scholarships for college that require an essay

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Niche $25,000 "No Essay" Scholarship

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

Generation Google Scholarship

Deadline April 23, 2024
Amount $10,000
Offered By Google
State Nationwide
Description The Generation Google Scholarship was established to help aspiring computer scientists excel in technology and become leaders in the field. The Generation Google Scholarship will be awarded based on the strength of each candidate's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, demonstrated leadership, and academic performance.
Essay Required : Yes
Recommendations Required : Yes
Major Computer Science

NSA Foundation Scholarship

Deadline April 28, 2024
Amount $5,000
Offered By National Society of Accountants
Description This year, NSAF will award six $5,000 scholarships to full-time students who have at least a junior status or working on a graduate degree with demonstrated ability in public speaking. Or students who wish to use and/or pursue a career in public speaking. To date, the Foundation has awarded over half-a-million dollars to help students achieve their educational goals while, at the same time, giving back to the communities where they attend class, work and live.
Essay Required : Unknown
Recommendations Required : Unknown
Major Finance/Accounting

$ 2,000 Sallie Mae No Essay Scholarship

Deadline April 30, 2024
Amount $2,000
Offered By Sallie Mae
Description 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 in paying for school.
Minimum GPA : No
Find Student Loans

$ 25,000 "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship

Amount $ 25,000
Offered By Bold.org
Description An easy, no-essay scholarship. Students at any education level, school, field of study, and GPA are eligible to apply.
Major Any Major

$ 50,000 ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship

Amount $50,000
Offered By ScholarshipOwl
Description Apply for the scholarship that gives you a shot at a total of $50,000. At least 4 Winners will be selected each month to be awarded $1,000. No essay is required. Once you apply, you will be automatically reapplied each month for more chances to win!

$ 2,500 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship

Amount $2,500
Offered By ScholarshipPoints
Description ScholarshipPoints.com will give away over $100,000 in free college scholarships this year including a $2,500 scholarship every month! Apply now!

$1,000 Review Your College Scholarship

Amount $1,000
Description Open to all students and recent alumni. Simply log in or create a free account below to apply.

$2,000 No Essay Scholarship

Description Open to all high school and college students. Simply log in or create a free account below to apply.

$500 Campus Visit Award - Manchester University

Offered By Manchester University
Description Visit on campus as a high school senior and earn an extra $500 per year toward your tuition!

$500 Campus Visit Award - Saint Martin's University

Amount $500
Offered By Saint Martin's University
Description Prospective undergraduate students automatically qualify for a $500 visit award by participating in a campus tour.

$500 Christian College Scholarship

Offered By Christian Connector
Description For over 20 years, The Christian Connector has provided information about Christian colleges and universities to over 1 million students and their families. Through The Christian Connector, students can apply for various Christian college scholarships, receive information, and apply to 3 Christian colleges/universities for free through one application, all for no cost.
Major All Majors

10 min/day can save you $10,000 or more for college

Offered By Everydae
Description Everydae boosts grades and SAT scores in just 10 minutes a day… so you can access more merit aid for college. Try it today for only $1. Apply code NICHE to save 20%.
Major Any Majors

AIGA Worldstudio DxD Scholarships

Amount $3,750
Offered By AIGA and Worldstudio
Description AIGA believes all students deserve access to design education. The AIGA Worldstudio D×D Scholarships aim to increase diversity in the design profession by creating equitable opportunities for the next generation of creative talent. Scholarships are awarded annually to students enrolled at colleges and universities in the U.S. who demonstrate a commitment to positive social change, environmental responsibility, and cultural awareness through the practice of visual communication, including photography, illustration or graphic design.
Minimum GPA : 3.0
Major Visual Arts, Fine Arts, Art

American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Scholarships

Amount $1,500
Offered By American Culinary Federation Education Foundation
Description The American Culinary Federation Education Foundation, with the support of the American Academy of Chefs (AAC), offers educational scholarships to high school students, college students, professional chefs looking to further their education or become certified and student culinary teams currently competing at ACF regional and national conferences.
Minimum GPA : 2.75
Major Culinary Arts

Barbara Rhomberg Excellence in Nursing Scholarship

Offered By B4 Brands
Description The Barbara Rhomberg Excellence in Nursing Scholarship, sponsored by B4 Brands, is awarded each year to a non-traditional, fulltime student pursuing undergraduate degrees in nursing. Scholarship winners receive a non-renewable scholarship of $1,000 payable directly to the institution in which they are enrolled.
Major Nursing

Betty and Glenn Tribe Scholarship

Amount 1000
Offered By Community Foundation Southwest Washington
State Washington
Description Available to students attending Clark College and Washington State University who are pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Major Engineering

California Military Department GI Bill Award Program

Amount Varies
Offered By California Student Aid Commission
State California
Description If you are an active member in the California National Guard, the State Military Reserve, or the Naval Militia you may be eligible for a state-funded program designed to provide an educational incentive to improve your skills, competencies, and abilities.
Type Active Military Duty

Capital One Shopping: Automatic Coupons, Deals, and Rewards

Offered By Capital One Shopping
Description Capital One Shopping Helps You Save Money By Automatically Applying Coupon Codes At Checkout. Simply add it to your browser, and shop like normal. This free tool does the work for you. Shop With Confidence. It's kinda genius. Capital One Shopping compensates us when you get the browser extension using the links provided

Catholic United Financial Post-High School Tuition Scholarship

Offered By Catholic United Financial
Description For members of any age seeking to learn a trade, earn a certification or complete a college degree, Catholic United wants to help. Scholarship awards are one-time benefits: $500 for those attending a Catholic college, university or institution and $300 for those attending a non-Catholic college, university, community college or technical school.

College Scholarship for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southwest Washington

Description Available to club members who are graduating high school seniors.
Minimum GPA : 2.0

Best Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Overcoming Adversity Cariño Scholarship

Eligibility criteria:.

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

Sloane Stephens Doc & Glo Scholarship

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

Ethel Hayes Destigmatization of Mental Health Scholarship

Trees for Tuition Scholarship Fund

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

Concrete Rose Scholarship Award

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

Jennifer Gephart Memorial Working Mothers Scholarship

Background : Mother

Anthony McPherson Memorial Automotive Scholarship

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

TEAM ROX Scholarship

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

Rebecca Hunter Memorial Scholarship

Education Level : Any
Parental Status : Single parent

God Hearted Girls Scholarship

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

Dimon A. Williams Memorial Scholarship

Family : Single-parent household

Women in Healthcare Scholarship

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

Rainbow Futures Scholarship

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

Treye Knorr Memorial Scholarship

Education Level : Entering a four-year undergraduate degree in the fall of 2024
Gender : Male-identifying

Joseph A. Monachino Memorial Scholarship

Financial Status : Financial need
State : Nevada

Ventana Ocean Conservation Scholarship

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

Dr. Edward V. Chavez Athletic Memorial Scholarship

Background : Has lost one or both parents
Passion : Sports

Tam and Betsy Vannoy Memorial Scholarship

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

Frederick J. Salone Memorial Basketball Scholarship

Background : Plays basketball

Lemon-Aid Scholarship

Financial Status : Low-income

Patriots Path Scholarship

Involvement : ROTC or JROTC

Walking In Authority International Ministry Scholarship

Experience : Volunteering

Skylar's Hope Scholarship

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

M.R. Brooks Scholarship

Family : Single parent or the child of a single parent

Brinley Heckermann Empowering Spirit Scholarship

Background : Cheerleader and/or stunt-athlete

Jean Ramirez Scholarship

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

Alexis Mackenzie Memorial Scholarship for the Arts

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

Hamiltonville Farm Scholarship

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

Sylvester Taylor "Invictus" Hospitality Scholarship

Career Aspiration : Hospitality Industry/ Food Service
Education level : High school seniors, Undergraduates, Trade School, Graduates

Future Planner Scholarship

Education Level : High school student or two or four-year undergraduate student
Background : Leadership or event planning experience
Race : BIPOC

About essay scholarships

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Best essay scholarships

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

Essay scholarships for high school students

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

Essay scholarships for high school freshmen

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

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

Essay scholarships for high school sophomores

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

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

Essay scholarships for high school juniors

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

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

Essay scholarships for high school seniors

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

MJM3 Fitness Scholarship
Michael Valdivia Scholarship
Charlotte Emery Memorial Scholarship

Essay scholarships for college students

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

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

Essay scholarships for graduate students

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

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

Essay scholarships for international students

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

International Studies Scholarship
Crenati Foundation Supporting International Students Scholarship

Essay scholarships for women

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

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

Frequently asked questions about essay scholarships

How do i win essay scholarships.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How do I apply for scholarships?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When can I start applying?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What do I have to do to apply?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are scholarships counted as income?

Typically, scholarships are not counted as income.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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How to Write a Scholarship Essay

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

Types of scholarship essays

How to write a good scholarship essay

What about scholarships that don’t require an essay.

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

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

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

Types of scholarship essays

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

Career and education goals

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

Life experiences/qualities/group affinity

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

Connection with the institution/organization

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

Past writing sample

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

1. Understand your audience.

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

2. Show your personality.

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

3. Use anecdotes and examples.

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

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

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

Scholarship Essay Examples

With college tuition costs rising each year, many students apply for merit scholarships to help make college more affordable. However, merit scholarships can be competitive—and that’s where our scholarship essay examples come in. By reading our scholarship essay examples, you can learn what it takes to write an award-winning essay.

Scholarships are an excellent opportunity for students to lessen their college tuition costs. Most merit scholarships require a brief application, usually including one or more essays. Below, we’ve rounded up our best scholarship essay examples.

Reading winning scholarship essay examples, especially scholarship essay examples about yourself, can help you begin the scholarship essay process. By reviewing essay examples, you can learn how to craft a strong essay. You’ll also get a better sense of what scholarship committees look for when they review applications.

In this guide to Scholarship Essay Examples, you’ll find tips on how to write the best scholarship essay, as well as:

Various scholarship essay examples about yourself
A strong scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship
Scholarship essay examples about financial need, and more!

We’ve included scholarship essay examples specific to schools, including UC Berkeley, as well as specific programs, like the SHPE scholarship. We’ll also discuss the different types of scholarships you’ll find on your scholarship search.

Now, before we jump into our essay examples, let’s learn more about getting scholarship money for college.

What is a scholarship essay?

A scholarship essay is an essay you’ll include in your merit scholarship applications. In many ways, your scholarship essays might resemble your college essays. So, the scholarship essay format should seem familiar.

The best scholarship essays will highlight who you are and why you deserve money for college. Scholarship essay prompts will ask you to include various information, from details about your background to explanations of why you deserve a scholarship.

Crafting a compelling, well-written essay can help you win substantial financial awards to help cover your college tuition costs. However, not all scholarship essays are the same. Later on, we’ll review different winning scholarship essay examples to show you what kind of essays you’ll write in your application process.

Types of Scholarships

There are many different types of scholarships available to students. You can find a variety of scholarship opportunities on scholarships websites. The earlier you start your scholarship search, the more scholarships you’ll find.

While some scholarship applications accept applicants of all backgrounds and abilities, some have very specific eligibility guidelines. So, you may not be eligible for every scholarship. If you’re not sure whether or not you’re eligible, you can find eligibility information on most scholarships websites.

Here are a few different scholarship types you may come across in your scholarship search:

Academic scholarships
Merit scholarships
Essay competitions
Community service scholarships
Military scholarships

Scholarship essay prompts will differ across programs. As you’ll see in our winning scholarship essay examples, the prompts can vary in word count and complexity. We’ll provide you with descriptive essay examples to help you get an idea of what to expect.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Most scholarships we’ll highlight in this article are merit-based scholarships . A merit-based scholarship is money awarded by a college or community organization based on your academic achievements.

In contrast, a need-based scholarship is awarded based on a student’s financial need. If you are applying for financial aid, be sure to check out our scholarship essay examples about financial need. You’ll find both merit- and need-based scholarships on your scholarship search.

To qualify for a merit-based scholarship, you generally must meet specific criteria. Scholarship committees look at your grades, academic achievements, extracurriculars, and even test scores. Need-based scholarships can have similar requirements, but they’re primarily concerned with your family’s financial status.

There are many merit-based scholarships available to help students afford college, including:

National merit scholarships
Gates Scholarship
Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
Robertson Scholarship

Check out our guides on these popular merit-based scholarships for more details. There, you’ll find tips on how to write a winning essay. Our descriptive essay examples can also help prepare you to apply to these programs After all, while prompts vary, the scholarship essay format remains fairly standard.

Finding scholarships

In this guide, we’ll highlight some scholarships you may be eligible for. However, make sure to check out the rest of our resources to help you approach the scholarship search.

Some scholarships we’ll discuss include:

QuestBridge scholarship : helps low-income students attend elite colleges
Park scholarships : for students attending NC State University
SHPE scholarship : offers financial assistance for Hispanic students interested in STEM degrees.

Scholarship essay examples about financial need will help you prepare for your scholarship applications. For instance, if you apply for the SHPE scholarship, you’ll include a lot of details about your background.

You can also use scholarship search portals or scholarships websites to find other scholarships you may be eligible for.

How do you write a scholarship essay?

While scholarship essay prompts may differ, you’ll usually stick to the same general scholarship essay format.

One resource that can help you write the best scholarship essays and find money for college is Sallie Mae. Sallie Mae is a private lender offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional student loans. They also grant scholarships and provide aspiring college students with a scholarship search portal on their scholarships websites. Here’s what they have to say about having a winning scholarship essay format.

Organization

When writing a scholarship essay, it’s best to start with a scholarship essay format that organizes your thoughts. This will allow you to follow a plan that clearly and concisely gets your points across. You should begin your essay with a solid introduction. Then, introduce your supporting arguments and add an appropriate conclusion.

A good scholarship essay clearly states why you deserve to win money for college with evidence to back up your argument. You’ll see how to do this in our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The best scholarship essays will be original and honest. It should be written in an inspirational and positive tone, highlighting your strengths and capabilities.

When you feel like you have put your best foot forward, you should ask others for their feedback. This can be from a teacher, counselor, or one of our advisors here at CollegeAdvisor! Proofread your final essay and make sure you’ve caught any spelling and grammatical errors before submitting your application.

Up next, we’ll get into our descriptive essay examples and the different scholarship essay prompts they responded to.

By looking at scholarship essay examples, you can learn what exactly makes a good essay. So, let’s look at some descriptive essay examples written by students looking to secure money for college.

First, we will walk you through scholarship essay examples about yourself. Then, we’ll look at a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. Lastly, we will provide you with scholarship essay examples about financial need. Remember to keep these scholarship essay examples in mind when writing essays of your own!

Scholarship Essay Examples About Yourself

Let’s take a closer look at some scholarship essay examples about yourself.

Scholarship essay prompts vary quite a bit, so make sure you understand what the prompt really asks of you. That way, you can answer the question or address the prompt in its entirety.

Some scholarship essay prompts may ask how the scholarship will make a difference for you. They may also ask about any contributions you have made to your community.

Ready to look at some winning scholarship essay examples? Check out these scholarship essay examples below.

The first of our scholarship essays is for Phi Sigma Rho. Here’s the prompt:

How do you promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM on your campus or in your community? (300 words Max)

Phi sigma rho scholarship essay.

In my campus and community, I strive to promote Phi Sigma Rho and STEM by promoting Phi Rho’s values and sharing my experiences and passion for Phi Rho.

My involvement in the Women in Engineering Program (WEP) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) has allowed me the opportunity to promote Phi Rho and STEM. These activities have given me insight into how to successfully create a network that will support and encourage women in engineering to continue their careers.

Within WEP, I served as a sophomore orientation leader (Envoy), mentoring first-year women and assisting with program logistics. As an envoy, I was able to promote Phi Rho ideals of friendship and encouragement. I was also able to informally recruit for Phi Rho by sharing my experiences and passion for the sorority.

Within SWE, I was the Internal Relations Chair my freshmen year and am the Director of Member Engagement this year. Both roles are related to member engagement, allowing me to promote friendship within engineering. Member engagement is important for creating a community among female engineers. Similar to my envoy position, my leadership within SWE has allowed me to share my love for Phi Rho.

Additionally, my volunteer experience with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a STEM outreach group, has allowed me to promote STEM in the community. In EA, I give presentations on engineering, speak on panels, and lead hands-on activities for K-12 students. EA has taught me strategies to promote STEM to children and teenagers.

Because of Phi Sigma Rho, I have the confidence to inspire and encourage the next generation of female engineers. I hold the values of scholarship, friendship, and encouragement in the highest regard and strive to embody those in every leadership position and volunteer role. Through SWE, WEP, and EA, I have promoted Phi Sigma Rho, its values, and STEM as a whole in both my campus and community.

This is, in many ways, a scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. The writer clearly highlights how they’ve engaged with Phi Sigma Rho and how their values align with those of the organization. The writer also provides specific examples of their leadership positions, skills, and accolades.

The next two of our scholarship essay examples about yourself are for the SHPE scholarship. Here they are:

SHPE Scholarship essay example #1

Essay prompt:.

Summarize your life experiences and any challenges that have impacted your path to higher education. (250 Words)

Essay Example:

I vividly remember the first day of First Grade because I didn’t know the Pledge of Allegiance like the rest of my classmates. Growing up in a Hispanic household, I had never learned what the pledge was. This was the beginning of several years of disconnect.

From receiving weird looks when I told classmates my family opened Christmas gifts at midnight, to my parents’ confusion when I didn’t want them to speak Spanish in public, both sides of my life never understood the other. As a result, I always felt out of place in school, like I was behind in some way because I didn’t share the same upbringing as my classmates. In contrast, academics felt like a level playing field, something we were all learning together in the same way.

While I couldn’t tell you who won the super bowl, I could do mathematics or read just as well, if not better, than my classmates. Socially, I always felt out of place, but academically I was always comfortable, and as a result, I tried to excel in that area of my life. That desire to succeed created the relentless work ethic I have today and the appreciation I have for education.

Despite the lack of emphasis from my parents on schoolwork, I developed this sense of responsibility and persistence to pursue an education. Although my family’s Hispanic culture made my life difficult when I was younger, it made me a more resilient person.

More scholarship essay examples

Shpe scholarship essay example #2.

Discuss your educational and career aspirations as well as your ability to complete and achieve these goals. (250 words)

Using a degree in engineering, I hope to work on improving sustainability and efficiency in the aerospace industry by creating cheaper, safer, and more environmentally-conscious options.

Recently, Pratt and Whitney designed an engine that is 16% more efficient and will release 3600 less metric tons per airplane per year. Excitingly, it also greatly reduces the noise footprint of an airplane. Innovations like these will allow the aerospace industry to evolve and improve while reducing negative environmental impact. I hope to work at the forefront of this innovation, pushing the boundaries of improved engine performance and efficiency.

Last semester, I started working in the Experimental and Computational Convection Laboratory on campus to learn more about turbines. Some current projects in the lab involve new turbine cooling techniques and additive manufactured heat exchangers. Throughout the course of my undergraduate career, I hope to learn more about the barriers facing improved engine and turbine efficiency. Following undergraduate, I plan to attend graduate school to gain a deeper knowledge of these topics. Following graduate school, I may go into industry working on turbines and jet engines. Due to beginning research early, I believe graduate school is an attainable educational goal.

The potential ability to make a difference in the environmental impact of the aerospace industry is exciting. To accomplish this, I know studying Mechanical Engineering will give me the skills necessary to fulfill my career goals.

Both of these scholarship essay examples use specific details to highlight the writer’s strengths, experiences, and accolades. In reading these winning scholarship essay examples, we get a sense of who the writer is both as a person and as a student.

Scholarship Essay Sample about “Why I deserve the scholarship”

Another scholarship essay prompt you may come across is “why I deserve this scholarship.” A good scholarship essay clearly highlights why you deserve to win the scholarship and provides evidence to support your argument.

Below, you’ll find scholarship essay samples about why I deserve the scholarship. You can use these as a guide to help you tackle your own scholarship essays.

Here’s the first of our scholarship essay examples, which was used for the Park Scholarship:

The Park Scholarship is an investment in the potential of young people. It prepares scholars to make lifelong contributions to communities, states, nations, and the world. Tell us a story that illustrates your potential to make these lifelong contributions. (What have you done that should compel us to invest in you?) (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.)

Park scholarship essay example.

Coming from a Venezuelan family, I have always been able to connect with total strangers through Spanish. Whether I’m eating at a restaurant or volunteering, I am constantly stumbling upon other Spanish speakers. The ability to converse in their language allows me to bond with them in a way I couldn’t in English, something I do not take for granted.

Because of my experience, I believe that learning a foreign language is an incredibly important skill. Being able to speak in a second language allows a person to understand another community and reach out to people within that community. Additionally, speaking a second language assists in appreciating other cultures. This appreciation is important for fostering open-mindedness, something America as a whole struggles with today.

In my school district, foreign language classes are not offered until late middle school. Once in high school, many students drop the class. In addition, those who stay in the class often find that the classes provide little more than a basic understanding of the language and then become discouraged in their learning. On a larger scale, this issue affects America as a whole. Second language programs often come second in terms of funding and planning and are not encouraged as rigorously as other academic courses. As a result, many Americans are ignorant to the benefits of bilingualism and are unable to understand the viewpoint of those who are multilingual.

After my freshman year of high school, my frustration with my community’s lack of priority for second language learning culminated in my desire to take some sort of action to promote foreign language education. In my sophomore year, a classmate and I created and ran an introductory Spanish program, Spanish in the Spring, at my local library for young children in the district. I spent hours at home creating lesson plans, activities, themes, and advertisements for the program. I placed heavy emphasis on cultural aspects and the importance of the Spanish language in America and the world as a whole.

My purpose for this program was to introduce children at a young age to learning a foreign language, so their desire to learn would continue throughout their life. Through the program, I was also able to share my belief of the importance of learning a second language with the children, as well as their parents. After the final day of the program, I was thrilled when one parent mentioned their desire to learn a foreign language program themself. I felt that if I made an impact on one person or family, the entire program was worthwhile.

Unfortunately, this past spring I was unable to continue the Spanish in the Spring program due to library scheduling restraints. However, I hopefully plan to offer the program again this spring with some changes that will improve and expand the experience. One of these changes will include the immersion of parents into the experience to encourage foreign language education as a family activity.

While this program was only offered once, the impact was immeasurable, for the children, for the cause of foreign language education, and for me.

This is another scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship. In it, the writer clearly and directly answers the prompt—that is, they highlight their potential to make a lifelong impact on members of their community.

Ready for another scholarship essay example? Here’s the next one:

How will a ScholarSHPE impact your life and education? (200 Words)

Shpe scholarship essay example.

Receiving a ScholarSHPE will give me the gift of time and opportunities. My parents are unable to support me financially throughout college due to large amounts of accrued debt. A ScholarSHPE will reduce my financial stress and allow me to improve my overall health as a result. It will also prevent the need to work several hours a week at a part-time job to pay for tuition, books, and living expenses, which will limit what I can do academically and outside of class. A ScholarSHPE will allow me to spend more time on research pursuits, engineering extracurriculars, volunteer work, and school work, instead of long hours at a part-time job.

This essay sample is fairly straightforward. In it, the writer follows a clear scholarship essay format, explicitly answering the prompt.

UC Berkeley Scholarships essay examples

Let’s look at some school-specific merit scholarship essay examples.

At the University of California – Berkeley , students can apply for a variety of merit scholarships. These scholarships can help offset the cost of UC Berkeley tuition.

Below, we’ve included various scholarship essay examples for the UC Berkeley scholarships. These UC Berkeley scholarships can help students cover their college tuition costs. This can make the UC Berkeley tuition less of a barrier for students hoping to attend.

You’ll find a variety of UC Berkeley scholarships that can help you afford UC Berkeley tuition. Available UC Berkeley scholarships include:

Berkeley Undergraduate Scholarship
Fiat Lux Scholarship
Middle Class Scholarship
Regents’ and Chancellor’s Scholarship

These are just a few ways to cover the cost of UC Berkeley tuition. UC Berkeley students also receive more than $10 million per year in outside scholarships to cover college tuition costs. If you are interested in exploring non-UC Berkeley scholarships, check out this list of outside scholarship resources .

To help you get started, check out our winning UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples. The authors of these scholarship essay examples about financial need all won money to help cover their UC Berkeley tuition.

UC Berkeley scholarship essay examples

I am grateful to realize how fortunate I am today. All the loved ones around me and their acts of kindness have given me such a great life. I also realize the sacrifices that those around me have had to give up in order for me to succeed. It is because of this that I have realized what “paying it forward” truly means. I have been given the opportunity to make an impact in my community and I have fully taken advantage of this opportunity. I have been a volunteer for the Buddyball Sports Organization, which is a non-profit sports organization dedicated to providing the opportunity for children with developmental disabilities to play sports.

Growing up, watching and playing sports has been one of my greatest pleasures of life, so teaching these less fortunate kids has been something I have enjoyed doing every single weekend. On top of this, I am also both a volunteer at the South Orangetown Ambulance Corps and the Nyack Hospital. With the desire to pursue a career in the medical field, volunteering at these places has given me a great idea of what my career could look like in the near future. While all of these volunteer activities have had a significant impact on me, little did I know that this summer would truly make a lasting difference in my life.

This past summer, my family decided to go on a vacation to India to visit my relatives. This was the first time in my life that I was going to India and this was only because my grandmother came down with Parkinson’s disease and was extremely sick. Little did I know at that time that my visit to India would be a life-changing experience. Never could have I imagined such a filthy village. Everywhere I looked, there was garbage and to make matters worse, no one seemed to do anything to try to ameliorate the repugnant image of my home country.

While I realized on my flight home that I was not going to be able to make a difference and help my community back in India, there was nothing stopping me from doing so right here in Rockland County, New York. When I was told that I would have the opportunity to help organize and direct “Make a Difference Rockland,” I joyfully accepted! Make a Difference Rockland is a free public meet and greet for all local non-profits and other government agencies in an attempt to promote different community service opportunities within the public. By gathering all the local non-profit organizations and giving them a chance to present themselves, people learn more about all of the local community service opportunities that are available to them. This way, the community will be able to recruit volunteers and will not have to suffer through calamitous conditions.

As one of the people in charge of organizing, it was my responsibility to adequately contact, invite and help prepare for hundreds of people. Once I gathered their contact information, I had to ask each one of these places if they would be interested in joining the fair. If interested, I had to also prepare a table for them to present themselves at the fair. The feeling of bringing all of these community service groups together brought me a feeling of happiness that I will never forget.

The best scholarship essays will teach the reader about who the writer is, what they care about, and why they deserve a scholarship. The essay above does just that—it highlights the writer’s background and describes how they give back to their community.

Next, let’s dig into a few more scholarship essay examples.

If you’re interested in more descriptive essay examples, keep reading.

Reading a ton of winning scholarship essay examples is a great way to pick up on what makes them winners. Over time, you’ll start to notice how the details, tone, and flow all work together to tell a story.

Below, you’ll find a few more scholarship essay examples. Our first one is from the NC Parks Scholarship. Here’s the prompt:

What do you do to serve your community? Why do you do the service that you do? What impact have you made? What challenges or insights have your service contributions given you? (Max. 3,990 characters including spaces.)

Community-focused scholarship essay example #1.

“What are the boys like in high school?” “Is it easy to get a boyfriend?” Sighing, the other frustrated leaders and I look at each other as we read the questions posed by the younger girls. Every year at Girls’ Night Out (GNO), a program that introduces and prepares eighth-grade girls for high school, the girls question the leaders about relationships and dating ad nauseum, irritating other leaders to the point of ignoring the questions.

Giving each question a careful and deliberate answer is often difficult, but instead of disregarding the issue, I try to offer my most sincere and honest advice. Originally, when I began as a group leader in the program I would give the same response, “You shouldn’t worry about boys. Instead, enjoy your friends, and do things you enjoy.” While that advice is true, it is often not the answer that will satisfy the girls. Through many years in the program, I have learned that advice is not “one size fits all”; it must be individualized to the person’s needs. Now, when faced with a question about dating, I respond with more questions before giving “words of wisdom”.

Many times I am able to understand the perspective of the middle school student, allowing me to give advice accordingly. Supplying proper advice about sensitive topics is one of the most impactful parts of GNO. As a role model and positive influence for the girls, I largely impact their ideas and perception of the environment when entering high school. In addition to teaching the students valuable lessons, volunteering at GNO has taught me that various perspectives may present themselves identically. To better understand those around me, it is important that I look beyond the surface for the other person’s viewpoint.

Beyond understanding other viewpoints from GNO, I have learned from other service that understanding a person’s situation is essential for providing exceptional assistance. Through Key Club, I volunteer many times a year at the local food pantry. As a volunteer, I help the recipients “shop” at the small grocery store using a point system. The process takes up a lot of time because shoppers do not always know what they want. Originally I thought this was a poor design. I believed it would be much more efficient to just hand out the food rather than giving out points and shopping with the food pantry recipients.

Upon expressing my opinion to one of the adult food pantry staff, he explained to me that the grocery store aspect of the store taught the recipients life skills. Additionally, by giving them autonomy over what food they “bought”, they retained a sort of independence, an important skill to have if they find themselves above the income level required to use the food pantry.

The next time I volunteered I took note of the skills presented. Budgeting of points, deciding whether or not they needed something, determining the quality of the fruit, and decision-making of choosing extra food or toiletries, were all skills that those above the poverty line have ingrained. For those who have been using food pantries and other assistance for prolonged periods of time, these skills are not so natural. As a result, teaching the people means after they no longer need the services of the food pantry, they have valuable skills necessary for their independence.

From this experience, I learned an important lesson: helping people is not just giving them what they need at the moment, but understanding what they will need in the future and providing that as well. After realizing this, I emphasize the abilities that the food pantry teaches whenever I dedicate my time. By doing that, I am positively affecting the development of those skills.

When reflecting on the various ways I have served my community, one thing stands out to me: I always understand another viewpoint or gain a new perspective afterwards. For me, the ability to look at something from different angles is an unparalleled talent, and one of the most important skills a person can have.

Describe your volunteer or community experience with SHPE or other organizations and any internships you have held. (250 Words)

Community-focused scholarship essay example #2.

In SHPE, I have been involved in planning the Penn State College of Engineering STEP-UP (Student Transition Engineering Program at University Park) Program as a chair. The STEP-UP program helps students from Penn State branch campuses smoothly transition to the University Park campus through a 3-day program in the spring. The program introduces them to engineering resources, other engineering students, and provides professional development. Due to COVID-19, this year it was held virtually.

Within the Society of Women Engineers and the Women in Engineering Program, I have volunteered at different STEM events in the community for elementary school students. I am also currently serving as an Envoy (a mentorship and logistical position) for the Women in Engineering Program Orientation. Additionally, I participate in many of SWE’s service events, such as donating and collecting donations, cleaning up areas on and around campus, and visiting nursing homes.

On campus, I am also involved with Engineering Ambassadors (EA), a group that does STEM outreach around Pennsylvania from the elementary school to high school level. EA goes virtually or in person to schools, does engineering presentations and activities, and answers questions.

Prior to COVID-19, I had secured an internship with Pratt and Whitney, however, they had to cancel their internship program. As a result, I was fortunate enough to obtain a Process Quality Engineering internship at Brentwood Industries for summer 2020.

Both of these scholarship essay examples highlight how the writers have given back to their communities. These winning scholarship essay examples highlight the writers’ strengths. In doing so, they highlight why these writers deserve help with college tuition costs.

Reflecting on scholarship essay format

As important as the content of your essay is, your scholarship essay format is equally important. As you write, be sure to adhere to the scholarship essay format guidelines provided to you.

However, there are some things all of the best scholarship essays have in common. Here are some general tips, tricks, and outlines to help you in your own writing process.

Three scholarship essay writing tips:

Word counts are hard to adhere to, but the other applicants must adhere to them, too. Make sure every word counts.
When you write a solid essay, you can repurpose some of your key points, including specific anecdotes and details, in other scholarship applications.
Writing a good essay helps you solidify who you are and what you want. This sets you up for success in the scholarship application process and beyond.

Three essential elements to include in your essay:

State your goals. Scholarship committees are investing in your future and your potential. To take a chance on you, they need to know your plan and what you want to do with your award.
Establish an implicit or explicit link between your goals and the scholarship you are applying for. Describe to the committee how the specific scholarship will help you attain your goals. Give them a tangible reason as to why you deserve their investment.
Share your story. Use personal details about your experiences that highlight your identity and objectives. How have you pursued your goals and prepared for your future? How will the scholarship help you going forward? Get personal and be honest.

Storytelling in your essay

Some of the best scholarship essays utilize good storytelling strategies. You should share the details of your personal story in a narrative, using a logical order. Remember, telling personal details about yourself and your goals does not mean simply restating your resume!

By the end of the essay, the scholarship committee should have an in-depth sense of why you applied. You should reveal:

When and how you arrived at your future goals
Your motivations to accomplish these objectives
What traits or skills you have developed along the way
The meaningful experiences that drive you to your goals
Any personal challenges you have faced and how you have overcome them
What has shaped you and your worldview

These details humanize you and show your complexity as a person and an applicant. It’s helpful to use anecdotes and personal experiences to give life to facts and details about yourself. Sharing real-life experiences will help make your essay more interesting and more fun to read.

Creating your scholarship essay format

Once you have thought about what you want to say, start thinking about your scholarship essay format. You may start by making a list of what your reader may be interested in:

How you spend your time
Your accomplishments
What your passions are, etc.

Start by brainstorming everything you may want to include in your essay. Then, think about whether the stories you include support your arguments. Ask yourself, “What did I learn?” or “How did this get me closer to my goals?”. These reflections help the reader connect to your purpose for writing.

Make sure to organize your thoughts in a narrative order. However, there isn’t just one way to write an essay. So, don’t limit yourself to one version of your story. You may find yourself writing multiple drafts before you get to your final scholarship essay format.

Editing and proofreading your essay

When you think you have finished, be sure to proofread and edit to ensure it’s ready to be submitted. Check that you’ve adhered to all the scholarship essay format guidelines (like the word count).

Reviewing also includes getting input from others! An outside reader’s opinion can help you confirm your essay effectively communicates your ideas.

Tips for scholarship essays

You may notice some similarities between the scholarship essay examples about yourself we’ve provided. That’s because the authors of the best scholarship essays all use similar strategies to make their essays great.

Here are 5 tips from U.S. News to help you make all of your scholarship essays stand out:

Tips for writing stand-out scholarship essays

1. get personal and be specific.

The best scholarship essays will share an authentic story with impactful details. The key is to be yourself and not shy away from personal details. The more the committee gets to know about you, the more likely they are to invest in your future. You want your essay to offer a genuine, in-depth look into who you are as a person.

2. Tell a story

Your essay should be more than a collection of facts—it should tell a story. That means having a solid introduction that grabs the reader’s attention from the very start. Then, you should include a logical flow of experiences or details. By the end of your essay, you want your reader to have learned something valuable about you.

3. Tailor the scholarship essay to the prompt

Some of your scholarship essay prompts may be similar across different scholarship applications. However, it’s important that your essay is specific to each prompt and answers the question entirely. While you can repurpose an essay you’ve already written as inspiration or a starting point, be extra attentive when doing so.

4. Don’t tailor yourself to the reader

Many students fall into the trap of telling a story they think scholarship foundation committees want to hear. Instead, stay true to yourself as you craft your scholarship application essays. Don’t tell your reader what you think they want to hear—just tell them who you are.

5. Follow directions

This final tip may arguably be the most important. Above all else, students should follow instructions. This means adhering to the scholarship essay format guidelines and word count. It also means answering the essay prompt in its entirety. Application readers can be easily frustrated by a student’s failure to follow directions. This could reflect poorly on you and your essay in the long run.

Use these tips to guide you as you approach the scholarship essay format.

Scholarship Essay Examples – Final Thoughts

We hope our roundup of scholarship essay examples has shown you how to approach your scholarship applications. With rising college costs, scholarships should be a part of your college financial planning process. Take the time to do your own scholarship search based on your specific interests. You can find plenty of scholarships to apply to on scholarships websites and college financial aid pages. There are many different scholarships websites to help you with your search.

Save this guide

Feel free to save this guide and review our scholarship essay examples about yourself and about financial need. You can always look back on our scholarship essay sample about why I deserve the scholarship when writing your own essay.

Start with an outline that organizes your thoughts. Then, make sure your essay is clear and concise. Be original and honest, and include personal details and anecdotes when appropriate. State why you deserve to win the scholarship. Then, support your claim in a way that makes a scholarship committee invested in your future.

10 tips for how to write a scholarship essay

Remember, applying for scholarships can be just as competitive as applying to college, so approach each application with care. There are lots of similarities between writing a successful college essay and knowing how to write an essay for scholarships. This is why it is important to understand the components of a strong personal statement and how to write a scholarship essay.

In this article, we will review 10 key tips for how to write an essay for a scholarship. So if you are interested in learning how to write a great essay for scholarships, read on for valuable insight into the writing and editing process. Maximize your chances of receiving scholarship money by learning how to write a personal essay for a scholarship and distinguish yourself from your peers.

Start writing your essays early

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Make a list of scholarships you are eligible for — along with their deadlines and other requirements. Give yourself plenty of time to brainstorm, write, and revise. Once you’ve written your first scholarship essay, chances are, you’ll be able to tweak it for other scholarship opportunities. So do yourself a favor and start drafting your scholarship essay early! This way you will be able to meet more deadlines.

Know your audience

Always research the organization providing the scholarship beforehand. Do your values and goals align with the organization’s mission statement? There are lots of scholarship opportunities available to you, so do your best to only apply to the ones that make the most sense.

For example, if you are interested in becoming a teacher, focus on scholarship opportunities for prospective teachers. Likewise, if you are interested in entering the medical field, research scholarship opportunities for prospective healthcare workers.

Follow the prompt

Make sure that you follow the prompt (along with any other instructions) carefully. It sounds obvious, but it’s important to show that you can follow directions. Also, there is a reason why the organization gave the prompt that they provided — so follow it! Be sure to follow other directions as well, such as word count.

Don’t write about a topic just because it seems impressive. Do your best to always be sincere and genuine. Reflect on your future plans carefully and give yourself enough time to write each essay thoughtfully. Organizations want to award scholarships to thoughtful individuals who invested time and effort into their application.

Demonstrate your passion and personality

Similar to college essays, scholarship essays are used to help personalize the acceptance process. Use each essay to demonstrate your personality, interests, passions, and goals. When an organization awards you a scholarship, they are investing in you and your future. So give them a reason to want to support you!

Use detailed language and be concise

Avoid general statements and vague language. Use detailed language and specific examples whenever possible. By considering each sentence carefully, you will make your essay more succinct. Not only will this help you stay within your required word count, but it will also make your writing more engaging and purposeful.

Show, don’t tell

Do your best to “show, not tell” in your essay. This relates back to the previous tip about being concise and using detailed language. For example, instead of saying you are hardworking, provide an example that shows that you are hardworking. Instead of saying you are excited about furthering your education, give specific examples of what you are excited to learn and experience.

Avoid cliches

Scholarship committees don’t want to read the same essay over and over. It’s boring and the individual essays are easily forgotten. This is why it is important to avoid overused college essay topics . Writing a unique scholarship essay will help you stand out from your peers and increase your overall chances of receiving funding.

scholarships for college that require an essay

Overused College Essay Topics

Click here to read more

Ask for feedback

It always helps to get an extra opinion. Ask your high school guidance counselor and teachers for feedback on your essay. Sometimes you aren’t able to see your own mistakes. Asking for additional feedback will help ensure that your essay is interesting, easy to follow, and error-free.

Always proofread

Typos are not the end of the world, but they could negatively impact your chances of being awarded a scholarship. Submitting an essay that is grammatically correct and error-free communicates care, attention to detail, and respect. Organizations want to award scholarships to students who are invested in their futures and work hard to achieve their goals.

How to write a scholarship essay (format)

Generally, your scholarship essays should follow a similar format. Review the following outline to help you draft your own essay:

Introduction: Open your essay with a hook! Usually, this involves some sort of personal anecdote related to the rest of your essay.
1-3 body paragraphs: Use the bulk of your essay to address your future goals and how they align with the organization’s values and mission statements.
Conclusion: Briefly summarize how and why you would benefit from receiving the scholarship you are applying for.

Key takeaways and moving forward

Scholarship applications are competitive and often require a lot of application materials, including a scholarship essay. This is why it is important to research how to write an essay for a scholarship application. Knowing how to write a personal essay for scholarships will increase your chances of receiving additional funding.

For many students, applying for scholarships is a crucial part of college application season and knowing how to write an essay for a scholarship application is equally important. This is why reading various “how to write an essay for a scholarship” examples can be so helpful.

Visit our scholarship bulletin to find out what scholarship opportunities are available to you. If you feel like you could benefit from professional guidance, regardless of where you are in the college application process, reach out to learn more about our services .

August 1, 2022
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How to Write an Essay for Scholarships

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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 .

Where to Find the Best Scholarships for College Freshmen

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

How to Apply for College Scholarships

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

The Best College Scholarships for High School Students

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

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Articles & Advice > Financial Aid > Blog

White hand with pen and words Essay Writing with big red X, indicating no essays

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: Feb 12, 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 ® $1,000 Plan for College Sweepstakes

You’re already throwing out registrations left and right. What’s one more? This one could even lead you to more scholarships because to be entered, you have to register for the Sallie Mae scholarship search tool.

Amount: $1,000 Awarded: Monthly Deadline: Last day of the month Check out the Plan for College 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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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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Top 51 Easy Scholarships✅ to Apply For in April 2024

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

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Gabriel Jimenez-Ekman is a content editor and writer at Scholarships360. He has managed communications and written content for a diverse array of organizations, including a farmer’s market, a concert venue, a student farm, an environmental NGO, and a PR agency. Gabriel graduated from Kenyon College with a degree in sociology.

Scholarships are one of the best ways for students to pay for college. While many scholarships require extensive applications and essays, others are more straightforward and easy to apply for . While easy scholarships shouldn’t be the only scholarships you apply for, they are a useful part of your scholarship search strategy.

You can apply to easy scholarships quickly, as they have few eligibility requirements and require only a brief essay (if they require any essay at all). Easy scholarships are often offered on a monthly basis, which means you have multiple opportunities to apply.

Why choose Scholarships360

We helped over 4 million students find scholarships in 2023

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

13+ years of experience helping students make smart education decisions

The Scholarships360 Research Team reviews all scholarships individually and strives to exclude any scholarship where any of the below applies:

The scholarship requires a fee to apply
The scholarship provider’s privacy policy allows for the misuse of student data
The scholarship requires paid membership in an organization (with certain exceptions for reputable trade organizations and others)
Student are required to sign up for a site or service to apply*
The scholarship seems primarily used for lead generation** or idea harvesting purposes***
The scholarship website has many grammatical errors and/or advertisements
The scholarship or scholarship providing organization seem untrustworthy
There is no evidence the scholarship was previously awarded
The scholarship has not been awarded in the past 12 months
There is no available contact information

If you believe a scholarship has been published in error, please reach out to [email protected] and we’ll take a look!

* There are certain exceptions to this, for example if the sponsoring organization is a major corporation or nonprofit with its own scholarship application system. ** Lead generation scholarships will require students to sign up for an app or website and require minimal (if any) application requirements. ***Idea harvesting scholarships will require students to submit blog posts or other materials that companies may use for marketing purposes.

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

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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.

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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!

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

Offered by Niche

Easy scholarship open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone looking to attend college or graduate school in the next year!

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

Offered by Bold.org

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

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

Offered by CollegeXpress

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

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

Offered by Appily

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

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

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

Offered by Christian Connector

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

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

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

Offered by CollegeVine

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

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

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

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

Offered by ScholarshipOwl

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

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

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

Offered by ScholarshipPoints

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

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

Offered by Unigo

This easy scholarship is open to all high school students who are at least 14 years of age. To apply, students must respond to the… Show More

This easy scholarship is open to all high school students who are at least 14 years of age. To apply, students must respond to the following essay prompt in 250 words (or less): "Would you rather be smart, funny or rich? Why?" On or about March 31, 2025, a qualified panel of judges will select one (1) potential winner based on the criteria of writing ability (25%), creativity (25%), originality (25%), and overall excellence (25%). 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

Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship

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

Redefining Victory Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Are you a post-secondary student of any kind? This includes, but is not limited to, students pursuing the traditional 2/4 university route, attending a trade… Show More

Are you a post-secondary student of any kind? This includes, but is not limited to, students pursuing the traditional 2/4 university route, attending a trade school or certificate program, completing an online post-secondary program, or any other program that may lead to a post-secondary certificate or degree. If so, consider applying for the Redefining Victory Scholarship! Each year, the scholarship awards $2,500 each to four current post-secondary students pursuing a certificate or degree in any topic of their choice. To apply, interested students must submit an essay detailing "what success looks like to [them] and how this opportunity will help [them] achieve it." If you're a passionate post-secondary student, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

Across Cultures No-Essay Scholarship

Offered by Keepgoingforward.org

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

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

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

Offered by CampusReel

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

Return 2 College Scholarship Program

Offered by Return2College.com

Are you a U.S. citizen or legal resident who is currently enrolled in or will be starting a program of higher education (college or graduate… Show More

Are you a U.S. citizen or legal resident who is currently enrolled in or will be starting a program of higher education (college or graduate school) within the next 12 months? If so, the Return 2 College Scholarship Program may be a great opportunity for you! Each year, the scholarship awards $1,000 to the first-place applicant. To be considered for the scholarship, students must be aged 17 or older and submit a three-sentence essay answering the question "Why are you getting your degree?" If this sounds like a good opportunity for you, we encourage you to apply! Keep on reading to learn more. Show Less

$1,000 SuperCollege.com Scholarship

Offered by SuperCollege.com

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

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

Top 10 easy scholarships overall

We pick our easy scholarships by finding trustworthy organizations who offer big rewards and have been offering their scholarships for a long period of time. As there are many easy scholarship scams, we have put each of these scholarships through a strict vetting process. Apply with confidence to the following top easy scholarships:

$10,000 No Essay Scholarship – With a high award and simple sign-up process that matches you with vetted scholarships, our 10k no essay scholarship is our #1 choice for easy scholarships! Open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students
$2k Sallie Mae Easy Scholarship – Easy scholarship open to high school upperclassmen, college students, and grad students
$40,000 Big Future Scholarship – Easy scholarship for students who make a 3-entry college list
Niche $25k No Essay – Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students
$25k “Be Bold” Scholarship – Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students
$10k College Xpress Scholarship – Easy scholarship open to high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
$1k Appily Easy Money Scholarship – Open to high school students and transfer college students. Awarded every month
$5,000 Christian Connector Scholarship – Open to high school students planning on attending a Christian college or university
Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship – For the student looking for an exciting easy scholarship, you must write a 250-word plan for what you’d do in a zombie apocalypse to win this $2k award. Open to all high school and college students
CampusReel Virtual Tour Scholarship – $2k scholarship for students of any grade level. You are entered if you watch one of their virtual college tours

https://www.tiktok.com/@scholarships360/video/7356976001299254574

Top 3 easy scholarships for high schoolers

$40,000 Big Future Scholarship – Easy scholarship open to high school sophomores and juniors

Top 3 easy scholarships for grad students

Types of easy scholarships.

There are several different types of easy scholarships to apply to. Here’s what you should know about the most common types of easy scholarships.

No essay scholarships tend to be some of the easiest options when it comes to applying for scholarship money. Applicants usually just fill out some information about themselves, such as their grade level, GPA , contact information, current school, and occasionally their financial need, such as their EFC , and are entered into the competition.

While these scholarships are easy to apply for, they also give applicants less of an opportunity to stand out as an individual. So, if no essay scholarships are part of your scholarship strategy, you should apply to many in order to increase your chances, and be sure to apply to other opportunities as well.

Short essay

Short essay scholarships are not as involved as in-depth opportunities like Posse and Questbridge , but they do give students a chance to use their own voice to appeal to the selection committee. Remember, a short essay is a great opportunity to say a lot with few words. Make sure you have a strong opening sentence , and be sure to check out our guides on writing 250 word essays to help.

Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes are some of the easiest scholarships to apply to. Winners are chosen at random and contacted through the avenues they filled out on the application. However, because these are the easiest types of scholarships, they are also the ones that receive the most applicants. That means each applicant has a lower opportunity of winning.

Sweepstakes can be great if you win, but the chances of winning are low. Make sure you keep your eye out for scholarship scams when you apply. Although we vet all of our easy scholarships, some sites may post fraudulent ones that do not actually offer awards, or collect information to scam applicants.

Microscholarships

Micro scholarships, such as the scholarships offered on raise.me , offer money for college for things you may already be doing. With raise.me you can earn scholarships for such simple things as completing the FAFSA, uploading your course catalogue, taking the SAT (no matter the score), and more. Only certain colleges accept these scholarships, but be sure to look into it and see if a school you’re considering is on the list.

Institutional scholarships

Many colleges automatically consider students for a wide range of scholarships when they review applications. For example, Kenyon’s Distinguished Academic Scholarship does not require any additional application and can fund $15,000 per year of your education. Talk about an easy scholarship! Since there is no additional application for these scholarships, the best way to apply to opportunities like this is to apply to a wide range of safety schools where your GPA and test scores are above the average admitted student, as well as schools that are known to give strong merit and need-based aid.

Government grants

Although they are not strictly scholarships, government grants like the Pell Grant and state-based grants like the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) are some of the easiest ways to earn money for your education. The difference between these grants and other scholarships is that if you qualify, you will automatically receive them! There is no competition or review board. You don’t have to spend time perfecting your application. This makes them easier and more reliable than any kind of scholarship!

Tips for students applying to easy scholarships

Apply early and often.

The best strategy for applying to easy scholarships is to cast a wide net. You’re less likely to win any given easy scholarship, because the application is “easy” and there are more applicants. So, the best way to help your chances is to apply to a great many opportunities, since each individual application takes minimal time and effort.

Applying to easy scholarships is great, but you should make sure to spend a good amount of time on more involved applications too. You have a much better chance of winning scholarship money with a well-crafted application to an opportunity that suits you than a random drawing, which is how many easy scholarships pick their winners. If you’re looking for a place to start looking for more specific scholarships, try out our free scholarship search tool to browse custom-matched, vetted opportunities, updated daily!

Expect a lot of email

Easy scholarships are a great way to put your name in the ring for scholarship money without taking too much time on your applications. But keep in mind that each opportunity you apply for will request your contact information. Most of the time, you will be signing up for a mailing list with each application you submit. You might end up getting monthly, weekly, or even daily email from the organization offering the scholarship.

Many people use two separate email accounts: one for personal communication with friends, family, and professional relationships, and another to manage the emails they receive from businesses, from their banks, and from newsletters they subscribe to. Making a separate email can be a great way to manage the influx of mail you will begin to receive if you apply to a lot of easy scholarships.

Consider no essay scholarships

If you’re in the market for easy scholarships, don’t neglect our list of no essay scholarships for college. Our easy scholarships involve little in the way of application materials, but some of them have a short essay or response. These no essay scholarships don’t require any response on your end, and you can easily sit down and apply to many of them.

Be wary of scholarship scams

There are a great many scholarship scams out there, but they are especially common among easy scholarships. Remember to do some investigation before you send off your application to any organization. You should never submit personal information that could be used for identity theft, and never pay an application fee to enter a contest. For more information on the matter, check out our article on how to avoid scholarship scams .

Expert Perspective

Will geiger.

Scholarships360 Co-Founder

Former Admissions Officer

Don’t forget financial aid

One way to pay for college that’s even simpler than easy scholarships is through financial aid like institutional aid, FAFSA funds such as the Pell Grant , and other federal and state grants. Remember, if you are not filling out the FAFSA , you are potentially giving up free money for your higher education. Unlike a scholarship application, the FAFSA does not require essays or personal statements. The application process only takes you and your parents’ financial information such as tax returns and information about assets.

Downsides to easy scholarships

The biggest drawback of easy scholarship opportunities is that many students can apply for them. They are basically like a sweepstakes with free entry, which means that they will get many more applicants than more complex scholarships.

This means that your chances of winning are lower than scholarships with essays and other specific criteria. Many of these scholarships are more similar to a contest than a true scholarship competition based on merit or talent. You may also be opting into receiving marketing materials and offerings from the scholarship providers, so be aware of that if you are asked to opt-in!

Additional scholarship categories

At the end of the day, the easiest scholarship to win is the one you are best qualified for! Let us help you find the perfect scholarship fit with lists tailored to your interests and strengths:

Scholarships by state
Top scholarships for Black students
Top STEM scholarships
Top scholarships for students with average grades
Top scholarships for high school seniors
Top scholarships for women
Top writing and essay scholarships
Scholarships that don’t require an essay

Frequently asked questions

What are some of the easiest scholarships, what is the lowest gpa to get a scholarship, are easy scholarships legit, are there easy scholarships for grad students, are easy scholarships available all year, are easy scholarships available more than once a year, are these easy scholarships need-based, are easy scholarships renewable, are easy scholarships a waste of time.

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College Applications: How to Begin

Find the right college for you..

Applying to college is a big job. It can feel overwhelming. However, you can make the process much easier by breaking it down into small steps. Here's how.

How to Start Applying for Colleges

The good news is that most U.S. universities follow the same standard application process. If possible, begin the following four-step approach several months before the submission deadline.

Understand the common terminology you'll see during the application process. Learning how to apply to college involves having a good grasp of such things as frequently used acronyms, supporting documents, and government departments.
Review the appropriate application timeline you should follow when signing up for college. Every school has its own deadlines, but you may have certain milestones to hit during your senior or even junior year.
Discover the individual components of a complete application . For example, schools usually ask for supplemental application materials like letters of recommendation, transcripts, and written essays.

Create a real and a virtual folder for storing documents.
Print a checklist to track your progress on each part of the application.
Build a spreadsheet to stay on top of submission deadlines.
Your Social Security number.
Your high school code.
A copy of your high school transcript.
Your score report from a college admission test.
Make sure you’ve included all required information and that the information filled out on the forms is accurate and spelled correctly.
Confirm that any required attachments are the correct files and have been properly uploaded.
Double-check that you filled out all fields and followed all instructions.
Take a deep breath. Click submit !

Where do I start with college applications?

The first step is to do your research. Knowledge is power. Knowing what to expect from the application process makes a difference. Research the schools you're interested in applying to. Learn as much as you can about their admissions process.

What are the steps in the college application process?

Keep in mind that signing up for college is a multistep process. Among other key steps, you must fill out a standard application, acquire crucial support documents, and write personal essays. Although schools have different requirements, here are the main steps of the college application process:

Create a list of colleges you're interested in.
Research and visit schools to narrow down the list.
Fill out the FAFSA®, and consider finances and scholarship opportunities.
Get letters of recommendations, if required.
Take college admission tests.
Write your college application essay, if required.
Complete your online application(s).
If any of your target schools have their own institutional applications, complete those.
Check and recheck your application documents before submitting them.

What should I do before I fill out my college application?

How do you apply for college without wasting time? Advisers often recommend gathering relevant documents before you begin. You can knock out the informative sections in one go, reducing your chances of making an error. Some of the basics you need include:

Identity cards and Social Security number.
School transcripts.
Test scores.
List of extracurriculars.
List of awards and achievements.
Recommendation letters, if required by the college.
Application and school portal login credentials.

What are the most important parts of a college application?

College admissions officers consider many factors when reviewing applications. Among the most important factors are your grades and the courses you took.

The best approach to have when completing applications is to treat every part as important. Put your best foot forward in all areas. Make every part shine.

Now you're informed, inspired, organized, and ready to begin. For more on the college admissions process, visit Applying to College: FAQs .

IMAGES

Learn How to Write a Truly Impressive Scholarship Essay!
12 Tips on How to Write a Winning Scholarship Essay
The Ultimate Guide to College Scholarships
A Complete Guide to the College Scholarship Essay
FREE 7+ Sample Scholarship Essay Templates in PDF
Best Scholarship Essay Examples (Winning Tips)

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Do these to make your College and Scholarship Essays stand out. www. newedgescience.com
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Top 30 Need Based Scholarships #hecscholarship #shortvideo #scholarship

COMMENTS

The Top Essay Scholarships for Students
All of the below scholarships require an essay entry - some as short as only 250 words - with interesting essay topics. For writers, a few hundred (or even a thousand) words is no biggie. ... The Rover College Scholarship is available to graduating high school seniors and current college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors. To be considered ...
Top 64 Writing & Essay Scholarships in April 2024
Our editors hand-picked the following 10 essay scholarships with an eye for large awards, prestigious organizations, and scholarships that are open to a wide variety of students. Apply with confidence to the following essay scholarships: Jack Kent Cooke College Scholarship - For high school seniors with financial need, worth up to $55,000 per ...
30 Great Essay Scholarships
Talented writers can receive free college financial aid by applying for the best essay scholarships. Essay scholarships require writing 250 to 2,000 or more words on an assigned topic. ... America's 911 Foundation Inc. has conferred 15 College Scholarships for $2,000 apiece to aid the dependent children of first responders. Biological or ...
Essay Scholarships
The essay should be between 700 and 1,000 words, not including citations. The Umps Care All-Star College Scholarship gives out $5,000 per semester to students attending a four-year institution. To qualify, you must have been adopted at age 13 or later, or have been in foster care since the age of 13.
Essay Scholarships
Help cover the cost of college without writing a single essay! Niche is giving one student $25,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required! High school seniors will also be eligible to receive acceptances (and scholarships!) from our Direct Admissions partner colleges.
Common College Scholarship Requirements Guide
One of the most common requirements for scholarships is academic achievement. Organizations typically assess your academic achievements by looking at your GPA, the classes you took, and your performance on standardized tests (like the SAT or ACT). These credentials show how well you have performed in academics so far.
How to Start a Scholarship Essay (With Examples)
Put the reader in your shoes. Alternatively, you can choose to start your essay by placing the reader right in your shoes and show them something from your life. Appeal to the senses and show the reader what you see, hear, smell, or taste. These specific details will help your essay come to life and make it even more memorable.
Top 210 Essay Scholarships to Apply for in April 2024
Education Level: Must be a current high school senior or undergraduate student. Schooling: Either studying healthcare or attending an HBCU. GPA: 2.5 or higher. Amount: $31,138. Deadline: Aug 01, 2024. One Click Apply. Apply now! 2.
How to Write a Scholarship Essay
Write a focused and relevant personal story. After researching the organization, identify a specific personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies why you will be a successful student. Choose a story with the following criteria: Responds to the prompt. Demonstrates the organization's values.
Crafting Compelling Scholarship Essays: An In-Depth Guide to Making
Absolutely, it can be extremely beneficial to have others review your essay. They can provide constructive criticism, catch any typos or grammatical errors, and provide an outside perspective to ensure your message is clear and compelling. Creating compelling scholarship essays can help you win college scholarships to pay for your education.
Complete Guide to College Scholarships
Some scholarships request financial information or the FAFSA, and it's also common for scholarship applications to require components like essays, interviews, and letters of recommendation.
Scholarship Essays
Efficient Essay Writing for Scholarship Seekers. Before you go out in search of student loans to help pay for college, you need to realize there is free money in the form of scholarships out there that a lot of people won't put in the necessary amount of time and effort required to get it. Creating a well-reasoned, informative and well-written scholarship essay is one of the things you can ...
How To Find Scholarships For College
For example, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund awards scholarships of $500 to $5,000 to students of Hispanic heritage pursuing university degrees. 5. Essay. Many nonprofit organizations and private ...
The Ultimate Guide to Finding and Winning College Scholarships
Public four-year in-state: $27,940. Public four-year out-of-state: $45,240. Public two-year in-district: $19,230. Those are some big numbers. But, before you close your browser and run for the hills and away from the college debt monster, keep in mind the big secret alluded to a brief moment ago:
How to Write a Scholarship Essay
Consider how your interests and experiences align with what the organization is looking for, and make them clear throughout your essay. 2. Show your personality. You should also use your voice in your essay. Give the scholarship committee insight into who you are as a person — what drives you, what motivates you, and what interests you.
9 Scholarship Essay Examples
Scholarship essay examples about financial need, and more! We've included scholarship essay examples specific to schools, including UC Berkeley, as well as specific programs, like the SHPE scholarship. We'll also discuss the different types of scholarships you'll find on your scholarship search. Now, before we jump into our essay examples ...
Scholarship Essay Examples
Sample scholarship essay #2. By Alison G. ESSAY PROMPT: Submit an essay of 350-500 words to tell us ONE thing you are, or were, most concerned about regarding preparing for college, and what you've done, or are doing, to overcome the challenge. After living independently since I was fifteen, my biggest worry was not only paying for college, but learning how.
Finding Scholarships
Application requirements: While some scholarships may require essays, others might request video submissions, artistic portfolios, or project proposals, depending on the criteria. Submission method: Methods range from online forms to mail-in or even in-person presentations. Be sure to adapt your approach based on each scholarship's guidelines.
When to Start Applying for Scholarships
The General Rule of Thumb. For most scholarships, it's recommended to start the process at least a year before you need the funds. This isn't just a truism; it is based on the time it takes to research, apply, and then wait for decisions. For instance, if you're a high school senior planning to attend college straight after graduation, you ...
How to Write an Essay for Scholarships
Similar to college essays, scholarship essays are used to help personalize the acceptance process. Use each essay to demonstrate your personality, interests, passions, and goals. ... There are countless scholarship opportunities for college students and many of these scholarships require an essay. This is why learning tips for how to write good ...
Top 67 No Essay Scholarships in April 2024
Apply with confidence to the following no essay scholarships: Coca Cola Scholarship - $20,000 scholarship for college-bound high school seniors. Dell Scholars Program - For Pell Grant-eligible high school seniors who participated in a college readiness program. Worth $20,000 with 500 scholarships awarded every year.
How To Find Scholarships With No Essay Requirements ...
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 ...
Easy No-Essay Scholarships for Students
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
14 Scholarship Essay Examples That Won Thousands 2024
Scholarship Essay Example #5. Questbridge Finalist essay earning $3,000 in application waivers plus $3000 in local scholarships by Jordan Sanchez. Prompt: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it.
Top 51 Easy Scholarships to Apply For in April 2024
Niche $25k No Essay - Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students. $25k "Be Bold" Scholarship - Easy scholarship open to high schoolers, college students, and grad students. $10k College Xpress Scholarship - Easy scholarship open to high school freshmen, sophomores, and juniors.
How to Apply to Colleges: Tips to Get Started- BigFuture
Create a list of colleges you're interested in. Research and visit schools to narrow down the list. Fill out the FAFSA®, and consider finances and scholarship opportunities. Get letters of recommendations, if required. Take college admission tests. Write your college application essay, if required. Complete your online application(s).