cameron Impact Scholarship (Early)	Full tuition	May 20 (early deadline)	U.S. students with strong academics and leadership	www.bryancameroneducationfoundation.org

More Scholarships Closing in Late May

Beyond the more well-known options listed above, there are other scholarships from smaller organizations or specific regions. Here are some lesser-known ones that may have fewer applicants, increasing your chances of success:

1. Anthem Essay Contest by Ayn Rand Institute

• • Amount: Up to $2,000
  • Deadline: May 28
  • Eligibility: 8th to 12th graders; essay based on Ayn Rand’s Anthem

2. Kalia Scholarship

• • Amount: $1,000
  • Deadline: May 30
  • Eligibility: Must be a child of a single parent; GPA 3.0+

3. The Paradigm Challenge

• • Amount: Up to $100,000
  • Deadline: May 31
  • Eligibility: Youth aged 4–18; create a solution to a real-world problem

4. Shawn Carter Scholarship (Jay-Z Foundation)

• • Amount: Up to $2,500
  • Deadline: May 31
  • Eligibility: High school seniors and college students with financial need

Understanding the Criteria

To help you quickly compare the opportunities, the following table breaks them down by various factors:

Name	Min GPA	Essay Required	Award Range	Special Notes
Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship	None	Yes	$1,000	Must write about cyberbullying prevention
ACF Visionary Scholarship	None	Yes	$1,000–$5,000	Essay on education and career goals
Because College is Expensive	None	No	$500	Random drawing; brief application form
We, the Students Essay Contest	None	Yes	Up to $7,500	Essay on civic themes
OppU Achievers Scholarship	3.0	Yes	$2,500	Focus on academic achievement
MyMozaic Scholarship	None	No	$1,000	Based on MyMozaic profile completeness
Tallo Scholarship	None	No	$1,000	Active profile and optional activity sharing
TUN Scholarship	None	No	$1,000	Monthly sweepstakes format
SuperMoney Literacy Scholarship	None	Yes	$500	Focused on money management and understanding
Cameron Impact Scholarship (Early)	3.7	Yes + Recommendations	Full Tuition	For top-performing leaders

How to Stay Organized in Scholarship Season

Managing multiple scholarships can be overwhelming. Here’s how to simplify your process:

Create a Scholarship Calendar

Staying organized is crucial when juggling multiple scholarship applications, especially when each comes with its own set of eligibility requirements, deadlines, and submission formats. One of the most effective ways to stay on top of your scholarship application schedule is to use a system that works consistently for you—either a digital tool like Google Calendar or a traditional printed planner.

Google Calendar is a compelling resource because it allows you to:

• Create color-coded events for each scholarship deadline
• Set multiple automated reminders (such as one week before and one day before)
• Link directly to application websites or upload documents into the event for easy access
• Sync across your devices so you’re never without your timeline

For those who prefer a more tactile, visual approach, a printed planner or wall calendar can also be a strong choice. Writing things down manually can reinforce memory retention and make it easier to map out your workflow, especially if you enjoy crossing items off a checklist as you complete them.

Whichever method you use, the most essential practice is to mark every scholarship deadline as soon as you discover it. Don’t rely on memory or sticky notes—centralize all key dates in one place. After entering the due date, schedule at least two reminders:

• One week before the deadline, to assess your progress and finalize any documents
• One day before the deadline, submit or double-check your submission

This approach ensures you aren’t caught off guard by an approaching due date and helps reduce the pressure that comes with procrastination. By building in this buffer time, you leave room to gather recommendation letters, request transcripts, proofread essays, or troubleshoot submission portals.

Think of your calendar as more than just a planner—it’s your personal scholarship command center, designed to help you stay calm, organized, and ahead of the curve.

Use Cloud Storage

One of the most overlooked—but essential—steps in preparing successful scholarship applications is maintaining an organized digital filing system. When applying to multiple scholarships, you’ll often reuse similar materials, such as personal statements, recommendation letters, transcripts, resumes, and activity lists. Rather than scrambling through email threads or digging through your desktop each time you need a document, you can save time and stress by storing everything in a centralized, cloud-based platform like Google Drive or Dropbox.

These platforms offer several key advantages:

• Accessibility from any device: Whether you’re on your phone, a school computer, or a library laptop, cloud storage allows you to retrieve or submit your documents instantly.
• Backup and security: Cloud services automatically save your work and protect against data loss, even if your device crashes or is lost.
• Sharing made simple: When scholarship applications require you to submit materials from recommenders or advisors, you can easily share a folder or link with them directly.

To keep things even more streamlined, create a folder for each scholarship you plan to apply for. Within each folder, include:

• The official scholarship guidelines or application PDF (downloaded or copied from the website)
• Your tailored personal statement or essay (specific to that scholarship)
• Any completed application forms or drafts
• Your high school or college transcripts
• Letters of recommendation (or at least a note on who is writing them and the date they were requested)
• A checklist of requirements with due dates

For even greater efficiency, create a master folder titled “Scholarship Applications” and place each scholarship-specific folder within it. This way, you have a clear overview of your application progress while still maintaining a tidy and focused approach at the individual level.

Bonus tip: If you’re writing multiple essays with similar prompts, save versions with names like “Leadership_Essay_Version1” or “CommunityService_Scholarship2025.” This makes it easy to tailor and recycle strong material without duplicating effort.

Having your documents neatly organized and instantly accessible ensures that when it’s time to apply, you’re not hunting for missing files—you’re simply uploading, reviewing, and submitting with confidence.

Track in a Spreadsheet

Include these columns:

• Name of Scholarship
• URL
• Deadline
• Submitted (Yes/No)
• Status (Pending/Won/Lost)
• Notes

Write Reusable Content

Many scholarships ask for similar essays. Keep a master document with essays on topics like:

• “Why I deserve this scholarship”
• “Describe a challenge you overcame.”
• “What are your career goals?”

Where to Find Even More Scholarships

While the scholarships listed above have May deadlines, you should always be on the lookout for new opportunities. Here are the top resources to find scholarships year-round:

• Fastweb.com – Personalized scholarship matches based on your profile
• Scholarships.com – Filters by age, major, GPA, and more
• CollegeBoard BigFuture – Reputable resource tied to SAT and AP testing
• Niche.com – Combines school search and scholarship opportunities
• Cappex.com – College and scholarship search together
• Your school’s financial aid office – Often has lesser-known local options

Final Thoughts

May might feel late in the year, but there are still plenty of meaningful scholarship opportunities available. Whether you’re applying to one or ten, every dollar earned is a dollar saved from loans, part-time jobs, or out-of-pocket costs.

Be diligent, stay organized, and take each application seriously. A $500 award might cover your books. A $1,000 scholarship might cover your housing expenses. Every bit helps.

Next Steps:

1. Choose at least three scholarships from this list that fit your goals and eligibility.
2. Set a deadline reminder for each one.
3. Draft your essays this week and ask someone to review them.
4. Submit early.
5. Repeat the process each month for new opportunities.

Success in scholarships is partly about persistence and partly about strategy. By applying to multiple scholarships, customizing your applications, and keeping everything organized, you maximize your chances of winning meaningful financial support for your college journey.