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Finding enough funding for college is hard but that task is made even more difficult when college scholarship committees require applicants to meet countless requirements, fill out stacks of forms and write lengthy essays to even be considered. Well, College Prowler isn’t most scholarship committees and it's doing things a little differently with its $2,000 No Essay Scholarship.

The folks at College Prowler know students are busy and that times are pretty tough for a lot of people right now…but that’s precisely why they’ve created an incredibly easy way to give back to those who need it. All applicants have to do is complete a brief profile, hit submit and voila, they could win $2,000 to put toward tuition, housing, meal plans, books, computers or any education-related expenses. To apply, please visit http://scholarships.com/scc.aspx?pid=703 or complete a scholarship search to find additional opportunities.

Writing three sentences and banking $1,000 to put toward college may seem like a dream but it is indeed a reality with the Three Sentence Essay from Zinch. Though many essay scholarships have word count requirements in the hundreds or thousands, Zinch caps theirs at 280 characters – the equivalent of two Twitter postings – and requires applicants to respond to a prompt that changes on a weekly basis.

All high school and college students (including international students) are eligible to participate so go ahead and check out the prompt, think about it some and submit a concise yet thoughtful answer worthy of $1,000 by midnight tonight. And remember, Scholarships.com has thousands more scholarships to choose from…all you have to do is fill out a profile and launch a scholarship search today!

Sure there are tons of scholarships out there for the egghead, the jock, the feminist, the free spirit, and even the average student. But what about those of you with strange talents? Those talents that really make you stand out in a crowd are the same talents that could potentially earn you loads of cash for college!

Unlike your typical scholarships, where the selection pool is humongous, a specific criterion – like having the name Zolp – is required for unique scholarships. There are tons of wacky, unusual and just plain weird scholarships out there. For instance, can you call ducks? Seems like a strange question but if you can, check out the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest; with a grand prize of $2,000, that’s sure to ruffle a few feathers. Do you have a sweet tooth? Who doesn’t, but unlike the rest of us who just sit around and enjoy those tasty treats, you’re interested in creating the next Snickers, making the National Candy Technologists Scholarship the perfect outlet for you to put those taste buds to good use. (The rest of us will be indebted to you!) Are you someone with a knack for fashion and have creativity coming out of your ears? Then take on the Duck Brand Stuck at Prom Scholarship Challenge and create your entire prom attire out of Duck tape.

Remember, if you have an unusual talent, there may just be an equally unusual scholarship out there. For a complete list of wacky, unusual, and just plain weird scholarships, conduct a free scholarship search at Scholarships.com and put those talents to good use!

Since its creation in 2004, Facebook has revolutionized the way college students (and, later, the world) communicate online. It’s a piazza for nearly everything (vacation photos, snarky status updates, baby announcements, study groups, ex stalking, etc.) and gives each user a way to express themselves. One feature in particular – the "Like" button – shows exactly what comments, movies and brands are most favored so we figured why not let those who like Scholarships.com earn money for college? And thus, the "You Like Me...You Really Like Me" Facebook Scholarship was born!

The "You Like Me...You Really Like Me" Facebook Scholarship will go to the Scholarships.com fan that is making the best use of our website’s many resources as determined by comments on our Facebook page. Love our scholarship search? Tell us why! Is our financial aid info really helping you out? Send us an example! Think our college prep section is the best? Give us a shout out!

To apply, you must:

1. "Like" Scholarships.com on Facebook.
2. Post on our wall how Scholarships.com is helping you with your scholarship search.

Check out our Facebook page for more details. The deadline to “like” and comment is March 31st so there’s plenty of time left to apply. Can’t wait to see why YOU like Scholarships.com!

Applying for scholarships requires hard work, creativity and time...not boatloads of cash, frustration and empty promises. Each year, however, students are duped into ponying up exorbitant application fees for scholarships they aren’t even guaranteed to win. This is just plain WRONG, people – scholarships are supposed to be free money for college! – and while we’re betting you’ve already checked out our pages on scholarship scam prevention, the Washington Post recently published some refresher info:

• Filling out the FAFSA is 100-percent free and you can do it either online or on paper. If you would like to fill it out online, be sure your search terms are correct: A seemingly small typo like "FASFA" can direct you to sites that ask you to pay to file...and the forms they have are sometimes the wrong ones.
• It's legal for for-profit companies to charge for providing scholarship information but it's illegal for them to collect fees but never provide the information, misrepresent themselves as government officials or guarantee they'll get the student full funding for college.
• Voice any concerns about an organization to a high school or college counselor; they've been there and done that and can point you to the truth.
• If you are alerted that you're a finalist for a contest you've never entered or if credit card/banking information is requested online, go no further unless you are positive the organization is legit.
• Don't give in to anything branded as a "limited time offer" or "exclusive opportunity." They're just high-pressure sales tactics.
• Investigate the success stories presented at seminars. These so-called "satisfied customers" could have been paid to give glowing recommendations so ask for a list of at least three local families who used the service and contact them directly to make sure the organization delivered on its promises.
• If you do find a legitimate organization that requires payment, get in writing how much the service costs, what exactly the company will do and the refund policy.

College is expensive enough so save those application fees for books and other college expenses: All Scholarships.com’s services – from the scholarship search and college matchmaker to financial aid information and college preparation tips – are available completely free of charge. You’re welcome!

Is dancing your passion? Then put your best foot forward and try out for the Jessica Karrat Dance Scholarship. The Jessica Karrat Dance Scholarship Fund is dedicated to providing funds for individuals who wish to participate in dance education. It seeks to provide aspiring dancers with the opportunity to fulfill their dreams whether to start a dance career or continue with their dance education.

Scholarship recipients must be residents of the United States or programs must benefit United States citizens. A minimum award of one scholarship, in the amount of $500 per year, is being awarded to assure that the scholarship will be significant enough to provide financial assistance. For more information on this scholarship and other dance scholarship opportunities, conduct a free scholarship search today!

There’s nothing I enjoy more than curling up with a good book...unless doing so could be worth $10,000. Too bad I’m long graduated because I’d be applying for this Scholarship of the Week in a second!

The Fountainhead Essay Contest, offered by the Ayn Rand Institute, is open to high school juniors and seniors with a love of literature and flair for writing. Each applicant is required to read Rand’s novel of the same name then craft an essay of 800 to 1,600 words in response to one of three prompts. There will be 236 college scholarships distributed – one $10,000 first-prize award, five $2,000 second-prize awards, 10 $1,000 third-prize awards, 45 $100 finalist awards and 175 $50 semifinalist awards – to essay writers demonstrating an outstanding grasp of the philosophic meaning of The Fountainhead.

All materials must be submitted by April 26th (just over two weeks from today) so if you are interested in this scholarship opportunity, you still have plenty of time to apply. For more information on this and other scholarship awards, conduct a free scholarship search on our site today!

Were you ever the new kid in class? What about the new kid in class in an unfamiliar country or culture? If this sounds like you, apply for our Scholarship of the Week: Clements International’s Expat Youth Scholarship!

This unique contest is for expat students who spend their childhoods moving between different countries and cultures. Simply create a two- to three-minute video explaining your favorite thing about your host country and its culture (if you have lived abroad in more than one country, please only select one), upload your video to YouTube then visit Clements International’s website to submit your entry by the May 13th deadline.

For more information on this and other scholarship opportunities, complete a free scholarship search today!

Ah, prom. A night of flowers, dancing and...duct tape? If you want a $5,000 scholarship, that last item is a must to win the Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest!

The Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest is open to legal residents of the United States and Canada, including the District of Columbia, but excluding Puerto Rico and the Province of Quebec. This contest rewards individuals for creating prom attire made completely out of duct tape. To be eligible for the award, each couple must submit the following:

• One color photograph (professional or amateur) of the couple together in prom attire.
• Each individual's full name, address, telephone number, email address (if applicable) and age/grade level, and the name of the closest major city to the individual's hometown.
• A release form signed by each individual and, if any entrant is a minor (under 18 years of age), that individual's parent or guardian.
• The name, address, and telephone number of the high school, or home school association, which is hosting the prom, and the date the prom was held.

The deadline for this scholarship is June 13th. To learn more about this scholarship award and nearly 3 million others in our database, conduct a free college scholarship search today!

A typical soon-to-be college student’s priority list probably looks a little something like this:

• Step 1: Stay focused in high school by keeping a high GPA and doing as many extracurricular activities as possible.
• Step 2: Make a list of possible college choices and start on applications early.
• Step 3: Make a final decision on where to attend college.
• Step 4: Move into the dorms and get ready for four incredible years!

But wait!!! With all of the excitement of starting college, students can forget to get their finances together to pay for it all! Many students don’t realize that they can eliminate student loan headaches simply by starting the scholarship application process early. By doing so, students have more time to get their application materials together and apply for more scholarships because they are not rushing to submit everything on deadline day.

From my own personal experience, I found it advantageous to apply for scholarships early. I joined websites like Scholarships.com so that I could keep track of deadlines and scholarships that I qualified for. I sent it all of my materials early and when I started receiving letters that began with “Congratulations!” it made the time that I spent applying for scholarships worthwhile.

Another bit of advice that I found helpful was applying for scholarships even if the amount seems small. During my freshman year of college, I applied for the new member scholarship for the Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society despite the fact that the award amount was $300. Nothing could make my smile turn into a frown that day because winning the scholarship meant that I wouldn’t have to pay out of pocket for books in the upcoming semester.

My final advice: Apply for as many scholarships as possible because you might just be what the scholarship committee is looking for. Even the smallest award can help pay for something!

Jessica Seals is currently a senior at the University of Memphis majoring in political science and minoring in English. At the University of Memphis, she is the secretary of the Pre-Law Society, the philanthropy chair of the Phi Kappa Phi Student Council and a member of Professional Assertive United Sisters of Excellence (PAUSE), Golden Key Honor Society, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society, Sigma Alpha Lambda Honor Society, and Black Scholars Unlimited. She also volunteers to tutor her fellow classmates and hopes to attend law school in the near future.