Scholarships & FAFSA

This page will be updated throughout the year as organizations provide scholarship opportunities. Please check back often!

The Rockwall ISD Local Scholarship will open December 18, 2026 with a Deadline of January 2027. Specific dates and more information will be coming soon.

Class of 2027 Scholarship Newsletter- September Edition:
https://app.smore.com/n/u41vk

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2026-2027 SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION WE'VE RECEIVED:

Masonic Children and Family Services of Texas Scholarship:

All graduating high school seniors who are Texas residents and ready to pursue higher education are eligible to apply. Masonic affiliation is a positive factor considered during the selection process, but it is not a requirement. $2,500 deposited directly into the student’s college, university, or trade school account. Funds may be used for tuition and fees and expire after four years. Number of Awards: 200 annually. The application window opens on October 1st and closes on March 1st annually. Winners are notified by email on April 15th. Apply here

The Hagan Scholarship: The Hagan Scholarship is a needs-based scholarship for goal-driven seniors. Scholarship Criteria:

unweighted 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 Grading scale
enroll in a 4 year univeristy for the 2027 Fall semester
Must work 240 hours from 1/1/27 to 9/1/27
Award recipients will receive $2,000 to purchase essential college items
Award recipeints will be aligible to receive up to $7,500 each semester
Parents 2024 AGI must not exceed $125,000
Application deadline: 12/1/2026
Scholarships will be awarded in May 2027
Apply: https://haganscholarships.org

Swami Dayanand USA Scholarships: supporting motivated high school students in pursuing their dream of a college education. Many bright students have the talent and determination, but financial barriers hold them back — and that’s where we step in.

What the scholarship offers:

Up to $20,000 over 4 years (renewable annually at $5,000/year)
Open to students planning to attend any accredited U.S. college
Recognition for resilience, service, and academic drive
A supportive network of mentors and peers
With 50% of awards reserved for young women in Texas

The application deadline is December 31, 2025.

For Application and Details:

Website:swamidayanand.org/usascholarships
Phone: +1 281-980-0325
Email: coordinator@swamidayanand.org

The Andrew S. Mathers Scholarship is to help aid one winner that shows merit, grit, financial need, and good academic standing. As an estate planning attorney and a father, I’ve seen the financial impact on families with the soaring costs of college.

Eligibility: Students enrolled in high school or college. Scholarship applicants can either mail or email in their application. Please include all of the following with your application:

Provide a 500-word minimum essay on the value of hard work and what it has taught you
School transcripts
Employment history
Headshot

Applications by email: Please send your documents to scholarship@andrewmatherslaw.com.

Deadline: All entries must be submitted by September 1, 2026. The scholarship winner will be notified by telephone & will receive a check via certified mail in their name no later than October 1

Be The Boss Scholarship future female entrepreneurs. The scholarship supports young female students around the world who dream of starting their own business. Apply by the scholarship deadline for a chance to receive an award. Scholarships are limited and awarded to selected applicants each term.

Eligibility: Young women with a business idea or a newly launched business. The scholarship is open to both current female entrepreneurs and those who simply have a strong idea and the drive to start one. As long as you can provide a clear business plan, we encourage you to apply.

Deadline: All entries must be submitted by September 15, 2026. The scholarship award is $2,000.

Because College is Expensive Scholarship: It's no secret that college is expensive. It's also no secret that applying to scholarships is often a time-consuming and stressful process. For these reasons, we created the "Because College Is Expensive" $500 scholarship.

Eligibility: The “Because College is Expensive” Scholarship is open to high school sophomores and above, college students, and graduate school students. Deadline: All entries must be submitted by September 30, 2026. The scholarship award is $500.

The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective, last-dollar scholarship for outstanding high school seniors from low-income households. Each year, the scholarship is awarded to exceptional student leaders, with the intent of helping them realize their maximum potential.

Eligibility: A high school senior, Pell-eligible, a US citizen or permanent resident, and must be in good academic standing with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale (or equivalent) Additionally, a student must plan to enroll full-time, in a four-year degree program, at a US accredited, not-for-profit, private or public college or university. All entries must be submitted by September 15, 2026. Award Amount: Scholars will receive funding for the full cost of attendance* that is not already covered by other financial aid and the Student Aid Index, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), or the methodology used by a Scholar’s college or university.

*Cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, books, housing and food, and may include additional personal costs.

Cashtelligent Financial Literacy Scholarship designed to encourage students to increase their financial literacy skills, adopt positive habits for managing their personal finances both in college and beyond, and to support students with their higher education needs.

Eligibility: Applicants must be high school or college students, graduate school students, adult students or parents of a student enrolled or planning to enroll in any accredited college in the U.S. There are no requirements for field of study. The award amount is $1,000 and may be used at any college to study any major. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2026

Don't Text and Drive Scholarship helps you understand the risks of texting while driving.

Eligibility: You must be a high school freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior or a current or entering college or graduate school student of any level. Home schooled students are also eligible. There is no age limit. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal resident. The deadline to apply is September 30, 2026 to coincide with September's No Texting while Driving Day. The scholarship award is $1,000.

The Return2College Scholarship is a $1,000 award designed to support students pursuing higher education, whether they are just beginning college or returning to school.

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or legal residents, at least 17 years old, and either currently enrolled full- or part-time in college or graduate school or planning to begin a higher education program within the next 12 months. There is no maximum age limit, making this opportunity available to both traditional and nontraditional students. To apply, students complete a short application and answer the question “Why are you getting your degree?” in three sentences or fewer. The first-place recipient will receive a $1,000 scholarship, which can be paid directly to the student or their designated school. The next application deadline is September 30, 2026.

Building Bridges Scholarship is for students who are committed to volunteering and making a difference in their communities.

Eligibility:

Be a high school junior or senior, undergraduate student, or graduate student
Have a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 system
Recipients must provide an official transcript confirming their reported GPA and proof of enrollment. No transcript or proof of enrollment is required until after students are selected as winners.

The scholarship award amount is $1,000 and the deadline to apply is September 30, 2026.

The Home Depot Foundation Path to Pro Scholarship provides $2,500 scholarships to students pursuing education and training for careers in the skilled trades.

Eligibility: Applicants must be a high school senior, high school graduate, or GED recipient and must plan to enroll—or already be enrolled within one year—in an approved trade-related program at an accredited two-year school or institution in the United States, including technical or vocational schools, community colleges, and training centers. Eligible career paths include carpentry, construction management, electrical, HVAC, and plumbing. The next deadline to apply is September 30, 2026. Winners are typically notified approximately four to six weeks after each deadline, and scholarship funds must be used within one year of acceptance and are paid directly to the recipient’s school or training center.

QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship is your pathway to opportunity.

Eligiblity: Through QuestBridge, high-achieving students from low-income backgrounds can apply for free for early admission and a full four-year scholarship at our 55 college partners. The National College Match application gives you extra space to showcase your unique talents, story, and determination. This allows our 55 college partners to see how you have excelled academically despite financial hardship. Match Scholarships are provided directly by our college partners. The Match Scholarship covers the full cost of attendance, including:

Tuition and fees
Housing and food
Books and supplies
Travel expenses

The deadline to apply is Thursday, October 1 2026.

College JumpStart Scholarship is an annual, merit-based competition— financial need is not considered—that is open to 10th-12th graders, college students and non-traditional students. The main requirement is that you are committed to going to school and can express your goals for getting a higher education. The first place prize is a $1,000 scholarship to help cover educational expenses. This award can be used at any college or university in the United States.

Eligibility:

Current student (high school 10th-12th or college) or planning to enter college within the next 12 months
U.S. citizen or legal resident
Complete the online application including the personal statement
Financial need is not considered nor are grades or test scores

The deadline to apply is December 31, 2026.

The Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest gives high school and college students the opportunity to earn an $8,000 college scholarship by sharing the story of someone in their community who has inspired them in an extraordinary way. Applicants may submit either a written essay of 500 words or fewer or a video essay of no more than three minutes.

Eligibility: Students must be at least 16 years old, have a minimum 2.0 GPA, be a legal U.S. resident of an eligible state—including Texas—and have at least one year or 18 semester hours remaining before completing an undergraduate degree; students who have not yet started college must begin by the 2027–2028 academic year. The contest is held quarterly, with four $8,000 scholarships awarded each quarter. The remaining 2026 deadlines are September 30, 2026 and December 31, 2026. Scholarship funds are paid to the winner's designated accredited college and may be used toward undergraduate tuition and other college-related expenses.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RISD now partners with the VU Scholarship Program!

We are thrilled to share a new scholarship identification opportunity for your current Rockwall ISD junior or senior student. Rockwall ISD is partnering with VU (pronounced view) Scholarships Program, which matches academic accomplishments with corresponding post-secondary scholarship offers from colleges, universities, and other post-secondary institutions with whom VU Scholarships has partnered. It is a great way to see what opportunities are available for a student! Once a student has the list of opportunities, it is up to the student to decide if they would like to apply for admission to that post-secondary institution.

Excited about the opportunities for your child? So are we. With your consent to participate in the VU Scholarships Program, Rockwall ISD will provide Student Data to VU Scholarships so that the matching and identification process may begin. This year students will be made aware of their financial offerings early in September.

Parents, you must complete the electronic consent form for your student to participate.

We are excited to see the future unfold with scholarship opportunities. For more information on VU Scholarships, please visit their parent page at www.vuscholarships.com/parent

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FAFSA (Opens October 1^st):

Federal Student Aid - U.S. Department of Education
RISD will host parent FAFSA help nights this fall. More info with specific dates will be coming soon.

My Texas Future has lots of good info on financial aid:

Mrs. Thrash- Scholarship help! Our RHS Students have had great success learning from and partnering with Mrs. Sarah Thrash- a College Readiness and Scholarship expert! Please check out how she can help your student! Mrs. Thrash's Scholarship Website

Attention Seniors: We were recognized as a Distinguished HS for SFASU! All Application Fees are waived, Top 30% Automatically Admitted, Top 10% receive $5000 scholarship each year, and Top 11-25% receive $3000 each year. Flyer for more info!

Attention Seniors: The UT System (UT Austin & ALL UT Satellite schools) has expanded the Promise Plus free tuition and fees program! Now all undergraduate students who are admitted and have a family income of $100,000 or less will receive free tuition! Website for more info!

Check your university scholarship sites! We encourage you to check the website of specific universities to which you are applying! They contain a wealth of information, such as scholarships provided by the university based on GPA & test scores, holistic scholarships, essay-based scholarships, and scholarships within specific majors. Most scholarships awarded to RHS students are found through these university resources.

Information regarding student loans: