Often students think they don’t have much, if any, chance at winning scholarships if they haven’t achieved excellent grades in high school and I’m sure many scholarship providers do, in fact, prefer to invest in a student who has already proven themselves to thrive in an academic setting. Nobody is saying you don’t stand a better chance at some free college cash if you do happen to belong to three or four clubs and boast a 4.0 cumulative GPA or ace the ACT/SAT’s, but these are not the only criteria by which scholarship providers award cash these days.
Naturally, there are the odd-ball scholarships like the one for left-handed people or the one where you make a suit or dress out of Duck tape for your prom, but you probably already know of these, having read about them in almost every article written on scholarships over the last decade or so. In case you’re not familiar, though, the scholarship for lefties is only available to those planning to attend Juniata College in Huntington, Pennsylvania. The Duck tape one is actually a really cool scholarship contest that has no GPA requirements, offers a $2,500 grand prize and looks like a lot of fun. There are so many others out there, though, and you or your child/student could very well qualify for several or possibly dozens of them. Below are several types of scholarship that don’t necessarily favor the class brain.
Can you draw? Dance? Sing? Talent is the new brains
There are quite a few scholarships available to the more creatively inclined that don’t necessarily require good grades. Some may have a minimum GPA, but often they are a very attainable 3.0 or thereabouts rather than the “4.0, top-of-your-class” variety. I have seen drawing scholarships, singing auditions that could net a scholarship for the top performers and even scholarships requesting a video as an entry.
Write your own ticket. Essay scholarships could prove rewarding
You could pull down anywhere from $500 to $5,000 or more just for reading a book and writing an essay on it- some don’t even require reading the book! Most of these scholarships don’t have a GPA requirement, nor are they concerned with any of the other famous three-letter acronyms (ACT, SAT). As a matter of fact, the Resolve To Evolve Scholarship doesn’t have any GPA, SAT or ACT requirements and you could win up to $3,000 with your entry. Even if you don’t take the top prize, you could win $2,000 or be one of five $1,000 winners! Conduct a free search at Scholarships.com to see if you qualify.
Apply for a "Major" Scholarship
There are so many scholarships out there for students interested in pursuing a particular major, from Advertising to Zoology. Sure, it wouldn’t hurt to have a perfect 4.0, but you still may have a chance at thousands of dollars in free financial assistance, or maybe even a full-ride. Give it your best effort- make a case to the scholarship provider and show them why you are the best candidate.
Employers may pay more than just your salary
Often times a scholarship will be available exclusively to employees or their children or specific companies like Kraft or even those in specific types of careers or industries, such as police officers or steel workers.
Location, Location, Location
Sometimes, your zip code or high school may qualify you for a particular scholarship. There are a number of scholarships available exclusively to those living in specific counties or attending specific high schools. If there is one for your county or school, it’ll be in your search results at Scholarships.com
All of the above types of scholarships will appear in your search results when you conduct a free scholarship search online at Scholarships.com. We ask the most pertinent questions possible in a (roughly) ten-minute session so that you will see which scholarships are available to you. The more complete and accurate the information you supply, the more accurate and complete your search results. You may be pleasantly surprised to see how many scholarships you are eligible for, A student or not, and who knows? You may even end up winning a few.
