November is a key month for early-deadline scholarships and competitive programs. Awards tied to early admission, honors colleges, or specific majors often require applications around this time, so it’s important to keep an eye on dates and submit early whenever possible.
This snapshot is built from CollegeWhale’s scholarship database and focuses on awards with November deadlines. It’s a month-by-month view of scholarships and grants so you can see what’s coming up, which awards you still have time to apply for, and how to plan your application workload across the year.
The CollegeWhale Scholarship FastFind™ makes it easy to discover scholarships with November deadlines — fast. Filter by award amount, deadline month, and estimated time to apply, then instantly download your personalized list. No sign-ups, no personal info, no spam — just real, verified scholarships.
The $1,000 Dorm Survey Scholarship from Uloop offers an easy opportunity for students to earn financial support simply by completing a brief survey about their dorm experience, student housing preferences, or campus living environment. This scholarship is designed to gather
Award: $1,000 Deadline: November Est. Time: Med (~33 min)
The Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture is one of the world’s most prestigious awards recognizing individuals whose ideas have profoundly shaped human self-understanding and advanced fundamental thinking about culture, society, ethics and the human condition. Administered by the Berggruen
Award: $1,000,000 Deadline: November Est. Time: Low (~13 min)
The Intro Journals Project Award run by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs gives students enrolled in AWP member creative writing programs the chance to have their prose or poetry published in prominent literary journals. The project is designed
Award: $100 Deadline: November Est. Time: Low (~13 min)
The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship supports Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences whose dissertations address questions of religious understanding, ethics, or values. Applicants must be in the final stage of writing their dissertation and enrolled at
Award: $31,000 Deadline: November Est. Time: Med (~58 min)
The Jackson Energy Scholarship Essay Contest awards eight $2,000 scholarships each year to outstanding high school seniors who demonstrate academic achievement and community involvement. The program supports students within Jackson Energy Cooperative’s service area who plan to continue their education
Award: $2,000 Deadline: November Est. Time: Med (~43 min)
The VFW “Sport Clips Help A Hero” Scholarship provides financial support to service members and veterans, helping them achieve their educational goals without incurring excessive student loan debt. Scholarships are awarded up to $5,000 per qualified applicant and are limited
Award: $5,000 Deadline: April Est. Time: Low (~10 min)
The Dorothy M. Catana Magee Scholarship is an annual award given to outstanding students pursuing a degree in occupational therapy. Designed to honor the legacy of Dorothy M. Catana Magee, this scholarship supports students who demonstrate academic promise and a
Award: $1,000 Deadline: November Est. Time: Med (~45 min)
The Bachrach Family Scholarship for Excellence in Healthcare Administration is an endowed scholarship offered through AUPHA (Association of University Programs in Health Administration), created to honor the education legacy of David and Linda Bachrach. It supports graduate students in healthcare
Award: $6,000 Deadline: November Est. Time: High (~96 min)
The BigFuture Scholarships program, run by College Board through their BigFuture platform, encourages high school students to actively prepare for college and careers. Students earn entries into monthly drawings by completing specific college‑planning tasks online—no essay, test score, minimum GPA,
Award: $500 Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~43 min)
The Innovation in Education Scholarship is provided monthly by LA Tutors 123. It aims to honor high‑school and college students who demonstrate creativity and innovation in projects that benefit others—such as developing new apps, organizing community fundraisers, launching blogs, or
Award: $500 Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~63 min)
The Edvisors $2,500 Monthly Scholarship is a sweepstakes-style award open to high school and college students in (or planning to attend) a U.S. college or university. No GPA requirement, no essays—just a quick entry for a chance to win. Edvisors
Award: $2,500 Deadline: April Est. Time: Med (~43 min)
The AFCEA War Veterans Scholarship, in partnership with the AFCEA NOVA chapter, is dedicated to providing academic support to U.S. military personnel, including active duty and honorably discharged veterans. This merit-based scholarship is designed to help military personnel and veterans
Award: $2,500 Deadline: November Est. Time: Med (~48 min)This comprehensive collection of November scholarships and grants for the 2026 - 2027 school years is curated from our regularly updated databases. To explore all available scholarship matches, visit our Scholarship Database and Grant Database, which both offer easy-to-use filters, current deadlines, and detailed eligibility information to help you discover the best November scholarship opportunities.
Committees love November because it’s the last quiet month before the holidays and before students get lost in final exams. They use this window to focus on deeper questions — leadership, impact, identity, purpose — because they know applicants are still mentally sharp enough to produce thoughtful essays. November is also when early-action college results begin to roll in, and students naturally think more deeply about their future, which produces richer writing. Many writers don’t consciously notice it, but November essays tend to have a “turning point” quality — a sense of looking back at the year while simultaneously looking forward. Reviewers enjoy that blend of hindsight and anticipation, which is why so many essay competitions close this month.
Pro Tip:
Tell a story that takes place in the fall or early school year — it naturally aligns with the season and feels grounded and relevant.
Definitely — November is essentially the essay-writer’s Super Bowl. Many of the scholarships closing this month heavily prioritize narrative depth, clarity of thought, and emotional resonance. They’re not looking for polished literary masterpieces; they’re looking for honest, well-observed writing from students who know how to connect their experiences to their goals. Students with strong storytelling instincts often outperform academically stronger peers this month because committees value maturity of voice as much as metrics. If you can write an essay that feels alive — not formulaic — November can be one of your most successful months.
Pro Tip:
Write your first draft without trying to impress anyone. The first draft should be for you; the second is for the committee.
Many do. November is when foundations finalize their year-end budgets, which often leads to particularly generous awards. Committees want to close out the year with meaningful impact, and that often translates into higher-value scholarships. Some organizations also launch holiday-season philanthropic initiatives, which bring additional donor funds into the pool. And because December and January are famously chaotic for students, November becomes the ideal month for awarding larger prizes while applicant quality is still high.
Pro Tip:
Look for scholarships labeled “foundation,” “trust,” or “endowment.” These tend to be the highest-value opportunities in November.
Reviewed by CollegeWhale Editorial Team on November, 2025. Content is updated regularly to reflect current scholarship deadlines and verified data from official sources.
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