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Top 36 Weird Scholarships in January 2023
Searching for scholarships can be a long and complicated process, and it’s usually a good idea to take a few different approaches to your search. You can find scholarships based on your demographics, your academic interests, your extracurriculars… or you can apply to some scholarships that are just plain weird. Our team has custom-selected the top weird scholarships out there to help spice up your scholarship application process. Let’s get into the scholarships!
36 Weird Scholarships in January 2023
The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:
- The scholarship requires a fee to apply
- The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
- The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
- Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
- The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
- The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
- The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
- There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
- The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
- There is no available contact information
If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!
* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system.
** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements.
***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.
$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship
Scholarships360 Exclusive
Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, community college and graduate students.
$2,000 Nitro College Scholarship – No Essay
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to all high school, college, community and graduate students.
$25,000 No Essay Scholarship
Sponsored
Open to high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year.
FMA Solo Program
Offered by Flying Musicians Association, Inc.
High school juniors and seniors who have a passion for music and aviation. Applicants must be nominated by their music director/teacher.
Tall Clubs International Scholarship
Offered by Tall Clubs International Foundation, Inc.
Open to tall students who will be entering college for the first time in the Fall of their scholarship application year.
Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest
Offered by The Gallery Collection
Open to high schoolers and college students over 14 years of age who submit an original greeting card.
Gamers Helping Gamers Scholarship
Offered by Gamers Helping Gamers
Open to high school seniors and college students who play Magic: The Gathering and answer a few questions about the game.
Alan Lucas Educational Scholarships
Offered by San Francisco Section of the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES)
College upperclassmen and graduate students in Northern California who want to pursue lighting education or research.
Two Ten Footwear Foundation College Scholarship
Offered by Two Ten Footwear Foundation
Open to U.S. footwear employees and their children who need help affording a college education.
PGSF Full-Time Students Scholarship
Offered by Print and Graphics Scholarship Foundation
Open to incoming and current undergraduate students pursuing a degree in printing-related fields, graphic communication, or publishing.
$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.
HelpTeaching.com Scholarship
Offered by HelpTeaching.com
Open to high school & college students who submit a short story or informational article for children.
Ocean Awareness Art Contest
Offered by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs
Open to middle and high school students who create an unconventional art/think piece addressing climate change.
Minecraft Scholarship
Offered by Apex Hosting
Open to high school and college students who write an essay on how Mincraft can positively impact education and career development.
Rodeo Ticket Student Scholarship
Offered by Rodeo Ticket
Open to all college students with an interest in Rodeo.
Don’t Text and Drive Scholarship
Offered by Digital Responsibility
Open to students who write a 140-character blurb about the dangers of texting while driving.
Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
Offered by Unigo
Open to U.S. students aged 14 or older who detail what course of action they would take in the case of a zombie apocalypse.
Rubincam Youth Award
Offered by National Genealogical Society
Open to middle and high school students who submit an appropriately prepared genealogy.
$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship
Sponsored
Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school students.
Niche $2,000 “No Essay” College Scholarship
Sponsored
Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.
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How to win weird scholarships
Now that you’ve got a list of some reliable weird scholarships, it’s time to get to work on your applications. There are many ways to ensure that your application stands out from the pack. One of the best ways to do this is to write a stellar essay. We can help you through that process, starting with the very beginning of the essay, which is oftentimes the hardest part for students! We can also help you adjust your writing to 250 and 500 word limits. Here are a few more materials to help you through your applications:
- How to write an essay about yourself
- How to write a “Why do you deserve this scholarship?” essay
- “Show, Don’t Tell” essay primer
- Ultimate guide to finding and winning scholarships
- How to win local scholarships
Frequently asked questions about weird scholarships
How should I change my application approach when I apply for weird scholarships?
Weird scholarships are your opportunity to be your truest self! In the application, embrace who you are. This can be the perfect opportunity to write a quirkier than usual essay or be extra creative with a potential project. Weird scholarships are usually really niche, so the scholarship selection committee will appreciate authenticity.
How do I tell if a weird scholarship is a scam?
In your scholarship search, you may come across some opportunities that seem a bit shady. In these situations, there may be something else “weird” going on. Take a look at these tips for identifying common scholarship scams. This will help you stay safe in your scholarship search.
Where else can I look for scholarship funding?
Weird scholarships are a great way to finance your education, but they’re not the only one. Make sure to expand your scholarship search into other categories. Our scholarships search tool is a great opportunity to find scholarships that range across all of your interests and demographic information. All of our opportunities are vetted and auto-update as they close and new ones open.
How can I supplement weird scholarships with other financial aid?
As great as scholarships are, they are not the only source of college funding. Remember to take advantage of need-based financial aid, especially federal opportunities. Make sure that you fill out the FAFSA to test your eligibility for institutional aid and federal grants such as the Pell Grant.
