Last updated: October 2026
The Fidelity Scholars Program is a need-based college scholarship from Fidelity Investments, run by UNCF, for high school seniors in 12 states and Washington, D.C. who plan to attend a four-year college in their home state. It also comes with a Fidelity mentor, a college success coach and financial education. The 2027-28 application is open now and closes January 28, 2027 at 11:59 PM EST.
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Where to apply | UNCF's scholarship portal; details on the UNCF program page |
| Status | Open for 2027-28 since October 1, 2026; deadline January 28, 2027 at 11:59 PM EST |
| Who it's for | High school seniors (incoming 2027-28 college freshmen), ages 16 to 24, with a 2.5 to 3.59 unweighted GPA or a GED |
| States | Colorado, D.C., Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah |
| Award | Need-based and last-dollar; the amount depends on cost of attendance. Renewable for up to four years |
| Support | A Fidelity mentor, a College Success Coach, financial education workshops and mental health resources through The Steve Fund |
| Citizenship | U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time you apply |
| Second track | The Community College Initiative opens March 8, 2027 |
The detail most applicants miss: this isn't an internship or a fixed-dollar award. It's a last-dollar scholarship, so the amount depends on your college's cost of attendance after your family contribution and other aid are counted.
The Fidelity Scholars Program pairs you with a Fidelity mentor, so it helps to know a little about how finance works before you meet them. A remote Externship like the Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling Externship gives you a real finance project to talk about.
What Is the Fidelity Scholars Program?
The Fidelity Scholars Program is a need-based scholarship and support program for students from under-resourced communities. Fidelity Investments funds it as part of its Invest in My Education initiative, and UNCF runs the application, selection and coaching. Scholars get financial aid toward college plus a Fidelity mentor, a College Success Coach, financial education workshops and mental health support from The Steve Fund. UNCF calls it a program for students of the "mighty middle," meaning a 2.5 to 3.59 unweighted GPA, so you don't need a perfect transcript. It isn't a job or an internship. Scholars attend their own college in their home state. There are two tracks: the Bachelor's Degree Program for four-year schools, and the Community College Initiative for associate degrees at partner colleges. Since 2023, more than 1,200 students have received over $32 million, according to UNCF.
Who Is Eligible for the Fidelity Scholars Program?
UNCF's 2027-28 Bachelor's Degree Program page lists these requirements:
• Grade: you'll be a high school senior by October 1, 2026, entering college as a 2027-28 freshman
• Age: 16 to 24
• State: a permanent resident of Colorado, D.C., Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas or Utah
• College: attending a four-year accredited college or university in the state where you live
• GPA: 2.5 to 3.59 unweighted, or a GED
• Financial need: Pell eligible and/or able to show financial need
• Citizenship: U.S. citizen or permanent resident when you apply
Already in college? The Bachelor's track isn't for you, but the Community College Initiative accepts current students at eligible partner colleges with a 2.5+ college GPA and no more than 24 credits by the end of spring 2027. Its application opens March 8, 2027.
Is the Fidelity Scholars Program Open for 2027?
Yes. UNCF opened the 2027-28 Bachelor's Degree Program application on October 1, 2026, and it closes January 28, 2027 at 11:59 PM EST. Some aggregator sites list January 29; go by UNCF's date. The Community College Initiative isn't open yet; its application opens March 8, 2027. The pattern in past years has been the same: open in the fall, close in late January.
The 2027-28 Bachelor's application is open. Register on UNCF's portal, gather your transcript and financial aid details, and leave time for the essay.
Fidelity launched Invest in My Education, the initiative behind the scholarship.
Fidelity's fourth class of scholars started college, bringing the total to more than 1,725 scholars.
Bachelor's Degree Program deadline, 11:59 PM EST.
The Community College Initiative application opens.
The 2027-28 class starts college. UNCF holds orientations by region for selected scholars.
How to read this page: our dates come from tracking previous recruiting cycles and the employer's own postings. Treat future dates as informed estimates based on historical patterns, not confirmed dates. The program's official page is always the most current source. If it's posted there, go by that, even if this page suggests the window hasn't opened yet.
How Do You Apply to the Fidelity Scholars Program?
Everything runs through UNCF's online portal:
1. Go to UNCF's scholarship portal and choose to register. Enter your email and check the Applicant box.
2. Build your profile. UNCF says it takes 5 to 7 minutes and asks for your contact details, demographics, high school, GPA and college plans.
3. Find the Fidelity Scholars Program application in the portal and complete it. Have your transcript and financial aid information ready.
4. Plan for an essay. BigFuture lists the scholarship as essay-required; UNCF's own pages don't describe the prompt, so check it in the portal early.
5. Submit before January 28, 2027 at 11:59 PM EST.
Applying for federal aid (the FAFSA) also matters. The award is based on financial need and is applied after your other aid, so your college's aid package shapes how much the scholarship covers.
What Do Fidelity Scholars Get After They're Selected?
Money for college plus a support system. Bachelor's recipients can be funded for up to four years of study, and Fidelity's stated goal is to help scholars graduate with little to no debt. Each scholar gets a Fidelity mentor, a College Success Coach, financial education and mental health resources, and Fidelity says the initiative includes pathways to employment after graduation. It doesn't guarantee an internship or job. If you want to work at Fidelity later, its 10-week summer internship is a separate program that students usually apply to in the fall of sophomore or junior year; see our Fidelity internship guide.
How Do You Stand Out for the Fidelity Scholars Program?
Most of the application is eligibility you either meet or don't. What you can shape is how ready you look for college and how clearly you explain your goals. Real experience gives you specifics to write about:
| What to show | Why it matters here | Externship that builds it |
|---|---|---|
| Interest in money and finance | Scholars get a Fidelity mentor and financial education | Yinan Zhao Investing & Financial Modeling |
| Working with numbers on a real problem | Shows you're ready for college-level work | Attronica Financial Planning & Analysis |
| Clear goals and initiative | Gives your essay something concrete to say | Khan Academy Strategic Partnerships & Growth |
Ask a counselor to check your state residency and Pell eligibility before you start. Those two requirements rule out more applicants than anything else.
What Similar Programs Should You Consider?
If you're looking at the Fidelity Scholars Program, these are worth a look too:
- FidelityFidelity's summer internships, for when you're in collegeGuide →
- High school programsinternships and summer programs open to high school studentsGuide →
- Scholarshipsscholarships, stipends and grants students often missGuide →
- Vanguardanother large investment firm with student programsGuide →
- JPMorgan Code for Gooda hackathon-style program for students exploring finance and techGuide →
UNCF also runs other scholarship programs, listed on its site. For finance careers more broadly, see our finance internships guide.
FAQ
Is the Fidelity Scholars Program an internship?
No. It's a need-based college scholarship that Fidelity funds and UNCF runs. Along with financial aid, scholars get a Fidelity mentor, a College Success Coach and financial education. Fidelity's summer internship is a separate program for college students.
When is the Fidelity Scholars Program deadline?
The 2027-28 Bachelor's Degree Program application closes January 28, 2027 at 11:59 PM EST, per UNCF. It opened October 1, 2026. The Community College Initiative has its own window, opening March 8, 2027.
How much is the Fidelity Scholars Program worth?
There's no fixed amount. It's need-based and last-dollar, so it covers costs left after your family contribution and other financial aid, based on your college's cost of attendance. Bachelor's recipients can be funded for up to four years.
What GPA do you need?
A 2.5 to 3.59 unweighted GPA, or a GED. UNCF built the program for students in that "mighty middle" range, so a GPA above 3.59 actually falls outside the stated requirement for the Bachelor's track.
Which states are eligible?
Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island, Texas and Utah. You must be a permanent resident of one of them and attend college in that same state.
Can current college students apply?
Not to the Bachelor's track, which is for incoming 2027-28 freshmen. Current community college students at eligible partner colleges with no more than 24 credits by the end of spring 2027 can apply to the Community College Initiative, which opens March 8, 2027.
Do you have to be a U.S. citizen?
You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time you apply. The Community College Initiative also accepts U.S. nationals. You must also be Pell eligible or show financial need.
The deadline is January 28, 2027, and the application takes longer than the 5-minute profile suggests. If you want real experience to write about before then, a remote Externship gives you a project you can describe in your own words.
About the Author
Bifei Wang has spent 17 years focused on human flow and the growth of young professionals, spanning international education, career training and coaching, and recruitment process outsourcing. Over 7 years at Extern, he has had one-on-one sessions with thousands of students exploring careers in consulting, finance, tech, marketing, and data, giving him a firsthand view of how the job market has shifted for early-career professionals and what it actually takes to break in.
