Distinguished Young Women Scholarship Competition

Website: http://www.ajm.org/

Who's Eligible: High school junior and senior girls

Award Amount: Up to full tuition at a four-year institution

Due Date: Varies by region

Requirements:

Throw out the idea that pageant contestants are airheads. To win the prize at this national competition, ladies need to have scholastic achievement, top-notch interview skills, talent, individuality, and physical ability. The national winner walks away with a $40,000 prize, but the real bonus is that a handful of schools across the country offer lucrative tuition incentives to state winners and national competitors. To make it to the final round, ladies must win at both the local and state levels. To be eligible, ladies must be in their junior or senior year in high school, can never have married, and can never have been pregnant. The application and a breakdown of judging criteria is available here.