Weird But Wonderful College Scholarships

If you’re on the hunt for college funds, there are thousands of college scholarships available based on academics, athletics, career, student need, and other general criteria. BUT, did you know that there are also some weird and unusual scholarships out there? 😱

We’ve rounded up a few of the college scholarships that make applying for money a LOT more fun (listed in order by application deadline). Plus, most of them require minimal or NO writing!

1.) Duck Tape “Stuck at Prom” Scholarship

• Deadline: Contest begins March 30th, 2022 and the deadline to enter is June 8th.
• Awards: $10,000 for Best Dress (one winner) + $10,000 for Best Tux (one winner), plus 2 additional prize packs valued at $100 each for both runners up
• Who Can Apply? Students 14 years of age or older who attend a high school, home school association, or other school-sanctioned prom during the 2018 calendar year
• Details & How to Apply: Duck Tape “Stuck at Prom” Scholarship

To be eligible for this scholarship, students are challenged to create their own prom outfits made entirely from Duck Tape, and then wear those outfits to the prom! Creations will be judged on workmanship, originality, use of colors, accessories, and use of Duck Brand Duck tape.

2.) Fifth Month Scholarship

• Deadline: May 31st, 2022
• Award: $1,500 (one winner annually)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Fifth Month Scholarship

May the fifth be with you… To enter this Fifth Month Scholarship, submit an online written response (in 250 words or less) to this scholarship topic: “May is the fifth month of the year. Write a letter to the number five explaining why five is important. Be serious or be funny.” Definitely an interesting one!

On or about August 31st, a qualified panel of judges will select one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%).

3.) Flavor of the Month Scholarship

• Deadline: July 31st, 2022
• Award: $1,500 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Flavor of the Month Scholarship

To be eligible for this sweet scholarship, just submit an online written response (in 250 words or less) to this question: “If you were an ice cream flavor, which would you be and why?”

On or about November 30th, 2018, a qualified panel of judges will select one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%).

4.) Make Me Laugh Scholarship

• Deadline: August 31st, 2022
• Award: $1,500 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Make Me Laugh Scholarship

Do you make people ROFL? Submit an online written response (in 250 words or less) to this question: “We don’t want to know why you deserve $1,500 or how great your grades are, we simply want to LOL. Describe an incident in your life, funny or embarrassing (fact or fiction), and make us laugh!”

On or about December 31st, 2018, a qualified panel of judges will select one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%).

5.) Common Knowledge Scholarship(s)

• Deadline: Quizzes run from August through December
• Award: Award amounts range from $250 to $2,500 (various winners)
• Who Can Apply? All U.S. high school, college, and graduate students are eligible (parents can compete, too)
• Details & How to Apply: Common Knowledge Scholarship(s)

Like trivia? If you’re up-to-date on everything from books to movies to academic subjects, you can win anywhere from $250 to $2,500 just by taking quizzes! You can win a total of $5,000 from taking more than one quiz, and parents can even compete on behalf of their kids (but they have their own special quizzes to keep things fair). There are no essays, no applications, and no GPA requirements. Note that quizzes run from August through December (calendar).

6.) Shout It Out Scholarship

• Deadline: September 30th, 2022
• Award: $1,500 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Shout It Out Scholarship

Like making your voice heard or have something important to share? To be eligible for this scholarship, all you do is submit a brief online written response (in 250 words or less) to this question: “If you could say one thing to the entire world at once, what would it be and why?”

On or about January 30th, 2019, a qualified panel of judges will select one one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%).

7.) Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship

• Deadline: October 31st, 2022
• Award: $2,000 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship

To be eligible for this odd Halloween-themed scholarship, you’ll need your braaaaiiiinnnnnnnssss (sorry, couldn’t help it) to submit a quick, online written response (in 250 words or less) to this topic: “Imagine that your high school or college has been overrun with zombies. Your math professor, the cafeteria ladies, and even your best friend have all joined the walking dead. Flesh out a plan to avoid the zombies, including where you’d hide and the top-five things you’d bring to stay alive.”

On or about February 28th, 2019, a qualified panel of judges will select one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%)

8.) Top Ten List Scholarship

• Deadline: December 31st, 2022
• Award: $1,500 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Top Ten List Scholarship

This unique Top Ten List Scholarship was inspired by David Letterman and his former top ten lists. To be eligible for this scholarship, just submit a quick online written response (in 250 words or less) to this topic: “Create a Top Ten List of the top ten reasons you should get this scholarship.” This is your chance to show them what’s truly special and different about you!

On or about April 30th, 2019, a qualified panel of judges will select one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%).

9.) “No Essay” College Scholarship

• Deadline:  CLOSED. Sorry, gang! Try again next February 28th, 2019
  (apply once each month; new winner selected monthly)
• Award: $2,000 (one winner per month)
• Who Can Apply? All high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
• Details & How to Apply: No Essay Scholarship

Don’t like to write? The $2,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is an easy scholarship as there is NO essay required! The scholarship can be used to cover tuition, housing, books, or any education-related expenses. The monthly winner will be determined by random drawing and then contacted directly.

10.) Mirror Messages Scholarship

• Deadline:  CLOSED. Sorry, gang! Try again next February 28th, 2019 
• Award: $2,000 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students between ages 13-25
• Details & How to Apply: Mirror Messages Scholarship

DoSomething.org launches campaigns throughout the year that challenge readers to make the world a better place – all without essays, GPA requirements, recommendations, or applications. And for each campaign you complete, you’re entered to win scholarships. The Mirror Message scholarship is geared towards spreading positivity in schools by posting encouraging notes in bathrooms.

Note that you’ll get one entry into the scholarship for every Mirror Message note you make. So if you make one note, you’ll earn one entry. If you make 500 notes, you get 500 entries…and so on.

11.)  Shower Songs Scholarship

• Deadline: CLOSED. Sorry, gang! Try again next February 28th, 2019
• Award: $2,000 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students between ages 13-25
• Details & How to Apply: Shower Songs Scholarship

Love singing’ in the shower? To be eligible for consideration for this DoSomething.org Shower Songs Scholarship, all you need to do is to make a 5-minute-long shower playlist and then send it to friends so they can track their shower time – and in turn take shorter showers to help conserve water.

12.) Feeding Better Futures Scholarship

• Deadline: CLOSED. Sorry, gang! Try again next February 28th, 2022
• Award: $5,000 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students between ages 13-25
• Details & How to Apply: Feeding Better Futures

Want to help build a more sustainable future? In order to participate in this $5,000 Scholarship Sweepstakes from DoSomething.org, your solution needs to address one of the four following problems: food waste, hunger relief, food accessibility (food deserts), sustainable agriculture.

13.) Sweet and Simple Scholarship

• Deadline: Closed – February 28th, 2022
• Award: $1,500 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Sweet and Simple Scholarship

To be eligible for this Sweet and Simple Scholarship from Unigo (a network of helpful information for college students), submit an online written response (in 250 words or less) to this topic: “Think back and tell us about something you received as a gift and why it meant so much to you.”

On or about June 28th, 2018, a qualified panel of judges will select one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%).

14.) Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship

• Deadline: CLOSED. Sorry, gang! Try again next March 1, 2022
• Award: $10,000 plus a $1,000 prize for your school (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Must be 14 years or older at time of entry and be enrolled in High School, College, University, or Homeschool
• Details & How to Apply: Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship

If you have a knack for drawing, The Gallery Collection is looking for you! To be eligible for this scholarship, submit an original photo, artwork, or computer graphics for the front of a greeting card.

15.) Superpower Scholarship

• Deadline: CLOSED. Sorry, gang! Try again next March, 2022
• Award: $2,500 (one winner)
• Who Can Apply? Students 13 years or older
• Details & How to Apply: Superpower Scholarship

To be eligible for this Superpower Scholarship from Unigo, you’ll need to submit an online written response (in 250 words or less) to this question: “Which superhero or villain would you want to change places with for a day and why?”

On or about July 31st, 2018, a qualified panel of judges will select one potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%).

16.) High School Senior College Scholarship

• Deadline: CLOSED. Sorry, gang! Try again next April, 2022
• Award: $2,000 (ten winners)
• Who Can Apply? High School Seniors who are citizens or aliens legally residing in the USA
• Details & How to Apply: High School Senior College Scholarship

How easy is this?! To enter this scholarship from the American Fire Sprinkler Association, simply read an essay on fire sprinklers and then answer a short 8 question multiple-choice quiz about it (you can even reference the essay as you answer). Winner selection is NOT based on financial need, GPA or demographic criteria and scholarship winners are randomly selected by computer-generated drawing from among valid entries received at the conclusion of the contest period.

Written by Mary for Hip2Save. Mary is a proud mom to 3 kids in Austin, TX, who thrives off Jesus, running long distance, bargain shopping, warm Texas weather, a yummy latte…and a little Candy Crush from time to time. She also loves quality time with family & friends and sharing great deals with others.