Scholarship Contests

Do you think that Scholarship Contests are just for kids at the top of their class? Or that they're for those who are violin virtuosos or have some other amazing talent?

Fortunately you can think again! More scholarship contests than you know are for people who are left-handed, or who plan to be farmers, or - most importantly - those who just happen to get lucky!

It's true - there are scholarship contests out there that literally anyone can win. You just have to know where to find them and when and where to apply. Read on to discover some current contests that are easy to enter.

While it's not guaranteed that you will win, you increase your chances of winning with each contest that you enter. And obviously, if you don't enter you can't win! Note: we have checked out the websites of each of these contest sponsors and assume that they are valid but we cannot guarantee that. Always be wary if anyone wants to charge you to enter a contest, or to help you win. Stick with the ones that are free!

For most of these programs you just have to fill out a simple form and submit it to enter. Be sure to check all rules about eligibility. And if you use an email address that you don't check very often to fill out the form, be sure to check it regularly to see if you have won something! Discover more by taking a look at Free Scholarships Wiki.

New April 2019 How could you resist this one? You could win a $1500 scholarship just because you love ice cream — and have a sense of humor and know yourself pretty well. Just apply by July 31 of this year (2019). Your application must include a written (online) reply to a question about what ice cream flavor you would be if you could be one? They want your answer to reflect your personality. Responses will help them pick their flavor of the month for their ice cream scholarship. You can find out more on Unigo’s website. Remember, the deadline is July 31…maybe you should go start sampling ice cream flavors….

August 2018 Are you into veggies? Interested in a career in grocery management or hotel services? How about an Asparagus Club Scholarship? It’s for real, and offers five scholarships every year for each of four semesters for winning applicants. You have to be a full time student planning to work in one of those fields or relevant areas. You can discover more about this and other grocer-related scholarships on the grocery.org website. This could be a great area to pursue as there might not be as much competition as in other fields.

Update February 2018 Are you pretty creative and not bad at writing and/or graphics? The Church Hill Classics “Frame Your Future” contest could be for you. It’s described below when we mentioned it as a contest that had passed the entry deadline but would come around again next year. Well it’s 2018 now and it’s back — and you still have time to enter! — until March 1, 2018. No minimum GPA is required and there are several prizes ranging between $500 and $5000. Check out the details on the diplomaframe website and get clever about showing your dream for your future. This contest could help it come true!

Update September 2017 Here’s a contest for you if you are interested in math and/or in writing and/or in writing and journalism. The Association of Women in Mathematics (AWM) hosts an annual competition for the best essay about a current women in Math. Both females and males are eligible to compete; the person interviewed and written about must be a woman. The contest has an annual deadline of January 31, so start planning now to meet the January 31, 2018 deadline. There is a financial award though it’s not currently specified. Winners also receive a certificate and their name and essay are published the AWM Newsletter.

Update April 2017 Are you a college student that is outside what appears to be today’s “mainstream” of liberalism, trigger warnings, and microagressions? Even been belittled in a discussion because you hold up some conservative principles? The Network of Enlightened Women has an essay contest for you. You could win a scholarship of $1000 or a second place award of $500. The contest is open to high school seniors awaiting acceptance from a college and to students enrolled in an undergraduate program for the semester of fall, 2017. Check out enlightenedwomen.org to sign up for the newsletter and get more information about the contest.

Update December 2016 The National Society of Newspaper Columnists Education Foundation presents three annual scholarship awards to undergrad columnists of student newspapers at colleges or universities in the United States. The top award is $1000; those in second and third place receive certificates. Got a knack for writing? Consider becoming a columnist for your school newspaper — could be rewarding in more ways than one! Check out the NSNC Education Foundation for information about their 2017 contest and how to enter.

News Update September 2016 Have you seen and entered the Staples $50,000 (plus a trip to meet Katy Perry…) scholarship contest? You can still get in on it – until September 12th so do it right away. Just go to the Staples website and search for Scholarship. You can enter with a special code on a Staples receipt if you spend more than $25 during the contest period. Or you can go to their “Official Rules” and see how to enter with making a purchase – you basically just have to provide your email address, and you get one entry per day per email address. Could be worth the effort for a chance at $50,000 — even more if you're a Katy Perry fan!

Private Sector Scholarships on the Rise The Wall Street Journal has reported that scholarship money from businesses, foundations and others in the private (vs. government) sector is increasing. And not all are based on scoring high on academics. Volunteer service in the community as well as special skills and talents are also considered. Check out the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation that gives $20,000 scholarships to high school seniors - 150 of them! Your gap does have to be at least 3, you have to have community service on your record (not just in your senior year….) and you should also be involved in your school’s extracurricular activities. And always be on the lookout for contests which may simply be based on luck:

The Gallery Collection Are you the creative type? Think you'd be good at designing greeting cards? The Gallery Collection holds a contest each year awarding a $10,000 scholarship to the winning applicant. To enter you must submit a design for the front of a greeting card. The design must include original art which may include photography or computer graphics. You are eligible to enter if you are a high school, college or university student enrolled in the second half of the 2016 academic year. The deadline for submissions is March 2, 2017 and the winner will be announced May 1, 2017.

AFSA Scholarship Program Check this one out and enter by April 6, 2016 to compete for one of ten $2000 scholarships . You are eligible if you are a high school senior and will be entering college no later than fall 2016. A total of $20,000 will be given out (10 awards of $2000 each). Get details on the AFSA Scholarship Program.

Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway Note: this contest has expired but they encourage you to check back regularly for information about the 2014 program. Plus it's fun to look at the videos of previous winners – start planning yours now! Dr Pepper is giving away a total of $1 million in tuition assistance! All you need is Internet, email and a Facebook account. You must submit a 60-second video telling how you will have an impact. Dr Pepper scholarship contest

Church Hill Classics Now here's a fun one — if you like to express yourself and your dreams, it could be for you! Church Hill makes frames for diplomas and other related items. Their theme is “Frame My Future” and they want you to “frame” yours however you would like … with a collage, a photograph, drawing etc. Note: the deadline for the current contest has passed, but you can still go the website to learn about the competition and sign up to be notified when the next one is announced. For the recently closed contest they are awarding five $1000 scholarships and an additional $1000 to the school of the Grand Prize winner. Here's an extra fun part – finalists are chosen by a panel of judges and then the public gets to vote! So get creative, round up your friends to vote and go for it! Hey if you enter, post it on our Facebook page (be sure to like us!) and get more votes, how cool would that be? Get more details at Get more details on "Frame My Future". Important: the 2014 contest is closed — voting will take place in April. But check with them regularly so you can be ready to enter the 2015 contest!

Our Latest Find: Whatisascholarship.com (Note: currently suspended) This is a relatively new site so the competition is still low. They are doing a drawing each month and you could win a $100 scholarship. Best of all you get to decide how to spend the money, and you don't need to have a minimum gpa to be eligible. It's easy to enter, so read about them in our March 2013 Newsletter and check out www.whatisascholarship.com before they're discovered! Note: This Scholarship has recently been suspended but stay tuned in case it starts up again!

Cappex.com - $1,000 GPA Isn't Everything Scholarship Sweepstakes Cappex is great because it awards scholarship monthly - check out their website to confirm current award amounts and deadlines. They just want you to tell them about yourself, so be creative – they're obviously not looking for the kids who already have it made with a high GPA. Learn more about the Cappex $1000 Scholarship Sweepstakes.Learn more about the Cappex $1000 Scholarship Sweepstakes.

Suntrust.Com - Off To College Scholarship Sweepstakes Suntrust offers scholarships of $1,000 that can be used at any accredited college level or career-specific school. Multiple drawings are held over a 6-7 month period, so check out their site to learn current timing and deadlines. The current program is running every 2 weeks through May 9 2014. You do not have to pay to enter the contest, and you do not have to qualify based on your GPA. If you are a winner, the check issued will be made out to the name of the college you will be attending. Learn more about the Suntrust Scholarship Sweepstakes.

NextStepU NextStepU offers the chance to win “free tuition” . That turns out to be an award of $2500 that you could win just by filling out a form to sign up. To enter you must register, and that involves providing your contact information (name, address, phone etc. all required). You also indicate your current grade level and what sort of school you plan to go to. And finally you indicate your main study area of interest. Sounds ok so far. But note that in tiny print above the “Continue” button they specify that by clicking that button you are saying it’s ok for them — and their partners — to send you autodialed and/or pre-recorded calls at the number you’ve provided. So feel free to enter since there’s no fee to sign up, but be aware that you will probably get a lot of calls!

Free Money Sweepstakes: We have run our own sweepstakes twice over the past year and our most recent winners were both students who will use their awards for school (meet them at Free Government Money News June 2012) and check our site regularly for announcements of potential future Sweeps. The sweeps are not running right now but stay tuned – they may return!