Niche $25,000 No Essay Scholarship
Updated: April 1, 2026

Non-Academic College Scholarships

Many scholarships base their judgments off academic merit, but there are awards that consider other factors, too. Students are often unaware of the many non-academic scholarships available; they presume their chances at winning scholarships are low if they didn’t receive good grades in high school. Though your chances to win are increased if you boast a 4.0 cumulative GPA or ace the ACT, these are far from the only criteria scholarship providers look for in their winners. See below for a list of the top 25 best non-academic scholarships with upcoming deadlines-- and tips on how to win them.

The 25 Best Non-Academic College Scholarships with Approaching Deadlines in 2026

  • 1

  • Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship

  • Amount$5,000
  • DeadlineJune 30, 2026

Dedicated to continuing Pedro Zamora’s legacy, the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship is a $5,000 award that supports the school costs of young activists and non-profit changemakers who work in their communities, and who carry Pedro’s torch forward in the struggles for social and health justice. Scholarship Details Provides a $5,000 scholarship award in honor of Pedro Zamora’s

  • 2

  • Tupelo Elvis Fan Club Scholarship

  • Amount$5,000
  • DeadlineFebruary 14, 2027

The Tupelo Elvis Fan Club Scholarship is open to all graduating Mississippi high school seniors. You must be a resident of Mississippi, be enrolled as a senior at a Mississippi high school and be graduating the year the scholarship is awarded. You must sing, dance, or play a musical instrument and submit a performance video for review by the selection committee by uploading to YouTube (do not

  • 3

  • Tukwila City of Opportunity Scholarship

  • Amount$5,000
  • DeadlineMarch 31, 2027

The City of Tukwila Scholarship Program was established in 2014. The mission of the scholarship is to provide financial assistance to individuals enrolled for undergraduate study in community colleges, colleges, trade schools and universities. Scholarship Details Open to residents of the City of Tukwila Supports undergraduate study at community colleges, trade schools, and

There are all kinds of unusual scholarships, such as ones for being left-handed, interested in duck calling, or even being a twin. Other awards have more traditional non-academic criteria, such as extracurricular talent or personal interests outside of academic lessons.

Can you draw? Dance? Sing? There are quite a few non-academic college scholarships available to creatively-inclined individuals. Some may have a minimum GPA, which are not difficult to achieve. There are art scholarships for almost every discipline, from drawing to vocals to theatrical prowess. Some scholarships may simply request videos for auditions.

Essay scholarships may also prove rewarding. Most essay contests do not have a GPA requirement, nor are they concerned with SAT or ACT scores.

Sometimes there are scholarships available exclusively to employees of certain companies and the children of those employees. Also, there are scholarships for particular trades and services, such as the police force or steel workers. These corporate scholarships often feature generous awards and non-academic requirements; they are worth the quick application if you are eligible.

It may even be that your zip code or high school qualifies you for a non-academic scholarship. There are a number of local scholarships available exclusively to those living in specific areas or attending specific high schools.

All of the above types of non-academic scholarships will appear in your search results when you create a free profile on Scholarships.com. We use your demographics and academic info to match you with all applicable scholarships in our database; it takes just 5 minutes to sign up, so start now!