Online programs for high school students.
Programs, courses and competitions you can do from home, wherever you live.
54 opportunities, 42 free · Links and programs checked October 18, 2026 · By Lokesh Pampatti, founder of Clarity Prep
54 of 54 shown
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
Amazon
Scholarship and internship for students pursuing computer science.
Our take: $40,000 over four years plus a guaranteed paid Amazon internship after freshman year. For low-income seniors planning to major in CS or engineering.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Breakthrough Junior Challenge
Breakthrough Prize Foundation
Global video competition for ages 13–18.
Our take: A three-minute video explaining a scientific idea. The winner gets a $250,000 scholarship; finalists are a real distinction. Thousands enter, so make it genuinely good.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Cameron Impact Scholarship
Bryan Cameron Education Foundation
Full-tuition merit scholarship for seniors with a record of leadership and service.
Our take: Full four-year merit scholarship, 10–15 recipients, no income requirement. Almost nobody knows about the May junior-year window.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Coca-Cola Scholars Program
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
Achievement-based scholarship for seniors with a leadership and service record.
Our take: Atlanta-based, $20,000, 150 scholars from about 100,000 applicants. The first-round form is short, so the odds are bad but the cost of trying is low.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
College Prep Scholars Program
QuestBridge
Junior-year program for high-achieving, low-income students, feeding into the National College Match.
Our take: For low-income juniors. Winning gets you essay coaching, campus visits, and a leg up in the National College Match senior year.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
College Scholarship Program
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
One of the largest need-based merit scholarships in the country.
Our take: Up to $55,000 a year for high-achieving seniors with financial need (family income roughly under $95,000). Comes with advising through college.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Congressional App Challenge
U.S. House of Representatives
Build an app, submit a demo video, compete within your district.
Our take: One winner per congressional district, so your odds are far better than a national contest. Winners are recognized by their representative and shown in the Capitol.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Coolidge Scholarship
Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation
Full-tuition merit scholarship awarded to juniors, usable anywhere.
Our take: Full ride to any U.S. college, applied for as a junior. A handful of winners a year; the finalist and senator tiers are also real distinctions.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Davidson Fellows Scholarship
Davidson Institute
Scholarships for students 18 and under who have completed a significant piece of work in their field.
Our take: $10,000 to $50,000 for a significant completed project. Only worth it if you have graduate-level work; if you do, few things read better.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Dell Scholars Program
Michael & Susan Dell Foundation
Scholarship with wraparound support for low-income students in college-readiness programs.
Our take: $20,000 plus a laptop, textbook credits, and support staff through graduation. You must be in an approved college-readiness program (AVID, Upward Bound, etc.) and Pell-eligible.
ProgramFreeOnline
Distance Math Program
Georgia Tech School of Mathematics
Georgia Tech mathematics courses delivered to Georgia high schools for students who have exhausted their school's math.
Our take: For Georgia students who have finished AP Calculus BC: Georgia Tech math (Calc III, linear algebra, and beyond) through dual enrollment. A rare and specific signal.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Emory Scholars Program
Emory University
Merit scholarship program at Emory, with an early application requirement.
Our take: Full and partial merit scholarships at Emory. You have to apply by mid-November, which is earlier than Regular Decision.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
U.S. Department of Education FAFSA
U.S. Department of Education
The federal financial aid application.
Our take: Not a scholarship, the door to all of them: Pell Grants, work-study, HOPE, and most institutional aid depend on it. File it the week it opens.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Foundation Fellowship
University of Georgia
UGA's premier undergraduate scholarship, with the Bernard Ramsey Honors Scholarship as the second tier.
Our take: UGA's top scholarship: full cost, funded travel and research, about 25 a year. For Georgia students it is one of the best deals in the country. Requires the separate application.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Global High School Investment Competition
Wharton Global Youth Program
Teams manage a simulated $100,000 portfolio and write a strategy for a fictional client.
Our take: Free, run by Wharton, with a written investment strategy judged by professionals. Semifinalist is a real line for a business applicant.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships
Georgia Student Finance Commission
Georgia's lottery-funded merit scholarships for in-state tuition.
Our take: Georgia pays most (HOPE, 3.0 GPA) or all (Zell Miller, 3.7 GPA plus a 1200 SAT or 25 ACT) of tuition at public colleges. The most money most Georgia students will ever get for the least paperwork.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Horatio Alger Scholarship
Horatio Alger Association
National and state scholarships up to $25,000 for students who have overcome adversity.
Our take: For students who have faced real adversity and have financial need (household income under about $55,000). Junior-year deadline in late October; many eligible students never hear of it.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarship
Jackie Robinson Foundation
Four-year scholarship and leadership development for minority students.
Our take: Up to $35,000 over four years plus intensive mentoring for minority seniors with financial need. The support program is the real prize.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Jefferson Scholarship
University of Virginia
UVA's flagship merit scholarship, by school nomination.
Our take: Full cost at UVA plus enrichment. Nomination comes from your high school, so the ask has to happen early.
CompetitionFreeOnline
MathWorks Math Modeling (M3) Challenge
SIAM
Teams of 3–5 juniors and seniors solve an open modeling problem in 14 hours.
Our take: Free, team-based, and the finalists win real scholarship money. Applied math, not olympiad math; good for engineers.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Morehead-Cain Scholarship
UNC Chapel Hill
Full four-year scholarship with summer enrichment at UNC.
Our take: The first merit scholarship in the country and still one of the best: full cost plus four funded summers. Out-of-state students can be nominated.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
National College Match
QuestBridge
Binding early match to 50+ top colleges with full scholarships.
Our take: For low-income seniors: rank up to 15 partner colleges and, if matched, get a full four-year scholarship with an early-decision commitment. Late September deadline.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Regeneron Science Talent Search
Society for Science
Nationwide competition for original research by high school seniors; 300 scholars, 40 finalists.
Our take: The oldest and most prestigious research competition for seniors. You need completed original research by November of senior year, which means starting as a sophomore or junior.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Robertson Scholars Leadership Program
Duke University and UNC Chapel Hill
Joint Duke–UNC full scholarship and leadership program.
Our take: Full ride at Duke or UNC with three funded summers and access to both campuses. Separate application in November.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Ron Brown Scholar Program
Ron Brown Scholar Fund
Scholarship and leadership program for African American high school seniors.
Our take: $40,000 over four years for Black seniors, plus a lifelong network. Small class, strong alumni community.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Stamps Scholarship
Stamps Scholars Program (partner universities)
Full-cost merit scholarships at 30+ partner universities.
Our take: Full ride plus enrichment funds at partner universities, which include Georgia Tech and UGA. At most partners there is no separate form; you have to apply early.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
The Gates Scholarship
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Last-dollar scholarship covering the full cost of college for high-achieving, low-income minority students.
Our take: Full cost of attendance for 300 Pell-eligible minority seniors a year. Mid-September deadline; start the essays in summer.
Research & internshipsFreeOnline
THINK Scholars
MIT THINK
Student-run program that funds and mentors high school STEM projects.
Our take: You propose a project; MIT students mentor it and fund up to $1,000. The proposal is a real piece of writing; give it weeks.
CompetitionFreeOnline
USA Computing Olympiad
USACO
Algorithmic programming contests in four divisions, open to anyone.
Our take: Free, online, self-paced, and Gold or Platinum division is one of the clearest CS signals there is. Start in Bronze as a freshman.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
Alliance for Young Artists & Writers
Awards in 28 categories of art and writing for grades 7–12. Fee waivers available.
Our take: The oldest and most recognized award for teen artists and writers. A Gold Key at the regional level is worth listing; a national medal is a headline.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
The Concord Review
The Concord Review
Publishes serious academic history essays by secondary students worldwide.
Our take: The only quarterly journal publishing high school history essays, and admissions offices know it. A 5,000-word research paper is the entry fee.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
National YoungArts Foundation YoungArts
National YoungArts Foundation
National competition across ten artistic disciplines.
Our take: The top arts award for ages 15–18, and the only path to the U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts. If you are a serious artist, this is the one.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Diamond Challenge
University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship
Global business and social venture pitch competition for high school students.
Our take: Free pitch competition with $100,000 in total prizes. A real venture idea beats a clever one.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Equitable Excellence Scholarship
Equitable Foundation
Scholarship for seniors who have made a difference in their community.
Our take: $5,000 or $25,000 for community impact. It closes after a fixed number of applications, so early beats good.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
GE-Reagan Foundation Scholarship
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation
Renewable $40,000 scholarship for seniors who demonstrate leadership, drive, integrity, and citizenship.
Our take: $10,000 a year for four years, about 40 recipients. Leadership and character essays; a strong fit for student-government types.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
HSF Scholar Program
Hispanic Scholarship Fund
Scholarships and support for students of Hispanic heritage.
Our take: $500 to $5,000, thousands of awards a year, and the Scholar designation comes with conferences and career support.
CompetitionFreeOnline
John Locke Institute Essay Competition
John Locke Institute
Essay competition in philosophy, politics, economics, history, psychology, theology, and law.
Our take: Popular on admissions forums and run by a for-profit summer school. A shortlist or a prize means something; entering does not, and a "commendation" is given to many.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Live Más Scholarship
Taco Bell Foundation
Video-based scholarship for ages 16–26.
Our take: A two-minute video about your passion, no grades or essays. $5,000 to $25,000; unusual because it rewards students the traditional forms miss.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Most Valuable Student Scholarship
Elks National Foundation
Large national scholarship competition run through local Elks lodges.
Our take: 500 awards from $1,000 to $50,000 a year, judged on need, leadership, and scholarship. Real money with a mid-November deadline.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Ocean Awareness Contest
Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
Annual creative competition for ages 11–18.
Our take: Art, writing, film, music, or poetry about the ocean and climate, with real scholarship awards. Good for a creative student who cares about the environment.
ProgramFreeOnline
Pathways (summer program)
Girls Who Code
Free virtual summer program (it replaced the Summer Immersion Program) with tracks like web development, data science and AI, game design and cybersecurity, for high school girls and nonbinary students.
Our take: A good free start if you have not coded before. Common enough that the value is what you build next, not the line itself.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Student Contests
The New York Times Learning Network
Rotating contests in editorial writing, reviews, podcasts, photo essays, and more.
Our take: Free, frequent, and winners get published by The New York Times. The editorial, review, and STEM writing contests are the most useful.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Technovation Girls
Technovation
Technology entrepreneurship program and competition for girls ages 8–18.
Our take: Build an app and a business plan around a community problem, in a team of girls with a mentor. Free, well-structured, global.
CompetitionFreeOnline
Young Writers Awards
Bennington College
Poetry, fiction, and nonfiction awards for grades 10–12.
Our take: Free to enter, judged by Bennington's writing faculty, real cash prizes. One of the cleaner writing awards.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
Conrad Challenge
Conrad Foundation
Multi-phase innovation and entrepreneurship competition for ages 13–18.
Our take: Invent a product in aerospace, energy, health, or cyber and defend the business case. Finalists pitch at the Innovation Summit.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
Air & Space Forces Association CyberPatriot
Air & Space Forces Association
National youth cyber defense competition.
Our take: Cybersecurity in teams, online rounds through the fall and winter. Platinum tier and national finals are the lines that count.
CompetitionUnder $1kOnline
COMAP HiMCM
COMAP
Teams write a modeling paper on a real-world problem over several days.
Our take: The high school version of the college modeling contest. Outstanding designations are rare and mean something.
ProgramUnder $1kOnline
The Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship Program
The Adroit Journal
Online mentorship pairing young writers with established poets and prose writers.
Our take: One-on-one with a published writer, online, low cost with waivers. Best value in youth writing.
Research & internshipsOver $5kOnline
Pioneer Research Program
Pioneer Academics
Structured online research program with faculty mentors and a final paper.
Our take: Online research with a professor, graded, with a credit option through Oberlin. It is paid, but more selective and more rigorous than most in this category.
ScholarshipFreeOnline
Burger King Scholars
Burger King Foundation
Thousands of small scholarships for seniors, employees, and their families.
Our take: Mostly $1,000 awards, a huge applicant pool, and a quick form. Worth thirty minutes, not more.
Program$1k–5kOnline
Inspirit AI AI Scholars
Inspirit AI
Online AI courses and project mentorship for high school students.
Our take: A paid class taught by graduate students, not a selective program. Fine for learning; do not expect it to read as an achievement.
Research & internships$1k–5kOnline
Ladder Internships
Ladder
Paid placement into remote startup internships.
Our take: You pay to intern at a startup. Cold-emailing twenty local companies costs nothing and reads better.
Research & internships$1k–5kOnline
Polygence
Polygence
Paid project-based research mentorship.
Our take: Same model as Lumiere. If you use one of these, the output has to stand on its own: a publication, a competition entry, something a reader can verify.
Research & internships$1k–5kOnline
Lumiere Education Research Scholar Program
Lumiere Education
Paid one-on-one research mentorship ending in an independent paper.
Our take: You pay a PhD student to mentor a paper. The paper can be real work, but admissions readers know the model.
“Helps an application” is our read on how much an admissions reader is likely to weigh it: Strong means getting in or placing is a real achievement, Solid means it shows real interest and effort, and Light usually means most students who apply and pay can attend. It’s our opinion, not a ranking from any college, and a light one can still be a great summer.
Want a list picked for you?
Clarity Prep members get opportunities matched to their grade, interests and state in the app, plus a mentor who helps them decide what’s worth applying to and checks in every week until the applications are in.
Free tools: GPA calculator · chances calculator · college acceptance rates · essay grader
Every program here is real and links to its own official site. Dates, costs and rules change every year, so check the official page before you apply. Deadlines are shown as the months they usually close. Spot something out of date? Email sessions@joinclarityprep.com.