Money and programs you may qualify for, for students, parents, and business owners across DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Tell us a little and we narrow it to you, then apply on the official source.
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Community fit43 opportunities, including returning
Hide returning/closedUp to $7,395
Eligibility is determined through FAFSA and federal Pell rules; generally for undergraduates with financial need who have not earned certain degrees
$1.4 million fund supporting eligible festivals and outdoor special events
Organizers of qualifying events celebrating DC culture, supporting communities and generating economic impact
Deadline: September 1, 2026
Need- and merit-based scholarship; award amount varies
Full-time high school or undergraduate students in DC, Maryland or Virginia; students elsewhere in the U.S. can qualify if parents live and file taxes in the DMV; graduate and international students excluded
Deadline: October 23, 2026
Up to $12,500
DC junior or senior in 2026-27; permanent U.S. resident; parent/guardian legal DC resident; active qualifying elected/appointed leadership role
Deadline: October 27, 2026
Up to $500,000
Eligible DC-based businesses seeking to acquire and owner-occupy commercial property; intended occupancy at least 7 years
Up to $3,000
Dependent of eligible NASE member; detailed current scholarship rules apply
Up to $1,000
Business must be at least 51% women-owned, registered in the U.S., and have less than $1 million in gross revenue; focused on under-resourced women including women of color
Up to $4,000
NASE member meeting program requirements; grants support hiring, marketing, equipment, software and other business-growth needs
Competitive summer enrichment support; exact program benefit depends on placement
DC students meeting OSSE Scholars academic/program criteria; two-part application process
Deadline: November 6, 2026
Multiple scholarships with varying awards; Fall 2026 scholarship cycle announced as opening soon
Paid NSBE membership; scholarship-specific academic/residency criteria; GPA generally 2.5+
Deadline: February 26, 2027
Up to $10,000
NSBE member; U.S. citizen; specified classifications and majors; 2.0 minimum GPA
Up to $5,000
NSBE member; U.S. citizen; qualifying classification and major; 3.0 minimum GPA
Up to $1,000
NSBE Jr. member/high-school senior; U.S. citizen or permanent resident; 2.5 minimum GPA
Covers one year of AFP global and DC chapter membership; 22 scholarships available during 2026
Applicants demonstrate financial need and career applicability; volunteer on AFP DC committee; categories include general, young professional, emerging leaders and IDEA
Rolling after priority deadline until exhausted / verify remaining
Up to $50,000
Business located within or along border of an eligible Great Streets corridor and in good standing with relevant DC/federal agencies
Recurring / verify current cycle
Up to $5,000
NSBE member; Region 4; U.S. citizen; sophomore, junior or senior; Mechanical Engineering; 2.8 minimum GPA
Catalog active / cycle timing through NSBE
Up to $1,500
DC residents who are returning citizens and/or justice-involved, do not hold an active DC basic business license, and are in business concept/ideation stage
2026 intake / verify current capacity
Competitive R&D funding; amounts vary by agency/program
Small businesses meeting individual federal program requirements
Recurring / verify cycle
Five scholarships covering Bridge Conference registration
AFP DC member in good standing; financial need; conference applicability; one-year committee service commitment
Closed / check spring 2027
Up to $1,000
African-American high-school senior in specified DC/MD/VA counties/cities pursuing engineering, computer science, mathematics, technology or applied science
Closed / expected annual return
Up to $2,750
Student attending accredited college/university who self-identifies as child of a disabled Booz Allen employee or as a disabled child of an employee; STEM and disability-community impact preferred
Inactive for 2026 / monitor future cycles
Multiple STEM scholarships; award amounts vary by named fund
U.S. citizen/permanent resident; MWCOG resident; graduating senior; no full-tuition scholarship; enroll full-time in eligible STEM degree
Closed / expected annual return
Multiple grants; FY26 aggregate funding up to $1,000,000, award size varies
Occupy/intend to occupy DC commercial space; at least 5 employees; create at least 5 new jobs over two years; high-growth sectors preferred
Closed / expected recurring cycle
$3,000–$12,000
Legal dependent children age 16-25 of full- or part-time Booz Allen Hamilton employees; enrolled/accepted in U.S. undergraduate degree program; academic and citizenship criteria
Closed / expected annual return
Up to $2,500
APWA Mid-Atlantic member or member dependent enrolled/intending full-time undergraduate or graduate study and primarily residing in Mid-Atlantic chapter area
Closed / expected annual return
Up to $1,000
APWA chapter member working in Mid-Atlantic region and enrolled/intending part- or full-time accredited study; public-works-related coursework preferred
Closed / expected annual return
Up to $2,000
Member of a Maryland or DC-based credit union, or a credit union affiliated with the MD|DC Credit Union Association; entering freshman through senior year of college or trade school; no postgraduate study
Closed / 2027 cycle expected
Up to $5,000
Full-time 2026-27 student at accredited U.S. college; 3.0 GPA; U.S. citizen; MD/DC/PA/VA resident or Tower FCU member/immediate family
Closed / expected annual return
Up to $1,008
Graduating senior from Maryland or Washington, DC high school enrolling in accredited 2- or 4-year college, university or technical school in fall 2026
Closed / 2026 winners posted
Grant funding for projects that strengthen DC's technology ecosystem
Eligible projects support creation, incubation, acceleration, relocation or growth of DC technology companies
Closed / expected annual or successor cycle
$500–$1,000
USPS FCU member age 17-23; high-school senior or college student
Closed / expected annual return
Up to $1,000
USPS FCU adult learner/member meeting current program eligibility; designed for members returning to school later in life
Closed / expected annual return
Up to $50,000
Brick-and-mortar DC restaurants and retailers meeting program loss and eligibility rules; preference noted for businesses with >10% 2025 revenue loss
Closed / historical cycle
Short-term relief for documented operating costs impacted by construction
Small businesses impacted by specified DDOT construction near Pennsylvania Ave SE, Potomac Ave SE and 8th St SE corridor
Closed / expected successor monitoring
FY26 program pool up to $125,000; awards may recur annually up to five years subject to funding/certification
Small businesses with or signing a lease of at least five years in Chinatown and maintaining/enhancing neighborhood cultural heritage
Closed / expected successor monitoring
Up to $250,000
For-profit or nonprofit organization with experience supporting international entrepreneurs/startups; physical DC presence or plan to establish one
Closed / expected successor monitoring
Program pool up to $350,000 total
Qualified small businesses with/signing qualifying long-term leases in Rhode Island Avenue corridor and offering community/foot-traffic benefits
Closed / historical cycle
Annual scholarship for incoming/current college and graduate students of Eritrean descent
Of Eritrean descent; attend a U.S.-based institution; incoming/current college or graduate student; previous EDN scholarship recipients excluded for this cycle
Closed / expected annual return
Multi-year performance-based incentive; award varies by project
Company relocating to or expanding in DC; preference for substantial commercial-space commitment and job creation
Closed / expected recurring cycle
Up to $15,000
DC residents meeting citizenship/eligible noncitizen and institution requirements
Closed
Up to $4,000
Eligibility includes specified DC high-school/GED/NEDP pathways; verify full rules
Closed
Last-dollar scholarship plus coaching/support; emergency funds up to $1,000 for recipients
For 2026-27, only current DC Futures participants are eligible due to funding constraints
Closed / returning participants only
$1,000–$2,000
DMV-region students pursuing fields connected to transportation and related disciplines; next-cycle requirements to be confirmed
2026 completed / monitor 2027
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