Traditionally, scholarships encompass terms such as "merit" and "need", but there are more factors included. Students are often unaware of the many non-academic scholarships available and presume their chances at winning scholarships are low if they didn’t receive good grades in high school. Though academics are a crucial area for consideration, it does not mean you have zero chance to find money for college without such qualifications. Though your chances are increased if you do happen to belong to three or four clubs, boast a 4.0 cumulative GPA, or ace the ACT or SAT, these are not the only criteria.
Naturally, there are the unusual scholarships such as one for being left-handed. For those planning to attend Juniata College in Huntington, Pennsylvania, there is an exclusive scholarship for being left-handed. The Duck Brand duct tape contest has no GPA requirement, offers a $2,500 grand prize, and is fun! But if you do not like Pennsylvania or sticky residue, you have other options. There are many other non-academic scholarship awards out there, and you or your child/student could very well qualify for multiple awards. Below are several types of scholarships that don’t necessarily favor the valedictorian.
Talent: The new brain
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 of art- from drawing to vocals, some scholarships may simply request videos for auditions.
Write your own ticket
Essay scholarships could prove rewarding. Scholarships grant $500 to $5,000 for book analysis and some don’t even require reading the book. Most scholarships essay contests do not have a GPA requirement, nor are they concerned with the famous three-letter acronyms (ACT, SAT). As a matter of fact, the Scholarships.com Resolve To Evolve Scholarship does not have any GPA, SAT, or ACT requirements and you could win up to $3,000 with your scholarship essay . Even without being the top winner, you could win $2,000 or be one of five $1,000 winners. Conduct a free scholarship search at Scholarships.com to see if you qualify.
Apply for an "Area of Study" Scholarship
There ample scholarships for students interested in a particular major, from Art to Technology. Though it could never hurt to have a perfect 4.0, you still may have a chance at thousands of dollars in free financial assistance, or maybe even a full-ride scholarship. For example, Scholarships.com awards 13 different $1,000 Area of Study College Scholarships each year- a written 250-300 word essay is the sole requirement. Put in your best effort—make a case to the scholarship provider and demonstrate why you are the best candidate for your given field.
Employers may pay more than just your salary
Often, a scholarship will be available exclusively to employees, children, or companies such as Kraft. Also, there are scholarships for particular trades and services, such as the police force or steel workers. Corporate scholarships often feature generous awards and requirements that can be met by the average person, and are worth the quick application.
Location, Location, Location
Sometimes, your zip code or high school may qualify 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. If there is one for your city, county, or school, it will be in your search results at Scholarships.com.
All of the above types of non-academic scholarships will appear in your search results when you conduct a free scholarship search online at Scholarships.com. We ask the most pertinent questions possible in an approximately ten-minute session, so that you will see which scholarships are available to you with little effort. The more complete and accurate the information you supply, the more accurate and complete your search results. You may be pleasantly surprised to see how many scholarships you are eligible for.
Dedicated to the continuing legacy of AIDS educator and activist Pedro Zamora, the Pedro Zamora Young Leaders Scholarship Program (Scholarship) seeks to support the academic efforts of emerging young leaders who share Pedro's passionate commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS pandemic. The scholarship is open to all current high school seniors, college freshmen, sophomores and juniors (ages 27 and [...] More
Applicants must be a resident of Mississippi and enrolled as a senior at a Mississippi high school and must sing, dance or play a musical instrument. To enter, you must submit a performance MP4 video for review by the selection committee. If chosen as a semi-finalist, you will be invited to perform live at the Finale to be held in Tupelo, Mississippi on a date to be announced. You must be able to [...] More
For a 72-year-old grandmother, graduating from college with a bachelor's degree from The University of New Mexico was "better late than never." To top that off, Rigina Wright also graduated at the top of her class as Valedictorian with a 4.067 GPA. [...]
Student at Johns Hopkins University have staged a month-long sit-in at Garland Hall, JHU’s main administrative building, to protest the university's plans for a private police force, which was recently approved by the Maryland General Assembly. The university has had to suspend financial aid, disability, academic advising, and international services due to the protest's complete blockage. The protesting students are also demanding that JHU cancel its contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and eight students even chained themselves to Garland Hall. [...]
It has been reported that Northwestern University President Morton Schapiro is directly involved in the college admissions decision process - personally reviewing hundreds of applications a year, including those of donor's children, alumni, faculty and staffs' children, or people he knows, according to Inside Higher Education. [...]
