The Gates Scholarship

About this scholarship

The Gates Scholarship is a highly selective, last-dollar award for exceptional high-school seniors from low-income U.S. households. For the 2027 cohort, the application opened July 15, 2026 and closes September 15. Funding covers the portion of a scholar’s full cost of attendance that remains after other financial aid and the Student Aid Index calculated through the FAFSA or the college’s methodology. The official definition includes tuition, fees, books, housing and food, and may include additional personal costs. Applicants must be Pell-eligible U.S. citizens or permanent residents, be in good academic standing, and hold at least a 3.3 cumulative weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent. They must plan full-time enrollment in a four-year degree program at an accredited, not-for-profit public or private U.S. college or university. The current official basic-eligibility list does not impose a race or ethnicity requirement, so this record does not repeat older third-party descriptions that did. The sponsor describes an ideal candidate as academically outstanding—often in the top ten percent of the graduating class—with demonstrated leadership and exceptional personal success skills such as motivation, perseverance, and emotional maturity. After the first application, semifinalist work runs December 2026 through January 2027, finalist interviews occur in March, and selections are announced in April.

Eligibility

• Be a current high-school senior
• Be eligible for the federal Pell Grant
• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States
• Be in good academic standing with at least a 3.3 cumulative weighted GPA on a 4.0 scale or the equivalent
• Plan full-time enrollment in a four-year degree program
• Attend an accredited, not-for-profit public or private college or university in the United States
• Complete a myTGS profile and submit the official application by September 15, 2026