scholarships for college students no essay

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34 No Essay Scholarships to Save Thousands on College

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What’s Covered:

Are “no-essay” scholarships worth it, where to focus your scholarship search.

• 34 No-Essay Scholarships  

Scholarships play a large role in many students’ plans for how to pay for college, but completing the applications for some scholarships is time-consuming—especially for students who are busy taking challenging courses and involved with extracurricular activities. Luckily, some scholarships are easier to apply for than others, like the no-essay scholarships listed below. 

No-essay scholarships are easier to apply for than other, more involved scholarships, so it doesn’t cost you much in time or effort to apply. However, because they’re easy to apply for, they receive a lot of applications, which means more competition and lower odds of winning. It is also less clear how no-essay scholarship recipients are selected without an essay to set your application apart.  

If you choose to apply for no-essay scholarships, just know that they are just a part of a strategy for winning awards to college and are best-suited as a supplement to local and more niche scholarships. If you don’t like the idea of writing an essay, look for a scholarship with an equivalent task, like making a video or creating a piece of art instead. 

Outside scholarships garner a lot of attention, but colleges and universities are actually the best place to look for scholarships—schools themselves grant $175 billion in scholarship money annually! It’s also worth noting that college awards are often larger than outside awards; 80% of external scholarships are less than $2,000, which looks great on paper but will only put a small dent in the cost of most colleges. 

You have the best chance of winning a merit-based scholarship from a college or university. While super-selective schools with applicants fighting for admission often don’t offer merit-based scholarships—for example, none of the Ivy League colleges do—less selective colleges are often anxious to attract strong applicants. This makes applying to a college where your profile is particularly strong a smart strategy for getting a merit scholarship .

34 No-Essay Scholarships 

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. Instead, create a bold profile highlighting your earnestness, determination, and how you’re moving toward your goals for a chance to win.

2. Scholarships360 No-Essay Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Deadline: September 30 

Eligibility: All students—including high school students, community college students, undergraduates, and graduate students

No essay is required to win this generous award. Simply sign up for Scholarship360—a scholarship newsletter—for your chance at $1,000 for college. 

3. $2,000 “No-Essay” College Scholarship

Amount: $2,000

Deadline: Monthly  

Eligibility: All high school and college students

The name says it all: no essay is required to receive this $2,000 college scholarship. Simply create an account for a chance to win this substantial award. A winner is chosen monthly and the money can be used to cover tuition, housing, books, or any other education-related expenses.

4. $2,000 Nitro Scholarship

Deadline: Monthly 

Eligibility: 

• Age 17 or older
• A parent with a child enrolled in an accredited college or university in the U.S. 
• A student enrolled in an accredited college or university in the U.S. 
• A parent with a high school senior in the U.S.
• A high school senior located with the U.S. 
• A student or a parent who has graduated from an accredited undergraduate school and is paying back debt from educational expenses

No essay is needed to win a $2,000 Nitro Scholarship. Applicants only need to complete a short application for this chance to win this award and to take a step to control the cost of college. 

5. The Student Loan Hero Smart Money Giveaway

Eligibility: Legal U.S. residents in the contiguous U.S. and Washington, D.C., 18 years of age and older

This scholarship wants you to take control of your college finances so you can focus on your future. Entry is easy—just fill out a short online application. 

6. College Board “Complete Your FAFSA” Scholarships

Amount:   $500

Deadline: October through February 

Eligibility: Current high school seniors in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories

The College Board—the organization that administers the SAT—provides scholarships to students for simply filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The College Board will give out 500 awards every month from October through December and 100 awards in both January and February.

7. College Board “Complete Your Journey” Scholarships

Amount: $40,000

Deadline: February 

Complete the College Board’s six steps of college planning for your chance at one of 25 $40,000 scholarship opportunities. The program is open to students from all financial backgrounds, however, at least half of the scholarships will go to students from families who earn less than $60,000 annually. 

8. ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Program

Amount: $10,000

Deadline: Quarterly 

Eligibility:   

• Age 13 or older
• U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident 
• Attending or planning to attend college in the U.S.

No GPA, no essay, and no hassle! To enter for an opportunity to win one of these impressive awards, simply fill out an online application. In addition to the quarterly $10,000 scholarships, ScholarshipPoints also draws three $1,000 scholarships monthly.

9. Christian Connector Scholarship

Amount: $2,500

Deadline: May 31

Eligibility:  

• Age 13 or older 
• Must enroll for the first time as a full-time student at a Christ-centered Christian college, university, or Bible college

Sign up to receive information about Christian colleges—and for a chance at winning this handsome scholarship award for college. The scholarship is only open to students planning to attend a Christ-centered Christian college, university, or Bible college. The funds are sent directly to the winner’s school of choice. 

10. No Essay ‘You Deserve It’ Scholarship

Amount: $2,222

Deadline: December 29

• Age 16 or older 
• Legal resident of the U.S. or its territories (Rhode Island and Michigan applicants are ineligible)
• Enrolled in a qualified high school, college, or university in the U.S.

Sign up for ScholarshipOwl (a scholarship service) and you’re simultaneously registered for a chance to win a $2,222 award. Your odds of winning are about 1 in 140,000—not too bad considering there is no essay required and sign up is quick. 

11. CollegeXpress $10,000 Scholarship Contest

• Legal U.S. resident 
• Must enter a CollegeXpress member college as a full-time freshman, transfer, or graduate student for the fall term 

Just create a CollegeXpress profile for a chance at $10,000 to use at a CollegeXpress member college . Winners of this no-essay scholarship are selected at random. 

12. Annual Catholic College Scholarship

Amount: $1,500

• Must enroll for the first time as a full-time student at a Catholic college

Sign up to receive information about Catholic colleges—and for a chance at winning this handsome scholarship award for college. The scholarship is only open to students planning to attend a Catholic college, university, or Bible college. The funds are sent directly to the winner’s school of choice. 

13. Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award 

Amount: $5,000

• Resident of the U.S. or its territories
• High school seniors, college students, students who’ve earned a General Education Development (GED), or parent/guardian of an aforementioned person

Sign up to receive emails that provide helpful college tips and useful resources and get entered to win one of 12 annual $5,000 awards. Complete a survey after registering for emails for an additional entry for the scholarship. 

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14. Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship  

Deadline: Semi-annually (spring and fall)

Eligibility: Attending an accredited school in the U.S. or accepted to an accredited school and set to begin within six months of application

Show off your creativity for a chance to win this no-essay scholarship. To enter, fill out a short application and either submit a web design or attach a link to a webpage. In addition to a scholarship, winners also receive a critique session with Lounge Lizard’s founder and CCO. 

15. Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship

Deadline: March 3

• Age 14 or older 
• Legal U.S. resident or international student with a student visa 
• High school, college, or university student 

While you don’t need an essay to win this generous scholarship, you are required to submit an original photo, artwork, or computer graphic for use on the front of a greeting card. Entries are limited to one per person, so send in your best work! 

16. Frame My Future Scholarship Contest 

Amount: $6,000

Deadline: April 1

• Legal U.S.resident
• Planning to enroll at a U.S. college or university in the fall

Show how you frame your future through photography, illustration, painting, or mixed media art for a chance at this ample award. Although no essay is required, applicants are asked to submit a brief overview of their piece (no more than 500 characters). 

17. Annual Faith-Based College Scholarship

• Must enroll for the first time as a full-time student at a faith-based college

Sign up to receive information about faith-based colleges and for a chance at winning this handsome scholarship award for college. The scholarship is only open to students planning to attend a faith-based college, university, or Bible college. The funds are sent directly to the winner’s school of choice. 

18. Sallie Mae $5,432 Sweepstakes

Amount: $5,432

Deadline: December 31

Entering for this scholarship is easy, all you need to do is complete an online registration for your chance at this $5,432 award. 

19. Ascent Scholarships 

Amount: Varies 

• Age 18 or older 
• Legal U.S. resident or DACA student
• Enrolled at least half-time in a degree program or technical skills training program 

Ascent Scholarship giveaways are designed to help students cover school-related expenses such as tuition, books, rent, groceries, parking, and transportation. No essay is required, all you need to do is register for a chance to win one of these awards. 

20. The “No Sweat” Scholarship

• Between 8th and 12th grade 

Create an account and complete a portfolio for your chance at this super scholarship which you can use for any educational purpose—from books to summer camp. The more complete your profile is, the better your odds of winning are. 

21. Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship

• U.S. residents, DACA and undocumented students, and international students currently studying in the U.S.
• Current high school, college, and graduate students

Paying for school is stressful which is why this scholarship is intentionally low pressure. Complete the online registration to enter. Follow Access Scholarships on Instagram for an extra entry. You can use the scholarship for any educational expense—including tuition, textbooks, housing, and technology. 

22. Cappex Easy Money Scholarship

Eligibility: Current high school or college student 

No need to stress about your GPA or an essay when entering this scholarship contest. Simply answer a few simple questions for your chance at one of these awards. 

23. Scholarships4Moms 

Deadline: December 15

• Age 18 or older
• U.S. legal resident
• Mother or expectant mother 
• Enrolled in a college or university in the U.S. or will enroll in one within three months 

The Scholarships4Moms award is designed to help mothers meet their educational goals. Founded by a group of moms, who understand how busy moms are, signing up is quick and easy. All you need to do is complete a short entry form. 

24. College Survey Scholarship

Eligibility: College undergraduate or graduate student and undergraduate or graduate alumni who graduated within the last four years

All it takes to enter this running for this scholarship is to fill out a college survey on Niche, a ranking, and review website. Your responses are anonymous and are displayed on Niche to help other students to find the right college for them. 

25. Easy Scholarships

• Age 25 years or younger
• Living in the U.S. or Canada (or a citizen of either country but living abroad)

No GPA requirements or essays are required to participate in this scholarship contest. For a chance to win, you simply must sign up for a campaign, complete it, and take a photo to document your participation. Campaigns are quick and completed in under five minutes!  

26. SuperCollege Scholarship

Eligibility: High school, college, or graduate student, or adult planning to go back to school

Just fill out the application and answer a few simple questions about your college plans for the opportunity to win this award. You can use the scholarship to pay for any education-related expenses. For example, tuition, books, computers, or room and board.

27. Debt.com Scholarship For Aggressive Scholarship Applicants

Amount: $500

Deadline: Every other month 

Eligibility: Actively applying for scholarships

This scholarship rewards students with the drive to earn scholarships and the willingness to fight for financial independence. In order to win, you need to send confirmations from all of the scholarships you’ve applied to. Also, while there is no essay, you are required to submit a short biographical letter.

28. MyMozaic Monthly Scholarship Contest

Deadline: Every month 

Eligibility:

• U.S. citizen or legal resident
• Enrolled in high school or college in the U.S.

Simply create a profile at MyMozaic.com and answer a few simple questions—like your graduation year, your GPA, and the major(s) you’re interested in—for the opportunity to win one of these monthly, no-essay scholarships. 

29. WayUp Dream Job No-Essay Scholarship

Deadline: Jun 1 

Eligibility: Current college student

Create a profile at WayUp—a jobsite for college students and recent college graduates—for a  chance of winning a $1,000 scholarship. The stronger your profile and the more internships and jobs you apply for, the better your odds are to receive an award.  

30. College Ave Scholarship Monthly Sweepstakes

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident 
• Enrolled in high school or a post-secondary educational institution or are the parent or legal guardian of a person enrolled in a high school or a post-secondary educational institution 

Earning this $1,000 simply requires filling out a very short entry and a little luck. Winners are chosen monthly!  

31. Give Me Liberty Easy Scholarship

• U.S. citizen 
• High school senior or enrolled in an accredited institution in the U.S.

The intention of this scholarship is to provide every student with an equal opportunity to experience freedom from the burden of tuition and loans. Recipients are selected through a lottery which gives every applicant the same chance of winning—regardless of their academic performance, extracurricular achievements, and essay writing skills. 

32. Because College is Expensive Scholarship

Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, along with current college students and anyone else looking to attend college or graduate school

If you’re planning to attend college you’ll want to look into this scholarship—all it takes is completing a short application to enter for a chance to win. Only one entry per quarter is allowed. 

33. Return 2 College Scholarship Program

Deadline: January 31

• U.S. citizen or legal resident 
• Starting a program of higher education—either undergraduate or graduate—within the next 12 months or are currently full or part-time students 

While this scholarship doesn’t require an essay it does ask you to compose three sentences answering the question why are you getting your degree? Have a lot to say? Perfect, more than one entry is allowed, but more than a dozen are discouraged. 

34. Project Yellow Light Create a Billboard Scholarship   

Deadline: March 1

• Legal U.S. residents 
• High school juniors and seniors, along with undergraduate and graduate students 

Design a billboard to promote safe driving to a broad audience and draw attention to this important topic. In addition to a scholarship, winners may see their design grace a billboard or used on the web and other digital platforms. 

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

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!

The Best No-Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Sallie Mae No-Essay Scholarship

By: Sallie Mae

"Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship

Powering The Future - Whiddon Memorial Scholarship

Eligibility criteria:.

• Field of Study : STEM
• Education Level : High school, undergraduate, or graduate student
• Background : Financial need

Anthony McPherson Memorial Automotive Scholarship

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

Betty and Louie Dicks SCSU Scholarship

• Education Level : Undergraduate student
• School : South Carolina State University
• Gender : Male
• GPA : 2.75 or higher

St.Hilaire Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship

• Education Level : High school senior
• State : New Jersey
• Background : Community service or volunteering experience
• Involvement : Student-athlete

S.O.P.H.I.E Scholarship

• State : South Carolina
• Background : Community service experience

The GIST Women’s Sports Business Scholarship

G.A. Johnston Memorial Scholarship

• Education Level : Undergraduate
• Background : Interest in watercolor painting
• Degree : Pursuing an undergraduate program

Tracey Johnson-Webb Adult Learners Scholarship

• Education Level : Undergraduate or graduate student
• Age : 40 or older
• Background : Working full time, in or out of the home, while pursuing school

Pride in Diversity Scholarship

• Major : Any STEM-related fields
• Identity : LGBTQ+ community member

Niche College No-Essay Scholarship

"A Courageous Spirit" No-Essay Scholarship

Darius Lee Memorial Scholarship

• GPA : 2.5 or higher
• Field of Study : sports medicine/management

Learner No-Essay SAT Tutoring Scholarship

100 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship

300 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship

200 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship

400 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship

Bold.org No-Essay Top Friend Scholarship

Bold.org No-Essay Community Scholarship

1000 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship

Conscious Consumer Scholarship

500 Bold Points No-Essay Scholarship

Nitro Pay For College No-Essay Scholarship

Survey Rewards No-Essay Scholarship

Finance Your Education No-Essay Scholarship

Shape the News No-Essay Survey Scholarship

Great Games No-Essay Scholarship

WayUp Dream Job No-Essay Scholarship

• Graduation Year : Between 2020 and 2026

Due to the ease of no-essay scholarships, they can seem too good to be true and you may worry about scholarship scams. Luckily, no-essay scholarships on Bold.org are all legit! Just make your free account and start funding your college tuition.

Although no-essay scholarships can be some of the easiest scholarships to apply for, it can feel impossible to make yourself stand out from the other students. To increase your chance of winning more scholarships, try applying for scholarships with limited eligibility, such as scholarships for high school juniors or scholarships with minimum GPA requirements.

There is no limit to the number of scholarships you can win on Bold.org. Since no-essay scholarships typically take just a few minutes to apply for, you can apply for many so you can win as much money as possible.

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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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20 No Essay Scholarships You Should Apply For

With the rising cost of higher education, it’s important to secure as much financial aid for school as possible. You may not realize it, but you probably already qualify for dozens of scholarships.  You may be a competitor for awards because of your strong GPA, academic area of interest, hobbies, or even because you graduated high school in a particular county.

While there are many scholarships that require you to submit a long list of supporting documentation, not all applications are so taxing. The list below offers information on 20 scholarships that do not require you to write a personal essay or statement of academic goals. 

These no essay scholarships save you time and energy and could result in you garnering hundreds or thousands of dollars in free money for school.

Tips When Applying To These Scholarships

Here are a couple of things to consider while compiling your no essay scholarship applications. Bear in mind that even no essay scholarships will require you to submit at least a few important documents. Be sure that you meet all of the submission requirements for each scholarship, as each one will ask for specific information. If you don’t submit all of the required documents, they may toss out your application. 

Secondly, in addition to searching for scholarship opportunities at the local level and students in your county, state, or region, do not overlook scholarships that offer smaller awards. No matter the size of the scholarship, all of the money you receive means taking on less debt through loans or paying out of pocket.

1. Richard J. Seif Technical Sales and Marketing Scholarship

This $3,000 award is reserved for learners pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business or engineering with a concentration in marketing or sales. Applicants should possess a 2.5 or higher GPA and be U.S. or Canadian citizens. This one is closed for the year but will reopen again in early 2024 so mark your calendars!

2. Honeywell Scholarship

Offered by the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), this award is for students in a graduate or undergraduate program preparing for a career in computer science , engineering , or engineering technology. Awards range from $1,000-$15,000. Applicants must identify as women and be enrolled in an ABET-accredited program. Applications will be open in December and February and are due in February or May, depending on the applicant’s grade level.

3. Reisher Scholars Program

The Reisher Scholars Program offers both merit- and need-based scholarships for sophomores and transfer students in Colorado. Awards range from $4,000-$11,000, with the average being $7,984. Applicants should be full-time students at one of the seven Reisher partner universities 3.0 or higher GPA. Application due dates vary depending on the student’s institution.

4. Alwin B. Newton Scholarship

The $5,000, one-year Newton Scholarship requires applicants to possess a 3.0 or higher or be in the top 30% of their class. Applications must include three letters of recommendation and documents that demonstrate the student’s financial need. Applications are due on December 1 for awards granted the following fall semester.

5. Welder Training Scholarship

This $2,500 award is reserved for students studying welding engineering. Applicants must be at least 18 years old with a 3.0 or higher GPA and enrolled in a four-year undergraduate welding engineering technology program. Applicants must include two letters of recommendation and be submitted by November 30, 2023. 

6. Tang Scholarship

Established by Edward C. Tang, this scholarship is designed to help Asian and Pacific Islander students who identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community . Up to four awards are given each year, with each award being up to $15,000. Applicants must have graduated from a high school located in one of the nine Bay Area counties with a 3.0 or higher GPA. This application is closed for the 2023-2024 academic year, but should reopen in early 2024. Applications are due in April.

7. Western Digital Scholarship Program

This award is reserved for any undergraduate student who is a biological dependent of a Western Digital employee. Applicants must be enrolled, or plan on enrolling, in a four-year college or university program as a full-time student. Competitive applicants possess a 3.0 or higher GPA. Awards range from $2,000-$5,000. The application opens in January and is usually due at the beginning of April.

8. Cathay Bank Foundation Scholarship Program

The foundation offers up to 20 scholarships of $1,000 to outstanding high school seniors each year. Applicants must reside in California, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Texas, or Washington. The need-based award is for learners who plan on attending a four-year program in one of the states previously listed and possess a 3.0 or higher cumulative high school GPA. Applications are due at the beginning of April each year.

9. James R. Bullock Scholarship

Reserved for students residing in North Carolina, South Carolina, or Georgia, the Bullock Scholarship is a one-year award for undergraduates in architectural or mechanical engineering worth up to $5,000. Applicants should possess a 3.0 or higher GPA or be in the top 30% of their class. Applications are due by December 1, 2023.

10. Project Grant

Offered by the Connecticut Space Grant Consortium, the Project Grant is worth up to $1,000. The award is designed to offset the cost of materials for students completing their senior capstone projects or undergraduate research projects. Applicants need a 3.0 or higher GPA and must be enrolled at a Consortium Member Institution. Applications are open in January for spring scholarships, and in September for fall scholarships. 

11. Coca-Cola Scholars Program

Prospective recipients must be current high school students in one of the 50 states or Puerto Rico with a 3.0 or higher GPA. Applicants must have plans to attend a degree-granting, accredited college or university in the U.S. Up to 150 scholars are chosen each year for this $20,000 award. Applications will be open from August 1-October 2, 2023 for students who will graduate during the 2023-2024 academic year.

12. ASHRAE General Scholarship

The ASHRAE General Scholarship award is worth $5,000. Applicants must be full-time undergraduate engineering or pre-engineering students with a 3.0 or higher GPA at an ABET-accredited institution. Applications must include official academic transcripts and three signed letters of recommendation. Applications are due by December 1, 2023.

13. Tennessee HOPE Scholarship

Funded by the proceeds from the Tennessee State Lottery, this award is for new college freshmen enrolling in one of 16 eligible colleges or universities in the state. The award is for $1,500-$2,250 per semester, depending on whether the student is attending a two- or four-year school. Students with a 3.0 or higher GPA planning to pursue a bachelor’s or associate degree are eligible to apply. Standardized test scores may be required. Applications are due by September 1 each year.

14. Children of Veterans Tuition Grant

Applicants must be biological or adopted 16-26-year-old children of veterans living in Michigan. Their veteran parents must have passed away or become disabled as a result of their military service. Applicants should have a 2.25 or higher GPA and be enrolled at least half-time at a participating institution in Michigan. Full-time students can receive up to $2,800 per academic year. The application deadline varies per year.

15. Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program

Applicants must be Florida residents and a U.S. or eligible citizen to apply. Prospective recipients must have graduated from a Florida high school with a 3.0 or higher GPA. Applications must include documentation of at least 75 hours of community service. Competitive ACT or SAT scores are also required. This award is worth up to $212.71 per credit hour. Applications are due by August 31 after high school graduation.

16. The Scott McClean Love Scholarship

This award is for undergraduate learners with a 2.0 or higher GPA who are children of former U.S. Army personnel. Eligible students have graduated high school, currently attending a college or university, and are 24 years old or younger. Awards range from $500-$2,000 per year. Applications open every January and close in April.

17. Robert W. White, Sr. Scholarship

The Robert W. White, Sr. Scholarship is for full-time students who are juniors or seniors in a four-year welding engineering degree program. Applicants must be at least 18 years old with a 3.2 or higher GPA. This need-based scholarship requires proof of financial need and is renewable for up to two years. The $2,500 award may be used for tuition and fees only. Applications are due by March 1 each year. 

18. Pearl Scholarship

The Pearl Scholarship is for students in Oregon who have lived or remain in foster care and want to attend a public college or university in the state . The award is for those interested in studying health sciences. Applicants should be 26 years old or younger and plan to enroll at least half-time in school. The amount awarded varies per year. Applications are open from November - March for the upcoming academic year. 

19. General Mills Internship and Scholarship

This program is open to graduate students enrolled in a food science program who want to take on a paid summer research and development internship. The scholarship portion of the award is worth $4,800 for one academic year. Prospective recipients should have a 3.0 or higher GPA and must be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program for fall 2022 to be eligible. Applications are due by September 30. 

20. Scholarship America Dream Award

Applicants for the American Dream Award must be 17 years of age or older with at least one year of college completed. Prospective recipients must be currently enrolled as a full-time student in an associate or bachelor’s degree program with a 3.0 or higher GPA. These awards are need-based and worth between $5,000-$15,000. The application will reopen February 2024. 

Data Source: Peterson’s Databases copyright 2023 Peterson’s LLC All rights reserved

30 NO-ESSAY Scholarships for the Class of 2023

With so many application deadlines and SAT test dates piling up, applying for scholarships can quickly become overwhelming. Especially when those scholarships make you jump through hoops by writing essays and submitting transcripts. The stress of writing a scholarship essay on top of keeping up with school can deter students from taking advantage of free money . That’s not the case with these no essay scholarships. From surveys to sweepstakes these easy scholarship applications are a breeze. These programs want to help busy students like you pay for school, without adding extra stress to your life. Calling Class of 2023, these scholarships are looking for you! 

Applying to these scholarships is a no-brainer. Want more opportunities to score free money? 

Check out our other scholarship lists! 

Our Top Scholarship Pick

The $25,000 “be bold” no essay scholarship.

Rolling monthly application deadlines. Next deadline: June 1, 2023

Award: Awards $25,000

Overview: The $25,000 “Be Bold” Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile. No-Essay Scholarship in just a few clicks! Fund your education with verified new scholarships, available only on Bold.org. New scholarships are added daily, and membership is 100% free for students.

$2,000 Nitro Scholarship

Deadline: March 3, 2022 

Award Amount: $23,410 20 winners, $1,170 each

Overview: The Skin Grip Diabetes Scholarship will be awarded to 20 individuals who live fearlessly and fight to make the world a better place despite their diagnosis.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must be a high school senior or any undergraduate in a 2- or 4-year degree program who has diabetes. To apply, please upload a short video (can be filmed via cell phone, Zoom, etc) two minutes max, answering this question:

How do you live fearlessly with diabetes?

$1,000 Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship

Deadline: December 31, 2023

Award Amount: $2,000

Overview: Apply to Nitro’s monthly No-Essay Scholarship in seconds for a chance to win $2,000!

2022 HireAHelper Skilled Trade & Technology Scholarships

Deadline:  July 17, 2023.

Award: $2,000

Overview: Growing demand and lack of qualified workers in skilled trades like the moving industry means it’s a great time to go back to school and enter these lucrative and fast-growing industries. To help keep up with demand and assist the next generation of professionals, HireAHelper will award a $2,000 scholarship four times a year to eligible students.

Kahoot Live Scholarship

Deadline: May 26, 2023

Award Amount: $500

Overview: Do we have any Swifties in the house? If so, this Kahoot scholarship is just for you! We will quiz you on all things Taylor Swift to test out just how much of a Swiftie you really are.

Hop on our Instagram live on Thursday, May 25 at 9 PM Eastern to join us as we give away another $500 scholarship to the winner of this Swifie-fied Kahoot game!

As always, we must have at least 1,000 viewers on the live stream and 1,000+ players in the Kahoot game to award the scholarship, and you must be a current or future college student with a Bold.org profile to participate.

ScholarshipPoints Scholarships

Deadline: See Website

Award Amount: Up to $10,000

Overview: Complete the form to be automatically entered into our $10,000 scholarship!

Scholly No-Essay Scholarship

Deadline: June 1, 2023

Overview: Are you looking to secure funding for college or graduate school?

We’ve partnered with Scholly to create this exclusive scholarship for high school students, transfer students, college students, and current or prospective graduate students.

CampusReel No-Essay Scholarship

Award Amount:$500

Overview: Are you on the hunt for financial aid for college?

We’ve partnered with CampusReel to create this exclusive scholarship for high school students, transfer students, college students, and current or prospective graduate students.

AFSA High School Senior Contest

Deadline: January 1, 2024.

Overview:  The High School Senior College Scholarship Contest is open to high school seniors who are citizens or aliens legally residing in the USA. Scholarship funds are payable to the winner’s college/university or certified trade school in the United States; winner must enroll for classes beginning no later than Fall 2022 session. Winner selection is NOT based on financial need, GPA or demographic criteria. Home-schooled students may apply as long as course of study is equivalent to that of a senior in high school.

GoSkills Scholarship

Deadline: Fall Deadline: Sept. 15 (11:59PM PST) Fall Award Date: Oct. 15 Spring Deadline: March 15 (11:59PM PST) Spring Award Date: April 15

Overview: Okay, Female high school and college students, here is your time to debut your online business ambitions. There are open-ended questions on the application, but it’s more like a friendly conversation. The questions ask you about your concerns and your role models. Besides the application, you need to provide a link to your business plan (GoSkills provides instructions for your business plan right above the area for the link). If you don’t get excited about writing an essay, try your hand at mapping a business plan

Nitro Pay For College No-Essay Scholarship

Award Amount: $10,000

Overview: We’ve partnered with Nitro to create this exclusive no-essay scholarship for anyone thinking through how to pay for college.

Nitro is a leading financial aid and loan resource platform, guiding you on everything from the FAFSA to best practices for federal and private loans.

By applying, you’ll automatically get registered for Nitro, setting you up for success in funding your education in the most effective way. The scholarship will be awarded to applicants who get the most out of the Nitro platform.

Bold.org No-Essay Community Scholarship

Award Amount: $5,000

Overview: This scholarship is for students who recognize the value of a strong community, and are always on the lookout for ways to help their friends and strengthen their community. It will be awarded to a student who has invited many friends to join Bold.org.

To invite a friend, visit your Invite Friends page on the Bold.org dashboard to copy your unique invite code and text it to your friends. For each friend who creates a profile, your chances of winning the Community Scholarship go up.

AFSA $2,000 College Scholarship

Deadline: January 1, 2024

Overview: The Second Chance College Scholarships Contest is open to citizens and aliens legally residing in the USA with High School Diploma, GED or equivalent. Scholarship funds are payable to the winner’s college/university or certified trade school in the United States; winner must enroll or already be enrolled for Spring 2022 session. Winner selection is NOT based on financial need, GPA or demographic criteria.

Expand Your Horizons Scholarship

Deadline: April 28, 2024

Overview: Getting the most out of life requires both the courage to explore the world, and the kindness and openness to welcome and accept all those you meet along the way.

One student whose profile demonstrates an openness to learning about other cultures and sharing their own will receive $2,000 to help them continue on their path to travel and learn.

This may include studying new languages, traveling to study in a new place, teaching or learning art styles or cooking methods from a new culture, or anything else that demonstrates openness to new cultures in your school, work, or hobbies.

Launchy Web3 Scholarship

Deadline: April 30, 2024

Award Amount: $1,000

Overview: Chain Catalyst by Launchy is a free newsletter for web3 builders and investors.

We’ve partnered with Chain Catalyst by Launchy to create this exclusive scholarship. By applying, you’ll automatically be subscribed to the Chain Catalyst by Launchy newsletter, getting web3 tips, news, and insights delivered directly to your inbox.

The scholarship will be awarded to applicants who get the most out of Chain Catalyst by Launchy.

Scholarships4Moms

Deadline: June 15, 2023

Overview: Over $1.2 million in scholarships given away. You could be the next winner!

CARiD.com Scholarship

Deadline: May 31, 2023

Overview: CARiD is giving away $1,000 to offset your educational expenses for college! Just getting the essentials can add up quickly and CARiD wants to help – books, food, backpacks, some sweet spinners for your commuter vehicle, or whatever else you need to get ready for school! Most importantly – CARiD believes in higher education and wants to help you achieve your goals!

Barbara Lotze Scholarship

Deadline: December 1, 2023

Overview: Undergraduate students enrolled, or planning to enroll, in physics teacher preparation curricula and high school seniors entering such programs are eligible. Successful applicants receive a stipend of up to $2,000 and a complimentary AAPT Student Membership for one year. The scholarship may be granted to an individual for each of four years.

Richard “88 Fingers” Turner, Jr. Music Scholarship

Deadline: August 1, 2023

Overview: Richard “88 Fingers” Turner, Jr. is a beloved husband and talented pianist.

Known for his dexterity and musical talent, Richard has inspired the next generation of aspiring African American musicians. In order to truly thrive in the industry, it’s critical for musicians to have a strong educational foundation, which can often be inaccessible due to the high cost of college.

This scholarship seeks to honor Richard Turner, Jr. by supporting African American musicians in their pursuit of education.

Any African American two or four-year undergraduate student who is pursuing a music degree and career may apply for this scholarship.

To apply, submit a 2-3 minute video of yourself performing.

“A Bold Mind” Psychology No-Essay Scholarship

Overview: Psychology is a great career field for students with a deep sense of curiosity about human behavior and the mind.

This scholarship seeks to support students who are passionate about psychology so they can afford to pursue their education.

Any student who is pursuing psychology may apply for this exclusive no-essay scholarship!

“Science for Life” Biology and Health Sciences No-Essay Scholarship

Overview: Biology and health sciences can require significant education which can be difficult for the average student to afford without becoming buried in debt.

This scholarship aims to support students who are pursuing biology and the health sciences so that they can complete their degrees no matter their financial status.

Any student who is interested in studying biology or the health sciences may apply for this no-essay scholarship opportunity!

Milk Road Crypto and Web3 No-Essay Scholarship

Deadline: August 16, 2022

Packed with insights, analysis, and entertainment, The Milk Road helps you get smarter about crypto without ever feeling dumb, regardless of how much you already know.

We’ve partnered with The Milk Road to create this exclusive scholarship. By applying, you’ll automatically be subscribed to The Milk Road, giving you essential crypto insights straight to your inbox.

This scholarship will be awarded to applicants who get the most out of The Milk Road. You will be a strong applicant if you:

• Read The Milk Road every day
• Share The Milk Road with your friends
• Apply what you learn to accelerate your education and career

CollegeXpress No-Essay Scholarship

Award Amount: $1,200

Overview: Are you a high schooler preparing to navigate through your college experience?

We’ve partnered with CollegeXpress to create this exclusive scholarship for high school students who are interested in college resources, an opportunity related to our 30 other no-essay scholarship awards.

This scholarship is also unique in that it will favor students who apply earlier—who are bold and seize the day without procrastinating.

The Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award Sweepstakes

Overview: Sign up for emails to get helpful college tips and resources, and enter for the chance to win a scholarship! Throughout the year, 12 eligible students or parents will be randomly selected to win a $5,000 Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award to help cover college expenses.

Huntington’s College Scholarship Sweepstakes

Deadline: June 30, 2023

Award Amount: $4,000

Overview: Scholarship contest for college-bound students. Simply submit this Official Entry form by the deadline posted in the Official Rules and you could win a $4000 College Scholarship!

Italian Catholic Federation Scholarships

Deadline: See Website 

Award Amount: Up to $1,000

Overview:  Since 1964, the Italian Catholic Federation has awarded over $2,000,000.00 in scholarships to more than 6,000 high school students, of the Catholic faith, attending college. Each spring, the Italian Catholic Federation receives nearly 400 applications for its yearly scholarship awards. Applications are received from students in public as well as Catholic high schools in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Illinois.

No Essay Smart Owl Scholarship

Deadline: May 29, 2023

Award Amount: $7,000

Overview:  Apply Me, Inc. (“ScholarshipOwl”) is pleased to offer this scholarship sweepstakes (“Scholarship Sweepstakes”) in which you can apply for a chance to win a scholarship to be paid by ScholarshipOwl directly to your qualified high school, college or university.

For What It’s Worth Scholarship

Overview: We’ve partnered with For What It’s Worth to create this exclusive scholarship. By applying, you’ll automatically be subscribed to the For What It’s Worth newsletter, getting tips and news delivered directly to your inbox so you can invest in the world that you want.

The scholarship will be awarded to applicants who get the most out of For What It’s Worth. You will be a strong applicant if you:

• Read For What It’s Worth every week
• Share For What It’s Worth with your friends
• Engage with For What It’s Worth’s content

Stuck At Prom Scholarship Contest

Deadline: June 7, 2023 

Overview: We’re giving away $20,000 in cash scholarships to high school students who make the best prom attire out of Duck® Brand Duct Tape! New this year? You can document your journey to prom perfection in a short video or written essay. Plus, once the voting period starts, a live voting counter lets you see the results in real time.

“A Bold Life” No-Essay Scholarship

Deadline: July 31, 2023

Overview: Regardless of where you find yourself today, remember that you only have one life to live, and it’s up to you to make it count. Embracing the world with boldness can help you do that.

To encourage people to create an adventurous and exciting life as they define it, the “A Bold Life” No-Essay scholarship exists to support a student who will do what it takes to live life to the fullest.

The scholarship is open to all students and non-students from any field of study. The only requirement is that you’re committed to overcoming fear and relentlessly pursuing a life that will leave you fulfilled.

More Helpful Guides:

How to Find—and Win—Scholarships: Your Complete Guide

How I Landed My Dream Internship

Make a List, Check It Twice: A College Applications Guide

Three Difficult Conversations to Have About Affording College

Disclaimer: This article contains affiliate links to products and services. We may receive commissions for purchases made through these links.

How to Start Your College Search

The 30 Hardest Colleges to Get Into by Acceptance Rate

Your Guide to Required Documents for College Applications

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• 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 .

Table of contents

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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.

18 Essay-Free Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Scholarships are a fantastic way to save money on your college tuition and avoid taking on too much student debt. But, let’s face it, the process of applying for scholarships can be time-consuming and, sometimes you just want something a little easier.

The good news is that easy scholarships – in particular, scholarships without essays – do exist. Some require as little effort as simply entering your name and email address (a scholarship “sweepstakes”), while other scholarships without essays require you to submit something else (like a short video, social media post, or illustration) rather than an essay. These second group of scholarships rewards effort and creativity. 

Avoiding Scholarship Scams

5 sweepstakes-style scholarships with no essays, 3 easy scholarships with short answers.

• 10 Creative, essay-free scholarships

Ready to apply for your own scholarships without essays?

It’s important to keep in mind two things about the easiest scholarships without essays:.

• Your chances of winning a scholarship award are much lower than with traditional scholarships. This is because more people usually apply for these easier scholarships. 
• You run the risk of being spammed with loads of emails. In fact, many scholarship sweepstakes are created with the sole idea of getting your email address in mind. We therefore recommend using easy scholarship sweepstakes as a secondary option for paying for college. Consider using the majority of your time applying for scholarships with essays that you find on reputable scholarship sites.

And if you’re mostly worried about saving time, consider using Going Merry to apply for scholarship bundles , which combine multiple scholarships with the same essay prompts into one application. Sign up for Going Merry today to begin applying.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some easy, no-essay scholarships are actually scams.  Follow the tips below to avoid getting scammed.

Scam Tip #1: Say “No” to Upfront Fees!

A scholarship shouldn’t cost anything at all to apply for (except postage). Be wary of any company or scholarship provider who requires you to pay an upfront fee in order to apply. Chances are they have nothing to offer you!

Scam Tip #2: Do The Paperwork Yourself

Some scammers will try and lure you in by telling you that they’ll take care of all the scholarship paperwork for you, including answering all the questions. You can just sit back, relax, and wait for the money to start rolling in. It almost seems too good to be true, doesn’t it? We hate to break it to you, but that’s because it is. Doing your own applications will save you loads of trouble!

(Psst – You can, however, save on some of the paperwork and the repetitive form filling by using Going Merry , which auto-fills your scholarship forms with information from your profile. You’ll still need to answer any scholarship application-specific questions yourself though!)

Scam Tip #3: Guaranteed Scholarships Don’t Exist

If scholarships were guaranteed, student loans would be a thing of the past. Avoid any company claiming to offer you a guaranteed scholarship. It’s a guaranteed scam.

Scam Tip #4: Avoid Dodgy Offers

If you receive an email from an unknown and unprofessional-looking company claiming to offer an amazing scholarship if you enter personal information on their site, it’s best to avoid it. If you’re unsure, simply do a quick Google Search and see if others have reported it as a scam before , and talk to your guidance counselor to see if he or she has information or experience working with the company.

Scam Tip #5: Do Your Research!

Doing a quick search (on Google or snopes.com ) can save you tons of trouble in the end.  Unfortunately, easy scholarships are too good to be true a lot of the time.

Get matched to scholarships

See how much money you qualify for. Personalized matches . Click below to get started.

Match me to scholarships

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s our list of scholarships without essays:

These are scholarships that require almost no effort.

1. Going Merry Seasonal Scholarships (Spring, Summer)

Amount: $1000 per year (one $250 winner each season)

Provider : Going Merry

When you create a free profile on Going Merry, you’re automatically matched with thousands of scholarship opportunities, including the Going Merry No Essay Scholarship, offered four times a year in the Spring , Summer , Fall , and Winter . Simply click “Start application,” and then “Submit application” to apply. It’s that easy!

Bonus: When you first register, we’ll prompt you to apply for our bundle of four no-essay, seasonal scholarships for the next year. This way, you won’t even have to think about submitting a new application each season. It’s our way of welcoming you to our platform! Sign up today to take advantage.

2. Christian College Scholarship

Amount: $2,500

Provider: The Christian Connector IncIf you’re planning on attending a two- or four-year Christian college, you’re eligible to enter the drawing for this $2,500 Christian College Scholarship . Simply fill out a short online survey and you’re good to go!

Loving these scholarships, but need help applying for your government financial aid? We can help you fill out your FAFSA and state aid.

3. Citizens Scholarship

Amount: $15,000

Provider: Citizens Bank

Citizens wants to honor the dedication of students and families pursuing higher learning! We are offering a Citizens Grand Prize Scholarship of $15,000 to use towards school expenses. We will also be offering a $2,500 Scholarship monthly.

4. AFSA Second Chance Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Provider: AFSA Scholarships

If you didn’t have the luck of winning the AFSA High School Senior Contest, try your luck again after graduation with the AFSA Second Chance Scholarship . This $1,000 award is awarded to five high school graduates during the summer months. Deadlines change on a yearly basis, so check out the scholarship website for the most up-to-date information.

5. Scholarship4Moms

Amount: $10,000

Provider: Scholarships4MomsThe Scholarship4Moms scholarship and its organization was created by a group of mothers who wanted to help bring financial relief to moms who are seeking to further their education. Simply register with your first name, last name, and phone number, and you’ll be entered to win!

Want more scholarships? Get 20 new scholarships delivered to your inbox each week.

These are scholarships that don’t require essays (you know, those longer 500-word type ordeals), but do require you to answer a few questions or to write a short piece (e.g. letter, caption, tweet).

6. Aspire Scholarship

Provider: Access Scholarships Foundation

The Aspire Scholarship , hosted by Access Scholarships and CollegeVine, is yet another one of our easy scholarship opportunities created to give back to a deserving student who is applying for scholarships to help pay for college. In just five sentences or less, this scholarship asks you to answer the following prompt: “Tell us what you aspire to achieve and how you believe a college degree can help you to accomplish it.”

7. E-waste Scholarship

Provider: Digital Responsibility

Each year, 20 to 50 million tons of e-waste are discarded in the world. According to the EPA, recycling e-waste allows more than 100 million pounds of materials to be reused annually. The purpose of the E-waste scholarship is to help you understand the impact of e-waste and what can be done to reduce e-waste. This scholarship just requests a short statement that completes this sentence: “The most important reason to care about e-waste is…”

8. The Customized Girl Annual Scholarship

Amount: $500

Provider: Customized GirlCustomized Girl prints bold statements on customized shirts. Naturally, they know an eye-catching quote when they see one. To apply to the Customized Girl Annual Scholarship , post your statement as a caption on Instagram to be chosen as one of two winners, and your statement may be featured on a customized shirt! Check out past winners on the scholarship page for inspiration.

10 Creative, essay-free scholarship s

These are scholarships that require you to submit videos, drawings, business plans, etc. instead of essays. Get creative!

9. Two Ten Higher Education Footwear Design Scholarship

Provider: Two Ten Footwear Foundation

Amount: Up to $3,000

Submit: Three design drawings

Sneakerheads can show-off their inner hypebeast/hypebae for the Two Ten Higher Education Footwear Design Scholarship ! Students studying design with a focus on footwear are encouraged to apply. Provide three design drawings from your portfolio for consideration.

10. Illustrators of the Future Contest

Provider: L. Ron Hubbard

Submit: Illustrations

L. Ron Hubbard’s Illustrators of the Future Contest is an opportunity for new science fiction and fantasy artists worldwide to have their work judged by some of the masters in the field and discovered by a wide audience.

11. Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship

Provider: The Gallery Collection

Amount: $10,000 (+$1,000 prize for the school)

Submit: An original photo, art, work, or graphic design

If you have a knack for art and sentiment, apply for the Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship with your original art. You can use all art forms. Just upload an example as a JPEG (.jpg) for the application. Students 14 years or older are eligible to send their ideas.

12. Build A Better Future Scholarship

Provider: Honors Graduation

Submit: Short video

Ever wondered just how much of a difference high school students can make in their communities? The winners from previous years have proven it can be profound. That’s why the Annual Design a Better Future scholarship continues to be a design-thinking, community-improvement project.

Each year, Honors Graduation funds up to five $10,000 tuition awards, with the top project receiving up to $5,000 to keep the project going.

13. #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship

Provider: U.S. Higher Education (Led by Temple University)

Amount: At least 50% of tuition

Submit: A video or an essay

First-year international students at participating American universities can cut down the cost of education with the #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship . The #YouAreWelcomeHere campaign gained nationwide support in creating a scholarship awarding two students per university. The video submission must express ideas of advancing intercultural learning. Check the list of participating universities on the campaign’s scholarship page .

14. “Create Real Impact” Contest

Provider: Impact Teen Drivers

Amount: $500- $1,500

Submit: A video, music, creative writing, or graphic design

Students between 14-22 years old may apply to the “Create Real Impact” Contest . The contest seeks original work about a solution and strategy regarding reckless and distracted driving. Choose either video, music, creative writing, or artwork. There are many submission options and contest categories, so make sure to visit the scholarship page for details!

15. GoSkills Scholarship

Provider: GoSkills

Amount: $2,000

Submit: An application and business plan

Calling future girl bosses: Here is your time to debut your online business ambitions. The GoSkills Scholarship (Fall) and (Spring) is open to female high school and college students. There are open-ended questions on the application, but it’s more like a friendly conversation. The questions ask you about your concerns and your role models. Besides the application, you need to provide a link to your business plan (GoSkills provides instructions for your business plan right above the area for the link). Try your hand at mapping a business plan to be your own boss in the future.

16. Anytime Games Scholarship

Provider: Anytime Games

Amount: $3,200

Submit: A video

Because Anytime Games has a keen passion for helping students achieve academic excellence, they’re sponsoring the Anytime Games scholarship contest . To enter, choose one of the six thought-provoking questions from the list, and answer the question needs in the form of an essay or video. Two lucky winners will receive cash they can use towards tuition at the college of their choice.

17. Doodle for Google

Provider: Google

Amount: $55,000

Submit: A doodle illustration

Doodle for Google is an annual contest open to students in grades K-12. Students are invited to create their own Google Doodle for the chance to have it featured on Google.com, as well as win some great scholarships – like this Doodle for Google scholarship – and tech packages for their schools.

18. HeadSetPlus.Com College Scholarship

Provider: HeadSetPlus.Com

HeadSetPlus.Com wants to help you pay for college with the HeadSetPlus.Com College Scholarship … no essay needed! Be creative and create a video with a maximum length of five minutes detailing why you deserve the scholarship and what inspired you to pursue a degree in your field.

You can find and apply for scholarships without essays right on our website. You can request letters of recommendation, upload your resume, and apply for scholarships. Sign up for free today .

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Articles & Advice > Financial Aid > Blog

Easy No-Essay Scholarships You Need to Know About Right Now

Essay requirements may prevent you from applying for a lot of scholarships. But these no-essay options can help you win some easy money for college!

by Kelli Dolan Senior Assistant Editor, CollegeXpress

Last Updated: Apr 24, 2024

Originally Posted: Feb 4, 2020

Many scholarships feature long-winded essay questions, and it’s often hard to know where to start. And maybe you just aren’t an essay writer. That doesn’t mean you should lose out on great opportunities for college scholarships. With a little digging around online, you can find great no-essay scholarships that are not only easy to apply for but often fun to do too. These quick and easy contests will have bigger applicant pools and may be harder to win, but somebody has to—and you can’t win if you don’t apply!

Check out the ones below to start and continue to do your own research to find even more no-essay scholarships that could be hiding in all corners of the internet. Before applying to anything, make sure you read all the rules and policies for each scholarship using the links provided!

Register for a website

All of these scholarships just require you to register for a website, and most of them are popular college search sites, so you can get some extra college research done while you’re there.

CollegeXpress $10,00 Scholarship Contest and Monthly Refer-a-Friend Scholarship

If you’re reading this blog, there’s a good chance you already have a CollegeXpress account. Did you know that means you’re automatically entered to win our annual $10,000 scholarship? If you’re not registered, sign up now! It only takes a few minutes and it’s totally free. Once you’re done registering, be sure to tell some friends to do the same. We’ll give you a unique code to share, and for every person who uses your code to create a CollegeXpress account, you’ll gain an entry to win our $250 Refer-a-Friend monthly drawing! If you don’t win this month, there’s always another chance next month. (And you can win this one multiple times!)

Amount: $10,000; $250 Awarded: Annually; monthly Deadline: May 1; last day of each month Check out our  $10,000 Scholarship  and  Refer-a-Friend Scholarship .

Cappex Easy College Money Scholarship

Monthly $1,000 scholarships? Sign us up! No, literally—just sign up and you’re entered for Cappex’s monthly giveaway. In a few short minutes, you’ll be on to your next scholarship.

Amount:  $1,000 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out the  Easy College Money Scholarship .

Encourage for Students Sweepstakes

Like everyone else, My College Options and myOptions Encourage offer a monthly scholarship that only requires registering on their website to apply. The winner will be selected randomly, and there's no minimum GPA requirement—although they do still ask you to report it. 

Amount: $500 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out the Encourage for Students Sweepstakes .

No Essay Smart Owl Scholarship

With Scholarship Owl, creating an account helps you apply to a lot of scholarships all with a single form. So create an account for the No Essay Smart Owl Scholarship and you won’t need to do a bunch of extra work to apply for more! 

Amount: $1,000 each to four winners (six winners in December) Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out the No Essay Smart Owl Scholarship .

NextStepU Free College Tuition Giveaway

Register. Register. Register. Just make sure you check the eligibility period and select the opt-in option that says “Win Free Tuition” for the sweepstakes. No essay, no minimum GPA—it's the easiest scholarship you'll apply for!

Amount:  $2,500 Awarded:  Annually Deadline: End of February Check out the NextStepU Free College Tuition Giveaway .

No Essay College Scholarship™

This scholarship from Niche has “no essay” right in the name! Admittedly, this one requires a smidge more work than just registering. But logging in monthly for a chance to win every month is a small task for the cash.

Amount:  $2,000 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out the No Essay College Scholarship™ .

Christian College EDGE Scholarship & Christian College Scholarship Drawing

If you’re interested in Christian colleges and universities , do a quick registration on this website for a chance to win $1,000 and learn about great colleges that share your faith. If you end up deciding on a Christian college, for a chance to win even more money, fill out their “Christian College Connector” registration to be entered in their $5,000 giveaway.

Amount: $1,000; $5,000 Awarded:  Annually (both) Deadline: May 31 (both) Check out the EDGE Scholarship and  Christian College Scholarship Drawing .

Ascent Shining Stars Scholarship

Register on Ascent’s website to make an account, follow them on any one of their social media platforms, tag them in a comment with #AscentSponsored, and you’re done. This is a breeze because you’re probably already scrolling through social media anyway.

Amount: $1,000 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline: First of the month  Check out the  Ascent Scholarship Sweepstakes .

Sallie Mae $2,000 Scholarship Sweepstakes

You’re already throwing out registrations left and right—what’s one more? Both parents and students who are 17 years or older at the time of entry can enter to win this contest every month.

Amount:  $1,000 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out the  Sallie Mae $2,000 Scholarship Sweepstakes .

Barbizon’s $100,000 College Tuition Scholarship

Barbizon Modeling and Acting awards $100,000 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. 

Amount:  $100,000 Awarded:  Once every four years Deadline:  December 31, 2024 Check out the College Tuition Scholarship .

CampusReel Student-Led Virtual Tours Scholarship

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 easy opportunity is a win-win! 

Amount:  $2,000 Awarded:  Annually Deadline:  December 31 Check out the CampusReel Student-Led Virtual Tours Scholarship .

keep going forward No-Essay Scholarships

The organization keepgoingforward.org offers three scholarships throughout the year with 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. And they partner with Bold.org—so if you already have an account, you're one step ahead on applying!

Amount:  $1,500 Awarded:  Annually Deadline:  April 28, August 31, October 30 Check out the keep going forward No-Essay Scholarships .

Use your words (but very few)

We said no essays; we never said no words. But have no fear, because these scholarships require very few words and quick answers to easy questions.

CollegeXpress Monthly Mini Scholarships

We're giving away free scholarship money every month! These scholarship contests are super easy to enter—just create a free CollegeXpress account and answer our featured question in one word or sentence. (We're talking stuff like “What’s your favorite color?” with no wrong answer!) Both new and current users are eligible—all you have to do is log back in with the specified link to enter as a returning user.

Amount: Varies Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month Check out our latest  monthly scholarship opportunity .

CollegeXpress Scholarship for Students of Color

If you're a POC student who's planning to enroll in college in the fall, you're eligible for this scholarship. To apply, all you have to do is have a CX account and submit your answer to this question in just one sentence: What is your dream career to pursue after high school? Winners are chosen randomly every quarter of the year, and you get to choose a charity to benefit as well!

Amount: $1,500, plus $500 donated to a charity of your choice Awarded: Quarterly Deadline:  March 31, June 30, September 30, December 31 Check out the  CollegeXpress Scholarship for Students of Color .

10 Words or Less Scholarship

You can swing 10 words. All you have to do is tell them why you think you deserve the scholarship in 10 words or fewer. It’s as easy as posting a Facebook comment (which is exactly how you enter). Leave a comment, give them a like on their Facebook page, and you’re in!

Amount: $1,000 Awarded:  Annually Deadline: April 15 Check out the  10 Words or Less Scholarship .

School Survey Sweepstakes

Another one that requires a bit of writing, but it’s certainly no essay. You can be entered into Niche’s monthly $1,000 giveaway just by leaving them a review about your high school.

Amount:  $1,000 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out the  School Survey Sweepstakes .

HeadSetPlus.com College Scholarship

This scholarship is great because instead of writing an essay, you just get to talk about yourself. Record a short five-minute video talking about yourself, your achievements, why college is important to you, and what motivates you. As long as you’re authentic, you could be a shoo-in for this one.

Amount:  $1,000 Awarded:  Annually Deadline: December 31 Check out the HeadSetPlus.com College Scholarship .

Use your creativity

Are you better with visuals than you are with words? Well, these scholarships are looking for that creative energy!

Doodle for Google

This is Google we’re talking about, so you know they’ve got big bucks. Not only is this an opportunity to win $55,000 for school, but the winning doodle will be featured on Google for a day and they will donate $50,000 to your school or a charity in your honor! And even if you don’t win the big money, you still have a chance at one of the $5,000 runner-up scholarships.

Amount: Up to $55,000 Awarded:  Annually Deadline: March 14, 2024 (Always early-to-mid March) Check out the  Doodle for Google contest .

Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest

If doodling for Google didn’t expend all your creative juices, you can also create a greeting card. Take photographs for it. Design it with artwork. The creative medium is up to you, and the general public votes on the winner in the early rounds, so rally your friends and family to help you with this one.

Amount:  $10,000 Awarded:  Annually Deadline: March 1, 2024 (Always beginning of March) Check out the  Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship Contest .

DoSomething.org Easy Scholarships

DoSomething doesn’t have just one easy scholarship—they have a ton! Most of them are creative and require you to make some sort of impact on others, whether big or small. Get your task, complete it, and send in a picture for proof for a chance to be their randomly chosen winner! Then rinse and repeat for their other tasks with coordinating scholarships.

Amount:  Up to $22,000 Awarded:  Varies Deadline:  Varies Check out all of  DoSomething.org's easy scholarships .

Answer some questions

Sometimes websites just want people to fill out their surveys, and they’ll give you money for school just to do it. Or maybe the organization wants you to learn about something that they do. Either way, these scholarships just require answering a few questions to enter.

The $1,000 SuperCollege Scholarship

What’s easier than answering questions about yourself? Fill out an application and tell SuperCollege what you’re going to school for and other academic-related questions, hit submit, and you’re done.

Amount:  $1,000 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out the  $1,000 SuperCollege Scholarship .

Nitro Monthly Scholarship

Nitro is another college search website that gives away annual scholarships to students monthly. Just complete a short entry form with info including 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 17 years old, you should apply to this one now! 

Amount:  $2,000 Awarded:  Monthly Deadline:  Last day of the month Check out Nitro's Monthly Scholarship .

Student-View Scholarship

This one skips the application process and gets right to the questions. Fill out their survey to get entered into their random drawing. The big winner gets $10,000, and if that’s not you, you could still be one of two $1,000 winners or one of five $500 winners.

Amount: Up to $10,000 Awarded:  Annually Deadline: April 23, 2024 Check out the  Student-View Scholarship .

ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Giveaways

As you complete surveys, play games, and read emails from ScholarshipPoints, you’ll gain points. Use the points to enter their scholarship drawings; the more you have, the better your chances of winning. In addition to the points, you could potentially win their monthly and quarterly random winner giveaways just for being a registered user.

Amount: $10,000; $2,500 Awarded:  Quarterly; monthly Deadline:  June; last day of each month Check out the  $10,000 and $2,500 scholarships .

While this may be a long list of easy no-essay scholarships, there could be even more on the internet that we didn’t find, so keep doing your research (and let us know if we missed any on Twitter @CollegeXpress ). You can also check out our  Ultimate List of Easy Scholarships .

Thirsty for more? Use our Scholarship Search tool  to find other scholarships you’re qualified for!

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About Kelli Dolan

Kelli Dolan is the Senior Assistant Editor & Counselor Communications Coordinator for CollegeXpress. Her day-to-day includes editing and writing CollegeXpress articles, running the CollegeXpress Counselors social media platforms, and basically just doing all things CollegeXpress. When she’s not editing other people’s work, she's writing for fun, favoring fiction stories and poetry. You could also potentially find her reading, playing video games, or hanging out with her dog, Athena; cat, Apollo; and red bearded dragon, Freya.

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Alexandra Adriano

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2016

I've used CollegeXpress quite a bit as a senior, particularly for colleges and scholarships, so it's been a very big asset in that respect! I would recommend it to anyone looking to pursue a college education, especially seniors! This scholarship will help me achieve my goals in ways I couldn't have before, and I know that there are opportunities like that for everyone on the website and in the magazines!

Yuhlani Patterson

High School Student

CollegeXpress has helped me find so many scholarships that fit me. They match me to colleges I have specific interest in to make searching for colleges way easier and more efficient. CollegeXpress refers me to schools that have my major of interest and backup schools if I want to change my mind. CollegeXpress also gives out their own scholarships, so you have even more of a chance at gaining multiple scholarships. This website has helped me de-stress from the pressure of not being able to afford college, [of finding] what schools are right for me, and how to find easy access to scholarships that most people never knew existed.

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I discovered CollegeXpress while embarking on my college search journey as an excited—but scared and way confused—high schooler without a counselor or college-bound sibling to give me advice. Let me tell you, I’m so glad that I stumbled on this community! CollegeXpress helped me find potential colleges and keep application deadlines straight. It gave me a great list of scholarships, and the blogs and emails made me feel like I wasn’t going it alone. Almost three years later and with freshman year of college down, I still love the CollegeXpress vibe so much that I’m writing for them. I’d recommend this site to anyone!

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My high school counselor introduced me to CollegeXpress freshman year. It has made such a difference in high school, and I plan to continue relying on it in college. CollegeXpress is my go-to because it addresses each aspect of being a student. There are the articles you’d expect regarding college applications and financial aid, but you will also find advice on things like de-stressing and maintaining relationships while balancing a heavy course load. CollegeXpress will also keep you updated on current scholarships through e-mails each Saturday. (They don’t harass you with any product promotion like so many other sites do.)  CollegeXpress is a lot like an older sibling who has already conquered the challenges you are facing. Now, they are reaching out a helpful hand. I say take it.

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High School Class of 2021

I want to sincerely thank you all for this amazing website that's legitimately helped me find so many different scholarship opportunities. I've been stressing out for the longest time about paying for college since I would rather stay out of debt and have been working days trying to find any scholarship opportunity. When I found CollegeXpress, I discovered many easy scholarships that have given me hope for the future. Thank you and God bless!

Colleges You May Be Interested In

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Best Scholarship Websites of 2024

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Even the best student loans and other financial aid items don't always provide enough to cover all the costs of college. Scholarships are a great way to bridge the gap, with no obligation to repay the money. Finding scholarships you qualify for can be difficult. But there are several great scholarship websites that can help you do it.

Keep in mind, however, that many colleges deduct private scholarships from the amount of gift aid they provide, reducing how much "free money" you can get from the school. That would effectively negate the work you did in seeking out and applying for private scholarships. Therefore, you should consider looking at schools that offer merit-based scholarships or provide generous packages to students with financial need.

Scholarships.com

Collegeboard, scholarshipowl, compare the best scholarship websites.

We've rounded up the best scholarship websites for students looking to save on the cost of college, with an emphasis on those that provide a wide breadth of opportunities. Most of the sites are free to use. Some offer basic features at no cost, with an option to pay for additional functionality. 

Peterson's 

Our experts for the best scholarship websites.

We consulted scholarship and financial experts to give their insights into finding the best scholarship websites — and when to avoid them altogether.

• Christopher Rim, founder and CEO at Command Education
• Jennifer Ledwith, owner at Scholar Ready
• Neeta Vallab, founder at MeritMore
• Ryan Wangman, former loans reporter at Personal Finance Insider

Best Scholarship Websites FAQs

There isn't a singular website that's the best to apply for scholarships. Instead, consider scholarships.com, Fastweb, Bold.org, Peterson's, College Board, Scholly, GoingMerry, Scholarship Owl, and ProFellow.

Do your due diligence when looking to apply for scholarships you find on aggregation websites. Confirm that the scholarship's sponsor is legitimate by looking at reviews of the company, and check its Better Business Bureau grade, if available. 

Most private scholarships won't completely cover the cost of your education. You're better off looking for merit scholarships from individual colleges that cover your costs completely or filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  to see if you're eligible for a need-based full ride. 

Generally speaking, you shouldn't pay someone to search for scholarships for you, though there are exceptions to every rule. Many scholarship websites are free to use. They only "cost" the time you spend searching on them. 

The timing on when you should start filling out applications for scholarships varies depending on the specific scholarship you're applying for. Some scholarships are even available to high school students, so it's never too early to start your search.

The GPA requirement varies from scholarship to scholarship, but the lowest GPA is usually around 2.0. In general, you'll have a better chance of success with a higher GPA. 

Some of the most common scholarship types include academic scholarships, athletic scholarships, identity-based scholarships, and first-generation student scholarships.

Our Experts' Advice for Choosing the Best Scholarship Websites

What are the advantages of private scholarships versus scholarships or grants from schools.

Neeta Vallab: 

"Honestly, there are very limited advantages to using private scholarships over grants directly from schools. Unlike private scholarships, most grants from schools do not require a separate application and are renewable for four years. Additionally, many colleges will deduct the value of a private scholarship from any award they give you. This is called 'displacement.' And because this practice is so prevalent, it often leaves students with no net financial benefit, despite the effort they invested in submitting an application."

Jennifer Ledwith:

"Unlike scholarships from schools, private scholarships can be used at multiple universities. Furthermore, unlike grants from schools, private scholarships don't have to follow federal or institutional financial aid methodology. Consequently, students can receive private scholarships without regard to other financial aid awards. Furthermore, some private scholarships send the money directly to the student, allowing greater flexibility in using the funds."

Should you always consider scholarships before loans? Are there any scenarios you should pick a loan?

Christopher Rim: 

"No, you should never pick a loan over a scholarship! You always have to pay back loans. Students should bear in mind that they may have their scholarship rescinded if they don't meet the terms and conditions. They should be absolutely sure to read the terms of their scholarship thoroughly to understand the possible consequences if they fail to meet the set conditions."

Ryan Wangman:

"You'll need to repay the money you borrow from any lender, so it's never a good idea to choose a loan over a scholarship, which is money you don't have to pay back. There aren't any scenarios I can think of where it is better to pick a loan than a scholarship. 

How do you know what scholarships you're qualified for?

Rim : 

"Many websites will allow students to filter through their databases to find scholarships they are eligible for. Others ask students to create a profile and then match them based on demographic information. Once students find the scholarships on databases, they should be sure to cross check eligibility requirements on the sponsoring organization's website."

Vallab : 

"Private scholarships will usually have a qualifications section in their description. Some colleges may publish a scholarship grid showing the GPA and test scores required for certain levels of eligibility. Not all merit scholarship information is published however."

What's the best way to track what scholarships you've applied for and are waiting to hear back from?

"Students should keep a spreadsheet to track their scholarship application status."

"Like Jennifer mentioned, a spreadsheet is usually the best way to track application status. Make sure you note how far along you are in each process, as well as any awards you have received — both private and from the schools you've been accepted to.

Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards .

Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.

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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.

$40,000 Build a College List Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by The College Board

Create a college list with six schools you're considering - no minimum GPA or essay required!

Excelsior Scholarship Program

Offered by New York State

The Excelsior Scholarship Program is open to New York residents who are or will be pursuing an undergraduate degree at a SUNY or CUNY college,… Show More

The Excelsior Scholarship Program is open to New York residents who are or will be pursuing an undergraduate degree at a SUNY or CUNY college, including community colleges and the statutory colleges at Cornell University and Alfred University. Applicants must have either graduated from high school in the United States, earned a high school equivalency diploma, or passed a federally approved "Ability to Benefit" test, as defined by the Commissioner of the State Education Department. Recipients of the scholarship will have any remaining gaps in their tuition expenses covered, after other federal and state grants and scholarships are applied, for up to $5,500. If you're a New York State resident looking to attend a SUNY or CUNY campus, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

New Heights Scholarship

Offered by Bussey Law Firm, P.C.

The New Heights Scholarship is open to high school seniors on track to graduate or current college students enrolled in an accredited four-year university/college or… Show More

The New Heights Scholarship is open to high school seniors on track to graduate or current college students enrolled in an accredited four-year university/college or in a two-year college and planning to transfer to a four-year university/college upon completion. All applicants must have already earned, or will earn their high school diploma this calendar year. DACA recipients are welcome to apply. To apply, students must submit a 500 - 1,000 word essay answering the prompt: "Please map out the path that YOU see yourself taking through college to your chosen field. If you’re unsure, tell us none the less – what would you like to do, and why?" Good luck! Show Less

US Bank Student Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by U.S. Bank

The US Bank Student Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship opportunity for U.S. residents aged 17 or older who have been accepted to or are enrolled… Show More

The US Bank Student Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship 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 25+, 50+, 100+, and 200+ modules are eligible to receive $2500, $5000, $10,000, and $20,000, respectively. If this scholarship sounds like a fit for you, keep on reading for more application details. Show Less

Patriot’s Pen Youth Essay Contest

Offered by Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)

Are you a 6th-8th grader with an interest in American history? If so, the Patriot's Pen Youth Essay Contest may be a great opportunity for… Show More

Are you a 6th-8th grader with an interest in American history? If so, the Patriot's Pen Youth Essay Contest may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the contest awards up to $5,000 to the 6th-8th grade students who submit the best 300-400-word essays "expressing their views based on a patriotic theme chosen by the VFW Commander-in-Chief." Bear in mind that applications must be submitted to your local VFW post by October 31st to be considered for the scholarship. If this scholarship sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Stokes Scholarship Programs

Offered by Central Intelligence Agency

The Stokes Scholarship Programs are funded by the Central Intelligence Agency, a U.S. government agency that provides objective intelligence on foreign countries and global issues… Show More

The Stokes Scholarship Programs are funded by the Central Intelligence Agency, a U.S. government agency that provides objective intelligence on foreign countries and global issues to the president, the National Security Council, and other policymakers to help them make national security decisions. Every year, their Stokes Scholarship Program awards up to $25,000 to multiple postsecondary students who are willing to work one to two 90-day sessions at the CIA before graduating. In addition, scholarship recipients must commit to working at the CIA for a period of 1.5 years for each year they receive the scholarship. If you're an undergraduate or graduate student wanting to work at the Central Intelligence Agency, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Ayn Rand Institute Novel Essay Contest (Atlas Shrugged) This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Ayn Rand Institute

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may… Show More

Are you a high school, undergraduate, or graduate student with a passion for reading, writing, and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the Ayn Rand Institute Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest! Each year, the contest asks its applicants to write an 800 - 1,600 word essay in which they analyze and make an argument about an aspect or plot point of the novel Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Nine prizes of varying amounts are awarded each year, with a grand prize of $25,000! If you’re familiar with Atlas Shrugged, can make a convincing argument, and want to make some cash, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

GeneTex Scholarship

Offered by GeneTex

Are you a STEM major in college or university looking for help to pay off your degree? If so, consider applying for the GeneTex Scholarship!… Show More

Are you a STEM major in college or university looking for help to pay off your degree? If so, consider applying for the GeneTex Scholarship! The scholarship is open to all STEM majors enrolled at an accredited postsecondary institution in good academic standing, including international students. Offered by GeneTex, the scholarship supports young scientists pursuing a postsecondary education to increase scientific advancement and future discoveries. GeneTex is a Texas-based life science, biotechnology company that develops and sells research reagents in the biomedical field. The GeneTex scholarship awards one student $2,000 biannually for use toward their education or other expenses. Typically, the deadlines for each year will fall in July and December or January of each year. If you are a STEM major looking for some help with tuition and fees, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

$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.

Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship

Offered by Unigo

Are you a big fan of The Walking Dead, or maybe Z Nation? Ever thought about what you would do in the case of a… Show More

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

Minecraft Scholarship

Offered by Apex Hosting

Are you a high school or college student with a love for Minecraft? If so, we may just have the perfect opportunity for you: the… Show More

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

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

Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest

Offered by Regions Bank

Are you a Black, college-bound high school senior or current college student who will be enrolled in an accredited university for this upcoming academic year?… Show More

Are you a Black, college-bound high school senior or current college student who will be enrolled in an accredited university for this upcoming academic year? If so, you may be eligible for the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship Contest! Each quarter, the contest awards $8,000 to the top four (4) applicants who submit an essay (500 words or less) or a video (3 minutes or less) about how someone they know has (1) inspired them and (2) given them the confidence to achieve their goals. The scholarship is offered four times a year, with deadlines every March, June, September, and December. Bear in mind that applicants must also reside in a state with Regions Bank full-service branches to apply. To find out whether or not your state is eligible, keep on reading. If it is, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Hyundai Women in STEM Scholarship

Offered by Hyundai through The University Network

Are you a high school senior or college undergraduate who identifies as female, resides in the United States, and wishes to pursue a STEM-related field… Show More

Are you a high school senior or college undergraduate who identifies as female, resides in the United States, and wishes to pursue a STEM-related field of education? If so, you might consider applying for the Hyundai Women in STEM Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards $10,000 to five applicants who submit the most thoughtful 500+ word essays on how they plan to “promote positive shifts toward sustainability” in their particular STEM field. If you’re passionate about STEM, sustainability, and reducing college debt, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Breakthrough Junior Challenge

Offered by Breakthrough

Are you a middle or high school student with a passion for STEM? If so, consider applying for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge! Each year, the… Show More

Are you a middle or high school student with a passion for STEM? If so, consider applying for the Breakthrough Junior Challenge! Each year, the challenge awards $250,000 to a 13-18-year-old student who creatively and clearly explains a scientific or mathematical theory, concept, or principle in video form. The videos must be no longer than a minute and 30 seconds long and should be a dynamic visual medium, using diagrams, simulations, physical demonstrations, and more. The scholarship is funded by technology investors and science philanthropists Julia and Yuri Milner.  If you have a love for STEM, video making, and want to go to college debt-free, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

College JumpStart Scholarship

Offered by College JumpStart

Are you a high-achieving student academically? You might consider applying for the College JumpStart Scholarship! The College JumpStart Scholarship is open to students in grades… Show More

Are you a high-achieving student academically? You might consider applying for the College JumpStart Scholarship! The College JumpStart Scholarship is open to students in grades 10 to 12, as well as traditional college-age and adult learners. The scholarship is biannual, with deadlines on April 15th and October 17th each year. Two lucky students are awarded the College JumpStart Scholarship each application cycle. The scholarship is funded by corporate donations to the College JumpStart, an organization whose motto is “Hard work. Perseverance. Love of learning. These are the traits that the College JumpStart Scholarship rewards.” This scholarship is awarded on the basis of merit only–no financial need or any other factors are considered. If you’re passionate about using education to better your life and that of your family and/or community, we encourage you to apply! Show Less

Niche $10,000 “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.

Scholarships by grade level

Whether you are in middle school or graduate school, we have a list of vetted scholarships for you.

Scholarships by state

Check out our lists of vetted scholarship opportunities by state. Try searching the state you’re from as well as the state where you’ll be attending school!

Scholarships by background & demographic

Some students don’t know that their background qualifies them for thousands of high-quality scholarships opportunities. Try looking over each of our categories to see what you qualify for:

Scholarships by major

Find scholarships that match your passion. We’ve vetted thousands of scholarships for students of a particular major:

Other scholarship categories

Some scholarships don’t quite fit in with the ones we’ve outlined above. Be sure to check out our other scholarship categories such as easy scholarships , writing and essay scholarships , no essay scholarships , and more.

Scholarship FAQs

What are the easiest types of scholarships to get.

Some scholarships are more similar to contents or sweepstakes. These “ easy scholarships ” and “ no essay scholarships ” are very simple to apply for and the application process can take as little as a minute or two. However, this means that they are very hard to win and more similar to a lottery where you have a small chance of winning.

This is why the easiest scholarships to get are oftentimes the scholarships that have more requirements (because they receive less applications). These include local scholarships , which are only open to students from a specific region or town. Ditto for college-specific scholarships that are specifically for students admitted to a particular college or university.

How can I find scholarships for college?

All of the above scholarships are a good start, but you may also qualify for merit , need , and talent-based scholarships that are specific to particular colleges. You can check-in with any of the colleges you are applying to and see if they have specific scholarships available. Generally, these scholarships are easier to win and are renewable , which means you can receive them for up to four years!

Students should also remember to apply for need-based financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid which will help you access everything from grants to student loans to work study !

What GPA do you need to qualify for a scholarship?

The specific GPA requirements will vary from scholarship to scholarship. Be sure to look carefully at the eligibility requirements to see if there is a minimum GPA to apply.

You may also find scholarships that do not have any GPA requirements. In these cases, you should still review the eligibility requirements to see how scholarship winners are selected. For example, scholarships with essay requirements will be judged primarily on the quality of your essay. Similarly, art scholarships will be evaluated on the basis of your creative talents.

So while many scholarships will have an academic component, there are many other awards for students according to their backgrounds, experiences, interests, and goals!

How does Scholarships360 select scholarships for the database?

Putting students first is central to our mission. That’s why our scholarship research team carefully vets the scholarships that we include in our database so you can find safe and trustworthy scholarships. Here’s what that means more specifically:

No scholarship application fees–we believe all scholarships should be free to apply to

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All scholarships have a clear data policy that allows student to opt-out of sharing or selling student data

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If you come across a scholarship that doesn’t meet this standard on our site, please reach out to us at [email protected] so we can investigate!

What experience does the Scholarships360 team have in scholarships and financial aid?

The Scholarships360 team has a deep expertise in scholarships , financial aid , and higher education. Collectively, we have decades of experience in roles as admissions officers , scholarship essay readers, writing professors, and high school college counselors. Our goal is to distill this experience into Scholarships360 to help as many students as possible achieve an affordable, high-quality education and graduate with little to no student loan debt.

What if I have specific questions about scholarships?

You should get in touch with the organization running the actual scholarship. Under every single scholarship that we list, you will see “Offered by” which indicates the company, foundation, or organization awarding the specific scholarship opportunity.

If the scholarship in question is offered by Scholarships360, you can reach out to us at [email protected] .

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• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
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Still unsure about college? It's not too late to apply for scholarships or even school.

E ven with the May 1 deadline for college decisions come and gone , many students may still be undecided about which school to attend, or they may have given up after a botched FAFSA rollout and other problems securing financial aid .

But education experts want students and families to know, that it isn’t too late to get scholarships or even apply to a school to attend this fall.

Students have access to 1.7 million private scholarships and fellowships whose total value tops $7.4 billion, according to the independent nonprofit foundation Educationdata.org. Some applications for that funding require essays and academic or athletic achievement. But many don’t. Some take as few as two minutes to complete, with a chance to win as much as $25,000. Scholarships are also gifts and don’t have to be repaid.

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“This is important both from an emotional standpoint and a practical, financial standpoint,” said James Lewis, president of the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS), a private foundation that works as a nonprofit to honor high-achieving students. “With the FAFSA delays and confusion, millions of young people feel helpless ," he said, "But there is one area where they can take control and that’s applying for scholarships.”

FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Who can apply for scholarships?

“ Scholarships are available on a year-round basis and they’re not just for high school seniors – students of all grades and ages can apply,” Lewis said, noting college or graduate school students can also apply. “There’s literally a scholarship for everyone.”

Merit-based scholarships may require you to meet or exceed certain standards set by the scholarship giver. Others may be needs-based. Many are geared toward specific groups of people: women; graduate students; where you or your parent work; military families; athletes, minorities; community service; music; and religious organizations.

Where can I find scholarships?

Everywhere.

“We generally start by suggesting students begin at home in their local communities,” Lewis said. “There, many business organizations and corporations provide scholarships. At the local level, there are also scholarships for virtually any extracurricular activity, from sports and dance to theater and STEM clubs.”

The Department of Education and NSHSS also offer suggestions and resources. Specific sites like StudentScholarships.org , Going Merry by Earnest , Niche , and Scholly by Sallie Mae list scholarships.

Can I get a scholarship in time for school this fall?

Scholarship notifications vary widely, but most take one to three months, Lewis said.

“This should not discourage applicants,” he said. “Those who apply for scholarships will most likely have their awards by the start of the new school year if they win, and they can keep applying for scholarships even when they're in college.”

Some students are even able to pay for all of college by leveraging scholarships. The most famous one? Scholly founder Christopher Gray landed $1.3 million in scholarships and got a deal on Shark Tank for his company.

What if I haven’t even applied or gotten into a school yet?

It’s also not too late!

◾ National Association for College Admission Counseling lists schools that are still accepting applications.

◾ Niche allows students to be considered for immediate acceptance at 91 schools across 30 states through its Direct Admissions program through Aug. 1 for the 2024-25 school year.

How does Direct Admissions work?

Students create a free Niche profile and select schools they’re interested in. If the student meets a school’s criteria, that school sends an immediate acceptance that includes a breakdown of the costs of attending and any scholarship money it can offer.

Students can compare offers and accept one without having to complete a separate, full school application or FAFSA to receive the offered scholarship.

Niche has 38 fields to complete, and the student never has to pay an application fee, said Luke Skurman, Niche’s chief executive.

Half of all U.S. college-bound high school seniors create an account on Niche each year, he said. This year, more than 900,000 students have at least one Niche Direct Admissions offer, but the average is more than five offers per student with an average scholarship of $18,500 per year, he said.

Alternative path: Is it possible to avoid student debt? These career, education tracks offer a different path

Bottom line

Higher education may feel especially unattainable this year due to soaring school costs , high interest rates and difficulty getting federal aid , but don’t give up, experts say.

“The main things are to be organized and to stick with it,” Lewis said. “The rewards can be amazing!”

Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday morning.   

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Still unsure about college? It's not too late to apply for scholarships or even school.

Niche $10,000 "No Essay" Summer Scholarship

Help cover the cost of college without writing a single essay!

Niche is giving one student $10,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required!

Apply below for your chance to win so you can focus on your education, not your finances. The winner will be selected by random drawing by August 15, 2024. Good luck!

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By proceeding you acknowledge and agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and  Scholarship Rules .

Who Can Apply

All high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year. Please note: Not everyone is eligible for this scholarship. Niche sponsored scholarships and sweepstakes are for people with US citizenship or a valid Visa/US passport only. Read the scholarship rules. Questions? Visit our Scholarship FAQs .

How It Works

The $10,000 “No Essay” Scholarship is an easy scholarship with no essay required! Only one entry allowed per person. The winner will be determined by random drawing and then contacted directly and announced in Niche's e-newsletter and on the Scholarship Winners page.

About Niche Scholarships

We believe cost shouldn’t keep anyone from pursuing a higher education, so we connect students with thousands of scholarships — many of which don’t require an essay — to help them afford college. In 2023 alone, we offered over $285,000 in Niche scholarships. Read more about Niche scholarships here or visit our FAQs .