scholarships that only require an essay

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Niche $25,000 "No Essay" Scholarship

Deadline May 31, 2024
Amount $25,000
Offered By Niche
State National
Description Help cover the cost of college without writing a single essay! Niche is giving one student $25,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required! High school seniors will also be eligible to receive acceptances (and scholarships!) from our Direct Admissions partner colleges. Fill out your Niche Profile with key details like your GPA and the high school you attend, and you’ll automatically be considered. Apply below for your chance to win so you can focus on your education, not your finances. Good luck!
Essay Required : No
Recommendations Required : No
Minimum GPA : None
Major All majors
Type Generic

Beulah Frey Environmental Scholarship

Deadline April 12, 2024
Amount $2,500
Offered By Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania
State Pennsylvania
Description ASWP awards $2,500 scholarships to graduating high school seniors from our service area of Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Beaver, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. Students who are applying to two or four-year colleges to further their studies in an environmentally-related field are eligible to apply.
Essay Required : Yes
Recommendations Required : Yes
Major Earth Science/Geology

Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship

Amount Varies
Offered By Commonwealth of Virginia
State Virginia
Description The Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program was established in accordance with 30-231.8 of the Code of Virginia for the purpose of providing a public education to persons who were denied an education in the public schools of Virginia between 1954 and 1964, in jurisdictions in which the public schools were closed to avoid desegregation.
Major Any Major

James B. Pearson Fellowship

Deadline April 17, 2019
Amount $3,000
Offered By State of Kansas Student Aid
State Kansas
Description Established by former Kansas Senator Pearson to encourage graduate students from Kansas public universities to experience the global perspective gained from study abroad.
Find Student Loans

Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship

Deadline April 13, 2024
Amount 5,000
Offered By National Center for Learning Disabilities
State Nationwide
Description The Allegra Ford Thomas Scholarship is a $5,000 scholarship awarded over two years ($2,500 each year) to a graduating high school senior who will enroll in a two-year community college, a vocational or technical training program, or a specialized program for students with disabilities in the fall.

Anne Ford Scholarship

Amount $10,000
Description The Anne Ford Scholarship is a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500/year over four years) granted to a graduating high school senior who will enroll in a full-time bachelor’s degree program in the fall. Students must have a documented learning disability (LD). Students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who also have a learning disability, are encouraged to apply.
Minimum GPA : 3.75

LEAGUE Foundation Scholarship

Deadline April 14, 2024
Offered By LEAGUE Foundation
Description The LEAGUE Foundation provides financial resources for America's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer high school seniors entering their first year of institutions of higher learning. The scholarship application opens annually in January and closes in April with awards distributed in the summer of each year.
Minimum GPA : 3.0

Laurel Hester Memorial Scholarship

Matthew shepard memorial scholarship, critical teaching needs scholarship.

Deadline April 15, 2024
Offered By South Dakota Board of Regents
State South Dakota
Description The purpose of this scholarship is to encourage South Dakota's high school graduates to obtain their postsecondary education in South Dakota for teaching, to remain in the state upon completion of their education, and to contribute to the state and its citizens by working in a critical need teaching area.
Minimum GPA : 2.80
Major Education

First State Manufactured Housing Association Scholarship

Offered By First State Manufactured Housing Association
State Delaware
Description Four (4) $2,500 scholarships will be awarded to graduating seniors, GED recipients, or students who are currently enrolled in college, technical schools or trade schools. Full or part-time registration in an accredited program is acceptable. Award recipients may reapply annually. Eligible participants must live in a modular or manufactured home in Delaware for at least one year prior to the application.

Frank O'Bannon Grant

Offered By Indiana Commission for Higher Education
State Indiana
Description The Frank O'Bannon Grant is designed to provide access for Hoosier students to attend eligible postsecondary institutions. It receives its funding through appropriations made by the Indiana General Assembly. Eligibility for the grant is based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA.

Legal Opportunity Scholarship Fund

Amount $15,000
Offered By American Bar Association
Description The American Bar Association (ABA) awards an annual Legal Opportunity Scholarship to first-year law students. The mission of the program is to encourage racial and ethnic minority students to apply to law school and to provide financial assistance to attend and complete law school. The ABA Legal Opportunity Scholarship grants 10 - 20 incoming diverse law students with $15,000 of financial aid over their three years in law school.
Essay Required : Unknown
Recommendations Required : Unknown
Minimum GPA : 2.5
Major Legal Studies
Type Minority

Sigma Tau Delta Scholarships

Offered By Sigma Tau Delta
Description Annually, Sigma Tau Delta offers a variety of scholarships valued at up to $6,000 each. Because these scholarship opportunities are offered exclusively to Sigma Tau Delta members, those members who take the time to submit a carefully assembled application have a significantly better chance of receiving an award. Applications are judged based on academics, service, and quality of writing. These scholarships are funded by Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society for four-year colleges and universities.
Major English

State Employees Association of North Carolina (SEANC) Scholarships (Need-Based)

Amount $1,000
Offered By SEANC Scholarship Foundation
Description Established in 1974, the SEANC Scholarship Program Foundation awards scholarships to active and associate SEANC members, their spouses, and their dependents to attend technical schools, community colleges, trade schools, junior colleges, or four-year universities full-time.
Type State Employees Association of North Carolina

Stephanie Nicole Ross Foundation Graduate Scholarship

Amount $1,500
Offered By Stephanie Nicole Ross Foundation, Inc.
State Florida
Description The SNRF Graduate Scholarship supports graduate students studying psychology, cognitive or behavioral science, or any related field at a college or university in the state of Florida.
Major Psychology

Tennessee Student Assistance Award

Offered By Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
State Tennessee
Description The Tennessee Student Assistance Award Program (TSAA) was established to provide non-repayable financial assistance to financially-needy undergraduate students who are residents of Tennessee. Applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment, at least half time, at a public or an eligible non-public postsecondary institution in Tennessee.

Umatilla-Morrow County Farm Bureau Scholarship

Offered By Umatilla-Morrow County Farm Bureau
State Oregon
Description Umatilla-Morrow County Farm Bureau will award up to $3,000 in scholarships to high school seniors in Umatilla and Morrow Counties who will be attending any school of higher education, including trade school, a university, or a community college. Priority consideration will be given to those with an agricultural background, FFA experience, or an intended major in an agriculture-related field. Applications are available from high school counselors in Umatilla and Morrow County schools.

Virginia Nursing Scholarships

Offered By Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Equity
Description The Virginia Department of Health, Office of Health Equity offers several scholarship opportunities to help pay for nursing education.
Major Nursing

William C. Johnson Scholarship

Amount $6,000
Description This scholarship is given in honor of Dr. William C. Johnson, Executive Director of Sigma Tau Delta, in recognition of his dedication to the founding of National English Honor Society. It recognizes academic excellence and outstanding service to the Society at the local, regional, and/or national level. Applications should demonstrate both academic achievement and campus, community, and chapter service.
Minimum GPA : 3.5

Governor's Cup Scholarship

Deadline varies
Amount 5000
Offered By Idaho State Board of Education
State Idaho
Description The Idaho Governor's Cup Scholarship provides approximately 25 awards, depending on funding, to Idaho high school seniors planning to attend an Idaho college or university.

How To Find Scholarships With No Essay Requirements (With Examples)
Scholarships

When people are working through the rigors of not only higher education, but also working to fund higher education, they may simply lack the time or energy to produce meticulously-crafted, long-form essay responses to a scholarship application.

Fortunately, there are plenty of scholarships that don’t require any tedious writing responses. It’s important to note, however, that applicants should always be mindful and research the provider to avoid scams and fees. Read on for an overview of some no-essay scholarships and information on how to apply.

Cappex Easy Money College Scholarship

Every month, the scholarship database Cappex facilitates a no-essay scholarship drawing of six $1,000 awards. The only requirements applicants need to meet is a current high school or collegiate enrollment, a quick form response about why they deserve the scholarship, and a Cappex account, which will automatically qualify them for entry before the last day of every month. To begin the application process, simply head on over to the Cappex Sign Up page to create an account.

Cirkled In “No-Sweat” Scholarship

Cirkled In is a portfolio tool designed to give students a means of promoting their talents and academic expertise, and colleges an alternative method of evaluating applicants. The company offers a no essay, “No-Sweat” Scholarship. To qualify for a chance at winning the $2,500 award, all applicants need to do is merely create an account and complete their Cirkled In portfolio before the annual December 31 deadline. Both tasks can be done here.

ACS Scholars Award

To be eligible for this aid, applicants must:

Be African-American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or American Indian college.
Be an underclassman or graduating high school senior.
Plan to pursue a chemistry-related science program.
Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

To apply for the award, students must submit two letters of recommendation, one official transcript from their respective institution, and one copy of their FAFSA Student Aid Report before the annual March 1 deadline.

For a more thorough overview of the award’s application criteria, visit ACS’s official Scholars Program page.

Scholly No Essay Scholarship

Coordinated by popular student success platform Scholly, this award offers one of the biggest payoffs on this list. To qualify for a shot at a potential $10,000 award, applicants need to fill out a brief contact form and promote the No Essay Scholarship on Facebook or Twitter with the @MyScholly tag.

Enter before the annual May 31 deadline here .

Course Hero Award Scholarship

Every month, online learning platform Course Hero doles out scholarship awards ranging from $1,000-$10,000. Students can apply in three steps:

Create a Course Hero account
Fill out the short answer application

Awards, rules, and monthly deadlines vary with every scholarship. Evaluate each on Course Hero’s official Current Scholarships database.

College Survey Scholarship/Niche No Essay College Scholarship

Niche offers two monthly, no essay scholarship awards. The first is a $1,000 award, eligible only to college students and alumni who have graduated within the last four years. It can be completed by taking their official survey before the deadline at the end of each month. The second is a $2,000 award, eligible to high school and college students alike. Students can enter the drawing by simply creating an account before the end of each month. Apply here .

Where to Find the Best Scholarships for College Freshmen

Learn about scholarship opportunities for college freshmen and where you can find them.

How to Apply for College Scholarships

College scholarships can help reduce educational expenses. Learn how to find college scholarships and get tips for submitting a winning application.

The Best College Scholarships for High School Students

Here are some of the best college scholarships for high school students and where you can find more helpful resources regarding college finances.

Top Ten Online Colleges

The top 10 best online colleges in all majors and degrees., 30 scholarship essay contests.

Pursuing a college education can be expensive. But there are many ways to help pay for college. Students can look into grants, financial aid, student loans, and more. But scholarships are some of the best ways to fund your college education.

There are thousands of scholarships up for grabs each year. Each has its own eligibility requirements. One of the easiest kinds of scholarships to win are essay scholarships. These scholarships are perfect for those who enjoy writing.

But what if you don’t particularly like to write? You can still win some cash for school if you consider yourself a decent writer. Spending an hour or two writing a scholarship essay can pay off big! We’ve even included an easy guide to writing scholarship essays at the end of this article to help you out.

There are many scholarship essay contests available each year. The scholarship winners can take home prizes anywhere between $100 to $10,000 or more. So if college seems unaffordable right now, below is a list of 30 scholarship essay opportunities worth trying.

Related: 30 Writing Scholarships

ESSAY SCHOLARSHIPS

1. better business bureau ethical torch essay scholarship.

The Better Business Bureau offers high school students the annual Ethical Torch Essay Scholarships. The main goal of the essay scholarships is to award young individuals for making ethical decisions. High school students can apply for this scholarship by writing an essay about themselves. In it, they must describe different ways they have used ethics and integrity in their own lives.

The essay scholarships contest is open only to high school students in three regions. These include San Diego and Imperial County, Orange County, California, and Greater Arizona.

Five individuals will be awarded scholarships for their essays. Prizes range from $1,500 (first place) to $500 (fifth place).

2. Bird Dog Foundation Annual College Scholarship Essay Contest

The Bird Dog Foundation offers annual essay scholarships to high school seniors pursuing higher education. They are awarded to several deserving high school seniors. This scholarship essay aims to create admiration among young people for field and outdoor sports like hunting and fishing. It is only open to high school students in the 12th grade who are getting ready to go to college.

Students must be residents of Arkansas, Tennessee, or Mississippi. And they must be affiliated with a bird dog club or field trial association in any U.S. state. The first-place winner will receive $2,000. The second-place winner will receive $1,500. And the third-place winner will receive $1,000. Each scholarship award will be paid to the college or university where the student is registered to attend.

3. Center for Alcohol Policy Essay Contest

The Center for Alcohol Policy offers three essay scholarships. They are for individuals who need assistance paying for their college tuition. The essay topic is typically based on American court cases regarding alcohol policy. The writer must compile an essay on what they think is necessary to resolve the case. The three winners will receive $5,000, $2,500, and $1,000 toward their tuition. In addition, all three winners will be invited to the Center for Alcohol Policy’s Alcohol Law and Policy Conference. At the conference, they will be presented as speakers, where they will read their essays aloud to the attendees.

4. Fleet Reserve Association Americanism Essay Contest

Each year, the Fleet Reserve Association features an essay contest. This one is for junior high and high-school participants. Students are required to write 350 words on Americanism and patriotism. The essay scholarships aims to stimulate young people’s pride and support of America. Students will compete locally, regionally, and nationally.

Each grade has three national winners, with one grand national winner among all grades. The top national winner will receive $5,000. In addition, the first-place winner in each grade will be awarded $2,500. The second-place winner in each grade will be awarded $1,500, and the third-place winner in each grade will be awarded $1,000.

5. Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives Essay Contest, George Watt Prize

Since 1998, the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives has offered a yearly essay contest celebrating George Watt. Mr. Watt was a great writer and activist who helped create the Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives. Students around the globe are eligible to participate in this contest. The topics to write about can change periodically. However, the most popular essay topics include various aspects of the Spanish Civil War. The contest is open to both undergraduate and graduate students.

There will be three pre-college winners, one undergraduate winner, and one graduate winner. All winners’ essays of the essay contest scholarships will be published. The pre-college winners will receive $250. The college students will receive $500, and the graduate winner will receive $1,000.

6. American Backflow Prevention Association ABPA Harrington-Arthur Memorial Scholarship Essay

The American Backflow Prevention Association has an annual essay scholarship contest. The organization founded this opportunity more than two decades ago. The name of the competition is the ABPA Harrington-Arthur Memorial Essay . The award is aimed at students interested in managing cross-contamination and preventing backflow. This helps to minimize the risks of dangerous bacteria and chemicals moving into the water. The essay topic changes yearly, but the goal is to educate individuals and bring attention to maintaining safe and pure drinking water. The contest is open to high school students only. The winner will be presented with $1,500 toward their college tuition.

7. Herrman & Herrmann Innovation Scholarship Essay

Herrman and Herrmann provides an Innovation Scholarship Contest annually. Students are encouraged to be creative and to send their entries in as poems, essays, art pieces, videos, or songs. The topic is on a community service project that brought positive changes to your community. It must have inspired your growth or altered your future plans and goals in some way. After finishing the creative piece, individuals must also write a 300-word essay. The topic will be about a teacher who inspired their creativity.

High school students in 11th and 12th grades may apply for these essay scholarships. Undergraduate college students in the United States may also apply for this scholarship. Graduate students are not eligible. There will be three winners in Texas and three winners across the country. First place essays will be awarded $2,500. Second place essays will be awarded $1,500, and third place essays will be awarded $1,000. In addition, the teachers featured in the first-place winners’ essays will also receive $1,000.

8. Invensis Young Thinker Scholarship

Invensis offers the Invensis Young Thinker Scholarship . Invensis is a global outsourcing services company. Students in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia may compete for this scholarship. Topics may change each year. However, the most recent topic was “How robotic automation is shaping the future of business process outsourcing.” Each applicant will be required to write at least 600 words or more. The contest is open to undergraduate students from ages 18 to 26. Graduate students are not eligible for this contest. The winner will receive $500. And their essay will be featured on the company’s website, social media, and blog.

9. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum Profile in Courage Essay Contest

The Profile in Courage Contest is conducted by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum . These essay scholarships are meant for high school students in the United States. Students will write about the political bravery of an American elected official during or after 1917. Incidentally, this was John F. Kennedy’s birth year. The winner will be awarded $10,000, and the second-place runner-up will be awarded $3,000. In addition, five finalists will receive $1,000, and the eight semifinalists will each receive $100.

Scholarship Website

10. Margaret Mary Missar/John Carroll Society Scholarship

The John Carroll Society has provided essay scholarships since 1997. Students can be freshmen, sophomores, or high school juniors. Applicants for these essay scholarship contests must be enrolled in Catholic high schools of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. proper. Applicants must write an essay about a topic chosen by the John Carroll Society. Typically, the focus is on a subject that requires the student to give deeper consideration to their faith.

The first-place winner will be granted a scholarship of $2,000. The second-place winner will be awarded a scholarship of $1,000. Finally, there will be two or three third-place winners chosen. They will receive scholarships of $500 each. In addition, ten applicants will receive mentions for their essays and scholarships of $100 each. The first-place winner’s essay will be published in the Catholic Standard.

Related: Do Online Colleges Usually Require an Admissions Essay?

11. Asbestos.com Essay Scholarship

Asbestos.com is an organization of The Mesothelioma Center . They provide $5,000 in scholarship money for essays. Students must be willing to write and bring awareness to the issue of cancers caused by asbestos. Applicants will be required to write an essay with 750-1,500 words on the topic of mesothelioma. The winner’s essay will be presented on the asbestos.com scholarship page and social media accounts.

The first-place winner will be awarded $3,000 toward their tuition, and the second-place winner will be awarded $2,000 toward their education. In addition, each winner must be able to show an official college transcript from their school. These scholarships essay contests are for college students 18 years of age or older who are enrolled in a full-time U.S. institution. This also applies to high school students getting ready to attend college.

12. Negative Population Growth Essay Scholarship

Negative Population Growth awards essay scholarships every year. Only high school students and undergraduate college students can earn these essay scholarships. Essay topics are generally about a population-related challenge. The applicant must provide a recommendation on how they would solve the specific challenge. The grand prize winner will receive $5,000 toward tuition, and the second-place winner will receive $2,500 toward tuition. In addition, several other applicants will receive $1,000 and $1500 scholarships.

13. Optimist International Essay Contest

Optimist International offers an annual essay scholarship contest. It is open to individuals under the age of 19 who are not yet college students. The scholarship’s objective is to spark young people’s interest in writing about the world they live in. Each applicant can write about their own experiences, the experience of the country they reside in, or a piece of history that relates to the topic.

Topics are different each year. The most recent topic was “How Does an Optimistic Mindset Change My Tomorrow?” Each essay submission will compete at the club level first. They will then move onto the district level if their essay is considered one of the top. The district-level winner will be awarded a scholarship of $2,500.

14. Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Essay

Regions.com features an annual scholarship essay competition. These essay scholarships aim to help provide financial assistance to individuals planning to pursue a college education. However, it is also open to those who are already college students. The essay topic recognizes black history month. It can be about any African American who was inspirational to your life, experiences, and goals. The word count is 500 words or less.

High school seniors who live in a state with a Regions branch may be awarded a $5,000 scholarship if they win. And college students who live in a state with a Regions branch may be awarded a scholarship of $3,500 if they win. There will be 15 high school seniors and 15 college students who will receive scholarships.

15. Ayn Rand Institute Essay Contest

The Ayn Rand Institute is dedicated to the remembrance of Ayn Rand, a best-selling Russian American writer. For over three decades, the institute has provided a contest for students to win scholarship money for college. The essays are typically based on Ayn Rand’s novels, and the main goal is to encourage students to learn about her wisdom, knowledge, and writing.

There are different essay topics for high school students and college students. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. With these ssay scholarships, you may be able to win between $25 and $25,000.

16. Vegetarian Resource Group Essay Scholarship

The Vegetarian Resource Group offers essay scholarships for high school seniors in the United States. The contest is for students who have encouraged their schools or communities to engage in vegetarianism. There will be two $5,000 scholarships and one $10,000 scholarship awarded. If your essay wins, it will become the Vegetarian Resource Group’s property. And your name will be given to the media to acknowledge your outstanding work.

17. Veterans of Foreign Wars Patriot’s Pen Youth Essay Contest

The Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) offers a Patriot’s Pen Youth Essay Contes t. These essay scholarships aim to inspire young people to look at the history of America. Plus, it helps them reflect on their personal experiences in the modern-day society of America. VFW will choose a specific topic related to patriotism, and applicants will be required to write between 300 to 400 words. The current topic is “My Pledge to Our Veterans.”

These essay scholarships are only available for high school students and middle school students. Each submission will compete at the state level and may go on to the national level. Middle school students can win $5,000, and high school students can win $30,000.

18. Bill of Rights Institute We the Students Essay Contest

Once a year, the Bill of Rights Institute offers a We the Students Essay Contest . Applicants for these essay scholarships are required to write about what civil discourse means to them. The goal is to encourage individuals to write essays about their own experiences and ideas. The Bill of Rights Institute seeks essays containing creativity, engagement, and examples.

First-place winners will be awarded $7,500 and a scholarship to the Constitutional Academy. In addition, five runners-up will be chosen and awarded $1,500 each. Plus, eight individuals will also be acknowledged for their essays and receive $500 each.

19. Unigo College Review Scholarship

Unigo offers a unique College Review Scholarship every year. This contest is open to current college students or those that have previously attended a college. Applicants are required to write a short, 250-character essay about a college listed on Unigo’s website.

The winner of this essay scholarship will be awarded $1,000. The funds will go toward tuition for the school they attend or plan to attend. The essays will be evaluated based on writing ability, originality, creativity, and overall quality.

20. The Christopher W. Keyser Scholarship

Keyser Law, P.A. offers the annual Christopher W. Keyser Scholarship . It is designed to provide financial assistance to students pursuing an education related to the law field. Acceptable majors include criminal justice, pre-law, English, history, political science, and journalism. Communications, sociology, and a Bachelor of Individualized Studies are also acceptable.

Applicants can choose between three topics and must write between 2,000 and 3,000 words. Only current college students and students entering college are permitted to apply for these essay scholarships. The writer of the winning essay will receive a scholarship worth $1,500.

21. Learncurious Phyllis F. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing

Learncurious features three annual essay scholarships. It is called the Phyllis F. McCarthy Scholarship for Excellence in Writing . There are three topics for applicants to write about, and essay submissions must be 3,000 words or less. The first-place winner will receive a scholarship of $1,000, and the two runners-up will receive $50 each. All winners and their essays will be showcased on the Learncurious website and blog. Only high school seniors and high school juniors are permitted to write an essay for this scholarship. Those who are already undergraduate and graduate students are not eligible.

22. The Lincoln Forum Platt Family Scholarship Prize Essay Contest

The Lincoln Forum offers essay scholarships through the Platt Family Essay Contest . Each year, students are given a topic about Abraham Lincoln to write about. This essay contest is only open to undergraduate students pursuing college courses at a school in the United States. Graduate school students do not qualify. There are several creative writing scholarships. The grand first-place winner will receive a scholarship of $1,500, and the second-place winner will receive a scholarship of $750. The third-place winner will receive a scholarship of $500. The winners will also be featured on the Lincoln Forum Platt’s website. Entries must be between 1,500 and 5,000 words.

23. Writer’s Digest Annual Writing Competition

Writer’s Digest has been hosting a writing competition for almost 90 years. This essay scholarship contest is for helping new and budding writers win money for college. It is also designed to feature students’ work for others to read.

Each year, around 500 winners are chosen for several different essay scholarships. The grand prize winner will receive $5,000, an interview with Writer’s Digest, and a free trip to the annual conference. The first through tenth place winners are awarded between $25 to $1,000. Winners will also receive a subscription to Writer’s Digest magazine. Submissions will be published on the website. Plus, they will receive discounts on all purchases through the website.

24. Maryland Criminal Defense Group Outstanding Citizen Scholarship

Every year, the Maryland Criminal Defense Group sponsors an essay scholarship. It’s named the Oleg Fastovsky Outstanding Citizen Scholarship. This essay contests scholarship was created to help students pay for their college expenses. Applicants must write about being a good citizen and participating in community service projects. Individuals must also show they possess the qualities of an outstanding citizen in this 500-word essay. The award for these creative writing scholarships is $1,000. High school seniors, undergraduate, and graduate students are eligible. The winner must show proof of enrollment or a current transcript.

25. The Branson Shows Inspired Scholarship

BransonShowTickets.com offers an essay scholarship called the Branson Show Inspired Scholarship . This essay scholarship aims to inspire and encourage individuals to chase their dreams and pursue their goals. Students entering the competition must write about their own personal and professional ambitions. The winner will secure a scholarship for $1,000. Students between 16 and 19 who live in the United States can enter this competition. If you are already affiliated with BransonShowTickets.com, you may not apply.

26. American Bullion Scholarship

American Bullion, Inc. provides annual scholarship opportunities to assist students in paying for their college tuition. This essay scholarship aims to help students gain knowledge about valuable assets, such as gold. Students will write an essay between 500 to 1,000 words on a given subject. Applicants must be American citizens and currently enrolled in a full-time program at a college or university. The winner will receive $1,000 toward their tuition. Graduate school students also qualify for this contest.

27. Galvanize the Future Richard L. Brooks Memorial Scholarship

The American Galvanizers Association offers an annual essay scholarship. It is called the Galvanize the Future Richard L. Brooks Memorial Scholarship essay contest. This contest was developed to offset tuition costs for students in civil engineering and related programs of study. The scholarship is available to part-time and full-time students. Undergraduate and graduate students are welcome to apply for these creative writing scholarships. Students must be enrolled in or planning to enroll in an accredited college in North America. The essay must be between 1,000 to 2,000 words. A topic will be provided.

28. International Bipolar Foundation High School Essay Contest

The International Bipolar Foundation provides an essay competition each year. It is designed for young people who desire to raise awareness of mental health issues. These essay scholarships are open to high school students, and three winners are announced annually. The grand prize winner will receive $1,000. The second-place winner will receive $500, and the third-place winner will receive $250. In addition, all three winners will be featured on the International Bipolar Foundation’s website. Undergraduate and Graduate school students do not qualify.

29. IvyPanda Annual Essay Writing Contest Scholarship

Each year, IvyPanda.com awards $1500 in essay scholarships to talented students who demonstrate the art and skill of essay writing. Scholarships are given to two winners. The first-place winner will receive $1,000, and the runner-up will get $500. Essays must be between 500 to 700 words. A list of potential topics is provided. This scholarship essay is open to high school or college students from any country.

30. Alzheimer’s Foundation of America Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness

Annually, the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America features an essay competition. It is titled the Teens for Alzheimer’s Awareness College Scholarship Essay Contest. These essay scholarships are meant for high school seniors who are getting ready to go to an accredited college directly after graduation. All essays must be between 1,200 to 1,500 words and express how Alzheimer’s affects your personal life, family, and community. In addition, you should write about what you have learned about managing the disease. The top essay will receive $5,000. There will also be several runners-ups chosen and awarded for their excellent work.

How To Write the Perfect Scholarship Essay

Applying to college can be trying. There are exams to pass, forms to fill out, and plenty of other challenging tasks. It’s a time-consuming process. Because tuition is so costly, most students try to do everything possible to save money on their education.

There are numerous ways to offset the cost of college, including financial aid, student loans, and grants. But, of course, applying for financial assistance also requires a lot of effort and—you guessed it—more paperwork!

Additionally, students may be eligible for scholarships. Some of these are a breeze to apply for. Others require students to work a little bit for their free cash. Such is the case with essay scholarships.

You may also like: How do I Write a Good College Application Essay?

Essay Scholarships

Essay scholarships are special essays that students write as a supplement to a scholarship application. All scholarships require students to fill out an application form of some type. But a vast majority of those applications require an essay. It might be a short, three or four hundred-word answer to a question. Or it could be a longer paper requiring several thousand words. Either way, when an essay is required, it’s usually the most crucial part of a scholarship application.

Essay scholarships can make or break your chances of winning a scholarship, so you’ll want to be sure to get them right. Essays give the scholarship committee a chance to know you better. And a good essay will make your application shine. Organizations want to know they are awarding scholarships to the most worthy applicants. So your scholarship essays will give them a sense of who you are and your educational goals. Essay-required scholarships are your chance to prove you are deserving of a particular scholarship.

There are many variables with essay scholarships. For example, some organizations request a lengthy piece of content with a specific writing prompt. Others only require a short paragraph or two on a general topic. But no matter what the requirements, there are some common tips for doing them right. Here’s a rundown of the most essential considerations for essay scholarships:

1. Get Started!

Getting started on your scholarship essay is often the most challenging part of the process. And if you’re a born procrastinator, the struggle is real. However, the sooner you dig in, the better off you’ll be.

Be sure to verify all deadlines and give yourself plenty of time to finish your essay. Don’t wait until the last minute to get started. No matter what level of writing skills you have, creating a winning essay takes time. So don’t expect you can complete a masterpiece overnight!

2. Write an Introduction and an Outline

Staring at a blank screen will keep you stuck, so just dig in. Read through your prompt and start writing whatever comes to mind. You can perfect your thoughts later on. But for now, you need to get something “on paper” to get your creativity flowing.

Once you’ve written a rough introduction, create an outline. An outline can help you structure your essay in a way that makes it easy to read.

Here’s a great tip: Most annual scholarship program web pages publish the essays of previous winners. Read them. Looking over the winning essays can give you some much-needed inspiration. Plus, it will give you a better idea of what the organization is looking for .

3. Write the Body of Your Essay

This will take up the bulk of your time when completing your scholarship essay, so be sure to schedule it well in advance. It’s a good idea to plan on working on the main part of your essay over several days. This way, you can write for an hour or so each day and not get too burned out.

Remember that your goal at this stage is to persuade the organization to award you the scholarship. So you will need to convince them they should give you their money. Think about why you feel you deserve the scholarship. List your accomplishments and the traits that distinguish you from other students. Think about obstacles you have overcome and your goals for the future. Then, work these into your essay topic in a natural way.

4. Follow Instructions Carefully

You would be surprised how many students miss out on perfect scholarship program opportunities because they did not follow directions. Dont be like these unfortunate applicants. Instead, read through the instructions before, during, and after you write your essay.

Follow every step precisely. You can be creative in your essay, but when it comes to the instructions, dont showcase your personality by trying to “do things your own way.” For example, if the instructions say to use Times New Roman, don’t deviate and use Arial instead. Be respectful and follow the guidelines exactly.

5. Conclude With Something Memorable

Final impressions are important. To stand out from the crowd, craft a conclusion the committee will remember. Focus on some final thoughts demonstrating your personal growth in overcoming obstacles. And conclude by honing in on the future. For example, tell the committee how you plan to use those lessons at college over the coming years.

6. Proofread Like Your Life Depends on It

Do you know what happens to students who don’t thoroughly proofread their scholarship essays? Nothing. That’s because they don’t win. Are you serious about winning the scholarship? Then be doubly serious about checking your essay for spelling and grammar mistakes. Use a proofreading app like Grammarly to review your paper multiple times. Then, go over it again for good measure.

Before you submit the essay, sleep on it. Chances are, you’ll find a few more typos after you take a break for a bit. It wouldn’t hurt to have a teacher or another student also go over it.

See Also: 5 Tips for Obtaining Scholarships to Online Colleges

Qualifying for 30 Scholarship Essay Contests

What are the qualifications for essay scholarships? Several factors can qualify you for a college scholarship program. Here are the most common ones.

Academic Achievements

One of the most common qualifications organizations look for in scholarship applicants is academic achievements. Therefore, many scholarship providers want to know about your classes, GPA, and standardized test scores. These numbers indicate your ability to meet the academic requirements of college.

You may also like: ONLINE COURSES SCHOLARSHIPS

Like academic achievements, merit is another common requirement for scholarships. Merit is subjective and depends on the organization giving out the award. For example, the committee may be looking for students with strong leadership skills or volunteer experience. Or they may want to see your involvement in student government or athletics. Merit means that you have exceptional abilities in a particular area.

Financial Need

Some scholarships are need-based. They are awarded primarily on your financial circumstances. Unless they are independently wealthy, the majority of students qualify for some type of need-based financial aid. You can check out the EFC formula guide to find out more about what constitutes financial need.

Age and Grade Level

Scholarships are typically awarded to college students, but this is a broad cross-section of people. For example, one essay scholarship program may only be open to those under 18. But for another, only graduate students are eligible. In addition, some common age and grade level requirements may include:

Middle school students
Current high school students
Junior high students
Students in grades 7-12
Students ages 13 to 25 (Or other age ranges)
Graduating high school seniors
Graduate students
Undergraduate students
Undergraduate and graduate students
High school students already accepted to college
Current college students
Previous college students
First-year students, sophomores, juniors, and high school seniors (or any combination thereof)

As you can see, the age and grade requirements can vary widely. So it’s essential to read the fine print before you even begin your scholarship essay. After all, you dont want to do all that work and find out you’re not even eligible!

With some scholarship programs, you only need a stroke of luck to win. These scholarships are like the lottery. If your name or number is randomly drawn, you win! If you don’t possess other scholarship qualifications, luck-based scholarships might help. That’s because each student who enters has the same chance to win. So be sure to apply to every luck-based scholarship opportunity you can. You never know when a windfall is coming your way!

Related: 25 Scholarships for Average Students

Combination Requirements

The truth is that most scholarships have a combination of requirements. For example, you might be eligible for a scholarship based on financial need plus a winning essay. Or you may be eligible to win an essay contest only if you are a low-income senior in high school. Some scholarships with essays only have one specific requirement. But with most scholarship contests, you will need to meet more than one of the criteria to be eligible.

When Should You Start Applying for Scholarships?

Each scholarship is different, with deadlines falling throughout the year. There are no standard dates like with college applications, so it depends on the cutoffs for an individual scholarship. However, in some cases, you must apply as early as one year before starting college. Remember, you’ll want plenty of time to work on the scholarships that require essays.

High school juniors and high school seniors who plan to attend college should start looking for scholarships as early as possible. Missing a scholarship deadline means losing out on free money for your education.

Some students like having a notebook and calendar handy to keep their scholarship and deadline information organized. That way, they can refer back to it regularly to ensure they don’t miss any crucial scholarship opportunities. Remember, you can apply for as many scholarships as you want. Millions of dollars in scholarships are up for grabs every year, so keep filling out those applications!

Closing Thoughts

Scholarships are one of the first types of financial assistance to consider, as they are a gift that does not need to be repaid. Additionally, students can earn more than one scholarship. Earning multiple essay scholarships can help current or prospective college students pay for college. Provided by various generous organizations, essay scholarships are ideal for those with a knack for writing.

The outstanding scholarship opportunities mentioned on this list can help fund your college education. And if you are willing to put in the effort, you may be able to win one of these scholarship contests.

Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, the 10 easiest scholarships to apply for.

Financial Aid

Scholarships are awesome resources if you're checking out different ways to pay for college. It's free money after all—what's not to love?

As it turns out, most scholarship programs have application processes that aren't exactly lovable. Students generally have to submit a lot of information about themselves: transcripts, GPAs, test scores, resumes, community service activities, and so on. There might even be a few essays and grade requirements thrown in as well. You don't want to complain—because, again, free money—but these applications sure are tedious when you're working on college apps, high school courses, and financial aid applications all at the same time.

The following easy scholarships have application processes that are a bit more manageable. Some ask you to write short essays, while others don't require any essays at all! The awards might not be as large as some other scholarships out there, but when the application process is so easy, you really don't have much to lose. I'll start off with some words of warning before getting into the good stuff: essay and no-essay scholarships that are so easy to apply for, you might end up applying to all of them!

Caveat: If a Scholarship Seems Too Good to Be True ...

Unfortunately, there aren't too many legitimate "easy" scholarships out there. If a scholarship application sounds too good to be true, be cautious—you don't want to fall victim to a scholarship scam!

Here are some things to look out for:

A scholarship application that asks for personal information that isn't relevant to the award: Many top scholarship programs ask for personal information (transcripts, SAT/ACT scores, and even financial information for need-based scholarships); however, this info is all relevant to candidate evaluation. If you're ever uncomfortable providing personal info for a scholarship program, dig deeper. Can you verify that the program is legitimate? Does it have its own website, or can you only find info about it through a third party? Try Googling "[award name] scam" to see whether anything suspicious pops up.
A scholarship that asks you to make payments to enter or win: Scholarship programs are in the business of giving money to students, not taking it. A scholarship program is likely just a scam if the application asks you to make a payment—especially if it asks you to enter credit card information.

Now that we've got that out of the way, it's time to get to the good stuff: all the best easy essay and non-essay scholarships and how to win them!

Essay Scholarships

The scholarships in this section ask students to submit short essays with their applications. Even though you'll have to write an essay, the rest of the application (and the essay itself) should be easy and manageable for all these awards. In fact, most of these applications shouldn't take more than one to two hours to complete.

Bachus & Schanker, LLC Scholarship

This scholarship program is a bit different from most of the other awards included in this post—it's funded by a private law firm in Colorado. Students compete for a $2,000 award by writing an essay (at least 800 words) about the 7th Amendment and how it affects their lives. Scholarships are awarded twice a year, to be paid toward tuition for the upcoming semester.

Eligibility: High school seniors who have been accepted to a four-year university and university students with a minimum 3.0 GPA
Deadline: July 30 (to win a scholarship for the fall semester) and November 30 (to win a scholarship for the spring semester)

Courage to Grow Scholarship

This $500 award is given out to one lucky student every month. To compete for the award, applicants must explain in 250 words why they think they deserve the scholarship, intended to support students who found “courage to forge ahead when sometimes it would be easier to give up.” Past recipients’ essays have discussed overcoming obstacles from bullying to breast cancer.

Eligibility: US high school juniors and seniors and college students with a minimum 2.5 GPA
Deadline: Last day of every month

Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship

Odenza Marketing Group gives away two $500 scholarships each year, once in the spring and again in the fall. To compete for this award, applicants must like the Odenza Facebook page and write two short essays of about 500 words each. Each scholarship must have a clear thesis statement, offer supporting evidence in paragraph format, and be grammatically correct. In other words, these essays should follow the argumentative essay format you've learned in English class.

Eligibility: Current high school students (US or Canadian citizens) aged 16-25 or students who have at least one year of college remaining. Applicants must also have a minimum 2.5 GPA.
Deadline March 30 for spring, November 15 for fall

Some of these applications won't take you longer than a few minutes.

No-Essay Scholarships

When it comes to easy applications, you can't get much easier than the following scholarship programs. You'll still have to submit some information about yourself (and, in some instances, complete some brief activities or tasks), but you won't have to write any essays to qualify.

AFSA High School Scholarship

For this scholarship, all you need to do is complete an entry form and answer an eight-question quiz. Five $1 ,000 awards are given out each year. Winners are randomly selected by a computer-generated drawing. Your odds of winning are based on the total number of entries received. Essentially, it’s a scholarship raffle, and you get one ticket per “draw.”

Eligibility: Current high school seniors (US citizens or legal residents)
Deadline: June 30, 2023

Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship

This scholarship has one of the easiest applications out there: just fill out a few questions, and you're done! A $1,000 scholarship is awarded every three months. Winners are selected randomly.

Eligibility: Current high school, college, and graduate students studying in the US
Deadline: The last day of every March, June, September, and December

The Annual Haiku Society of America Haiku Award in honor of Harold G. Henderson

This scholarship program gives out three prizes of $200, $150, and $100 , but the application process is fun and easy. Students qualify by simply writing and submitting up to five original haikus. If you win, your haiku also gets published in an anthology and on the HSA website! Note: There is a small fee to apply, but the site is indeed reputable.

Eligibility: All students in grades 7-12
Deadline: Open June 1 - July 31

"No Essay" College Scholarship

This $2,000 award is given out monthly. To apply for this scholarship, submit an application that includes basic identifying information, your GPA, and your SAT/ACT scores. Winners are randomly selected, and you can submit a new application every month.

Eligibility: High school students, adults heading back to school, current college students, and anyone else looking to attend college or graduate school within the next year

Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest

Do you have a creative side and an eye for fashion? Students can compete for the grand prize of $10,000 (one each for the dress and tux categories) by designing and wearing prom outfits made out of duct tape. Check out the website for fun pictures of past winners!

Eight $500 prizes are given to runners-up (four for dresses and four for tuxes). Applicants can enter as individuals or as part of a couple. Submissions that get the most votes win prizes, so be sure to recruit your friends to vote for you!

Eligibility: High school students in the US and Canada (excluding certain states and territories—refer to the official rules for details)
Deadline: The submission window is generally open from March through June, and winners are announced in July. Check the website for exact dates.

U.S. Bank Student Union Scholarship

Multiple awards are available through this scholarship. To qualify, you'll need to create an account and complete learning modules about financial education. The more modules you complete, the more money you're eligible to earn.

One first prize winner and one second prize winner are randomly selected during each of two entry periods. Winners can receive up to $20,000 , depending on how many learning modules they complete

Eligibility: Current US undergraduate students
Deadline: Spring and fall of each year. Check website for more details.

Because College is Expensive Scholarship

This $500 scholarship is awarded to one student four times a year (March, June, September, and December) .If you want to enter, all you have to do is fill out the form on the Cedar Lending website.

Eligibility : High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors; current college students; anyone else looking to attend college or grad school
Deadline : March 31st, June 30th, September 30th, and December 31st. One winner is selected by the 15th of each month.

3 Tips for Winning Easy Scholarships

Just because a scholarship is easy to apply for, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to win. Since these scholarship applications are so simple to complete, you'll probably have a lot of competition. Here are some strategies to help you submit your best applications possible:

#1: If you have to write an essay, you'll have a better shot at success if your views align with those of the organization awarding the scholarship. To prepare, do some research about the company or charity's mission statement. For instance, don't write an essay about how much you love fossil fuels if the scholarship is offered by an environmental organization!

#2: Make sure your application is polished. You won't have the opportunity to make more than a first impression (remember, these apps are short and sweet!), so double-check for any grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors.

#3: Last but not least, be sure that your application is complete and on time!

What's Next?

These scholarships are excellent options if you want to churn out as many applications as possible. As you might've noticed, though, the award amounts are a bit underwhelming (though keep in mind that several smaller awards can be just as helpful as one big award!). Larger scholarships and grants are often available through colleges directly and applying for financial aid using the FAFSA .

You'll have to spend more time on your applications if you're gunning for a top scholarship, but the payoff can be more than worth it. To learn more about some of the best scholarships out there, check out our guides to the top scholarships for high school juniors and seniors .

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Francesca graduated magna cum laude from Harvard and scored in the 99th percentile on the SATs. She's worked with many students on SAT prep and college counseling, and loves helping students capitalize on their strengths.

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Best Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Overcoming Adversity Cariño Scholarship

Eligibility criteria:.

State : Washington
Education Level : High school student
Ethnicity : Latinx

Sloane Stephens Doc & Glo Scholarship

Education Level : Must be a current high school senior or undergraduate student
Schooling : Either studying healthcare or attending an HBCU
GPA : 2.5 or higher

Ryan T. Herich Memorial Scholarship

Field of Study : Political science, cultural anthropology, geography, or history
Education Level : High school senior or 2 or 4-year undergraduate

Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship

Trees for Tuition Scholarship Fund

Education Level : High school senior or undergraduate
State : Georgia (Atlanta preferred)

Concrete Rose Scholarship Award

Gender : Women
Race/Ethnicity : BIPOC
Education Level : High school senior or Undergraduate

Jennifer Gephart Memorial Working Mothers Scholarship

Background : Mother

Anthony McPherson Memorial Automotive Scholarship

Field of Interest : Automotive
Education Level : High school or undergraduate student

Russell Koci Skilled Trade Scholarship

Education Level : Trade school student or high school seniors interested in trade schools

TEAM ROX Scholarship

Education Level : Undergraduate student
GPA : 3.0 or higher
Background : Volunteering experience

Rebecca Hunter Memorial Scholarship

Education Level : Any
Parental Status : Single parent

God Hearted Girls Scholarship

Education Level : High school senior
Gender : Female
Religion : Christianity

Dimon A. Williams Memorial Scholarship

Family : Single-parent household

Women in Healthcare Scholarship

Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate student
Citizenship Status : U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident
Gender : Female-identifying
Field of Study : Healthcare

Rainbow Futures Scholarship

Education Level : High school senior or undergraduate student
Identity : LGBTQ+
Background : Financial need

Frank and Patty Skerl Educational Scholarship for the Physically Disabled

Background : Has a physical disability

Ventana Ocean Conservation Scholarship

Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, or graduate
Major : Ocean conservation, marine science, environmental science, marine biology, etc.

Joseph A. Monachino Memorial Scholarship

Financial Status : Financial need
State : Nevada

Dr. Edward V. Chavez Athletic Memorial Scholarship

Background : Has lost one or both parents
Passion : Sports

Tam and Betsy Vannoy Memorial Scholarship

State : West Virginia
Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, post- secondary trade school

Frederick J. Salone Memorial Basketball Scholarship

Background : Plays basketball

Lemon-Aid Scholarship

Financial Status : Low-income

Patriots Path Scholarship

Involvement : ROTC or JROTC

Walking In Authority International Ministry Scholarship

Experience : Volunteering

Skylar's Hope Scholarship

Education Level : High school senior, undergraduate, or trade school student
Desired Career : First responder (firefighter, police, EMT, etc.)

Brinley Heckermann Empowering Spirit Scholarship

Background : Cheerleader and/or stunt-athlete

Jean Ramirez Scholarship

Education : High school, undergraduate, or graduate
Background : Immediate family of suicide victim

Robert F. Lawson Fund for Careers that Care

Field of Interest : Healthcare, social work, government, education or a related field

Alexis Mackenzie Memorial Scholarship for the Arts

Education Level : High school student accepted to a two or four-year college or an arts institute
Race/Ethnicity : Black or Latina
Background : Financial Need

Hamiltonville Farm Scholarship

Education level : High school senior or trade school
Field of Interest : Automotive or Diesel repair

About essay scholarships

Essay-based scholarships are the most common and traditional form of scholarships available to students pursuing higher education. Though essay scholarships may seem intimidating at first glance, this type of scholarship can be invaluable to students looking to earn money through scholarships.

An essay scholarship is a financial aid opportunity that requires students to write a short statement in order to apply. No-essay scholarships, on the other hand, do not require written statements as part of the application process.

Students tend to gravitate towards no-essay scholarships, as they are easier to apply to in regards to both time and effort. While no-essay scholarships are a great resource as well, students should consider applying to a mix of both no-essay and essay scholarships to have the best chances of winning.

Since fewer students take the time to apply for essay scholarships, there is less competition for them. This means that students that do apply for essay scholarships will often have higher chances of winning money than students who exclusively apply for no-essay scholarships.

Though no-essay scholarships can save time in the application process, they typically attract a large number of applicants. Both college students and high school students will usually face more competition with this type of scholarship.

In many cases, it isn’t as difficult to apply for essay scholarships as college students imagine. The written statement is often quite short and usually hovers around 400-600 words. That’s around a page of writing or even a little less. There are even many opportunities that require even shorter essays, such as 100-300 words!

If that still sounds daunting, remember that essay scholarships will provide a prompt to write on. Most scholarships will focus on a certain aspect of a student’s life. For example, a mental health awareness scholarship might ask students to write about their personal struggles with mental health and how they have overcome those challenges in pursuit of a better education.

Similarly, major-based scholarships, like STEM or arts scholarships, often ask students to write about why they chose to study that particular field. Typically, no additional research needs to be done to write the essay portion of the application. In nearly all cases, donors simply want to hear about who the applicant is.

To write the essay scholarship, students only need to draw on their personal experiences or life goals to show the donor who they are as a person. High school students might focus more on their goals for the future, while undergraduate and graduate students might talk about their current studies.

Whatever the case, both high school students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, should focus on showcasing their talents, goals, and personality in the essay. The more detailed and unique an essay is, the easier it is for the donor to feel a connection with you, making your application stand out from the competition.

Essay scholarships are available to students of all ages and all grade levels. College students and high school students alike can apply for essay scholarships. As long as the scholarship allows applicants of your grade level, you can apply.

Though some essay scholarship prompts may seem better suited towards one age group than another, students should still apply as long as they are eligible. For example, a scholarship that asks applicants to write about their major and why they chose it might seem easier to answer as a college student.

However, if high school students are eligible, they can likely answer the prompt by writing about their intended major. Both high school students and college students should be able to write most scholarship essays.

The purpose of the essay scholarship is to allow the donor to get a better view of the applicant, so make sure to add personality and detail to your essays. You can also check out this guide on writing scholarship essays for exclusive tips!

Best essay scholarships

The majority of scholarships available are essay-based, so there are plenty of opportunities to choose from. Each scholarship has its own benefits, so it's important to apply for a variety of scholarship opportunities. The highest-value scholarships can be the most helpful when paying your tuition, but they often receive the most competition as a result. To have the best chances of winning, consider smaller scholarships with fewer eligible applicants.

Essay scholarships for high school students

There are plenty of high school scholarships available for students of all grade levels. Additionally, high school students can apply for scholarships specific to their grade level.

Essay scholarships for high school freshmen

Freshman year is the earliest students can begin applying for scholarships, meaning that applicants who start as high school freshmen can get ahead of the game. The earlier you start applying, the longer you'll have to earn college funding. The following scholarships are a great place for high school freshmen to begin their search!

Bold Climate Changemakers Scholarship
M.R. Brooks Scholarship
"Equal Opportunity" Scholarship

Essay scholarships for high school sophomores

There are also plenty of scholarship opportunities for high school sophomores who are looking to get a jump on their scholarship applications. The scholarships below are a great way for sophomores to get started!

Bold Community Activist Scholarship
CollegeXpress No-Essay Scholarship
Bold Great Books Scholarship

Essay scholarships for high school juniors

As upperclassmen, high school juniors have even more scholarships available to them than freshmen and sophomores. In addition to scholarships open to all high school students, juniors can also apply for scholarships exclusively open to juniors and seniors. Check out the list below and start applying!

Cat Zingano Overcoming Loss Scholarship
Scorenavigator Financial Literacy Scholarship
Janey Mae Memorial Scholarship

Essay scholarships for high school seniors

Senior year of high school is one of the most popular times to apply for scholarships. As a result, there are many scholarships created specifically for high school seniors. Since other grade levels can't apply, there are often fewer eligible applicants for senior scholarships, giving you a better chance of winning! You can check out the scholarships below to begin applying.

MJM3 Fitness Scholarship
Michael Valdivia Scholarship
Charlotte Emery Memorial Scholarship

Essay scholarships for college students

While it's great to start securing scholarship funding in high school, it's never too late to apply! There are plenty of scholarships for those currently in college, such as those listed below.

Live Your Dash Entrepreneurs Scholarship
Dr. Sharyn First-Generation in Business Scholarship
Chris Jackson Computer Science Scholarship

Essay scholarships for graduate students

Many graduate students aren't aware of all of the scholarships available to them, meaning that many miss out on available financial aid. If you're a graduate student, consider applying for the scholarships below!

Jameela Jamil x I Weigh Scholarship
Derrick Richardson Law Student Scholarship
Chang Heaton Scholarship for Music Excellence

Essay scholarships for international students

International students are often left behind when it comes to earning financial aid. With fewer government resources available, international students pursuing their degrees in the US may have unmet financial needs. The following scholarships for international students in the US are a great place to start!

International Studies Scholarship
Crenati Foundation Supporting International Students Scholarship

Essay scholarships for women

Many scholarship donors aim to help underrepresented or disadvantaged students, such as racial minorities, low-income students, LGBTQ+ students, or women. If you're a female student, consider applying for the following scholarships!

Taking Up Space Scholarship
Indigenous Women in STEM Scholarship
Charlotte Emery Memorial Scholarship

Frequently asked questions about essay scholarships

How do i win essay scholarships.

Still, it’s good to fine-tune your scholarship essays and make sure you turn in your best work. There are several steps students can take in order to take their scholarship essays to the next level. Click here to read our full guide on how to write a scholarship essay .

First, make sure your essay stays on topic and answers the prompt. Don’t get sidetracked by tangential experiences. Read the question carefully and make an outline of what you want to write before you start writing. This can help make sure your essay is focused and coherent. Make a list of what points you want to include in your answer and in what order. Then, make sure to stick to those points.

One important point is to make sure you maintain your basic writing skills. If grammar is something you struggle with on occasion, make a plan to catch any mistakes you might make. Using a tool like Grammarly or Microsoft Word’s spell check can be very helpful in making sure no minor errors are made. You can also try reading your essay out loud, or asking a friend to look it over. Sometimes two pairs of eyes are better than one.

Another way to elevate your essay is to open with a hook. Perhaps you have a funny story about your academic experiences that relates to the question asked. Or, you could retell the moment you decided to pursue your current major. Any impactful experience you’ve had that relates to the question asked can be a good way to open your essay.

Opening with a hook makes your essay more memorable and makes the reader want to keep reading. If your essay sounds generic or uninspired, the donor may pass you over for someone else. Making your essay personal and engaging is a key way to make an impact on your reader and stand out from other competitors.

Most of the time, when a donor includes an essay question, it’s because they’re looking for a specific type of student. Many donors favor students that are driven, motivated, and willing to work hard to achieve their dreams. Look carefully at the prompt for hints on what qualities the donors are looking for.

An essay question that asks about a student’s struggle with finances, for example, is likely looking for a high school student or college student that has worked hard to pursue education despite the challenges they faced. A prompt that asks students to talk about their chosen major is likely looking for a student that is inspired and has a special interest in their field.

A mix of your personal experiences, academic interests, and goals for the future are usually good points to work into your essay. It’s important to both answer the question clearly and help the donor understand who you are as a person.

How do I apply for scholarships?

One easily accessible way to find scholarships is through your school. For high school students, the guidance office may be able to connect you with scholarship opportunities. College students, including graduate students, will want to talk to their financial aid office instead.

The advantage of finding scholarships through your school is that the financial aid or guidance office may be able to find opportunities specifically made for your school. This means the competition pool will be much smaller as you will only be competing with your classmates.

As for how high school students and college students can apply for these opportunities, the instructions will likely depend on that specific school’s process for applying. Administrators in the financial aid or guidance office will be able to guide students through the application process.

An alternative is using online platforms to search for and apply for scholarships. High school students and college students alike will benefit from this method, as online platforms typically allow students to apply for multiple scholarships at once. Making a free profile with Bold.org , for example, will allow high school students and college students to quickly apply with just one click to no-essay scholarships.

Creating a profile with online scholarship platforms allows the site to submit applications on your behalf. In addition, the information stored in the profile can be used to help find more relevant scholarship search results for each student’s needs.

For example, high school students will automatically be barred from applying to scholarships that only look at college students, and vice versa. This can help save some time and ensure students don’t waste their efforts applying for scholarships that will not consider them.

In order to apply for a scholarship on an online platform, students simply need to create a free profile and find the scholarships they want to apply for. Their information will be sent to the donors for review.

If there is an essay requirement, students must prepare a written statement ahead of time. Students can then paste their essays into the application on the online platform. The essay will be submitted along with the student’s personal information from their profile.

When can I start applying?

Students at any level between high school and graduate school can start to apply for scholarships at any time. High school seniors are the group of high school students that will likely have the easiest time finding scholarships they can apply for. Many donors looking to create opportunities at the high school level view high school seniors as the demographic most concerned with generating funding for college.

Winning scholarship money while still in high school can help students in their college search. Getting an idea of how much money you will be able to spend on college is a good way to narrow down your search for the perfect school for you. In addition, winning scholarship money might make it possible for high school students to attend a college they previously thought would be too expensive.

As a result, starting to apply for scholarships as a high school senior or junior would be a reasonable time to begin.

Applying earlier is typically better than applying for scholarships later on. This is simply because starting to find and apply to scholarships earlier will allow students more time to apply, get their results back, and apply again. The more this cycle is repeated, the more money students typically make.

Remember that not every scholarship you apply to will yield positive results. Therefore, applying to as many scholarships as possible will increase the possibility that a few of those applications will win.

However, there’s nothing wrong with trying to find scholarships even before your senior year in high school. In addition, starting to apply as an undergraduate student or a graduate student is completely fine as well. There are many opportunities made specifically for college students, many of which include graduate students as well.

It may seem counterintuitive to start applying for scholarships after committing to a college. However, winning scholarship money can help not just with creating a budget for college, but also with the expenses of continuing your college education. Each new semester means new textbooks and new school supplies, for example.

In addition, college is a path to many educational opportunities that are usually not available to high school students. For example, many college students study abroad, whether as undergraduate students or graduate students. Saving up some scholarship money for the costs of continuing your education and taking advantage of college opportunities like studying abroad can be very helpful.

How do I know if I’m eligible for a scholarship?

Every scholarship posting will clearly state its requirements, so be sure to read the entire description. Remember that your efforts may be wasted if you do not fit the criteria for a certain scholarship. No matter how much you excel in school, you cannot win a scholarship that you are not eligible for.

Scholarships often tend towards very general requirements or more exclusive requirements. General scholarships are often open to students of any major and any grade level, meaning the vast majority of students will be able to apply.

Exclusive scholarships, on the other hand, are made for a more specific purpose. For example, the donor of an exclusive scholarship might want to use their money to uplift indigenous students in the medical field. As a result, the scholarship might only accept applicants that are indigenous students and focused on nursing or medicine. Students that do not match these criteria will not be considered.

Some common restricting factors in exclusive scholarships are education level, demographic, income level, academic interest, and GPA. An exclusive scholarship might restrict the applicant pool by all or some of these criteria.

Certain opportunities might be open to graduate students only, and not high school students or undergraduate students. Some scholarships might require students to study a particular major, such as graphic design. A more general scholarship might use an umbrella term, like the humanities, instead of a specific major. Whatever the case, be sure you have carefully read each of the requirements before applying.

Many exclusive scholarships will be specific enough that most students will not be able to apply. For example, a scholarship open only to Asian American molecular biology graduate students will receive a lower volume of applications than a scholarship available to all STEM majors.

However, there’s no need to get discouraged if you find it difficult to locate an exclusive scholarship that matches your needs. The multitude of scholarship opportunities available on sites like Bold.org means that there is a scholarship for everyone. New scholarships are created and added each day, meaning students who continuously look for and apply to scholarships are more likely to find relevant opportunities.

In addition, it’s a good idea to apply for both general and exclusive scholarships. This helps students cast a wider net and hopefully increase their chances of winning money.

What do I have to do to apply?

The application process for most scholarships is fairly simple, especially if students choose to apply through an online platform.

Sometimes, the most difficult part of applying for a scholarship is simply qualifying, especially if there are many requirements. Once students find opportunities that match their needs, very little action is required.

Students will need to send some of their personal information to the donor to confirm they match the criteria listed. This is often done automatically through online platforms, or students may need to fill out a form through the appropriate school office if the scholarship is not listed online.

If the scholarship does not require an essay, then that’s all you need to do. If the scholarship does require a personal statement, then that will be the second and final part of the application.

The essay question, as we’ve covered, can appear intimidating but is usually answered in a page or less. Since donors simply want to hear about you as a person and your academic pursuits, staying honest and true to yourself is usually the best way to tackle the essay.

It’s not necessary in most cases to do more research to answer the essay question. Sharing personal experiences that relate to the question can be a good way to start. Students should already have all the information they need to answer the question. The only thing left is presenting that information and any personal experiences in an orderly, coherent manner.

To summarize, scholarships are relatively low-stress to apply to. Students will only need to submit their personal information and write a short personal essay about themselves to be considered.

Are scholarships counted as income?

Typically, scholarships are not counted as income.

Scholarships will remain tax-free as long as the scholarship money is used for necessary educational expenses. Necessary educational expenses include tuition fees, textbook and equipment fees, mandatory course fees, and mandatory enrollment fees. It’s important to note that housing and travel expenses do not count as necessary educational expenses.

In other words, if failing to pay an expense would obstruct your ability to graduate with a degree, that expense likely qualifies as a necessary educational expense.

In addition, the following requirements must be met for your scholarship money to be considered tax-free. First, the total money earned from all essay scholarships cannot be greater than the total amount your university or college charges you for your education. This rarely happens and is usually not a problem for most students.

Secondly, the recipient of the essay scholarship money must be currently completing a degree at an accredited college or university. Third, the money cannot be given in exchange for a service or job provided. Scholarship money is not a payment or a salary; it is gift aid that is given to a student to help them pay for college.

Lastly, the money cannot be marked for other expenses such as room and board (which are not necessary educational expenses). Typically, donors will not stipulate how the money should be spent, so this is rarely an issue.

The most important part of the essay application is simply finishing it. Many high school students and college students won’t even bother to apply for essay scholarships. As a result, just turning in an application that meets all of the requirements and answers the prompt places you ahead of a good chunk of your peers. Still, it’s good to fine-tune your scholarship essays and make sure you turn in your best work. There are several steps students can take in order to take their scholarship essays to the next level. Click here to read our full guide on how to write a scholarship essay.

Applying for scholarships is not as difficult as it seems. Most applications give clear instructions and are easy to complete. A good place to start is finding a scholarship search resource that works for you. One easily accessible way to find scholarships is through your school. For high school students, the guidance office may be able to connect you with scholarship opportunities. College students, including graduate students, will want to talk to their financial aid office instead.

High school students, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, can apply whenever they like. Very few scholarships exist for students below the high school level, and while some opportunities are available to recent college graduates, most are for those still in school. Students at any level between high school and graduate school can start to apply for scholarships at any time. High school seniors are the group of high school students that will likely have the easiest time finding scholarships they can apply for. Many donors looking to create opportunities at the high school level view high school seniors as the demographic most concerned with generating funding for college.

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The 10 Best No Essay Scholarships

So many students have been there before.

They filled out their application to the best of their abilities, they applied to every internal scholarship imaginable at their hopeful college, and they calculated their odds of winning certain awards ad nauseum.

And then the acceptance letter comes in, and it’s cause for such a wonderful celebration. Getting into university is incredibly difficult, and you’ve done it.

But then there’s the second letter—the financial aid award letter. And for so many students, that award just isn’t enough to keep a student from navigating debt for many years to come.

Even for those students who can utilize internal, university-wide funding to mitigate their tuition costs, having external funding sources will always make a big difference in one’s attempts to finance their education.

But there are a lot of scholarships out there. And many of them will provide wonderful opportunities, but in order to make the most of one’s scholarship hunt to ensure they will receive enough external aid to impact their tuition costs, they’ll need to apply for a lot of scholarships.

School, work, and attempts to make the most of one’s teenage/early 20s can make the prospect of writing dozens of scholarship essays and answering a plethora of scholarship questions daunting.

But there are scholarships out there that provide actual money, which one can apply to in mere minutes. And although the odds of winning such scholarships can be slim, it never hurts to cast as wide of a net as possible.

And no-essay scholarships are a simple addition to one’s list of scholarship applications that increase one’s chances of receiving funding without increasing the number of hours one spends on the scholarship hunt.

As such, this article will break down 10 of the best no-essay scholarships out there.

In making this list, attention was given to the legitimacy of the scholarship organization, the amount of funding each scholarship provided, and the range of students who would be eligible to apply for the scholarship.

In no particular order, here are the ten best no-essay scholarships that will make easy additions to your scholarship list.

Big Future’s $40,000 Scholarship

Big Future is an organization that helps students with the step-by-step process of applying for college.

Big Future is a service offered by the larger College Board website, a non-profit organization that seeks to aid students in their quest to both attend college and succeed while there.

In order to apply for the $40,000 scholarship , students must make an account on the Big Future section of the College Board website and subsequently begin steps to plan for college.

Completing steps to prepare for college on Big Future include making a list of potential colleges, preparing for a standardized test, applying for colleges, and more.

Each year, roughly 25 winners are selected to receive the $40,000 scholarship. Winners’ profiles can be found here .

“Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

Bold.org is a scholarship website that hosts a wide array of no-essay scholarships. Many of the no-essay scholarships on Bold.org are not available elsewhere and are centered around various themes (i.e. international travel, the arts, etc.).

One of the largest of Bold.org’s many exclusive no-essay scholarships is their Be Bold , $25,050 scholarship.

This scholarship is awarded annually to a Bold.org user, and previous winners can be found at the bottom of the scholarship’s page.

In order to increase one’s likelihood of winning this scholarship, students attain “bold points,” which can be gained by watching advertisements, providing feedback to the website, or otherwise.

Niche No-Essay Scholarship

Niche is a trusted source for all things college.

They provide rankings for the world’s best universities in a wide array of subject matter, they collect data on acceptance rates, and they are a hub of information for anything a student may need to know regarding their school of choice.

And alongside this, they also aid students on their scholarship hunt.

As part of this, they provide a $2,000 no-essay scholarship which is given to students on a monthly basis.

In order to apply, students need only create an account on Niche.com via the scholarship application.

Previous winners of the no-essay scholarship can be found on Niche’s website .

Nitro College No-Essay Scholarship

Nitro has a remarkably easy no-essay scholarship.

In order to apply, students do not even need to make an account on Nitro’s website, but instead merely have to provide the school they hope to attend and their contact information, and they are set to apply.

Each month, Nitro selects a winner of the $2,000 no-essay scholarship. Previous scholarship winners can be found at the bottom of the scholarship application page.

Nitro is a website dedicated to helping students understand all things financial regarding the college experience. This includes information on scholarships, loans, and tools to help calculate one’s cost of college.

CollegeXpress $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship

CollegeXpress hosts an annual no-essay scholarship competition , where one winner will receive a generous scholarship worth $10,000.

By making an account on the CollegeXpress website via the no-essay scholarship portal, students are automatically enrolled for the chance to win the $10,000 scholarship.

CollegeXpress is another organization that does not merely offer one no-essay scholarship but several.

For example, after applying for the $10,000 no-essay scholarship, students can apply for the $2,000, “Favorite Color” scholarshi p—where students only need to answer what their favorite color is in order to apply.

College Covered $5,000 No-Essay Scholarship

College Covered is an organization owned by Discover that seeks to aid students in financing their education while simultaneously promoting Discover’s student loans.

Because College Covered seeks to aid students in all things financial, it is no wonder that they also host a variety of scholarship competitions.

One of the largest of these scholarship competitions is the $5,000 no-essay Discover student loans no-essay scholarship.

In order to apply, all a student needs to do is provide their basic contact information.

$1,000 Dorm Survey Scholarship

ULoop is a hub for all odds and ends associated with college preparation.

Whether it be finding a roommate, a tutor, or finding a place to live, ULoop strives to be a marketplace for all of one’s miscellaneous college needs.

To best achieve this goal, ULoop naturally needs to harvest a fair amount of data regarding a wide array of colleges to provide accurate and up-to-date information.

This is where the $1,000 Dorm Survey Scholarship comes in.

To apply for this scholarship, students fill out a brief questionnaire regarding their experiences living in dorms at their particular university.

Alongside the dorm survey, students can also enter the off-campus apartment survey scholarship contest, which has an award of $1,000.

Winners of both scholarships are announced annually, and previous winners can be found on ULoop’s website .

Tallo $1,000 Scholarship

Tallo is an app where students can update schools, scholarship competitions, and employers regarding their various academic or professional achievements.

Through this platform, professionals and students connect to develop meaningful relationships.

By joining the Tallo app, students join a network of over 1 million students and professionals and have access to a scholarship database that includes over $20 billion in scholarships.

When a student joins Tallo, they are automatically enrolled in the $1,000, no-essay scholarship contest.

Joining Tallo and completing a profile is considered the application for this scholarship.

Scholarship Owl $7,000 Scholarship

Scholarship Owl is a scholarship database that both seeks to connect students with scholarship opportunities and to provide education to students regarding how scholarships work during the process.

Their $7,000 scholarship does not require an essay and merely requires that students create a profile on the Scholarship Owl website.

Although only 1 in 140,000 students win, approximately every applicant is considered equal during the scholarship drawing.

As such, no one student has a significantly greater chance of winning the no-essay scholarship compared to another.

ScholarshipPoints $10,000 Scholarship

ScholarshipPoints hosts a variety of no-essay scholarship contests, with the largest of these having a $10,000 value .

ScholarshipPoints operates by having students gain “scholarship points” by doing things like surveys, watching ads, or engaging with website sponsors.

Then, students spend these points to enter scholarship sweepstakes.

One point spent is the equivalent of 1 entry in the random drawing of scholarship winners.

The more points one spends in entering a scholarship, the more likely it is that a student will win the said scholarship.

As such, not only do Scholarship points offer the large, $10,000 no-essay scholarship, but several no-essay scholarships in which spending scholarship points takes the place of writing a formal scholarship application.

Even if the chances of winning can be slim for some of these scholarships, it is real money that real winners have received in the past.

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Top 33 No Essay Scholarships for January 2023

Jennifer Finetti Nov 2, 2022

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Are you fed up with writing tedious essays over and over again to apply for scholarships? We feel you. The good news is – in many cases you don’t have to! In fact, there are lots of great scholarships that don’t require an essay at all.

These no essay scholarships come in all sorts, shapes and sizes. Some of them are quick scholarships that you can apply to in a few minutes, while others focus on various creative achievements or talents in specific areas. For example – filmmaking, physics, or even duct tape prom creations! Their amounts can also vary from $100 to a few thousand dollars.

In this post, we will cover the top no-essay scholarships, but first, let’s go over some tips that will make your application easier:

Tips for applying to no essay scholarships

1.competitions are better than randomized drawings.

Scholarships that are easy to apply to attract many students. Yet, many of them are essentially randomized drawings that you’ll have reduced odds of winning.

The fastest path to earning scholarships

Simplify and focus your application process with the one-stop platform for vetted scholarships.

On the other hand, scholarship opportunities that require applicants to submit something can help your chances greatly. Submitting a video, a portfolio, or a photograph you took may take a little time and effort, but it may well be worth your while.

2. Don’t give up

If you don’t win a scholarship, apply again. Many “no essay scholarships” reopen each month.

3. Check out similar scholarship categories

If you don’t want to put too much time into essays, you might want to consider applying for social media scholarships. Some of these may ask you to submit a brief text as part of your social media post, but this is far shorter than what an essay scholarship would require.

Now, let’s dive right into our top picks.

Best no essay scholarships for December 2022

1. $10,000 CollegeXpress

Deadline: May 1, 2023

2. Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest

Deadline: March 23, 2023

Award amount: $10,000

3. $ 10,000 Unigo Scholarship

Deadline: December 31, 2022

4. Frame My Future Scholarship

Deadline: April 1

Award Amount: $5,000

5. Scholarship Points $2,500 Monthly Scholarship

Deadline: Monthly

6. $2,500 Christian College Scholarship Drawing

Deadline: May 31

7. CollegeExpress Monthly Scholarship

Deadline: Last day of each month

Award Amount: $2,500

8. The James Alan Cox Foundation Student Photography Scholarship

Eligibility: High school, college, and graduate students who submit photojournalistic images

Deadline: November 15, 2022

Award amount: $2,500

9. Smart Owl No-Essay Scholarship

Deadline: 28th or 29th of each month

Award amount: $2,222

10. Barbara Lotze Scholarship for Future Physics Teachers

Deadline: December 1

11. Nitro College Scholarship

Award amount: $2,000

12. Annual Protestant Faith Based College Scholarship

Eligibility: Current high school freshman, sophomore, or junior interested in attending a Protestant university or college.

Deadline: May 31, 2023

Award amount: $1,500

13. Annual Catholic College Scholarship

Eligibility: Current high school freshman, sophomore, or juniors interested in attending a Catholic university or college.

14. College Ave Student Loans Scholarship

Deadline: Last day of every month

Award amount: $1,000

15. Ascent Monthly Community Champions Scholarship

Deadline: 16th of every month

16. Too Cool to Pay for School No Essay Scholarship

Deadline: Quarterly (last day of the month in September, December, March, and June)

Award Amount: $1,000.

17. Around the Corner from College Scholarship

Deadline: December 31, June 30

Award Amount: $1,000

18. Cappex Easy Money Scholarship

Deadline: Rolling

19. Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship

Eligibility: High school seniors and college students with an interest in Web Design

Deadline: February 19

20. One Young Earth Filmmakers Contest

Eligibility: College and high school students who are no more than 25 years of age

Deadline: June 25, 2023

21. DoSomething Easy Scholarships

Deadline: November 9

22. Pulse of Perseverance Scholarship

Deadline: First day of every month

23. $1,000 Culinary Scholarship

24. C.I.P. Scholarship

25. $1000 HeadsetPlus.com 2022 College Scholarship

26. Movavi Scholarship

Deadline: December 15

27. Direct Textbook Photo Essay Scholarship

Award Amount: $500

28. Courage to Grow Scholarship

Award amount: $500

29. $500 Vote Scholarship

Deadline: October 8

30. Discover Student Loans Scholarship Contest

Deadline: January 4

31. BigFuture Scholarships (class of 2023 only)

Deadline: Ongoing, through February 28

Award Amount: $500 – $40,000

32. Direct Textbook Photo Essay Scholarship

33. National “Don’t Wait to Reach Your Potential” Scholarship

Are no essay scholarships worth it?

“No essay scholarships” are easy and convenient. All you need to do is enter some information on an application page and you’re good to go. However, you shouldn’t rely on them. The best approach is to balance them with other scholarships that have more specific requirements that you’ll have a better chance of winning.

Applying for essay-based, video, or social media scholarships allows you to tell the committee about who you are. You can be selected for your submission rather than be chosen at random.

No matter what your scholarship application strategy, ScholarshipOwl is your go-to solution. In fact, we’ve got over $800,000 in scholarships available right now! Join ScholarshipOwl today to access a wide variety of scholarships that will fit exactly what you are looking for!

Jennifer Finetti

As a parent who recently helped her own kids embark on their college journeys, Jennifer approaches the transition from high school to college from a unique perspective. She truly enjoys engaging with students – helping them to build the confidence, knowledge, and insight needed to pursue their educational and career goals, while also empowering them with the strategies and skills needed to access scholarships and financial aid that can help limit college costs. She understands the importance of ensuring access to the edtech tools and resources that can make this process easier and more equitable - this drive to support underserved populations is what drew her to ScholarshipOwl. Jennifer has coached students from around the world, as well as in-person with local students in her own community. Her areas of focus include career exploration, major selection, college search and selection, college application assistance, financial aid and scholarship consultation, essay review and feedback, and more. She works with students who are at the top of their class, as well as those who are struggling. She firmly believes that all students, regardless of their circumstances, can succeed if they stay focused and work hard in school. Jennifer earned her MA in Counseling Psychology from National University, and her BA in Psychology from University of California, Santa Cruz.

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Articles & Advice > Financial Aid > Articles

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The Ultimate List of Easy Scholarships to Apply for Now

No long essays. No recommendation letters. Just lots of scholarships that are easy to apply to and practically anyone can win. Updated for 2024!

by CollegeXpress

Last Updated: Feb 12, 2024

Originally Posted: Jan 22, 2020

These are the easiest-to-win college scholarships out there right now. Most take only a couple minutes to enter, with super simple applications and minimal writing. Awards that require 500+ word essays, letters of recommendation, intense projects, etc. are not included. We’re talking easy scholarships , people! Many of the scholarships are open to anyone , and most winners are chosen totally at random.

Now, before you dive into this list, remember: your scholarship search shouldn’t end here! There are so many scholarships out there. Also, just because a scholarship isn’t advertised as “easy” doesn’t mean applying for it is hard. It can take a lot of time to find all the awards that fit you and fill out those applications, but it’s so worth it in the end. So enjoy this ultimate (and up-to-date!) list of easy college scholarships—and apply to as many as you can. Yes, they get a lot of entries because they’re so easy to apply to, but you have nothing to lose by trying. After all, somebody has to win these awards. Why not you?

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship Contest

Amount: $10,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: May 1 How to win: Of course we need to include our $10,000 Scholarship Contest . All you have to do is register for free on CollegeXpress to be entered—and the prize is $10,000 . Ten. Thousand. Dollars. For filling out a form. We know we’re biased, but it doesn’t get much better than that! This scholarship is open to incoming college freshmen, graduate students, and transfer students at participating institutions each year. If you’ve registered with CollegeXpress, you’re already entered! (And if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?!)

10 Words or Less Scholarship

Amount: $500 Awarded: Annually Deadline: April 15 How to win: For the 10 Words or Less Scholarship , you just need to explain why you should get this award in 10 words or fewer. They even let you post it as a comment on their Facebook page, for cryin’ out loud. You’re also required to “like” their Facebook page. In addition, you need to be between the ages of 14–25 and attending college in the fall.

1 st Financial Bank Financial Goals Scholarship

Amount: $2,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of each month How to win: This is a monthly scholarship opportunity sponsored by 1 st Financial Bank and is open to US residents who are 18 or older and planning to enroll or are currently enrolled in a college degree program. This is a random drawing, but it does require you to submit a short essay of 500 words or fewer on pursuing your educational and financial goals.

Americanism Essay Contest

Amount: Up to $1,500 Awarded: Annually Deadline: December 1 How to win: Every year, the Fleet Reserve Association awards the Americanism Essay Contest scholarship based on a single patriotic theme. They do require an essay, but it’s only 350 words. Last year’s theme was “What Freedom of Speech Means to Me.” In addition to the $1,500 grand prize, there are awards for first, second, and third place ($1,000, $750, and $500, respectively). This scholarship is open to students in grades 7–12.

Ascent Shining Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: First of the month How to win: Like many of the scholarships you’ll find on this list, most of the process to enter the Ascent scholarship sweepstakes involves just filling out a form and following them on social media. Just complete the short form with your contact information, school, and a few other questions to create an account on their partner website, Kaleidoscope, and log in to finalize your entry. You also have to follow Ascent on one social media platform and tag them in a comment with the hashtag #AscentSponsored, plus be at least 18 years old to enter.

Barbizon’s $100,000 College Tuition Scholarship

Amount: $100,000 Awarded: Once every four years Deadline: December 31, 2024 How to win: As an effort to assist students outside of the classroom, Barbizon Modeling and Acting awards the College Tuition Scholarship to one lucky winner to make their college dreams a reality. Applicants have a full two years to get entries every time the new scholarship cycle opens. The most recent cycle opened in January of 2023 and will be closing in December of 2024, with winners announced sometime the following year. All students have to do to enter is complete the application, and the winner will be chosen by random drawing.

“Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

Amount: $25,000+ Awarded: Annually Deadline: March 1 How to win: The “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship offers $25,000 to bold students. Bold, by their definition, means earnest, determined, and moving. To win, you simply have to build your platform on the website to showcase your goals and achievements. The bolder your profile, the higher the chance you have to win. Although you can only enter once, the earlier in the year you do so, the better your chance to win.

CampusReel Student-Led Virtual Tours

Amount: $2,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: December 31 How to win: CampusReel is all about encouraging students to get to know schools through campus tours, even if they can't make it to campus in person. Applicants just have to make a free account on CampusReel's website and watch one student-led virtual tour to enter. This opportunity is a win-win! Enter a great scholarship opportunity and learn more about potential colleges to apply to.

College IS Power Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: May 31 How to win: Whether you’re a full- or part-time student, whether you’re going to school online or in person, you could snag the College IS Power Scholarship (CIP). You need to be at least 17 years old and a US citizen, and you need to be attending school within the next 12 months. The only application requirements include a short form and a 150-word statement about your primary goal for going to school.

Christian College EDGE Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: May 31 How to win: Just create an account with this Christian college search site to be entered into the Christian College EDGE Scholarship . You’ll then have a chance to get information from Christian colleges and universities. It’ll enter you in their drawing and help you get recruited by those schools! This is different from their $5,000 Christian College Scholarship Drawing; see below.

Christian College Scholarship Drawing

Amount: $5,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: May 31 How to win: You need to complete the registration form for the Christian College Connector to be entered into their Christian College Scholarship Drawing . Then winners are chosen at random, but they must be planning to enroll as full-time, first-year college students at a “Christ-centered Christian college or Bible college” within 16 months of winning.

CollegeXpress $250 Refer-a-Friend Contest

Amount: $250 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: For every person who creates a free CollegeXpress account using your unique referral link, you get one entry in our monthly $250 Refer-a-Friend Contest . Winners are then chosen at random. There’s no limit to how many entries you can get—or how many times you can enter. (We’ve had people win more than once!)

CollegeXpress Easy One-Question Scholarships

Amount: Varies Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: New and current registered users on CollegeXpress just have to answer one question to enter this monthly scholarship contest. That's it! The question changes month to month; for example, in previous months, we’ve asked, "What is a good book you'd recommend to a friend for the summer?" and "What is your favorite subject in school?" Check out our Easy Scholarship Winners 2024 blog to see winners from each month this year and the current month's opportunity.

CollegeXpress Scholarship for Students of Color

Amount: $1,500 (plus $500 donated to a charity of your choice) Awarded: Quarterly Deadlines: March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 How to win: If you're a POC student who's planning to enroll in college in the fall, you're eligible for the CollegeXpress Scholarship for Students of Color . To apply, just create a free CX account (or log back in) and submit your answer to this question in one sentence: What is your dream career to pursue after high school? The winner will be chosen randomly, and finalists will be contacted via email.

Courage to Grow Scholarship

Amount: $500 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: The monthly Courage to Grow Scholarship is awarded to high school juniors, seniors, and college students with a minimum 2.5 GPA. And the only thing you need to do to win is to submit a short 250-word statement about why you deserve the money.

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest

Amount: $10,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: March 1 How to win: You’re already Snapchatting and Instagramming beautiful shots. Put your skills to work by creating a winning greeting card image for the Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest ! It could snag you $10,000, which is almost as good as getting a bajillion likes. To apply for this scholarship, you also need to be a US citizen and at least 14 years old.

Discover ® Student Loans Scholarship Award

Amount: $5,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of each month How to win: Sign up to receive handy college money tips from Discover (you know, the credit card people) and you’re entered to win the monthly Discover® Student Loans Scholarship Award ! Plus, you can earn bonus entries by sharing the giveaway on social media. One winner will be chosen at random each month, but participants may only enter once per year for the overall one-year sweepstakes period. You also need to be a high school or college student at least 16 years old, and you have to go to an eligible college or university (although parents of eligible students can also enter on their behalf).

Doodle for Google

Amount: Up to $55,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: March 14 How to win: Who knew your doodles could earn you tons of scholarship money and money for your school, plus get you featured on Google for a day? The Doodle for Google contest is open to all US students from kindergarten to seniors in high school. This year’s theme is “I show kindness by…” You have to include the Google logo, but you can make your doodle using any medium (hand drawn, painted, using software, etc.). The grand prize is a $55,000 scholarship, and the organization will award your school or a charity $50,000 in resources. There are also four national prizes of $5,000—still a lot of money for college!

DoSomething.org Easy Scholarships

Amount: Up to $22,000 Awarded: Varies Deadline: Varies How to win: Okay, this isn’t a particular scholarship. That’s because DoSomething.org offers a lot of easy scholarships . And they move pretty quickly, with many lasting only a month. But, man, they are fun, creative, and fast. You typically sign up, complete a simple task, and upload a picture proving you did it. Then the winners are chosen at random. No essay, GPA, etc. The best part? These scholarships help you do some good in the world! So check the easy scholarships page at DoSomething.org to see what’s new.

Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway

Amount: Up to $100,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: January 15 How to win: To enter Dr Pepper’s Tuition Giveaway scholarship contest, you need to do a few things. First, describe how you’ll change the world in 350 characters or fewer. Next, get your friends to vote for your entry. If you get 50 or more votes, you’ll need to create an inspiring video. Then comes the crazy part: If you’re a finalist, you’ll compete during a Big Ten, SEC, PAC-12, or ACC football championship game. Yup, it doesn’t get much bigger than that—but neither does the prize: up to $100,000 in tuition money. Talk about the big show.

Equal Opportunity No-Essay Scholarship

Amount: $500 Awarded: Annually Deadline: March 31 How to win: As a small way to help create a more equal playing field for disadvantaged students, the Equal Opportunity scholarship supports two motivated high school, undergraduate, or graduate students who want to improve their lives and the lives of the people around them. Just complete an application and you're entered. Students from any field of study who have a 2.0 GPA or higher are eligible to apply.

Forget Your Student Debt No-Essay Grant

Amount: $500 to multiple winners Awarded: Annually to all winners in December Deadline: The first day of each month (rolling deadlines until December 1) How to win: Bold.org offers anyone with student loan payments the Forget Your Student Debt No-Essay Grant to cancel some of their college debt. The only requirement is to be a student carrying student debt. That’s it! Much like the other scholarships offered by Bold.org, the sooner you apply in the year, the better chance you have to win.

HeadSetPlus.com College Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: December 31 How to win: All you have to do is record a short video talking about who you are, what you’ve achieved, why college is important, and what motivates you. Yeah, that seems like a lot, but since you need to fit it into a video that’s no longer than five minutes, you’ll fly through “applying” for the HeadSetPlus.com College Scholarship ! You need to be at least 16 years old and a high school senior or current college or grad student with a minimum 3.0 GPA to enter.

keep going forward No-Essay Scholarships

Amount: $1,500 Awarded: Annually Deadline: April 28, August 31, October 30 How to win: The organization keepgoingforward.org sets out to increase opportunities and foster connection by fundraising for disadvantaged youth, advocating for sustainable travel, and amplifying other philanthropic organizations. Students can apply for all three scholarships throughout the year, as there are no set requirements for grade level or academic field. In fact, one of the scholarships doesn't even require applicants to be current students, as long as they are applying for the money with the intent to move forward with something new in life.

Let Grow: Think for Yourself Scholarship

Amount: Up to $5,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: April 30 How to win: Okay, the Let Grow: Think for Yourself Scholarship does require an essay, but they give you nine options, it only has to be between 500-800 words, and it encourages you to speak your mind. What’s easier than sharing your opinion? For instance, one of your options is, “Please write a thank-you note to a jerk you listened to… and learned something from (although perhaps you didn’t think so at the time.” There are a lot of fun places to go with that. And even if you don’t win the big $5,000, three people are chosen for $1,000 runner-up scholarships.

Make Me Laugh Scholarship

Amount: $1,500 Awarded: Annually Deadline: August 31 How to win: What if you could win money just by making someone laugh? Well, you can with the Make Me Laugh Scholarship ! Unigo sponsors a $1,500 scholarship where all you have to do is describe a story (in 250 words or fewer) about a funny or embarrassing incident in your life to make them laugh. We all have plenty of stories that come to mind… As long as you’re at least 14 years old, get going on this one!

New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship

Amount: Varies Awarded: Varies Deadline: Varies How to win: If you graduated from a New Mexico high school, you’re continuing your education in New Mexico, and you earned at least a 2.5 GPA your first semester in college, you’ve got New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholarship in the bag. There isn’t even an application! You just need to contact your college or university and ask them about it. It’s that easy. Really!

Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition

Amount: $100 Awarded: Annually Deadline: March 27 How to win: $100 may not seem like much against your college tuition payments, but every little bit helps, and the Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition is a pretty fun and fast scholarship. High school students in any grade can submit up to three haikus. A panel of judges will then select six winning poems each year.

Nitro Monthly Scholarship

Amount: $2,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: Nitro is another college search website that gives away annual scholarships every month . Just complete a short entry form about which college you’ll be attending and when you anticipate graduating. This application even allows parents to enter for their children. As long as you're at least 17 years old, you should apply!

No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship

Amount: $2,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: March 31 How to win: All high school students have to do to enter for a chance to win this award is create a free CollegeVine account and complete their profile. That's all you have to do! After that, the winner of the scholarship will be chosen based on a lottery system and you'll notified via email if you are the lucky recipient.

No Essay College Scholarship™

Amount: $2,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: Just create a free profile with Niche to enter their No Essay College Scholarship™ . And if you already have one, all you need to do is log in each month for a chance to win! One winner is chosen at random every month. The contest is open to all high school and college students (though there are other eligibility requirements). The money can be applied toward any education-related expenses.

Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship

Amount: $500 Awarded: Twice a year Deadline: March and November How to win: Okay, this might not seem like the simplest scholarship in the world because you technically have to write two essays. But they both only call for a maximum of 500 words. So you could write 250 for each prompt—of course, you’d need to really knock them out of the park. The first essay is about where you would go to further your career, and the second is about why you deserve to win the Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship . You also need to be between 16–25 and have at least a 2.5 GPA. Oh, and you need to like their Facebook page too, but that’s easy enough. This scholarship is awarded twice a year in the spring and fall.

Sallie Mae ® $1,000 Plan for College Sweepstakes

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: When you register to use Sallie Mae’s scholarship search tool, you’ll be entered to win their monthly Plan for College Sweepstakes . And since you should be searching for scholarships anyway, you might as well get a shot at $1,000 while you’re at it, amirite? To learn more about the rules and policies for this award, you can visit their eligibility page here .

ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Giveaways

Amount: $10,000 and $2,500 Awarded: Quarterly and monthly Deadline: Varies How to win: The “points” in ScholarshipPoints come from completing activities like taking surveys, reading emails, and playing games. Then you can use those points to enter scholarship drawings and improve your chances of winning. Pretty sweet deal, right? Well, in addition to all that pointy goodness, they randomly choose a registered user for a $2,500 scholarship each month and $10,000 each quarter. Yes, please!

Scholarships 4 Moms

Amount: $10,000 Awarded: Five times a year Deadline: Varies (multiple drawings throughout the year) How to win: Are you or are you about to become a mother? You could win $10,000 for educational purposes with Scholarships 4 Moms , and all you need to do is register on their site. It’s quick, easy, and free—which is good because goodness knows you have your hands full if you’re a mom! You also need to be 18 years or older and a US citizen.

School Survey Sweepstakes

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: Niche gathers reviews for all kinds of schools, from K-12 institutions to colleges and universities. They reward students, parents, and recent alumni for leaving those reviews by offering a $1,000 School Survey Sweepstakes . All you have to do is leave a (legit!) review to be entered. And you know you have lots of feelings about your school anyway.

School Band and Orchestra Magazine Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Annually to 10 winners Deadline: March 31 How to win: Do you play in your high school band or orchestra? Can you write 250 words about a music-related essay prompt? (You totally can.) Then you should apply for the School Band and Orchestra Magazine Scholarship . Sure, learning how to play the clarinet wasn’t easy—but applying for this scholarship is.

ServiceScape Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: November 30 How to win: The ServiceScape Scholarship contest is open to students who are attending or who will attend an accredited college, university, or trade school. Applicants should fill out the application form and submit a super-short statement (no more than 300 words) on the following topic: "How does writing impact today's world?"

Student-View Scholarship

Amount: Up to $10,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: April 23 How to win: No essay. No GPA or test scores. No application, even. All you need to do is complete a 15–25-minute online survey about colleges in your area. Then winners are chosen at random for the Student-View Scholarship . Yes, that’s "winners"— plural . In addition to the $10,000 top prize, two $1,000, and five $500 scholarships are handed out. In terms of scholarships awarded at random, those are pretty good odds!

Tallo Scholarships

Amount: Varies Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Varies How to win: Tallo is a website that aims to help students network with colleges and employers. To enter the Tallo Scholarship Contests , simply create a profile on their website, go to "Opportunities" and search for "Tallo" under "Organization Name." Several opportunities will be listed, including easy monthly scholarships and their $1,000 Invite-a-Friend Scholarship. Just follow the instructions and answer the questions to be entered!

The $1,000 SuperCollege Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: Okay, here’s how to enter the $1,000 SuperCollege Scholarship : Fill out their online application. Hit “Submit.” End of instructions. Yup—it’s that easy. It’s open to high school seniors, college students, grad students, and adult learners, and winners are chosen at random.

UNIGO $10K Scholarship

Amount: $10,000 Awarded: Annually Deadline: December 31 How to win: For the Unigo 10K Scholarship , you just need to submit an online written response (in 250 words or fewer) to this prompt: Would you rather be smart, funny, or rich? Why? You also need to be a legal resident of the US, at least 14 years old when you apply, and enrolled in an accredited post-secondary institution.

You Deserve It! Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month How to win: The You Deserve It! Scholarship only requires you to register on a website to enter. Plus, it’s kind of a meta award. It’s from Scholarship Owl, and creating an account with them also helps you apply to a lot of other scholarships with a single form, so you don’t need to complete a bunch of separate scholarship applications!

Related: Easy No–Essay Scholarships You Need to Know About Right Now

We’ll keep adding to this list as we discover more easy scholarships. (If you have any that we missed, let us know on Twitter @ CollegeXpress so we can make this the best and most up-to-date list of easy scholarships anywhere!) Reminder: Always double-check the scholarship rules and regulations before starting an application. Some of these awards move pretty fast, particularly the monthly scholarships and things like eligibility requirements or deadlines might change.

Find even more scholarships you're eligible for on CollegeXpress using our Scholarship Search tool !

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Top 20 No Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Introduction: no essay scholarships.

Let's talk about no-essay scholarships. Whether you've been applying to scholarships for a while or you're completely new to the scholarship process, chances are, at some point you've felt tired, frustrated, or even fully on fed-up with writing all of those essays. Finding financial aid can be a lot of work - I feel you!

A smart strategy when applying for scholarships is to mix up the types of scholarships you're applying for. But what does this actually mean?

Well, if you're familiar with the world of scholarships, you've probably discovered that there are scholarships out there of all sorts, shapes, and sizes.

Some scholarships are for small amounts (think: anywhere from $100 to a few thousand dollars) while others go for larger amounts (sometimes even full-tuition!). Some scholarships have long lists of application requirements, while others only ask you to write a sentence, upload your transcript, or fill out a form.

So, when I say "mix up the types of scholarships you're applying for", I'm saying that it's important to consider things such as scholarship type (is there an essay required?), amount (generally, scholarships with bigger awards are harder to earn), and category (how specific does the scholarship get in terms of matching your unique profile?).

This post covers one specific type of scholarship that I'm sure you'll enjoy incorporating into your scholarship strategy: a no-essay scholarship!

Most of these no essay scholarships are open to high school , college , and graduate school students, be sure to get those easy applications in, and keep your toes crossed while you get to work on some of those other more labor-intensive opportunities.

*Pro-tip - While some of these no essay scholarships currently have specific deadlines, keep them bookmarked because they often renew monthly, quarterly, or yearly!

20 No essay scholarships to apply for ASAP!

Too cool to pay for school no essay scholarship.

Award Amount: $1,000

Scholarship Deadline: Quarterly (last day of the month in September, December, March, and June)

PS - this is one of no essay scholarships awarded by Access Scholarships (that's us!). It's open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students studying in the United States, and is an easy way to win $1,000.

Niche $10,000 No Essay Scholarship

Award Amount: $10,000

Scholarship Deadline: Rolling

ScholarshipPoints No Essay $2,500 Monthly Scholarship

Amount : $2,500

Deadline : Expires on the last day of each month

Eligibility: The ScholarshipPoints Scholarship is a monthly no essay scholarship open to all high school and college students ages 16 and older, who are US residents!

Smart Owl No Essay $1,000 Scholarship

Amount : $1,000 (4 awards per month!)

Deadline : Expires on the 28th or 29th of each month

Eligibility: The Smart Owl Scholarship is a monthly no essay scholarship open to all high school and college students ages 16 and older, who are US residents!

Sallie Mae College Scholarship

Award Amount : $2,000

Scholarship Deadline : Monthly

Eligibility- Open to high school juniors & seniors and all college students

CollegeVine No Essay $2,000 Scholarship

Award Amount: $2,000

Scholarship Deadline: December 31

Open to high school students of all years (must be a US resident).

Bold $25,000 Scholarship

Amount: $25,000

Deadline: Continuous

CollegExpress Monthly Scholarship

Award Amount: $2,500

Scholarship Deadline: Last day of each month

Niche No Essay Scholarship

Scholarships360 $10,000 scholarship.

Scholarship Deadline: Rolling

Open to high school sophomores and juniors in the US.

Appily Easy Money Scholarship

Around the corner from college scholarship.

Award Amount : $1,000

Scholarship Deadline : December 31, June 30

Open to all high school students, including students with DACA status and international students who are planning on attending a higher education institution in the US!

Be Bold No-Essay Scholarship

Award Amount: $25,000

Scholarship Deadline: Rolling

Christian Connector Scholarship

Eligibility: Open to high school juniors and high school seniors who are interested in or planning to enroll in a Christian college or university.

Direct Textbook Photo Essay Scholarship

Award Amount: $500

Discover Student Loans Scholarship Contest

Scholarship Deadline: January 4

Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship

Scholarship Deadline: February 27 and October 10

Create A Greeting Card Scholarship

Scholarship Deadline: March 9

Frame My Future Scholarship

Award Amount: $2,000 each (5 awards)

Scholarship Deadline: March 15

ULoop Dorm Survey Scholarship

Scholarship Deadline: June 30

Frequently asked questions about no essay scholarships

Are no essay scholarships legit.

No essay scholarships are 100% legit!

No essay scholarships are created to be more like contests or sweepstakes. Generally, all you have to do to be considered is enter some information on an application page and you're good to go. This is in contrast with other more labor-intensive scholarships, that require a greater amount of work and time commitment (think: essays, letters of recommendation, videos, interviews).

The fact that no essay scholarships don't require a whole lot of effort (they're definitely the easiest opportunities out there!) doesn't mean that they aren't just as real as other scholarships that do have more detailed eligibility and application requirements to apply. In fact, no essay scholarships can sometimes be just as competitive as full-ride scholarships , given the fact that so many students apply for these opportunities.

At the end of the day, each and every scholarship we feature in our database and in our blog posts aims to guide students in the direction of legitimate opportunities to help you navigate the journey of paying for college.

What are some common qualities of a no essay scholarship?

The most identifiable quality of a no essay scholarship is the fact that it doesn't require an essay! Rather than asking students to upload an essay on the application page, these scholarships generally will ask for the completion of a form, or for students to upload a photo, video, or other unique type of submission. The fact that these scholarships can often be completed much more quickly and easily than other scholarships is what makes them so great.

You'll also find that the majority of no essay scholarships are open to a wide variety of students, and they usually won't have any specific eligibility requirements such as only being open to students in certain majors or with a certain minimum GPA.

Who is eligible to apply for no essay scholarships?

When it comes to eligiblity, as I mentioned just above, no essay scholarships are usually open to a wide range of students. For example, a no essay scholarship might be open to students ages 13 and older in the US, or maybe it's open to all high school students in the US. These eligibility criteria are very generous and intended to give all (or nearly all) students who want to apply an opportunity to do so.

How difficult is it to win a no essay scholarship?

Because no essay scholarships are usually open to so many different types of students, along with the fact that they often require very little effort on the part of the student (and run more like sweepstakes than real in-depth scholarships), means that they are difficult to win, and the process is unpredictable.

Luckily, because these scholarships require so little time commitment to apply, not winning one of these types of scholarships doesn't necessarily indicate that you've wasted your time applying, since it likely didn't take that much time in the first place!

How can I increase my chances of winning no essay scholarships?

No essay scholarships are open to such a wide variety of students in terms of eligible areas of study, state residency, and year in school. This, in combination with the fact that the winners for these scholarships are generally always selected at random, means that increasing your chances of winning one of these scholarships is very, very difficult.

In the spirit of full-transparency: the only way that you can actually increase your chances of winning no essay scholarships is by applying for all of them and not missing any deadlines.

For example, take Tallo's monthly no essay scholarships . They pick at least 12 winners each year, usually at the end of each month. If you want to maximize your chances of winning one of Tallo's no essay scholarships, you should set a reminder to make sure that you apply for them every month, so that you don't miss out on an opportunity to win.

Most of the no essay scholarships I've come across are for small amounts, such as $1,000. Why is this the case?

Most no-essay scholarships are for small amounts (think: $500 - $2,000) because, in comparison to other scholarships that have lots of application requirements, no-essay scholarships tend to run more like contests.

Organizations love to give back to students in any and all ways possible, and they also like to try to make student's lives easier by offering easy scholarship opportunities.

However, from the perspective of private organizations, many of them would rather save their scholarships of higher amounts to be distributed through competitive opportunities where they can select students on the basis of merit, leadership, and other qualities. That's why you'll probably never come across a full-ride scholarship that doesn't require an essay or extra submission of some sort!

Where can I find more scholarships to apply for?

There are tons of resources and places out there that you can use to find "harder" scholarships to apply for to pair with your efforts in applying to the easy ones.

The first place I recommend you go is over to the Access Scholarship Search Engine or Blog, where you can find all types of scholarships based on criteria such as home state, area of study, ethnicity, and more.

After that, I recommend you also do some surfing of the web, as well as outreach to your guidance counselor or financial aid office to help you find local scholarships and even more nuanced opportunities.

Important tips and things to keep in mind with no essay scholarships

Tip #1: apply often..

Many of these scholarships run continuously on a monthly or quarterly basis.

Set a reminder for yourself to revisit these scholarships each month and reapply to give yourself the best chance at winning one!

Tip #2: Find ways to get a leg up.

Scholarships with no essays that have any sort of additional component (like an art or video submission) will tend to give you a "leg up" because they involve more than some luck.

Take full advantage of scholarships like these by putting your best foot forward with that extra submission!

Tip #3: Make no essay scholarships one piece of the puzzle.

Scholarships with no essays should be a key component of your scholarship application strategy because of how easy they are to apply for.

However, it's important to remember they should be balanced with other scholarships that have more specific and stringent requirements.

When you apply for essay-based scholarships, you're given the opportunity to tell the committee about you, who you are and why you should be selected for the opportunity. The winners for these scholarships, unlike their no-essay counterparts, are not chosen at random, so if you choose these scholarships carefully, apply for ones that are specific to your qualities, and write strong essays, you'll have the best chances of winning at the end of the day!

General tips for applying for all kinds of scholarships

Navigating the world of scholarships can be stressful and confusing to say the least. Follow these tips to make sure you’re covering all of your bases and giving yourself the greatest possible chance at success!

#1: Get yourself organized before you dive right in.

Just like with any other part of the college / financial aid process, organization is crucial to success when it comes to searching and applying for scholarships.

My top organization-related recommendation for students is to start by creating a readily-accessible folder on your computer where you can then create subfolders for your scholarship essays, transcripts, and other application materials. This is also the place where you’ll want to house your scholarship tracker , which will help you keep track of scholarships you find, upcoming deadlines, and your overall progress.

#2: Do your brainstorming.

You likely wouldn’t start an essay on the American Revolution without doing some initial brainstorming and planning first. The same rule should apply for when it’s time to search for scholarships.

Sit down with a pen and paper or a blank word document open, and start to bullet out a list of traits and things that you feel make up who you are as a person. These things should be both academic and personal. To give you an idea of what I’m talking about, here’s a sneak peek into what my own personal list might look like:

-I am from New Jersey

-I am a business student with an interest in marketing

-I like to play sports (tennis, basketball, etc)

-I hold leadership positions in my extracurriculars

-I identify as female

-I am a twin

-I am left-handed

-I enjoy doing crossword puzzles

-I go to college in Wisconsin

I could go on and on with this list, but I won’t bore you! What I’m trying to get at though is that creating a list like this to track your hobbies, academic pursuits, and other things that make up who you are can be incredibly helpful in allowing you to find scholarships that are highly specific to you.

PS - For some students, this may also fall under the initial organization step of the process, but ultimately it doesn’t matter when you do it as long as it gets done.

#3: Know where to look.

Knowing what types of scholarships you want to search for doesn’t really matter if you don’t know where to actually search for them! Here are a few ideas on where you can get started in searching for scholarships:

- Scholarship search engines like AccessScholarships.com, which allow you to search through thousands of scholarship opportunities all in one place

- Normal search engines , such as Google (the more specific you can be here, the better)

-Your school’s college prep, guidance, or financial aid page/website

- Social media (you can follow scholarship accounts and hashtags that might be relevant to help you discover local scholarships)

- Family, friends, teachers, coaches, and other people in your community who might know of local or community-based scholarships that you’re eligible for

#4: If a scholarship has an essay or additional type of submission, make sure you put your absolute best foot forward.

This is, in my opinion, the biggest key to help students see success in actually winning scholarships.

You can have a 4.0 GPA and solid letters of recommendation, but if you don’t also take the time to carefully craft, edit, and perfect the essay (or other additional submission), you’re missing out on giving the scholarship committee the opportunity to learn more about who you are as a person and why you’re a great fit to win the award.

#5: Keep those grades up.

Although this eligibility requirement can definitely vary, many scholarships require students to have at least a 2.5 or 3.0 GPA. Sometimes, the minimum requirement can be even higher, such as a 3.75/4.0.

While grades certainly aren’t the end-all-be-all, keeping your GPA up (as high as you possibly can!) will make sure that you are opening yourself up to as many opportunities as possible.

#6: Apply often.

Unfortunately, applying for scholarships is not a “one and done” process. To give yourself the highest chance at seeing success, you should apply for scholarships as often as you can, or whenever you come across an opportunity that you think is worth applying for.

Many students find it helpful to set specific goals in this area, like to apply for 3 scholarships each month. Ultimately, the goal you set should be one that is specific and realistic, based on all of the other things that you’re juggling!

#7: Ask for feedback along the way.

If you don't ever take the time to assess your weak spots, how can you possibly improve?

Asking for feedback throughout the scholarship process, whether it be from a committee, a teacher, or someone who is helping you along the way, is crucial to helping you grow and becoming a stronger applicant.

Getting feedback is especially important when it comes to the scholarship essay piece of the puzzle. When we write and edit, we tend to overlook our own mistakes because we're so used to making them. Sometimes it takes an extra set of eyes on an essay to help lead you in the direction of success.

No-essay scholarships: To conclude...

To summarize, no-essay scholarships can be a great addition to any overall scholarship strategy for high school, college, and graduate students.

Since no-essay scholarships often operate on a monthly or quarterly basis, you can give yourself a better chance at winning these scholarships if you enter in every application period that you're eligible for.

Although no-essay scholarships usually aren't for large amounts, the process of entering to win is usually an easy one, so there's no harm in applying for these scholarships to round out your strategy and yes, give you a break from all those essays!

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Top 64 No Essay Scholarships in April 2024

Will Geiger is the co-founder of Scholarships360 and has a decade of experience in college admissions and financial aid. He is a former Senior Assistant Director of Admissions at Kenyon College where he personally reviewed 10,000 admissions applications and essays. Will also managed the Kenyon College merit scholarship program and served on the financial aid appeals committee. He has also worked as an Associate Director of College Counseling at a high school in New Haven, Connecticut. Will earned his master’s in education from the University of Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree in history from Wake Forest University.

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One of the biggest misconceptions about scholarships is that they all require an essay. This is not true. In fact, there are many great scholarships that don’t require an essay at all. These no essay scholarships can range from quick scholarships that you can apply to in a few minutes to other scholarships that are focused on students with a specific talent.

Some no essay scholarships focus on art or other creative achievements. Still other no essay scholarships focus on students with a talent in more specific areas, such as filmmaking, physics achievement, or even duck tape prom creations! Whether you are a prospective high school, college, or graduate student, there are sure to be some “no essay” scholarships that are right up your alley!

Why choose Scholarships360

We helped over 4 million students find scholarships in 2023

We've spent over 4,000 hours reviewing 3,000 scholarship programs

13+ years of experience helping students make smart education decisions

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.

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$10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Scholarships360

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high… Show More

The Scholarships360 $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all students who want some extra help paying for their education. Whether you are a high school student who hopes to go to college, a graduate student who’s in a master’s program, or an adult learner who wants to return to school, you are eligible for our no essay scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to students who get the most out of Scholarships360 scholarships and content. You will be a strong applicant if you apply to scholarships with the Scholarships360 platform. Finalists for this scholarship will be interviewed about their process for funding their education. Show Less

$2,000 Sallie Mae Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Sallie Mae

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…

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.

Niche $25,000 “No Essay” Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Niche

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!

$25k “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Bold.org

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

$10,000 CollegeXpress Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CollegeXpress

Annual $10k scholarship from CollegeXpress open to all high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.

$1,000 Appily Easy College Money Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Appily

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be… Show More

This easy scholarship from Appily is open to U.S. high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, 2027) and college transfer students. One scholarship will be awarded each month. Show Less

$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Christian Connector

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian…

Students applying to the $5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship must be current high school students (Class of 2025, 2026, or 2027) interested in attending a Christian university or college.

$2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CollegeVine

Easy scholarship open to current high school students and college applicants. A free CollegeVine account with a completed chancing profile required to enter.

$2,000 Niche “No Essay” College Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Easy scholarship from Niche open to all high school, college, and graduate students.

ScholarshipOwl $50,000 No Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by ScholarshipOwl

Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, and graduate students. Each month, 4 winners will be selected to earn $1,000 each. In December… Show More

Easy scholarship open to all US-based high school, college, and graduate students. Each month, 4 winners will be selected to earn $1,000 each. In December 2023, there will be 2 additional winners earning $1,000 each. Applicant must be a resident of any of the 50 United States, District of Columbia or US Territories except for Rhode Island and Michigan. Applicant also must be 16 years of age or older and either be enrolled now, or will be enrolled within three months of registration in the Scholarship Sweepstakes, in a qualified high school, college or university within the United States. Show Less

$2,500 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by ScholarshipPoints

Easy $2,500 scholarship from ScholarshipPoints open to all students.

Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest

Offered by Duck Tape

Are you a high school student with a love for innovative fashion design? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Stuck… Show More

Are you a high school student with a love for innovative fashion design? If so, we may have the perfect opportunity for you: the Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest! Each year, the contest awards between $1,000 and $15,000 to the ten applicants who submit the most impressive prom dresses and tuxedo designs, made entirely from duct tape. The contest is offered by Duck Brand Duct Tape, a company with a long history of selling top-notch duct tape for a variety of purposes, now including making formal attire! If you’re a high school student wanting to put your fashion and creativity skills to the test, we encourage you to apply to the Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest. Don’t duck out! Show Less

Ocean Awareness Art Contest

Offered by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs

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… Show More

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! Show Less

US Bank Student Scholarship

Offered by U.S. Bank

The US Bank Student Scholarship is an opportunity for U.S. residents aged 17 or older who have been accepted to or are enrolled in a… Show More

The US Bank Student Scholarship is an opportunity for U.S. residents aged 17 or older who have been accepted to or are enrolled in a post-secondary institution to receive help funding their education. Each year, the scholarship awards up to $20,000 to multiple incoming and current undergraduate students who complete some of the U.S. Bank's "financial education lesson" modules. Each module takes approximately 1-2 minutes to complete, and the more that students complete, the more money they become eligible to earn. Applicants who complete up to 35, 100, and 200 modules are eligible to receive up to $2,000, $10,000, and $20,000, respectively. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, keep on reading for more application details. Show Less

CBC Spouses Education Scholarship

Offered by Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc.

Are you a current or incoming Black post-secondary student with a minimum 2.5 GPA? Further, do you reside in or attend an academic institution in… Show More

Are you a current or incoming Black post-secondary student with a minimum 2.5 GPA? Further, do you reside in or attend an academic institution in a CBC Member’s District? If so, consider applying for the CBC Spouses Education Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards between $2,500 and $20,000 each to multiple applicants who submit the best "video responses" addressing their academic interests, professional goals, and how they hope to make changes in their community with their education. In addition, interested students must submit their transcript, resume, and a recent headshot for publication. If you're a current or incoming Black undergraduate or graduate student, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award

Offered by From The Top

Are you a musician between the ages 8 and 18? If so, consider applying for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award! The scholarship is… Show More

Are you a musician between the ages 8 and 18? If so, consider applying for the Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award! The scholarship is open to pre-collegiate music students who need financial help to offset the costs of studying classical music at a high level in the United States. Applicants must be classical instrumentalists, vocalists, or composers with strong musical ability and a willingness to participate in the Learning and Media Lab Fellowship. Twenty lucky students are chosen each year to earn up to $10,000 to cover instrument purchases, summer camp tuition, college audition travel expenses, private lessons, and other music-related needs. If you're a pre-collegiate musician passionate about your musical education, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Across Cultures No-Essay Scholarship

Offered by Keepgoingforward.org

The Across Cultures No-Essay Scholarship annually awards $1,000 to one student who demonstrates an openness to learning about other cultures and sharing their own. The… Show More

The Across Cultures No-Essay Scholarship annually awards $1,000 to one student who demonstrates an openness to learning about other cultures and sharing their own. The award will be granted to help them continue on their path to traveling and learning. This may include studying new languages, traveling to study in a new place, teaching or learning art styles, musical instruments, or cooking methods from a different culture, or anything else that demonstrates openness to new cultures in your school, work, or hobbies. The scholarship is open to high school graduates and those who have already graduated. It can be used to pay student debt for people who have graduated and aren't even in school anymore. If you're a high school, college, or graduate student curious to learn about other cultures and share their own, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

$2,000 CampusReel Virtual Tour Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by CampusReel

Easy scholarship program open to all students who watch a student-led virtual college tour

$1,000 SuperCollege.com Scholarship

Offered by SuperCollege.com

Are you a current or incoming college student wanting help to pay for tuition, books, computers, room and board, or any education-related expenses? If so,… Show More

Are you a current or incoming college student wanting help to pay for tuition, books, computers, room and board, or any education-related expenses? If so, consider applying for the $1,000 SuperCollege.com Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 to one high school senior, college student, graduate student, or returning adult student who is currently enrolled in college or plans to start. You can use the scholarship to pay for tuition, books, computers, room and board or any education-related expense. If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship

Offered by ISL Education Lending

The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship awards ten $1,000 college scholarships to high school seniors residing in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, or Wisconsin who will… Show More

The ISL Midwest Senior Scholarship awards ten $1,000 college scholarships to high school seniors residing in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, or Wisconsin who will attend an eligible U.S. college in the Fall following their high school graduation. To be eligible, applicants must be legal United States residents and be set to attend college in the U.S., physically or virtually, following their high school graduation. There are no income, grade point average, or class rank requirements. If you're a college-bound high school senior residing in Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, or Wisconsin, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Top 5 no essay scholarships

Our editors hand-picked the following 10 no essay scholarships with an eye for large awards, prestigious organizations, and scholarships that are open to a wide variety of students. Apply with confidence to the following no essay scholarships:

Coca Cola Scholarship – $20,000 scholarship for college-bound high school seniors
Dell Scholars Program – For Pell Grant-eligible high school seniors who participated in a college readiness program. Worth $20,000 with 500 scholarships awarded every year. Recipients also receive a free laptop, textbooks, and more
Taco Bell Live Mas Scholarship – Video scholarship for students between 16 and 26 with a passion for the field they are pursuing. Worth up to $25,000
Burger King Scholars – Scholarship for high school seniors worth up to $50,000
Doodle for Google Scholarship – Scholarship for K-12 students who submit a Doodle to be featured on Google’s homepage. Worth up to $55,000

Tips for students applying to no essay scholarships

Look for competitions rather than randomized drawings.

No essay scholarships are alluring because they do away with the pressure that comes with writing an essay for your application. Between your other academic responsibilities, extracurriculars, and other commitments, these essays can present a big roadblock for applicants.

However, you should bear in mind that you are not the only student with this idea. Many applicants are attracted to opportunities that are easy to apply to, and since many no essay scholarships are essentially scholarship sweepstakes, that means you have a very low chance of actually winning.

This is not to say that you should not apply to these opportunities, but that you should seek out scholarship opportunities that assess some materials submitted by applicants. Whether this is a video submission, a portfolio, or a photograph you took, it can help your chances greatly.

Be wary of scholarship scams

No essay scholarships are very popular with students because they typically don’t take much time to apply to. Unfortunately, this makes them all the more popular with scammers.

Before applying to any scholarship, and especially no essay scholarships, ensure that you are not giving away any personal information that could be used to steal your identity. Additionally, you should never pay a fee to enter a scholarship competition. For more information on how to avoid scholarship scams, check out our article on how to spot them .

If at first you don’t succeed…

Many no essay scholarships, especially the random drawings, select a winner each month and then reopen. To maximize your chances of winning, make sure to check back each month to throw your hat back in the ring.

Check out similar scholarship categories

If you are looking to apply for scholarships without putting too much time into essays, check out our lists of video scholarships and easy scholarships . While some of these may include short essays, they are generally much less of a commitment than typical scholarship applications.

Don’t over-rely on no essay scholarships

No essay scholarships can be a great no-effort way of applying for educational funding, but make sure that your overall scholarship strategy makes use of all potential funding sources. Make sure especially to seek out local scholarships through community organizations and your high school counselor.

Don’t forget financial aid

If you have demonstrable financial need, there is one source of free funds for your higher education that is even easier to get than no essay scholarships. This is federal financial aid, including the Pell Grant . Make sure to fill out the FAFSA on-time and send your results to your school in order to gain eligibility for federal, state, and institutional financial aid.

Apply to affordable schools

In addition to scholarships, it’s a good idea to ensure that you apply to some colleges that are known for offering an affordable education to their students. In-state public schools offer steep tuition discounts to their students, and tuition reciprocity agreements extend these benefits to some neighboring states as well. We also have a list of the best schools in the country for affordability . These schools are known for charging low tuition, offering generous financial aid, and offering a good value to their students.

Frequently asked questions about no essay scholarships

Are “no essay” scholarships legit, how can i increase my chances of winning a no essay scholarship.

For scholarships with a creative or artistic element, make sure that you put all of your effort into your project! Remember, your application will be completely assessed on your creative project as there is no essay required.
For scholarships that have minimal requirements, you should apply to them as often as possible to increase your odds. However, these types of scholarships should not be the only part of your application strategy.

Who can apply for no essay scholarships?

What qualifies as a no essay scholarship, are there gpa requirements for no essay scholarships.

Also see: How to write a scholarship resume

Explore these other scholarship categories:

Top easy scholarships
Scholarships for high school seniors
Top scholarships for college students
Top STEM scholarships
Scholarships for women

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Knowledge Base
College essay
How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

How to Write a Scholarship Essay | Template & Example

Published on October 11, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

A good scholarship essay demonstrates the scholarship organization’s values while directly addressing the prompt. If you plan ahead , you can save time by writing one essay for multiple prompts with similar questions.

Apply for a wide variety of scholarships, make a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, tailor your essay to the organization and the prompt, write a focused and relevant personal story, scholarship essay example, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Scholarships are a type of student financial aid that don’t require repayment. They are awarded based on various factors, including academic merit, financial need, intended major, personal background, or activities and interests.

Like college applications, scholarship applications often require students to submit their grades, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and an essay.

A scholarship essay shares your values and qualities in the context of a specific question, such as “How does technology affect your daily life?” or “Who has had the greatest impact on your life?”

Be wary of scholarship scams

While some applications may not require an essay, be wary of scholarship scams that do the following:

Guarantee you scholarship money for a fee
Claim scholarship information is exclusive to their company
Ask for your bank or credit card information to hold the scholarship

Some legitimate companies do charge for releasing comprehensive scholarship lists or creating a tailored list of scholarship opportunities based on your profile.

However, you can always discover scholarship opportunities for free through your school counselor, community network, or an online search.

Many students focus on well-known, large scholarship opportunities, which are usually very competitive. To maximize your chance of success, invest time in applying for a wide variety of scholarships: national and local, as well as big and small award amounts. There are also scholarships for international students .

In addition to charitable foundation and corporate scholarships, you should consider applying for institutional scholarships at your prospective universities, which can award money based on your application’s strength, your financial situation, and your demonstrated interest in the school.

Check with your guidance counselor, local organizations, community network, or prospective schools’ financial aid offices for scholarship opportunities. It’s a good idea to start applying as early as your junior year and continue throughout your senior year.

Choose the right scholarships for you

Choose scholarships with missions and essay topics that match your background, experiences, and interests. If the scholarship topic is meaningful to you, it will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay.

Don’t shy away from applying for local scholarships with small dollar amounts. Even a few hundred dollars can help you pay for books.

Local scholarships may be more tailored to your community, background, and activities, so they’re likely more relevant to you. Fewer students apply for these scholarships, so you have less competition and a higher chance of success.

Some places to look for local scholarships include

Civic organizations, such as the Rotary Club, Lions Club, etc.
Your church, mosque, synagogue, or place of worship
Community groups, such as the YMCA
Ethnicity-based organizations
Your local library or local small businesses
Organizations related to your intended major
Your city or town
Your school district
Unions, such as SEIU, the Teamsters, CWA, etc.
Your employer or your parents’ employers
Banks, credit unions, and local financial institutions

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

While researching scholarship opportunities, create a scholarship tracker spreadsheet to keep track of the following:

Scholarship amounts
Required application materials

You can use our free Google Sheets template to track your scholarship applications.

Scholarship application tracker template

You can also include scholarship essay prompts in your college essay tracker sheet . By grouping or color-code overlapping essay prompts, you can plan to write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can also reuse or adapt your main college essay .

Even if you’re adapting another essay, it’s important to make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, stays within the word count limit , and demonstrates the organization’s values. The scholarship committee will be able to tell if you reuse an essay that doesn’t quite respond to the prompt, so be sure to tailor it to the questions asked.

Research each organization

Before writing, research the scholarship organization’s mission and reason for awarding the scholarship. Learning more about the organization can help you select an appropriate topic and relevant story.

While you should tailor your essay to the organization’s values, maintain your authentic voice. Never use false or exaggerated stories. If the organization’s values don’t align with yours or you can’t brainstorm a relevant story for the scholarship, continue searching for other scholarship opportunities to find a more appropriate one for you.

After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student.

Choose a story with the following criteria:

Responds to the prompt
Demonstrates the organization’s values
Includes an authentic story
Focuses on you and your experience, not someone else’s

A good scholarship essay is not

A resume of your achievements
A lengthy opinion piece about the essay topic
An essay featuring a negative tone that puts down others

If appropriate, you can briefly address how the scholarship money will help you achieve your educational goals. You should also end with a brief thank-you.

Take a look at the full essay example below. Hover over the underlined parts to read explanations of why they work.

Prompt: Describe how working for Chelsea’s Chicken restaurant has developed leadership skills that will help you succeed in college. Give specific examples of leadership characteristics that you have exhibited during your employment with us.

As a nervous 16-year-old, I walked into Chelsea’s Chicken for my first day of work determined to make enough money to put gas in my car and buy pizza on the weekends. My only previous job was mowing my neighbors’ lawns when they were on vacation, so I had no idea what to expect. I was a bit intimidated by my new responsibilities, especially handling money and helping disgruntled customers.

However, it didn’t take me long to learn my way around the cash register and successfully address customer complaints. One day, Roger, the store manager, asked me if I wanted to join Chelsea’s Chicken Leadership Training Initiative. He said he saw leadership potential in me because of my attitude with the customers and my enthusiasm for learning new job responsibilities. It surprised me because I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I quickly agreed, and Roger handed me a three-ring binder that was thicker than my math and science textbooks put together! He told me to take it home and read over it during the following week.

In that binder, I discovered that being a leader means taking the initiative, especially when the job is undesirable. One week later, I got to practice that idea when a little kid threw up in the bathroom and missed the toilet. It smelled terrible, but I stepped forward and told Roger that I would clean it up. My coworkers thought I was crazy, but I started to believe in my leadership potential.

That night as we closed the store, Roger pulled me aside in the parking lot and told me that he could tell that I had been studying the manual. He wanted to give me more responsibility, along with a dollar-per-hour pay raise. I was surprised because I had been working there for only a couple of months, but his encouragement helped me make a connection: good leadership helps other people, and it often is rewarded. I was determined to experience more of both.

Within a month, I was ready to take the Team Leader exam, which mattered because I would receive a promotion and a much bigger raise if I passed. But, when I got to work, two of the scheduled team members had called in sick. We were noticeably short-handed, and our customers weren’t happy about it.

I walked back to the lockers, put on my vest and hat, and took my place behind an open register. Customers immediately moved into my line to place their orders. Roger looked at me with surprise and asked, “Did you forget that you’re testing tonight?” I responded, “No, sir—but what’s the use of taking a leadership test if you aren’t going to lead in real life?” Roger smiled at me and nodded.

He stayed late that night after we closed so that I could leave early and still take the test. I noticed that Roger was always staying late, helping employees learn new skills. His example taught me that leaders take the initiative to develop other leaders. He gave me a clear picture of what shared leadership looks like, making room for others to grow and excel. When I asked him where he learned to do that, he said, “From the same leadership manual I gave you!”

Chelsea’s Chicken has offered me so much more than a paycheck. Because of Roger’s example, I have learned to take the initiative to care for my family and friends, such as being the first to do the dishes without my mom asking or volunteering to pick up my friend for our SAT prep course. Now, as I prepare to enter college, I have confidence in my leadership ability. I know I’m signing up for a challenging major—Biology, Pre-Med—yet I also know that Chelsea’s Chicken has helped me to develop the perseverance required to complete my studies successfully.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

Writing process
Transition words
Passive voice
Paraphrasing

Communication

How to end an email
Ms, mrs, miss
How to start an email
I hope this email finds you well
Hope you are doing well

Parts of speech

Personal pronouns
Conjunctions

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay

What’s covered:, why do scholarships require essays.

Types of scholarship essays

How to write a good scholarship essay

What about scholarships that don’t require an essay.

For many, scholarships are a critical part of paying for your college education. That’s why you want to make sure your scholarship applications receive nearly as much of your care and attention as your college applications do. Essays are a huge component of this.

Many scholarships are competitive, drawing highly qualified applicants with excellent grades and test scores. Essays are a way of differentiating students, learning more about their interests, and determining to whom the organization should give the award.

Scholarships are also born out of organizational missions, and the committee wants to see how your values align with theirs. Essays help illuminate these values.

Types of scholarship essays

You’ll encounter several different types of scholarship essays during your search. These are some of the most common varieties you will find.

Career and education goals

Some scholarships target people with particular career ambitions and anticipated majors. This essay prompt is common for those types of awards, as well as more general ones. To approach your essay, you should be authentic, describing your true motivations and why this professional path appeals to you. Let your passion for the industry, sector, or discipline shine through.

Life experiences/qualities/group affinity

When a scholarship targets people of particular demographics, make sure you highlight your affinity with this group in your essay. Describe how these characteristics have contributed to and in some cases shaped your journey — and will continue to do so in your future.

Connection with the institution/organization

Your connection with the institution or organization offering the scholarship often plays a large role in determining winners — so much so that they may ask you to describe why that organization is important to you in your essay. It’s important to do your homework, considering why various aspects of the institution appeal to you and why you want a scholarship from them.

Past writing sample

You may not need to write a new essay at all. The organization could ask you to submit a past writing sample instead. If this is the case, choose a piece that shows your real personality and aligns with the message and mission of the organization offering the scholarship.

1. Understand your audience.

Scholarship committees want to see essays from students who share their organization’s values. Before you apply, you need to do some research to understand what those values are. Consider how your interests and experiences align with what the organization is looking for, and make them clear throughout your essay.

2. Show your personality.

You should also use your voice in your essay. Give the scholarship committee insight into who you are as a person — what drives you, what motivates you, and what interests you. This will allow them to understand you on a deeper level and see your words as genuine.

3. Use anecdotes and examples.

As with your college essays, you’ll bring your experiences to life by using plenty of anecdotes and examples. These will help ground your essay and make it more compelling for your audience.

You may encounter scholarships that don’t require essays. While the applications may be less time-consuming, for the most part, you will need to ensure that your GPA, test scores, and extracurriculars are strong because they will usually play a large role in assessing applicants.

While we’re on the subject of no-essay scholarships, we encourage you to enter CollegeVine’s weekly $500+ scholarship drawings . To get started, you just need to create a free account. Increase your chances of winning by referring friends, peer-reviewing essays, and more.

25 college scholarships high school seniors can still apply for

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Prices keep going up for college students. This year, attending some American colleges and universities is expected to cost students more than $90,000 a year.

Granted, that’s based on figures for tuition, room and board and other expenses from some of the country’s most elite private institutions. Even so, the Education Data Initiative reports that the average private college student living on campus actually spends about $55,840 per year, with $38,768 of it going towards tuition and fees). And students at public universities spend an average of about $26,027 per year.

That’s still quite a chunk of change, even if you’ve decided it’s worth the cost . In fact, college prices have risen by 169% since 1980, according to a report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce . If you’re a high school senior or college student (or the parent of one) who is trying to figure out how to pay these bills, you may want to consider some of the scholarships available to defray costs.

And while the deadlines of some scholarships have passed, there are still lots of options if you act fast. Here are 25 scholarships for high school seniors.

Scholarships That Award Over $15,000

1. breakthrough junior challenge: $250,000.

Deadline to apply: June 25, 2024

Who’s eligible : High school students

This generous scholarship is offered by the philanthropists Yuri and Julia Milner, who have a special interest in science and technology. To apply, you create a 2-minute video that explains a scientific or mathematical theory or principle. Think creatively and incorporate elements like diagrams, simulations and physical demonstrations.

If you submit the most impressive video, you’ll receive a $250,000 scholarship to college. Your teacher will receive $50,000, and your school will receive $100,000 for a science lab. Apply here .

2. Niche ‘No Essay’ Scholarship: $25,000

Deadline to apply: May 31, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year

Niche is a ranking and review site that runs a scholarship directory and offers many of its own scholarships. This one couldn’t be easier to apply for. Start by creating a Niche account. Then fill out the online application; the winner will be determined in a random drawing by June 15, 2024. They will contact you if you were selected. Apply here .

3. ‘Be Bold’ No-Essay Scholarship: $25,055

Deadline to apply: May 1, 2024

Who’s eligible: Any student of any age or education level

Bold.org is a scholarship search website. To apply for any of their scholarships, you’ll need to create a free profile on the site. And the site wants to challenge you to create the boldest one.

What does being bold mean to you? The folks at the “Be Bold” Scholarship define it in three words: earnest, determined and moving. If your profile does the best job of matching this description, you could win $25,055 towards your college education. The eligibility requirements don’t mention a minimum GPA. All you need to be is … bold! Apply here ASAP, as the scholarship favors early applicants for rolling application deadlines.

4. Ayn Rand Scholarship: ‘The Fountainhead’ Essay Contest: $25,000

Deadline to apply: June 7, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school juniors and seniors

The Ayn Rand Institute offers rolling essay contests three times a year to encourage students to engage with this prominent novelist’s works and ideas. The upcoming summer essay contest for “The Fountainhead” is currently open.

You’ll write a double-spaced essay that’s between 800 and 1,600 words, based on a prompt question (about the book) that The Ayn Rand Institute provides. If you are one of the top three entries, you’ll receive a cash prize of up to $3,000, and the first-place entry from each season will go on to compete against the other seasonal winners for an annual grand prize of $25,000. You can spend the money on college — or anything else you like. Apply here .

5. Ayn Rand Scholarship: ‘Atlas Shrugged’ Essay Contest: $25,000

Deadline to apply: June 14, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors, college students and graduate students

Another one of The Ayn Rand Institute’s rolling essay contests is based on her novel “Atlas Shrugged.” The upcoming summer essay contest for this novel is currently open.

You’ll write a double-spaced essay that’s between 800 and 1,600 words, based on a prompt question about the book that The Ayn Rand Institute provides. If you are one of the top three entries, you’ll receive a cash prize up to $3,000, and the first-place entry from each season will go on to compete against the other seasonal winners for an annual grand prize of $25,000. You can spend the money on college or anything else. Apply here .

Scholarships That Award Between $5,000 and $15,000

6. stuck at prom scholarship contest: $15,000.

Deadline to apply: June 5, 2024

Who’s eligible: All high school students

Well, this is a fun one. To win the Stuck at Prom scholarship, you need to make your own prom outfit (a dress or a tux) completely out of Duck Brand duct tape or Duck Brand crafting tape. Then fill out the online entry form, which includes a place for you to upload at least one photo of yourself wearing this DIY prom outfit. You can submit up to five photos.

The entry form will ask you to supply some written details about your creation or to upload a video showing the requested details. The first-place winners for dress and tux will each be awarded $15,000, while four runners-up in each category will win $1,000 each. And this year they will also be handing out “Judges’ Choice” awards worth $1,000 each to three finalists. Apply here .

7. ScienceSaves High School Video Scholarship: $10,000

Deadline to apply: May 6, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors

Not a big fan of writing essays? This scholarship contest asks entrants to create a 20-30 second video, answering the question, “What has science done for me?” or “What has science done for somebody I know?”

Be creative! You can use photos, video clips and text. Add the hashtag #ScienceSaves to your video before uploading it. While the grand prize winner will receive $10,000, there will also be prizes for 2nd place ($2,000), 3rd place ($1,000), and 4th place finishers ($500). Apply here .

8. Exceptional Youth Scholarship: $10,000

Deadline to apply: May 17, 2024

Who’s eligible: high school seniors

This scholarship is offered through The Foundation for Global Sports Development, and it’s indeed designed for an extraordinary young person. To apply, you must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have devoted at least 100 hours to some form of community service, volunteerism or mentorship activities.

It’s also need-based, so you’ll be required to submit a completed FAFSA form (which is the application for federal student aid) and other financial materials. You’ll also need two letters of recommendation (one from your school and one from your community). Ten graduating seniors will each receive this $10,000 scholarship. Apply here .

9. Ted and Holly Rollins Scholarship: $5,000

Deadline to apply: June 1, 2024

Can you write a compelling essay? For this scholarship contest, you’ll submit at least 500 words that tell your life story, describe your interest in your intended field of study, and/or explain how you plan to impact the world. If you write the winning essay, you’ll be notified by July 15, 2024. Apply here .

10. Ryan T. Herich Memorial Scholarship: $5,000

Deadline to apply: April 15, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school students or college undergraduates who are studying or plan to study political science, cultural anthropology, geography or history

This scholarship was set up in the memory of Ryan T. Herich, who was interested in how history, culture and politics affect our world today. To apply, incorporate these themes in a 400- to 600-word essay about how you intend to make a difference in the world. Three winners (who will each receive $5,000) will be announced on May 15, 2024. Apply here .

Scholarships That Award Between $1,000 and $3,000

11. all about education scholarship: $3,000.

Deadline to apply: April 30, 2024

Who’s eligible: U.S. residents ages 14 and up

This scholarship is through Unigo, a college scholarship directory and search site. To apply, you have to sign up for a free account. Then submit an essay of 250 words or less responding to the question: “How will a $3,000 scholarship for education make a difference in your life?” Apply here .

12. There’s Space For Everyone Scholarship: $3,000

Who’s eligible: High school seniors, undergraduates and graduates enrolled in school

Extra Space Storage is in the business of offering self-storage facilities, but they also offer an annual college scholarship. To apply, fill out the online application form, which includes an essay on the following topic: “How have you exhibited a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, or social justice through work, service, or other extra-curricular activities, and how will your education help you continue this commitment during college and beyond?”

The company will give out eight $3,000 scholarships. Five will go to any student attending or planning to attend a college or university in the U.S., and three are reserved for employees or immediate family members of Extra Space Storage. The winners will be announced on June 21, 2024. Apply here .

13. American College Foundation Visionary Scholarship: $2,500

Who’s eligible: High school students

This is a bi-annual award in which five recipients win each time — with a total of 10 scholarships awarded each year. Awards range from $1,000 to $2,500 each. To apply, submit a completed application along with your most recent high school transcript and a 500-word essay on “Why College is Important to Me.”

The site posts photos of past winners along with their essays, so you can see what impresses the judges. The winners are announced on July 12, 2024, and the awards are distributed on July 31, 2024. Apply here .

14. Creativity Leads to Success Scholarship: $2,500

Deadline to apply: June 15, 2024

Who’s eligible: Students who are 18 years or older and attending college or grad school by fall 2024

The Dixie Belle paint company awards $5,000 in scholarship money every year. The first-prize winner will receive $2,500, while two runners-up will receive $1,250 each.

To apply, fill out their online application and submit an essay of no more than 500 words that answers the question: “How has creativity helped you in problem solving?” If you’re a finalist, you will be notified on or about Aug. 15, 2024. Apply here .

15. Rover Scholarship: $2,500

Deadline to apply: May 1, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors and college undergraduates

Rover.com is a pet-sitter marketplace that offers a $2,500 scholarship towards higher education. To apply, you must have a 3.0 GPA. Fill out their online form and submit an essay of 400-500 words on the following topic: “How did growing up with a pet in your life (could be a friend’s or family member’s) impact the person you are today?”

The winner will be notified by May 31, 2024. Apply here .

16. Goodwall #ScholarshipNow Challenge: $2,500

Who’s eligible: High school, college and graduate students and those planning to enroll within 12 months

This scholarship is funded by Goodwall, a skills-based social network that prepares young people for careers. To enter this scholarship contest, download the Goodwall app and create a profile. Submit a short video (between 30 seconds and three minutes long) in which you describe how this scholarship can help you reach your educational and professional goals. Make sure to add the hashtag #ScholarshipNow. Apply here .

17. RonranGlee Literary Scholarship: $2,000

Deadline to apply: April 22, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors and college undergraduate students

If you have a knack for close reading, this is the scholarship for you. The people at the RonranGlee Literary Scholarship want to see how well you can interpret the underlying meaning in texts. To apply, choose a paragraph (preferably from an ancient literature or philosophy book) and write a short essay that is between 600 and 2,000 words, explaining what’s being conveyed between the lines.

Five winners will be announced on May 22, 2024. Apply here.

18. CollegeVine No Essay Contest: $2,000

Deadline to apply: June 30, 2024

Who’s eligible: Current high school students and college applicants

CollegeVine is a website that provides college admissions guidance. To take part in this scholarship sweepstakes, you will need to sign up for a CollegeVine account and complete your profile. A random drawing determines the winner. If it’s you, you’ll be notified with an email. Apply here .

19. Sallie Mae Scholarship Sweepstakes: $2,000

Deadline to apply: The last day of every month (the current deadline is April 30)

Who’s eligible: High school juniors, seniors and college undergraduates (and parents can apply, too)

Sallie Mae has a search database with lots of scholarship options. But this particular sweepstakes is the easiest: Fill out a form to enter, and a winner is chosen at random every month. There’s no essay and no GPA requirement — just a form that takes less than two minutes to fill out! Apply here .

20. Ayn Rand Scholarship: ‘Anthem’ Essay Contest: $2,000

Who’s eligible: 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students

To participate, you’ll submit an essay that’s between 600 and 1,200 words, double-spaced. For the topic, you can choose from among three prompt questions related to Ayn Rand’s novella “Anthem.”

This is significantly easier than the Ayn Rand Institute’s other two essay contests since this novella is only about 100 pages long. The top prize is $2,000, and other finalists will receive between $500 and $1,000. Apply here .

21. Too Cool To Pay For School Sweepstakes: $1,000

Deadline to apply: Quarterly on the last day of March, June, September and December

Who’s eligible: High school juniors, seniors and college undergrads

This sweepstakes is run through Access Scholarships, an online scholarship search engine. Applying for this one couldn’t be simpler — all you need to do is fill out the online form. Follow them on Instagram , and they’ll enter you twice. A random drawing determines the winner. You’ll get an email from them if you win. Apply here .

22. Gen & Kelly Tanabe Scholarship: $1,000

Deadline to apply: July 31, 2024

Who’s eligible: High school seniors, undergraduate and graduate students

The scholarship is funded by Gen and Kelly Tanabe, the authors of “ The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2024: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes .” Entrants submit a 250-word personal statement about why you deserve to win this scholarship or about your academic or career goals. You can also write about any topic of your choice. Apply here .

23. ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship: $1,000

Deadline to apply: The last business day of each month (next deadline is April 29, 2024)

Who’s eligible: High school and college students who will be enrolled in school within three months of the award

ScholarshipOwl is an online scholarship matching service. Each month, they hold a random drawing for this $1,000 scholarship, and four students win every time. To participate, sign up for a free account and fill out their online application form, which doesn’t require an essay. The next draw date is May 11. Apply here .

24. Blaze Your Own Trail Scholarship: $1,000

This scholarship contest is funded by Trail Heads, a company that makes headbands, gloves, hats and other accessories for outdoor sports. To enter, you’ll need to write a 600-800 word essay about a challenge you faced. Describe how you overcame this obstacle and how it affected you going forward. Also, you have to submit your latest transcript with your GPA.

The winner will be announced on the Trail Heads website on Aug. 6, 2024. Apply here .

25. American Heart Challenge Scholarship: $1,000

Who’s eligible: High school juniors or seniors

This scholarship is for juniors and seniors who have shown leadership skills at their school’s American Heart Challenge program, which aims to educate young people about healthy lifestyle habits while raising money to help end heart disease and stroke. To apply, fill out a short online application and upload a letter of recommendation from a teacher. Apply here .

About the Author

Jennifer has written features and essays for over a dozen magazines, including American Baby, Cosmo, Cosmo Girl, Fit Pregnancy, Good Housekeeping, Health, Marie Claire, Parents, Parenting, Redbook, Self, Teen People, TV Guide, and YM. More.

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MBA Scholarships That Help Pay for School

There are many opportunities for scholarships, fellowships and other sources of money that you don't have to repay.

MBA Scholarships

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Most universities with business schools offer in-house scholarships; some also provide a list of external sources of aid to pay for school.

Multiple scholarships, fellowships and grants are available for students enrolling in a Master of Business Administration program. Since these funds do not need to be repaid, they are basically free money to help pay for your degree.

Some awards are national while others are college-specific. Some are merit-based, often depending on GMAT scores , while others are for minorities. The amounts vary, and some even offer a stipend.

Sam Weeks, an MBA admissions consultant, says that although lenders tend to be happy to finance MBAs, “a scholarship allows you to be more flexible because you don’t have that debt to pay back.”

Without an MBA scholarship, business majors whose hearts were leading them toward social impact or entrepreneurship may get forced into careers like management consulting or investment banking, Weeks says, adding that "you can’t go out and start your own business if you are $200,000 in debt. The scholarship enables them to follow more interesting post-MBA career paths.”

Here are some sources of scholarships and other funding for an MBA that don't have to be repaid.

National Sources

Military mba merit scholarship.

Veterans and active members of the military who are U.S. residents may apply for the Military MBA Merit Scholarship . The scholarship is offered to attend one of 27 partner schools throughout the U.S., and award amounts vary.

A bachelor’s degree and a record of military service are required, along with other application materials, and demonstrated leadership is a plus. Applicants cannot be already in an MBA program or a graduate of one.

Goldman Sachs MBA Fellowships

First-year MBA students seeking a summer associate position at the multinational investment bank can apply for the Goldman Sachs MBA Fellowship . The program is geared toward students interested in investment banking or private wealth management at Goldman.

Recipients receive $35,000 plus a summer associate salary. Upon successful completion of that summer internship and acceptance of a full-time offer at Goldman, fellows receive an additional $40,000 and possibly a full-time associate signing bonus.

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

This program fully funds up to three years of graduate study at Stanford University in California. To qualify, applicants must complete the MBA application for Stanford's Graduate School of Business and file a separate Knight-Hennessy Scholarship application. Instructions for the scholarship application are on the program's website .

National Black MBA Association

This professional organization, which has a membership level for undergraduate and grad students, offers MBA scholarships to qualifying members who are U.S. citizens. Recipients attend a partner university, and additional award criteria, deadlines and amounts may vary.

College-Specific MBA Scholarships

Most universities with business schools offer in-house scholarships; some also provide a list of external sources of aid to pay for school, experts note.

For example, the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management and the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School are among schools that offer scholarships, fellowships and stipends in varying amounts for academic achievement, including to specific populations such as university alumni, women, state residents, veterans and international students.

Weeks advises applicants from traditional backgrounds to aim for a GMAT score above the class average. “All schools publish their class averages. When you apply to business school you submit your application, and you receive your scholarship offers either immediately or within a few weeks if your profile is strong."

However, what applicants tend to not know is that "there is a chance you can go back to the school and negotiate a scholarship,” Weeks says, giving the following scenario: “If you receive offers from two great schools, one of them with a nice scholarship and one with no scholarship, we work with our clients to tell the school with no scholarship, ‘Hey, I have an offer from another top school with a scholarship, but I’d like to join you guys. Are there any other scholarships that I’m eligible for to help close that difference in cost?’”

Applicants are often reluctant to do this because they don’t want to seem pushy, he says. But remember that you are applying to business school, and "good negotiations are part of the process,” he says, stressing that politeness is key.

Weeks also says a one-time scholarship given at the start of your program is not always the end, since sometimes you can apply for scholarships during your first year of school to cover your second year.

Smaller MBA Scholarships

Experts also encourage prospective MBA students to go for smaller scholarships, which can add up. They sometimes are offered by departments within a business school.

“As part of your MBA application, most schools will consider you for a host of merit scholarships or fellowships,” says Candy Lee LaBalle, an MBA application consultant and owner of LaBalle Admissions. “Often all you need to do to be considered is click a box that says, ‘I would like to be considered.’”

A merit scholarship is "based on the strength, or merit, of your application," LaBalle explains. "So, the stronger your profile, the higher your chances to secure one of these. This is one reason to push as hard as you can for a top test score, either GMAT or GRE . It is a nice surprise when you get an admit from a school that includes a hefty scholarship award.”

Some schools consider applicants for scholarships if they write an additional essay as part of the application process.

“Definitely write these essays and give them as much care and consideration as you do to your general application essays,” LaBalle advises.

She says there are also many private scholarships available, although they can be difficult to track down because many are offered by small organizations and target specific demographic groups. She says one comprehensive listing of outside funding is curated by UCLA's Anderson School of Management .

"Don’t limit yourself to just one scholarship," she says. "Apply for as many relevant scholarships as possible. Remember that even smaller scholarships can add up and contribute to your overall funding.”

Some countries offer scholarships for their citizens that will cover full tuition, LaBalle adds, such as Spain's La Caixa and Indonesia’s Endowment Fund for Education.

More Tips For MBA Scholarship Seekers

Experts suggest paying careful attention to rules when applying for scholarships.

“Some scholarships, such as those from Fulbright , must be applied for well before you apply to an MBA," LaBalle says. "Others, you apply after you are admitted. Websites like Scholarships 360 and GoGrad provide comprehensive lists of MBA scholarships along with application details."

Keep track of application deadlines, required documents and follow-up steps so that your scholarship applications are complete and submitted before deadlines, LaBalle suggests.

Weeks, who says he helped clients win more than $2.5 million in scholarships in 2023, cautions that a scholarship from the school is seldom awarded based just on the application essay.

“Your whole application has to be good,” he says. “If you have a good profile overall – good GMAT score, good undergrad GPA, good work experience – you are more likely to get a scholarship on the basis that the school wants you to join.”

How to Find Money to Pay for an MBA

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Tags: MBAs , business school , graduate schools , scholarships , education , students

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Top 20 No Essay Scholarships Currently Ongoing

The idea of writing an essay can seem like an insurmountable hurdle for lots of students, so the idea of penning down those writings might instantly lead to writer’s block. In fact, you might be among the students who have crumpled lots of paper into the waste bin due to the perception that you’re not crafting the best essay for that scholarship.

Don’t worry, so many organizations understand your pain and struggle that’s why they provide lots of no essay scholarships to fasten your application. Yes, most of these scholarships only require you to register and you’ll be entered into the drawing.

But if you’re not scared of trying more essay scholarships, you can try out the Education Matters Scholarship or even the All About Education Scholarship . The bright side of most scholarships that require essays is that it reduces competition. This is also the downside of most no-essay scholarships which have enormous competition, especially for those that provide big funds.

Before we list these scholarships let’s understand what this no-essay scholarship is all about.

Table of Contents

What is a No-essay Scholarship?

Just like the name, these scholarships are exactly what they sound like financial assistance that doesn’t demand any lengthy essay submission. In fact, unlike the “ Do-Over” Scholarship , and the GoTranscript scholarship some of these no-essay scholarships don’t even demand a GPA, you just need to register to apply.

What these organizations usually demand is some basic information like your name, school, email address, contact number, and sometimes academic achievements.

No Essay Scholarships

Let’s tell ourselves the truth, essays can be daunting! These scholarships offer an alternative path to securing financial aid.

1. Niche No Essay Scholarship

Niche offers varying amounts of no-essay scholarships, ranging from $1,000 to $50,000 which are offered to one student and can be used for tuition, housing, books, or other college expenses. The winner of the scholarship will be randomly selected and then contacted directly and announced in Niche’s email newsletter and on the Scholarship Winners page.

2. “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

Based on the belief of Bold.org, they have created this scholarship to find the applicant with the boldest profile. Boldest here, doesn’t mean a student with the best academic profile or an individual that is most accomplished, it just means a student that is earnest, determined, and always moving.

The $25,000 worth of scholarship is also awarded to one student, and all students are eligible to apply regardless of location.

3. $ 2,000 Sallie Mae No Essay Scholarship

This is a sweepstake scholarship in which the winner is randomly selected, and the scholarship runs for the whole year. The scholarship is only eligible to students who are 17 years or older and are legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, and any US Territory.

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4. Liberty University Sweepstake Scholarship

Liberty University’s Online Program is providing a total of $100,000 worth of no essay scholarships to twenty (20) randomly selected eligible winners. The winners will receive one (1) $5,000 tuition scholarship to study at Liberty University’s Online Program.

Because it’s a sweepstake the chances of winning depend on the number of applicants.

Learn More

5. $ 50,000 ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship

ScholarshipOwl randomly selects 50 students to award them $1,000 each. To be eligible you need to be 16 years or above and a resident of any of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, or US Territories except for Rhode Island and Michigan.

6. Smarter College Scholarship

This is one of the no essay scholarships provided by Smarter College to all residents of any of the 50 United States, including the District of Columbia. Applying for this scholarship is not just very easy, but you can always come back at the beginning of each month to try another luck of winning the $1,000 worth of scholarship.

7. $ 2,500 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship

ScholarshipPoints awards a monthly $2,500 to random students, all you need to do is register, and you’ll automatically be entered for their scholarship. In fact, once you’ve registered, you will also have the opportunity to apply for additional scholarships and complete activities for points that can be used for further entries into any of their 4-monthly scholarships.

8. The Cirkled In “No Sweat” Scholarship – $2,500

Just like the name, you don’t need to sweat to apply for this scholarship, all you need to do is to apply by signing up for a Cirkled In account and then complete your portfolio. Not only does it not demand an essay, but it also doesn’t demand your GPA or minimum income requirement.

Applicants just need to be 13 years or above, be enrolled in 8th – 12th grade in a school, and be a resident of the U.S. to be eligible.

9. $1,000 College Survey Scholarship

Just like the name, to participate in this scholarship you just need to take a short survey on your college. That also means that for you to participate you must be a current college student or alumni who have graduated within the last 4 years.

By the way, your response will be anonymous, so you don’t need to worry about privacy, and you won’t be writing any essays either.

10. $1,000 Local Survey Sweepstakes

This is another scholarship that doesn’t require an essay, the winner is randomly selected and applicants need to participate in a simple survey. This survey will be regarding your neighborhood or town, and you just need to be a resident of the U.S. who is over 18 years old to participate.

11. Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program

This is among the no essay scholarships but you need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and a Missouri resident plus other requirements to be eligible. This financial assistance is determined based on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as calculated through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).

The amount you’ll receive is also determined based on your EFC and the type of school you are attending when you receive the award.

12. $2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship

CollegeVine doesn’t only help you to get to your dream school, but to help you finance part of your fees. All you need to participate is a free CollegeVine account with a completed profile.

13. CollegeXpress $10,000 Scholarship

To participate in this scholarship you just need to create a free account and complete registration on CollegeXpress.com. To be eligible, you must be attending one of their member colleges as a full-time, first-year undergraduate, transfer, or graduate student for the fall semester of the contest year.

14. CollegeXpress Refer-a-Friend $250 Monthly Scholarship

Just like the name, your chances of winning this scholarship depend on your ability to refer to lots of your friends because, for every friend who registers with CollegeXpress, you’ll get a shot at a $250 scholarship! The scholarship is only open to legal residents of the United States who are 13 years of age or older.

15. CollegeXpress Scholarship for Students of Color

This is one of the no essay scholarships offered to POC (People of Color) students who are planning to enroll in college this fall. You just need to answer the question “What is your dream career to pursue after high school?” in just one sentence then you are entered to win a $1,500 scholarship.

16. The College Mix $3,500 Christian College Scholarship Drawing

This scholarship’s winner is randomly selected and you just need to register to participate. Applicants need to have an interest in attending a Christian college, University, or Bible college, the scholarship runs each year from June 1st through May 31st.

17. $2,000 Catholic College Scholarship Drawing

This scholarship is provided by Catholic College Info to at least 13-year-old students who are or intend to enroll at any Catholic college or university. There is no essay required to participate, you just need to register to join the drawing.

18. $2,000 Protestant Faith Based College Scholarship Drawing

Faith Based College are the providers of this scholarship, and like most of the no essay scholarships we have listed, only your registration is required. Applicants also need to be at least 13 years old.

19. Scholarships360 “No Essay” $10,000 Scholarship

Scholarships360 is providing this “No Essay” scholarship to a high school student who hopes to go to college, a graduate student who’s in a master’s program, or an adult learner who wants to return to school. Applicants need to be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents.

20. Appily Easy Money Scholarship

This scholarship just requires you to register at Appily College Search. You need to be at least 13 years old and a resident of the fifty (50) United States.

One winner will be randomly selected for a $1,000 cash prize on the first day of each month.

Are No Essay Scholarships Scam?

We don’t blame anyone who doubts the legitimacy of any scholarship that doesn’t look difficult to enter or doesn’t demand an essay. It just sounds too good to be true, you might say.

Well whether it is a scam or not totally depends on the providers, there are more legitimate “no essay” scholarships than those that are scams so you have the right to deal with them with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Tips to Spot Illegitimate Scholarships

First of all, any scholarship that seeks a small payment to enroll is absolutely a scam because all legit scholarships don’t demand any payment from you.
Secondly, any scholarship that guarantees everyone will win is likely a scam too. Any legitimate no-essay scholarship is very competitive and funds are not distributed to everyone, in fact, most no essay scholarships are offered to only one (1) winner.
Any scholarship provider that has lots of grammatical errors and typos shows a sign of a red flag.

Tips to Identify Legitimate No-Essay Scholarships

Ensure that the organization has a positive reputation in the scholarship or education world. The good news is that all the scholarships we provided here are from reputable organizations.
Also review the scholarship details like their eligibility requirements, the amount awarded, and even their selection process.

Are No Essay Scholarships Worth it?

Thus far, you’ve enjoyed the goodies of no-essay scholarships; their convenience, ease of registering, and, of course, the free money. But, are they really worth your time?

Just like most things in life, the answer to this is “it depends.” Yes, it saves you time and allows you to apply to lots of them as long as you’re eligible, but there are also some drawbacks that you need to consider.

Most of their prizes are low amounts, especially when compared to essay-based scholarships. There is higher competition too because it is easy to apply. Some of them are not legit, so you need to be more wary about them and thoroughly do your research.

In general, you can apply for no-essay scholarships, but it shouldn’t be your only hope, you shouldn’t completely ignore essay-based scholarships. Focus more on reputable sources and organizations regardless of how small or big their amount is.

Key Takeaway

Even though building/improving your essay skills for scholarships or other necessities is a valuable skill, it shouldn’t be the sole barrier to accessing educational opportunities. You can see that these no essay scholarships offer a welcome alternative, it gives you the chance to easily register for many scholarships you’re eligible for.

Remember, even seemingly small scholarships can make a significant impact on your college journey. So, don’t underestimate the power of these opportunities.

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COMMENTS

The Top Essay Scholarships for Students
All of the below scholarships require an essay entry - some as short as only 250 words - with interesting essay topics. For writers, a few hundred (or even a thousand) words is no biggie. ... If you're not a fan of essay writing, we have a list of scholarships that require no essays, too! Pencil to paper, typewriter, journal or computer ...
Top 64 Writing & Essay Scholarships in April 2024
Blacks at Microsoft Scholarship - For high school seniors pursuing a bachelor's degree in engineering, computer science, computer information systems, or a business field. Worth up to $20,000. Horatio Alger National Scholarships - For high school juniors with high financial need, worth $25,000.
Essay Scholarships
MD & DC Credit Union College Scholarship. Amount $1,000. Deadline April 15, 2024. College-bound members are eligible to apply for one of ten $1,000 essay-based scholarships - one $1,000 video-based scholarship; and one $1,000 photo-based scholarship. And, yes, you may apply in all three categories!
Essay Scholarships
Help cover the cost of college without writing a single essay! Niche is giving one student $25,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required! High school seniors will also be eligible to receive acceptances (and scholarships!) from our Direct Admissions partner colleges.
34 No Essay Scholarships to Save Thousands on College
1. "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship. Amount: $25,000. Deadline: December 31. Eligibility: Students of any education level, school, field of study, and GPA considered. This scholarship is for bold students who are determined to change the world one step at a time. No essay is required to win this eye-popping award.
How To Find Scholarships With No Essay Requirements (With Examples
Niche offers two monthly, no essay scholarship awards. The first is a $1,000 award, eligible only to college students and alumni who have graduated within the last four years. It can be completed by taking their official survey before the deadline at the end of each month. The second is a $2,000 award, eligible to high school and college ...
28 Super Easy Scholarships to Apply for in 2023
7. No Essay Smart Owl Scholarship. Amount: $1,000. Deadline: May 29, 2023. Eligibility: Must be at least 16 years old and a U.S. resident in any state, territory, or the District of Columbia, except for Rhode Island and Michigan; must be enrolled in a U.S. high school, college, or university.
10 Scholarships That Do Not Require a Written Essay
The Dickson Law Group would like to award one student who is currently enrolled in college or planning to attend in Fall 2018 with a $1,000 scholarship. Additionally, students under 18 years of age will need permission from their parent/guardian to apply. Finally, applicants must create a 1-3 minute video essay. Deadline is May 15, 2018.
The Ultimate Guide to Finding & Winning Scholarships
What you'll need to apply. Applying to scholarships can be a lengthy process. They often require that applicants submit essays, letters of recommendation, and test scores. While the exact requirements vary between different scholarships, they'll all mostly follow the same process. So, let's look at the steps you can take to apply for ...
Scholarship Essays
The Multi-Use Scholarship Essay. Many scholarships require an essay. The majority of them will provide an essay subject (s) and most will only allow a limited number of characters or words per entry. Gather all of these scholarships in one place and compare them. Make a list of the scholarship providers to whom you might be able to submit the ...
Top 49 Easy Scholarships to Apply For in April 2024
Niche $25k No Essay - Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students. $25k "Be Bold" Scholarship - Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students. $10k College Xpress Scholarship - Easy scholarship open to high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
30 Scholarship Essay Contests
Others only require a short paragraph or two on a general topic. But no matter what the requirements, there are some common tips for doing them right. Here's a rundown of the most essential considerations for essay scholarships: 1. Get Started! Getting started on your scholarship essay is often the most challenging part of the process.
The 10 Easiest Scholarships to Apply For
Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship. Odenza Marketing Group gives away two $500 scholarships each year, once in the spring and again in the fall. To compete for this award, applicants must like the Odenza Facebook page and write two short essays of about 500 words each. Each scholarship must have a clear thesis statement, offer supporting ...
Top 210 Essay Scholarships to Apply for in April 2024
Education Level: Must be a current high school senior or undergraduate student. Schooling: Either studying healthcare or attending an HBCU. GPA: 2.5 or higher. Amount: $31,138. Deadline: Aug 01, 2024. One Click Apply. Apply now! 2.
The 10 Best No Essay Scholarships
Their $7,000 scholarship does not require an essay and merely requires that students create a profile on the Scholarship Owl website. Although only 1 in 140,000 students win, approximately every applicant is considered equal during the scholarship drawing. ... As such, not only do Scholarship points offer the large, $10,000 no-essay scholarship ...
Top 33 No Essay Scholarships for January 2023
Check out our top 33 no essay scholarships for November! Winners; ... The good news is - in many cases you don't have to! In fact, there are lots of great scholarships that don't require an essay at all. These no essay scholarships come in all sorts, shapes and sizes. ... BigFuture Scholarships (class of 2023 only) Deadline: Ongoing ...
The Ultimate List of Easy Scholarships
These are the easiest-to-win college scholarships out there right now. Most take only a couple minutes to enter, with super simple applications and minimal writing. Awards that require 500+ word essays, letters of recommendation, intense projects, etc. are not included. We're talking easy scholarships, people!
Top 20 No Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024
Smart Owl No Essay $1,000 Scholarship. Amount: $1,000 (4 awards per month!) Deadline: Expires on the 28th or 29th of each month. Eligibility: The Smart Owl Scholarship is a monthly no essay scholarship open to all high school and college students ages 16 and older, who are US residents!
No Essay Scholarships
Niche $2,000 No Essay Scholarship. Amount $2,000. Deadline April 30, 2024. The $2,000 No Essay Scholarship is open to high school student all the way up to, and including, graduate school students. Scholarship Details $2,000 No Essay Scholarship for tuition and any other college-related expenses No essay requirement.
Top 64 No Essay Scholarships in April 2024
Coca Cola Scholarship - $20,000 scholarship for college-bound high school seniors. Dell Scholars Program - For Pell Grant-eligible high school seniors who participated in a college readiness program. Worth $20,000 with 500 scholarships awarded every year. Recipients also receive a free laptop, textbooks, and more.
How to Write a Scholarship Essay
Write a focused and relevant personal story. After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student. Choose a story with the following criteria: Responds to the prompt. Demonstrates the organization's values.
How to Write a Scholarship Essay
2. Show your personality. You should also use your voice in your essay. Give the scholarship committee insight into who you are as a person — what drives you, what motivates you, and what interests you. This will allow them to understand you on a deeper level and see your words as genuine. 3.
25 college scholarships high school seniors can still apply for
3. 'Be Bold' No-Essay Scholarship: $25,055. Deadline to apply: May 1, 2024. Who's eligible: Any student of any age or education level. Bold.org is a scholarship search website. To apply for any of their scholarships, you'll need to create a free profile on the site. And the site wants to challenge you to create the boldest one.
MBA Scholarships That Can Help Pay for Business School
Weeks, who says he helped clients win more than $2.5 million in scholarships in 2023, cautions that a scholarship from the school is seldom awarded based just on the application essay. "Your ...
Top 20 No Essay Scholarships Currently Ongoing
4. Liberty University Sweepstake Scholarship. Liberty University's Online Program is providing a total of $100,000 worth of no essay scholarships to twenty (20) randomly selected eligible winners. The winners will receive one (1) $5,000 tuition scholarship to study at Liberty University's Online Program. Because it's a sweepstake the ...

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Table of contents

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ESSAY SCHOLARSHIPS

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How To Write the Perfect Scholarship Essay

Essay Scholarships

1. Get Started!

2. Write an Introduction and an Outline

3. Write the Body of Your Essay

4. Follow Instructions Carefully

5. Conclude With Something Memorable

6. Proofread Like Your Life Depends on It

Qualifying for 30 Scholarship Essay Contests

When Should You Start Applying for Scholarships?

Closing Thoughts

Choose Your Test

Caveat: If a Scholarship Seems Too Good to Be True ...

Essay Scholarships

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