When it comes to winning scholarships, geek
is chic. Often, a college scholarship
is not awarded solely based on major, academic ability, test scores, or athletic
talent, but according to a variety of criteria likely to indicate potential for
college success. Students who think creatively, express themselves well, and demonstrate
an interest in acquiring a great depth and breadth of knowledge are likely to stand
out in scholarship applications, as well
as the college application process.
Students with unusual talents and interests often find themselves uniquely suited
to art scholarships,
writing scholarships, and a variety of other weird
scholarship opportunities. It makes sense. A typical scholarship contest
will seek applicants who stand out from the crowd, and some, like the weird scholarship
contests mentioned below, seek students who have spent their entire lives standing
out from the crowd. The scholarship applicants whose talents and interests have
already earned them school-wide recognition are likely to also receive recognition
from scholarship providers, especially where wacky or unusual scholarships
are concerned.
Free scholarship money abounds for students
with a penchant for the unusual. The hippie girl is going to clean up in
green scholarships and community service scholarships for all her high school activism. The guy who memorized
pi to 250 places is almost guaranteed some sort of
academic scholarship. Duct Tape Pants Guy and the girl hauling around a
battered copy of The Fountainhead can win thousands of dollars just for celebrating
their talents with a photograph or scholarship essay, as well. Even the sci-fi kids can win multiple weird
scholarship awards.
In addition to merit scholarships, scholarships for women, scholarships for minorities,
or other well-known categories, weird scholarships are also worth investigating.
If you have a weird talent, there might be a weird scholarship for it. The only
way to know is to look, so conduct a scholarship search,
check off all your "out there" interests in your profile, and start
finding money for college.
The American Society for Enology and Viticulture annually awards numerous scholarships to students pursuing a degree in enology, viticulture, or a curriculum emphasizing a science basic to the wine and grape industry. ASEV offers two scholarship programs: the ASEV Traditional Scholarship and the ASEV Presidents’ Award for Scholarship in Enology and Viticulture. The awards are not in predetermined [...] More
To be eligible to apply for a Chick Evans Scholarship for caddies, candidates must meet the following requirements: 1. Strong caddie record: Applicants must have caddied, successfully and regularly, for a minimum of two years and are expected to caddie at their sponsoring club the year they apply for the scholarship 2. Excellent academics: Applicants must have completed their junior year of [...] More
Sponsored by CME Group & the National Cattlemen's Foundation, ten (10) scholarships of $1,500 will be awarded to outstanding students who are pursuing careers in the beef industry. Fields of study may include education, communications, production, research or any other area involved with the beef industry. The purpose of this program is to identify and encourage talented and thoughtful students [...] More
This grant was created to honor Gary LaFontaine and the aquatic entomology he loved and spent his life studying. A Fund has been established in the FFF Foundation, to support graduate students (MS or Ph.D.) doing a research project in aquatic entomology. A minimum of five years membership and service to the FFI is required. Nominations will be forwarded to the VP of Education and the Education [...] More
The National Candy Technologists Scholarship is $5,000, paid in two $2,500 installments. To qualify, the student must be either a college sophomore, junior or senior for the upcoming academic year, have a demonstrated interest in confectionery technology, and be majoring in food science, chemical science, biological science or related area. A minimum 3.0 GPA is also required. For more information [...] More
Each year, NPC awards a $10,000 academic scholarship to one graduate-level student conducting research for the benefit of the potato industry. The winner is selected based on a number of criteria, including academic achievement, leadership abilities, potato-related areas of graduate study, benefit to the U.S. potato industry/commercial value, extracurricular activities, and grades.
These scholarships are provided to encourage undergraduate sophomores and junior students to pursue careers in the marketing of milk or dairy products. Major areas can include Dairy or Agricultural Marketing, Dairy Product Development, Dairy Quality Control or Testing, Dairy Foods or Nutrition, and Food Product Science. Scholarships are based on leadership, experience, academic ability and [...] More
The Our World-Underwater Scholarship provides a hands-on introduction to underwater and other aquatic-related endeavors for young persons with an interest in underwater–related disciplines. Students must be 21 to 26 years of age, be in high academic standing, fluent in English and certified as a rescue diver or equivalent with a minimum 25 dives logged in the past two years. If you are chosen as [...] More
The Collegiate Inventors Competition, a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Invent Now, is a national competition that recognizes and rewards innovations, discoveries, and research by college and university students and their faculty advisors. The competition encourages students who actively pursue invention. Students frequently come from science, engineering, mathematics, and [...] More
The Ouimet Scholarship is unique in that it is renewable for up to four years. Ouimet awards range from $1,500 to $15,000 per year, depending on financial need and ranking in our competitive evaluation process. The value of the award over four years can be $10,000 to $40,000, or more. Nearly 5,600 young people have received Ouimet Scholarships, and many have gone on to prestigious positions of [...] More
This award annually recognizes star qualities in a male high school senior or college student who competes in the sport of bowling. Star qualities include distinguished certified bowling performance on the local, regional, state and national levels, academic achievement and extracurricular and civic involvement. The award winner receives a $6,000 scholarship.
Despite evidence that transfer students from community colleges are highly likely to succeed academically and bring diversity to more competitive colleges, a new study reveals that elite colleges are less likely to admit them. [...]
Across the nation, nearly 20 states offer statewide free college programs in an effort to increase the number of students attending college. The hope is that "five years from now, we would expect that a majority of the states in the country would have free college tuition, and that would be a tipping point." States including Tennessee, Arkansas, Indiana, Minnesota, Montana, Oregon and Rhode Island have already rolled out statewide free community-college programs, "and more are expected to follow." [...]
Skidmore College and UAlbany have already made good on their New Year's resolution by banning all smoking and tobacco use throughout campus, including outdoor areas, effective January 1. Skidmore partnered with the Living Tobacco-Free Initiative, a program of the Health Promotion Center of Glens Falls Hospital, which encourages community members to resolve major health and economic implications of tobacco use and will provide the college with information, resources, and examples about planning, implementing and sustaining a tobacco-free campus policy. [...]
