Math Scholarships for K-12 Students in the US and Canada: The Complete 2026 Guide

Math Scholarships for K–12 Students: USA & Canada

Compiled August 21, 2026. Amounts, eligibility rules, and deadlines change year to year — always confirm current details on the official page linked for each program before applying.

This guide covers scholarships, cash prizes, and need-based financial aid tied specifically to mathematics achievement for students in kindergarten through grade 12 (or the immediate transition into first-year university/college). It excludes general STEM or "any major" scholarships unless mathematics is an explicit, central eligibility criterion. Programs are grouped by country, then by type: competition-linked scholarships, honor-society and foundation scholarships, and need-based aid for math enrichment programs.

Quick reference

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United States

Competition- and achievement-linked scholarships

MATHCOUNTS National Competition prizes. MATHCOUNTS is the flagship US middle-school math competition, run by the MATHCOUNTS Foundation with RTX (Raytheon Technologies) as title sponsor, plus support from the U.S. Department of Defense STEM program, the Northrop Grumman Foundation, and Lockheed Martin. Over 64,000 students from 3,700+ schools compete through school, chapter, and state rounds; 224 students qualify for the national competition. At nationals, roughly $44,000 in scholarships is distributed: the National Champion receives the $20,000 Donald G. Weinert Scholarship, the Countdown Round runner-up gets $7,500, the two Countdown semifinalists get $3,000 each, the Written Competition champion gets $2,500, and the four members of the first-place state team each receive $2,000. Eligible students are in grades 6–8 (or younger, if enrolled in one of those grades).

MATHCOUNTS Alumni Scholarship. A separate $3,000 award (paid directly to the recipient's college) for a MATHCOUNTS alum — someone who competed in the Competition Series, National Math Club, and/or Math Video Challenge in grades 6–8 and is now a graduating high school senior, college student, or graduate student. It's decided by a 750–1,000-word essay on how MATHCOUNTS shaped the applicant. The 2027 cycle opens in fall 2026 (the 2026 cycle is closed).

Davidson Fellows Scholarship. Run by the Davidson Institute for Talent Development for exceptionally gifted students 18 or younger who have completed a "significant piece of work" at roughly a college-graduate level of depth. Mathematics is one of about ten award categories (alongside science, technology, literature, music, and others), and applicants must be a US citizen or permanent resident residing in the US (or overseas on active-duty military status). Winners receive $25,000, $50,000, or $100,000 scholarships; the total number of Fellows named each year is small and shared across all categories, so math winners in a given year can range from zero to several depending on the strength of that year's applicant pool.

Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS). The most prestigious US pre-college research competition, run by the Society for Science and sponsored by Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, open to high school seniors (US citizens/permanent residents, including those living abroad) who submit an original research project — mathematics and computational-math projects are regularly among the winners (the 2026 STS specifically recognized a computational mathematics project among its top honorees). The prize pool totals $3.1 million annually: all 300 Scholars receive $2,000 (plus $2,000 to their school), the top 40 Finalists receive at least $25,000 each plus a week-long institute in Washington, DC, and the top 10 overall winners receive $40,000 to $250,000, with first place billed as the largest scientific scholarship available to a US high schooler.

Breakthrough Junior Challenge. An annual video competition (explain a concept in math, life sciences, or physics in under 3 minutes) run by the Breakthrough Prize Foundation (funded by Yuri Milner, Mark Zuckerberg, and others). It's open internationally, including the US and Canada, to students ages 13–18. The winner receives a $250,000 college scholarship, their school receives up to $100,000 for a new science lab, and a teacher they select receives $50,000. The 2026 entry deadline is September 15, 2026.

MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge (M3 Challenge). A free, team-based applied-math competition run by the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and sponsored by MathWorks. Teams of high school juniors and seniors work on an open-ended real-world modeling problem during a single 14-hour window. Eligibility is limited to US students (plus sixth-form students in England and Wales) — Canadian students are not eligible. More than $100,000 in scholarship awards is distributed across winning teams each year.

Math Prize for Girls. Run by the Advantage Testing Foundation in partnership with Jane Street, hosted annually at MIT (the 2026 event is October 11). It's open to female-identifying students in grade 11 or below who took the AMC 10 or AMC 12 that competition cycle, and — notably for this research — it accepts residents of both the United States and Canada (as well as US/Canadian citizens or permanent residents living elsewhere, with documentation). About 300 students are invited based on AMC performance to sit a 2.5-hour proof/problem-solving exam. The total prize pool is $100,000, with $50,000 for first place and smaller prizes for other top finishers. The application deadline for the 2026 cycle is May 31, 2026.

Mu Alpha Theta Scholarships. Mu Alpha Theta, the US national high school and two-year-college math honor society, awards $4,000 scholarships to graduating seniors who are active members in good standing of a chapter and have shown academic excellence and service; each chapter may nominate up to two students per year. Three additional named $5,000 scholarships (Mary Rhein Memorial, Paul R. Goodey, and Kay Weiss) go to standout candidates. Funds must be used within 18 months of the award. The 2026–27 cycle opens September 1, 2026, with applications due February 1, 2027.

Who Wants to Be a Mathematician. A live game-show-style competition for high schoolers run by the American Mathematical Society (AMS), held at partner colleges/universities and at the Joint Mathematics Meetings. Prize amounts and formats vary by event (cash prizes plus TI-Nspire graphing calculators; one recorded event awarded a team $4,000 total plus a calculator for each member). Because format and payout vary by host institution and year, check the AMS event page for the specific rules of any qualifying round in your area.

Foundation and industry scholarships aimed at math-strong students

The Actuarial Foundation — STEM Stars Actuarial Scholars Program. Targets high schoolers who are skilled in math and interested in an actuarial career, with an emphasis on expanding access for underrepresented students. Selected scholars receive $20,000 in total college scholarship funding ($5,000 a year for four years), plus mentorship from practicing actuaries, internships, exam-prep resources, and a weeklong summer workshop. The 2026–27 cohort listed 16 scholars; the program reopens applications each fall.

Akamai Foundation high school math scholarships (status uncertain/likely discontinued). From roughly 2011–2017, the Akamai Foundation awarded a combined $45,000 annually to top US performers at the USA Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO) and participants in MOP (the Math Olympiad Summer Program). No press releases or program pages describing this award appear after 2017, suggesting it may no longer be active following Akamai's restructuring of its philanthropic giving. Worth a direct check with the Akamai Foundation or MAA before assuming it's live.

Need-based aid for math enrichment/summer programs

These aren't scholarships in the traditional sense, but they function as significant financial support for math-talented K–12 students, often covering thousands of dollars in tuition:

Canada/USA Mathcamp. A five-week summer program (despite the name, open to and attracting students from both the US and Canada, plus internationally) that guarantees every admitted student can attend regardless of family finances. Families with gross household income under $100,000 pay $0 (a change introduced for 2026 covering both US and Canadian families); income $100,000–$150,000 pays 50% of tuition; $150,000–$200,000 pays 25%; above $200,000 is considered case-by-case. International students are eligible for full aid assessed individually. Funded through the AMS Epsilon Fund and alumni/donor contributions.

PROMYS (Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists), Boston University. A six-week intensive number-theory-focused program. Domestic students from families earning under $80,000/year pay nothing (tuition, room, and board fully covered); a sliding scale applies up to roughly $8,000 for families above $180,000. International students are considered case-by-case. The Breakout Fellowship — funded by mathematicians Jacob Lurie, Terence Tao, and Richard Taylor — is a full-ride award for a mathematically talented student facing financial barriers; all applicants are automatically considered.

Ross Mathematics Program. A six-week number-theory program with a $7,500 program fee. The program states its goal is to "provide enough support to enable every accepted applicant to attend," with financial aid available on request; families with need are encouraged to contact the program directly. Ross also points admitted students toward outside funding sources such as Mu Alpha Theta summer grants, the Davidson Institute, and the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.

AwesomeMath Summer Program. A well-known summer camp for olympiad-track students; the program does not publish detailed scholarship/financial-aid terms on its public site, so eligibility and amounts should be confirmed directly with AwesomeMath admissions.

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Canada

University entrance scholarships tied to math contests

University of Waterloo — Faculty of Mathematics Entrance Scholarships. Waterloo runs Canada's largest network of math contests through its Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing (CEMC), including the Euclid Contest and Canadian Senior Mathematics Contest (CSMC), and ties entrance scholarships to performance on them. About 200 scholarships are awarded annually to incoming students admitted to the Faculty of Mathematics, ranging from one-year awards of $1,000–$5,000 up to four-year awards of $8,000 or $10,000 total. Contest writing isn't strictly required for admission, but scholarship committees weigh contest results alongside high school average and the Admission Information Form — and for Ontario applicants specifically, the Euclid Contest result is required for scholarship consideration.

University of Waterloo — Mathematics National Scholarships. A separate, more selective and purely merit-based award (not tied to a specific contest score) for Canadian citizens/permanent residents entering Waterloo's Faculty of Mathematics (excluding Software Engineering and Computing & Financial Management). About 15 scholarships are awarded per year, worth $12,000–$25,000 paid out over eight academic terms, contingent on maintaining an 80%+ average. Selection considers academic standing in math, a demonstrated record of math/CS contest participation and extracurricular involvement, and no separate application is required — it's assessed automatically from admission materials.

National competitions with cash prizes

Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge (COMC). Run by the Canadian Mathematical Society (CMS), COMC is the qualifying gateway into Canada's Olympiad pipeline. It awards Gold/Silver/Bronze/Honourable Mention recognitions by grade, province, and division (Canadian vs. International) rather than large cash prizes at this stage. Top performers advance: roughly the top 50 scorers are invited to the Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO), the next ~75 to a CMO "repêchage" qualifier, and about 24 students in grade 10 or younger are invited to the CMS's invitation-only Canada Math Camp.

Canadian Mathematical Olympiad (CMO) and Canadian Junior Mathematical Olympiad (CJMO). CMS's premier olympiad, sponsored in part by Citadel Securities. Eligibility requires being a Canadian citizen, or a resident who has attended Canadian secondary school full-time for the current and previous year, under 20 years old, not yet enrolled in university, and invited by CMS. Roughly 75–100 students are invited to sit the CMO and up to 20 to the CJMO each year. The top CMO finisher wins CAD $2,000, with smaller amounts for Silver, Bronze, and Honourable Mention; CJMO prizes are smaller still. A separate Matthew Brennan Award recognizes the single best solution to one problem, including a cash prize and publication in the official solutions.

Broad STEM scholarships open to math students

Schulich Leader Scholarships. Not math-exclusive, but explicitly includes mathematics as one of its eligible STEM streams and is large enough to be worth flagging for any grade 12 student planning to major in math. Funded by the Schulich Foundation (Seymour Schulich) and co-administered with UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, it awards 100 scholarships annually across 20 partner Canadian universities (Waterloo, U of T, McGill, UBC, and others) to "entrepreneurial-minded" graduating high schoolers entering a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math undergraduate program. Science/Math-stream scholarships are worth $100,000; Engineering-stream awards are worth $120,000, both intended to cover the full cost of a bachelor's degree. Each Canadian high school may nominate one graduating student per year; nominees then apply directly. For the 2027 intake, high school nominations are due January 27, 2027, and the scholarship application by February 17, 2027.

Actuarial/math-focused scholarships

Actuarial Foundation of Canada. A smaller, more targeted set of awards for students heading into math, statistics, actuarial science, or computer science:

• The Hugh G. White Memorial Scholarship honors a prominent Canadian actuary and awards two scholarships a year (no fixed public dollar amount) to the graduating students with the highest math marks specifically at London Central Secondary School and Erin District High School, who are headed into a Canadian university program in actuarial science, math, statistics, or computer science.
• Girl Guides of Canada (GGC) Scholarships, funded through an Actuarial Foundation of Canada contribution, offer three scholarships to active GGC members pursuing a post-secondary degree in the same four fields.

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Notes on scope and gaps

A few things worth flagging as you use this list. First, a genuine K–8 (as opposed to grade 9–12) math scholarship is rare in both countries — MATHCOUNTS is the major exception, since it targets grades 6–8 directly; almost everything else above targets grades 9–12, and several (Waterloo's awards, Schulich, Regeneron STS) specifically require the student to be a graduating senior entering university. Second, several programs above are financial aid for a paid enrichment program rather than a scholarship you can spend freely — Mathcamp, PROMYS, and Ross fall in this category. Third, amounts and even program existence shift year to year (the Akamai Foundation award appears to have lapsed, and Davidson Fellows' tier structure has changed over time), so treat every figure here as "as of August 2026" and verify against the official page before a student invests time in an application. Finally, this list favors programs with a clear, checkable eligibility page; there are also many small, local awards (a single high school's math department prize, a regional Rotary or Elks Lodge award, a provincial teachers' association bursary) that aren't captured here because they're not centrally documented — a school guidance counselor or provincial ministry of education website is the better source for those.

Sources

• MATHCOUNTS Alumni Scholarship
• 2026 RTX MATHCOUNTS National Competition Fact Sheet
• Davidson Fellows Scholarship Categories
• Davidson Fellows Eligibility
• Regeneron STS Awards — Society for Science
• Regeneron Science Talent Search 2026 Recognizes... Computational Mathematics
• Breakthrough Junior Challenge Official Rules
• MathWorks Math Modeling (M3) Challenge
• Math Prize for Girls — official site
• Math Prize for Girls — How to Apply
• Mu Alpha Theta Scholarships
• Who Wants to Be a Mathematician — AMS
• The Actuarial Foundation — STEM Stars Scholarship
• Akamai Foundation to Award Top High School Math Students With $45,000 (2017)
• Canada/USA Mathcamp — Financial Aid
• PROMYS — Financial Aid & Scholarships
• Ross Mathematics Program — Application & Financial Aid
• AwesomeMath — official site
• University of Waterloo — Faculty of Mathematics Scholarships
• University of Waterloo — Mathematics National Scholarships
• CMS — COMC 2025 Prizes and Awards
• CMS — Canadian Mathematical Olympiad & Junior Olympiad
• Schulich Leader Scholarships — official site
• Actuarial Foundation of Canada — Scholarships & Bursaries