Kohl S Cares Scholarship Program
Before you spend hours on this
Will this scholarship actually lower your cost?
Not always. Many colleges reduce your financial-aid package when you win an outside scholarship — sometimes dollar-for-dollar — so the money can end up saving the school instead of you. It's called scholarship displacement. Two free tools tell you where you actually stand:
General guidance, not financial advice — your school's financial aid office is the only authority on how they treat outside awards. Always confirm with them before deciding.
Best fit for
Younger kids (8-12) doing community service — middle schoolers and rising high schoolers who've started lemonade-stand fundraisers, environmental cleanup projects, or school-supplies drives. Also strong for older high schoolers with sustained service work.
What they actually look for
Kohl's Cares is genuinely one of the best EARLY-YEARS service awards in the country. Two age tiers: 8-12 and 13-18. Awards range from $50 (winner at every Kohl's store nationally — ~2,300 awards) to $1,000 (regional winners) to $10,000 (national winners). The store-level winners pool is HUGE — your nearest Kohl's picks 2 winners per year, and the local competition is much smaller than the national headcount suggests.
What you'll need
- Kid aged 8 to 18 (yes — kids as YOUNG as 8 qualify)
- Significant community-service or volunteer initiative led by the kid
- Nomination by an adult who's witnessed the service work (parent, teacher, coach, neighbor)
- Short application describing the service initiative
- Photos / documentation of the project (recommended)
- Submit via Kohl's website during the spring window
When to start
Nominations open in March, close in April. Store-level winners announced in spring. Regional and national finalists picked over the summer.
Watch out for
An ADULT must nominate the kid — kids cannot self-nominate. Parents, teachers, coaches, neighbors are all eligible nominators. Also: the project must be ACTIVE (not just historic) and within the past year — Kohl's wants to see ongoing community involvement, not a one-time event from 2 years ago.