Top 35 Weird Scholarships in December 2023

Are you over 14 years of age, enrolled in high school or college, and enjoy making original artwork? If so, the Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest may be the perfect opportunity for you! Each year, the contest awards $10,000 to the applicant who submits the best holiday, greeting, or all-around holiday card. While the top ten finalists will be decided by a public vote, the final winner will be decided by a panel of judges. The contest is offered by The Gallery Collection, the “leading business-to-business online and mail order publisher of premium quality personalized Christmas, Holiday, and Everyday greeting cards in the United States.” If you’re a student aged 14 or older who wants to put their card-making skills to the test, we encourage you to apply!

Are you an 11 - 18 year old who has a passion for saving the environment and/or the ocean? Additionally, would you like to make a statement about the impact of climate change through writing, artwork, or even dance? You might consider applying for the Ocean Awareness Art Contest! Dedicated to encouraging the next generation to get involved in ocean conservation (and environmentalism as a whole), the contest asks its applicants to create a piece of artwork that reflects an impact/aspect of the current environmental crisis and its effect on the ocean. Each year has a specific theme to focus on, with this year being climate change. If you would like to make a statement about climate change’s impact on the ocean through art, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Minecraft Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship offers $2,000 to one applicant who best writes about how Minecraft can positively influence one’s education and career development. The scholarship is offered by Apex Hosting, a Minecraft server provider dedicated to supporting both new and experienced server administrators. If you’re a high schooler or college student with a love for Minecraft, it’s time to put your passion to good use and apply to the Minecraft Scholarship!

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year. Niche is giving one student $50,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required!

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

Open to high school students, college students, community college students, and graduate students.

Are you interested in your personal family history and genealogy? If so, consider applying for the Rubincam Youth Award! The Rubincam Youth Award is open to middle and high school students who submit an appropriately prepared genealogy. The scholarship is offered by the National Genealogical Society, a genealogical interest group founded in 1903 in Washington, D.C. They were the first national genealogical organization and have long paved the way in the field of genealogy. The Rubincam Youth Award honors Milton Rubincam, a passionate genealogist with many years of service contributing to the National Genealogical Society and the field of genealogy. To honor his legacy, this award aims to encourage and recognize our youth as the next generation of family historians. Each year, the scholarship awards a $500 cash prize to one (1) high school student and a $250 cash prize to one (1) middle school student. It also includes a plaque and a one-year NGS membership. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a K-12, art and nature-loving student who lives within a 75-mile radius of the National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Bird Dog Foundation Annual Youth Art Contest! Each year, the scholarship awards up to $2,000 to applicants who submit the best art depicting wildlife and related themes such as nature conservation. The contest is hosted by The National Bird Dog Museum in Grand Junction, Tennessee, which is “dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of bird dog, field trial, and hunting traditions.” If you live within a 75-mile radius of Grand Junction, Tennessee, and want to put your artistic talents to good use, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a high school music student interested in learning how to fly? If so, consider applying for the FMA Solo Program! The program is open to high school juniors and seniors who have a passion for music, and aviation, and are interested in participating in a Flight Training program. The program is offered by the Flying Musicians Association (FMA), a nonprofit organization for pilots who are also musicians of any sort. FMA believes that musicians and pilots share a similar skill set and thus intends to further interest in both through the program. Thus, since 2014, the program has offered flight training, training materials, a sponsored student membership in FMA, and other benefits to winning applicants. If you are passionate about both music and aviation, we encourage you to apply!

The NFDMA Women's Auxiliary Scholarship is a great opportunity for aspiring funeral directors to earn some funding for their schooling. To apply, candidates must provide a letter of reference from a licensed funeral director (ideally a member of NFD&MA) and another from a friend, counselor, school official, or clergyman. Don't miss out on this chance to further your education and career in the funeral industry.

Are you a vegan who wants to encourage veganism to non-vegans? If so, consider applying for The Vegan Society Grants! The Vegan Society Grants are open to vegan individuals and grassroots organizations that support projects that will encourage non-vegans to go vegan and stay vegan and who can raise public awareness of veganism in a positive way. The grants are funded by The Vegan Society, a registered educational charity that provides information and guidance on various aspects of veganism. On a quarterly basis (every three months), the grant awards $1,000 to a vegan or a non-profit organization or an individual who submits the best proposed veganism-related projects. If you’re passionate about veganism and are looking for some help to fund your project to promote veganism, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a college student interested in creating a design for a unique shade sail? If so, consider applying for the Shade Sail Design Challenge Scholarship! The contest is open to currently enrolled college students interested in using architecture, design, and engineering to create a unique shade sail structure. The program is offered by TenShon, an Arizona-based shade sail and shade canopy manufacturing company that specializes in designing, engineering, and fabricating shade sails. Their contest looks to expand students’ minds and reward them for their designs. Thus, every semester, a lucky winner receives $1,500.00 to go towards their educational expenses. If you want to put your design and creativity skills to the test, we encourage you to apply! The deadlines are on July 15th and December 15th of every year.

Are you a high school senior or post-secondary student who wants to help Americans improve their financial wellness and literacy with useful resources? If so, consider applying for Supermoney’s Financial Literacy Scholarship! Supermoney’s Financial Literacy Scholarship is open to high school seniors and current postsecondary students who design a finance calculator to help people make smarter financial decisions. The scholarship is offered by Supermoney, an online financial comparison platform that helps consumers evaluate and compare financial services. Through this, their ultimate goal is to help Americans achieve their financial goals. Thus, on a rolling basis, their scholarship grants $500 awards to students to help pay their educational expenses. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply!

Are you a post-secondary student pursuing a career in mycology, or even an established mycologist? Either way, if you’ve done impressive research in or somehow advanced the field of mycology, you may be eligible for some of the many Mycological Society of America Scholarships! There are a variety of scholarships available, offering between $500 and $10,000 to winning applicants. The scholarships are offered by the Mycological Society of America, the “international professional organization that is home to mycologists based in the United States and Canada.” To find out more about each scholarship’s specific requirements, we recommend checking out their individual profiles on the MSA (Mycological Society of America) website. If you do fit the criteria for any of the scholarships, we encourage you to apply!

Are you pursuing education in funeral service or mortuary science programs? You might want to consider applying for the American Board of Funeral Service Education (ABFSE) Scholarship! This scholarship is awarded annually to students who are studying funeral service or mortuary sciences through an accredited college, university, or educational program. In order to apply for this scholarship, you should also have at least one academic semester of study under your belt. Other than that, you’ll just need to complete the online scholarship application form and submit all other necessary documents. The scholarship is funded directly through the American Board of Funeral Service Education, America’s leader in mortuary science education and access. Every year, several students are awarded scholarships worth between $1,500 and $2,500 to help pay for their studies. If you’re a student in the US who is pursuing funeral service or mortuary sciences through an accredited program, then we encourage you to apply!

Are you a passionate American puppeteer with some professional puppeteering experience, a university degree in the field, or a serious commitment to the art form? Further, do you dream of expanding your horizons and studying puppetry outside the U.S.? If so, consider applying for the UNIMA-USA Puppetry Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,500 to help passionate American puppeteers pursue classes and training while abroad. The scholarship is provided by UNIMA-USA, an organization with a mission to “promote international understanding and friendship through the art of puppetry.”  If you could use a hand in paying off some of your international puppetry training costs, we encourage you to apply to the UNIMA-USA Puppetry Scholarship!

Are you a big fan of The Walking Dead, or maybe Z Nation? Ever thought about what you would do in the case of a zombie apocalypse? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship! Each year, this scholarship awards $2,000 to the applicant who, in 250 words or less, best describes their escape plan if there were a zombie outbreak at their school. The scholarship is offered by Unigo in hopes of helping some creative, zombie-obsessed students pay off some of their postsecondary education. If you’ve been inspired by the zombie shows and movies from the past few decades and have come up with a plan of your own, we encourage you to apply to the Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship! It’s due exactly when you’d expect: on Halloween.

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student that understands the danger of texting and driving? Write a compelling, 140-character statement about why you pledge not to text and drive and you may be selected as a finalist for the $1,000 “Don't Text and Drive” Scholarship! Just bear in mind that finalists will have to write an additional 500-1,000 word essay in order to be considered for the award. If you’re passionate about responsible driving and feel that you can put those feelings into compelling words, we encourage you to apply for Digital Responsibility’s “Don't Text and Drive” Scholarship! 

Are you a post-secondary student in the U.S. who has attended a rodeo before? If so, you might consider applying for the Rodeo Ticket Student Scholarship! Dedicated to supporting rodeo enthusiasts of all backgrounds, the scholarship awards $500 to one passionate applicant each year. To apply, you must submit a 750-1,500 word essay in which you explain what inspired you to attend a rodeo, and what you learned through the experience. Winners will also have their photos posted on Rodeo Ticket’s social media and website. If you’re a rodeo-goer who wants to detail your experience(s) through writing, we encourage you to apply!    The scholarship cycle runs from January 1 to August 15th of each year.