The Gates Scholarship
Merit + needScholarshipUp to full cost
Financial need is part of how this award is decided, alongside merit.
- Award
- Last-dollar full cost of attendance after other aid and Student Aid Index or college methodology, for up to five years toward a bachelor’s degree.
- Timeline
- Jul 15Phase I: -September 15, 2026. Semifinalists/Phase II open December 1, 2026
- Jan 15, 2027Phase II due . Finalists March 1, 2027
- Mar 1-31, 2027Interviews
- Apr 20, 2027Scholars
- How to apply
- Create a myTGS profile and submit the online Phase I application; invited semifinalists complete Phase II, and finalists interview in person or virtually if no nearby interviewer. Public FAQ does not enumerate the complete phase-specific materials.
- What you'll need
- A separate scholarship application
- An interview
- A finalist round or selection weekend
- Required financial-aid forms (check the program's rules)
- Who can apply
- High school seniors who are Pell-eligible, US citizens or permanent residents, with a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale, planning to enroll full time in a four-year degree at a US accredited not-for-profit college or university.
- Good to know
- Class of 2027 Phase I deadline has passed. Top-10% standing is an ideal-candidate factor, not a mandatory cutoff. No GED route or initial associate-degree transfer route; any major is allowed at a qualifying U.S./territory not-for-profit bachelor’s institution. Annual FAFSA, renewal form/current transcripts, each-term enrollment verification and satisfactory academic progress are required; approved deferral up to one year carries no funding.
- Details
- Need requiredPermanent residents eligibleBefore Early Action