scholarships that require essays 2021

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is scholarships that work.

Scholarships That Work is the #1 scholarship search engine for finding local and niche scholarships. We help students find scholarships that they can actually win.

How do I use Scholarships That Work?

To find winnable scholarship opportunities using Scholarships That Work, use the filter options on the top of the page. You can filter scholarships by location, major, GPA, test scores, and much more. You can also filter scholarships by application requirements, such as essays, letters of recommendation, transcript or resume, and more. Once you find a scholarship you're interested in, click "Apply Now" to apply directly on the scholarship provider's website.

What are local scholarships?

Local scholarships are scholarships that are only open to students in a specific city, county, state, or region. These scholarships are often less competitive than national scholarships because there is a smaller pool of applicants, so you have a higher chance of winning.

What are niche scholarships?

Niche scholarships are scholarships that are tailored to a specific group of students by major, race or ethnicity, gender identity, disability status, religion, extracurriculars, and more. Similar to local scholarships, niche scholarships often give you a higher chance of winning because there's fewer qualified applicants you're competing against.

How do you find scholarships?

The best way to find winnable scholarship opportunities is by using Scholarships That Work, which has the most comprehensive scholarship database available. With over 80 unique filters, you can find scholarships that are tailored to you, including local and niche scholarships which give you a higher chance of winning. Other effective ways to find scholarships include asking your school counselor, your parent/guardian employer, or your local library.

How do you apply for scholarships?

Every scholarship will have different application requirements. Some scholarships might require essays, while others might require letters of recommendation, nomination from a teacher or coach, or an interview. On Scholarships That Work, you can filter scholarships by application requirements and apply directly on the scholarship provider's website.

How many scholarships can you get?

Most scholarships are considered "stackable," which means you can combine them with other scholarship awards and financial aid. Generally, there is no limit on the number of scholarships you can win. However, some scholarships may have restrictions on how many times you can apply or win. Be sure to read the scholarship rules carefully to see if there are any restrictions.

How many scholarships should I apply for?

Most students apply for dozens of scholarships, but feel frustrated when they don't win much (if any). The key to winning scholarships is to only apply for high-quality scholarships, such as local and niche scholarships, which you have a higher chance of winning. By focusing on scholarships that are tailored to you and have more in-depth applications (e.g. essay requirements, letters of recommendation, etc.), you can win more money by applying to fewer scholarships. We recommend applying to 5-10 high-quality scholarships to start.

Are scholarships hard to get?

You might feel like scholarships are impossible to win. But that's probably because you've been taught to apply for the wrong scholarships. Instead of applying for scholarships that are open to virtually every student, look for scholarships that are highly tailored to you. Also, look for scholarships that require more work to apply, such as essays, letters of recommendation, and interviews. These scholarships are much less competitive because fewer students apply to them. If you only apply for local, niche, and high-quality scholarships, you can win scholarship money more easily.

Are scholarships based on financial need?

There's two main types of scholarships: need-based and merit-based scholarships. Need-based scholarships are awarded based on your demonstrated financial need, while merit-based scholarships are awarded based on your academic, athletic, artistic, or other abilities. You can filter scholarships by need-based or merit-based on Scholarships That Work.

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The Scholarship System

Paying for college begins here

How to Write Winning Scholarship Essays

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Updated on November 24th, 2021

The vast majority of legitimate and reputable scholarships are going to require an essay as part of the application process, which means your student needs to know how to write winning scholarship essays. Otherwise, they may miss out on exciting opportunities for free money to help pay for college, increasing the odds that they’ll need student loans to make ends meet.

While “no essay” scholarships do exist, most of these are no more than sweepstakes, and some of them are incredibly sketchy. If you want to know more about no-essay scholarships, check out this article: What You Need to Know About No Essay Scholarships

Writing winning scholarship essays isn’t as challenging as it sounds, as long as your student knows the best approach. To help them get started, here is an in-depth guide on how to write a scholarship essay that will grab the attention of the committee for all of the right reasons.

If you and your student would like to learn more about  how to find scholarships  that can help pay for college, sign up for our  free college scholarship webinar ! We cover how to spot the scams so you can make sure your student is applying to scholarships that are actually worth their time. Join the next free training here:  www.thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar.

• 1 Read All of the Instructions to Write Winning Scholarship Essays
• 2 Define the Audience for the Scholarship Essay
• 3 Brainstorm Before Writing Scholarship Essays
• 4 Choose the Right Topic to Cover
• 5.1 Writing the Scholarship Essay First Draft
• 5.2 Refining First Drafts into Winning Scholarship Essays
• 6 Get an Outside Opinion
• 7 Finalize and Submit the Essay

Read All of the Instructions to Write Winning Scholarship Essays

While this may seem like common sense, many students rush through the instructions section before they start writing their scholarship essay. Why? Because reading instructions isn’t fun and many students are fairly pressed for time.

Ultimately, winning scholarship essays always adhere to the instructions. If your student misses a requirement, their essay may be automatically discarded, meaning they spent all of that time writing for no gain.

Have your student examine the instructions to look for details that outline the process including these:

• The topic they must cover
• Formatting requirements
• Sourcing requirements

Only after this step is complete should they move forward.

Define the Audience for the Scholarship Essay

The audience of a scholarship essay is whoever will be reading it, and catering the content to those groups of people helps create winning scholarship essays.

While you likely won’t know exactly who is going to review their essay, they can infer a lot of information based on the organization or business that is providing the funds. For example, if your student can discuss a topic that relates to a company’s products, services, values, or mission, it may be easier to connect with the reader on a meaningful level.

Typically, you can figure out the audience’s priorities by reviewing the organization’s website. Read through the product or service descriptions, About Us section, as well as any mission statements to get insight into the group’s values.

Brainstorm Before Writing Scholarship Essays

In many cases, scholarship essay topics give your student a lot of leeway regarding what they can write. In fact, they may be able to choose from multiple prompts, something that may make it harder to figure out what winning scholarship essays for this organization entail.

When writing a great scholarship essay, brainstorming is an important part of the process. They should grab a sheet of paper, list every topic or prompt, and jot down notes of examples that apply to each one. With our students in The Scholarship System , we teach them mind-mapping for this step, a powerful tool to uncover creative essay ideas.

Usually, brainstorming only takes a few minutes, but it can make a world of difference when writing winning scholarship essays. It allows them to organize their thoughts and identify ideas that excite them.

Choose the Right Topic to Cover

After your student brainstorms, they should focus on topics that ignite their passion. If they are excited about the idea, it’s often easier to write about it. Plus, their enthusiasm will shine through.

Review the list of ideas and choose an option that peaks interest and fits the prompt. This makes writing winning scholarship essays feel like less of a burden, which can go a long way when your student wants to apply to a long list of scholarships.

Some key aspects to look for when selecting a topic include:

• One that speaks to core values
• Why the investment (the scholarship) is worth it
• How it led them to their degree choice or career path

Ideally, the topic should relate back to at least one of the points above, creating a connection between the content of the scholarship essay and your student’s future.

Structuring Winning Scholarship Essays

Winning scholarship essays are always well-structured, so creating an outline is a smart move. Most high school students are familiar with essay outlines, so your student should be able to handle this with relative ease.

Scholarship Essay Introduction

Begin by structuring the introduction. Usually, your student will want to have an attention-grabbing first sentence followed by a short explanation of what will be discussed and a thesis statement that directly addresses the prompt. Students can get creative here but any story, question, or attention-grabbing beginning should clearly tie into the rest of the essay and of course, relate to the prompt.

Scholarship Essay Body

Ideally, each body paragraph should discuss a single point that relates to the topic, usually in a few sentences. If possible, it’s a great idea to make the point through a mini-story or example. This keeps the essay interesting for the reader and helps them understand the writer even better. For example, rather than saying “I initially decided I wanted to be a lawyer in 9 th grade…,” a student can instead share a quick story or example and sum it up with “That is when I first discovered my passion for law.”

Transitions

Having quality transitions between paragraphs is also essential as it improves the flow of the essay. To structure this portion, your student can write each point they want to cover and arrange them in an order that promotes readability and logical segues.

Scholarship Essay Conclusion

The conclusion should wrap everything up by reemphasizing how the prompt was addressed, discussing lessons learned, and even speaking to the core values of the audience. Depending on the essay prompt, students can stress how this essay shows they are a great candidate for the scholarship. Again, a few sentences will usually suffice.

After writing the outline, review it to make sure that it adheres to every requirement in the instructions and that every component provides value to the reader. Remember, winning scholarship essays always meet the requirements, so it’s wise to review this before the writing phase begins.

Related articles:

• 8 Best Websites to Find College Scholarships
• How to Win Scholarships with the Right Scholarship Essay Format
• How to Find Local Scholarships for Your Teen’s College Education

Writing the Scholarship Essay First Draft

With the outline in hand, your student now has a guide for writing a high-quality first draft of their scholarship essay. How they decide to approach this phase may depend on their personal style.

Some students like to begin with the introduction, move through the body, and then create a conclusion. However, others may prefer to write the body first and then craft the introduction and conclusion after. Both approaches are perfectly acceptable as long as the final paper flows logically.

First drafts are allowed to be rough, so it’s fine if your student just lets their ideas run rampant while they create. Let their passion guide them as they get their thoughts down on paper.

It’s also okay to ignore spelling or grammar errors as they write as these can be cleaned up during editing. Writing the first draft is more about getting all of their ideas on paper than anything else, so a degree of sloppiness isn’t inherently a problem.

Refining First Drafts into Winning Scholarship Essays

Once everything is written, now is the time to refine the content. First, your student should correct any mechanical issues, like spelling or grammar mistakes. There are a variety of tools that can help them do that, but it’s also important to not rely on technology entirely.

A great approach for finding errors is to read the essay out loud. This allows your student to potentially hear problems, which can be easier than spotting them with their eyes. In some cases, using a text-to-speech program can work too, allowing your student to listen for issues.

In the vast majority of cases, winning scholarship essays are error-free, so finding mistakes and correcting them is critical for your student’s success.

Once the errors are corrected, the draft can be reviewed for flow. Ideally, each paragraph should shift naturally into the next, following a logical thought pattern or progression through an event. If a transition feels awkward or a detail feels out of place or unnecessary, then edits should be made.

After that is complete, your student should recheck it a final time to ensure that all of the requirements set forth in the instructions are met. This includes everything from properly covering the topic to meeting word count minimums and not going over maximums. Similarly, they should take a look at the formatting to make sure they used the proper font and size, margins, spacing, and anything else listed in the instructions.

Related Video:

• 7 College Scholarship Essay Ideas to Win More Funding

Get an Outside Opinion

After the draft is refined, it could be time to get a second opinion. Often, it will be difficult for your student to review their essay objectively, so having someone else take a look is smart.

Who they choose is up to them, but some options worth exploring include trusted teachers and tutors. Parents can also make a good choice if their writing skills are strong, but some students won’t be comfortable with their parents reading what they wrote, depending on the topic. In those cases, selecting someone else is a better option than trying to force the issue.

Finalize and Submit the Essay

After the essay is reviewed by someone else, your student should make any final edits based on the feedback they receive. Then, once it is ready, it’s time to submit the scholarship application and essay for consideration.

By following the steps above, your student can increase their odds of writing winning scholarship essays that help them find free money for college. After they use the process a few times, it will likely begin to feel like second nature, making each essay easier to complete than the last.

Want even more help on writing scholarship essays? Grab a copy of our Free 3-Step Scholarship Essay Writing Guide where you learn the exact 3 steps we teach our students. This 3-Step Method helps even those students who hate writing!

• Pinterest 102

January 31, 2019 at 7:42 am

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October 13, 2019 at 3:06 am

I love the article on writing a winning essay, the problem most persons face is the Essay Introduction. One of the best ways to present your introduction is to get the attention of your reader with something interesting, unique, fact or ask a question.

November 8, 2019 at 3:46 am

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November 14, 2019 at 11:58 am

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January 28, 2020 at 6:56 am

A scholarship essay is all about highlighting what you are as a student and this post will make it easy for students to write their scholarship essays in a clear step-by-step way. Getting a second opinion on the essay draft is a really useful tip and is a must-do before submitting a noteworthy scholarship essay!

January 29, 2020 at 7:16 am

Thanks for bringing up this article.

February 20, 2020 at 8:31 pm

I actually followed some of this steps and it worked well for me. I received my first scholarship not long ago

April 8, 2020 at 8:00 am

May 10, 2020 at 3:20 pm

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September 20, 2020 at 10:21 am

Scholarship essays to me is more important than the scholarship itself because without passing through this stage you can never get the scholarship. Thank you for sharing. It’s been helpful

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July 23, 2021 at 10:33 pm

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July 23, 2021 at 10:35 pm

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November 9, 2021 at 7:07 am

Scholarship essay is an integral part of your application

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August 14, 2023 at 6:28 am

I liked and thought your blog exercise was exciting. Please keep giving us excellent and outstanding blog posts. At some point in a student’s life, he/she would need to write a Scholarship Essay, this essay can be for various purposes such as commencing a college program or funding research. Hence, this piece can either hinder or help students achieve their academic goals. Please read the post I made to my blog, It might be helpful to you in any way.

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Find College Scholarships

Search lists of scholarships by choosing a category or get matched to college scholarships you are eligible for.

• By Category
• Your Matches

Niche $10,000 "No Essay" Scholarship

• Deadline March 31, 2024
• Amount $10,000
• Offered By Niche
• State National
• Description Help cover the cost of college without writing a single essay! Niche is giving one student $10,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required! Apply below for your chance to win so you can focus on your education, not your finances. The winner will be selected by random drawing by April 15, 2024. Good luck!
• Essay Required :  No
• Recommendations Required :  No
• Minimum GPA :  None
• Major All majors
• Type Generic

$ 2,000 Sallie Mae No Essay Scholarship

• 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

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

• Offered By Bold.org
• State Nationwide
• 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

• 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!
• Find Student Loans

$ 2,500 ScholarshipPoints Scholarship

• 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

• Description Open to all students and recent alumni. Simply log in or create a free account below to apply.

Get Rewarded for Taking Surveys: Ipsos iSay

• Offered By Ipsos
• Description Complete the registration form and create your account. Voice your opinion on a variety of topics to earn points. Redeem your points for your favorite rewards.

Review Your School $1,000 Scholarship

• Description Take a short survey about your school for a chance to win a $1,000 scholarship.

Scholarships for Athletes

• Offered By NCSA College Recruiting
• Description Want to play sports in college? Increase your chances of an athletic scholarship by building a free recruiting profile in the only network trusted by 35,000 college coaches!

Japan American Friendship Scholars

• Deadline January 31, 2025
• Offered By Youth for Understanding
• Description The JAFS scholarship is a partial scholarship for U.S. High School students; Students are responsible for covering the remainder of the tuition balance ($3,750) for the Japan program if they are selected for the scholarship. 70 students are awarded the Winter JAFS scholarship every year!
• Essay Required :  Yes
• Recommendations Required :  Yes
• Minimum GPA :  3.0
• Major All Majors

Army ROTC Scholarship

• Deadline Varies
• Offered By US Army
• Description Whether you're a college-bound high school student or already attending a college or university, Army ROTC has scholarships available. Scholarships are awarded based on a student's merit and grades, not financial need.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

• Offered By Institute of International Education
• Description The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. A candidate will submit a Statement of Grant Purpose defining activities to take place during one academic year in a participating country outside the U.S.

Matthews & Swift Educational Trust Scholarships

• Offered By Knights of Columbus
• Description Educational Trust Scholarships are available to children of members in good standing who, while serving in the military forces of their country in a combat zone, specifically designated as such by the Board of Directors, are killed by hostile action or wounded by hostile action resulting within two years thereof in permanent and total disability. Applications must be filed within two years of the death or determination of total and permanent disability of the member. Scholarships may also be awarded to children of members in good standing who are full-time law enforcement officers or full-time firefighters who, while in the lawful performance of their duties, died as a result of criminal violence directed at them. Applications must be filed within two years of the date of death of the member. The term "children" shall include natural or adopted children of the deceased member who were born within nine months after the member died or, in the case of adoption, were adopted by the member before he suffered the fatal injury, or in the case of a member in the military, before he suffered the permanently and totally disabling injury. Benefits for which eligible children qualify shall be limited to tuition only, up to a maximum of $25,000 per year, but not room, board, books, fees, transportation, dues, computers or supplies. Tuition shall first be reduced by the amount of any scholarships or other grants to which the child shall be entitled. All scholarships are governed by established rules of the Educational Trust Fund. The scholarship is to be used at any Catholic college of the student's choice in the country of the member's domicile at the time of death or disability. Benefits should be applied for on a timely basis and an undergraduate degree achieved in a reasonable time frame.
• Essay Required :  Unknown
• Recommendations Required :  Unknown

Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Scholarship Program

• Offered By US Navy
• Description NROTC has a limited number of scholarships available for students to attend MSI schools, which encompass Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), High Hispanic Enrollment (HHE) schools, and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSI).
• Type Minority

NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

• Offered By National Collegiate Athletic Association
• Description The NCAA awards up to 126 postgraduate scholarships annually. The scholarships are awarded to student-athletes who excel academically and athletically and who are at least in their final year of intercollegiate athletics competition. The one-time non-renewable scholarships of $10,000 are awarded three times a year corresponding to each sport season (fall, winter and spring). Each sports season there are 21 scholarships available for men and 21 scholarships available for women for use in an accredited graduate program. All former student-athletes who earned an undergraduate degree from an NCAA member school are eligible to be nominated by that school for an NCAA graduate degree scholarship, regardless of when they received their undergraduate degree.

NROTC Marine Option Scholarship

• Description As a college student and Marine-Option Midshipman in the NROTC Program, your journey to a successful future will also lead to a life of purpose and advancement Marine Corps Officers are known for. Recipients of this scholarship will be able to fully experience everything college life offers, all while preparing for a higher purpose: leading Marines to win our Nation’s battles.

NROTC Navy Scholarship

• Description The Navy is preparing our officer corps of the future to meet the dynamic challenges in the next generation of technology and leadership. In structuring our academic programs to meet these challenges, undergraduate academic majors for NROTC Navy option midshipmen are divided into three categories or tiers: Tier 1 - engineering programs of Navy interest, Tier 2 - other engineering, math and science programs, Tier 3 - Foreign language and remaining academic programs.

NROTC Nurse Scholarship

• Description Students who apply for and gain admission to NROTC colleges offering the nursing academic program are eligible to pursue the NROTC Nurse scholarship track.

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship

• Offered By School of Art Institute of Chicago
• Description Admitted Phi Theta Kappa applicants will qualify to receive a $2,000 PTK Scholarship, per academic year, through the admission process once PTK status is verified.
• Major Visual Arts, Fine Arts, Art
• Type School of Art Institute of Chicago

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

• Offered By Federal Student Aid
• Description The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $3,772 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching. Recipients are required to complete a teaching service obligation as a condition for receiving the grant.
• Major Education

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34 No Essay Scholarships to Save Thousands on College

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What’s Covered:

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

• 34 No-Essay Scholarships  

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

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

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

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

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

34 No-Essay Scholarships 

1. “be bold” no-essay scholarship.

Amount: $25,000

Deadline: December 31 

Eligibility: Students of any education level, school, field of study, and GPA considered

This scholarship is for bold students who are determined to change the world one step at a time. No essay is required to win this eye-popping award. Instead, create a bold profile highlighting your earnestness, determination, and how you’re moving toward your goals for a chance to win.

2. Scholarships360 No-Essay Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Deadline: September 30 

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

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

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

Amount: $2,000

Deadline: Monthly  

Eligibility: All high school and college students

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

4. $2,000 Nitro Scholarship

Deadline: Monthly 

Eligibility: 

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

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

5. The Student Loan Hero Smart Money Giveaway

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

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

6. College Board “Complete Your FAFSA” Scholarships

Amount:   $500

Deadline: October through February 

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

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

7. College Board “Complete Your Journey” Scholarships

Amount: $40,000

Deadline: February 

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

8. ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Program

Amount: $10,000

Deadline: Quarterly 

Eligibility:   

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

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

9. Christian Connector Scholarship

Amount: $2,500

Deadline: May 31

Eligibility:  

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

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

10. No Essay ‘You Deserve It’ Scholarship

Amount: $2,222

Deadline: December 29

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

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

11. CollegeXpress $10,000 Scholarship Contest

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

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

12. Annual Catholic College Scholarship

Amount: $1,500

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

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

13. Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award 

Amount: $5,000

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

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

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

14. Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship  

Deadline: Semi-annually (spring and fall)

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

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

15. Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship

Deadline: March 3

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

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

16. Frame My Future Scholarship Contest 

Amount: $6,000

Deadline: April 1

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

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

17. Annual Faith-Based College Scholarship

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

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

18. Sallie Mae $5,432 Sweepstakes

Amount: $5,432

Deadline: December 31

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

19. Ascent Scholarships 

Amount: Varies 

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

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

20. The “No Sweat” Scholarship

• Between 8th and 12th grade 

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

21. Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship

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

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

22. Cappex Easy Money Scholarship

Eligibility: Current high school or college student 

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

23. Scholarships4Moms 

Deadline: December 15

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

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

24. College Survey Scholarship

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

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

25. Easy Scholarships

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

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

26. SuperCollege Scholarship

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

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

27. Debt.com Scholarship For Aggressive Scholarship Applicants

Amount: $500

Deadline: Every other month 

Eligibility: Actively applying for scholarships

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

28. MyMozaic Monthly Scholarship Contest

Deadline: Every month 

Eligibility:

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

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

29. WayUp Dream Job No-Essay Scholarship

Deadline: Jun 1 

Eligibility: Current college student

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

30. College Ave Scholarship Monthly Sweepstakes

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

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

31. Give Me Liberty Easy Scholarship

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

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

32. Because College is Expensive Scholarship

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

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

33. Return 2 College Scholarship Program

Deadline: January 31

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

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

34. Project Yellow Light Create a Billboard Scholarship   

Deadline: March 1

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

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

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Articles & Advice > Financial Aid > Blog

10 Tips to Help You Write a Winning Scholarship Essay

It's worth it to put in the extra effort and apply to scholarships that require essays. Learn how to write those essays with ease using these 10 tips.

by Jean O'Toole Scholarship Strategist and Author

Last Updated: Mar 16, 2023

Originally Posted: May 19, 2020

How do you feel about having to write an essay for a scholarship you’re applying for? When students are asked that question, most say they skip those applications. It’s a natural reaction given all your other time constraints with homework assignments, extracurricular activities, volunteering, jobs, and family responsibilities. 

But scholarships that require essay submissions are worth your time. The odds of winning scholarships with extensive applications or essays are greater statistically because fewer students will make the effort to do the work. If you’re the kind of student who takes the time to expedite scholarship applications with essay requirements, you’ll likely have less competition from other students. Here are 10 tips to help you write scholarship essays that’ll help you stand out from other applicants.

1. Customize each essay to each scholarship

Although you may be using an essay for more than one application, it’s essential that you customize your introduction to speak to the question being asked for that specific scholarship. It’s frustrating for any scholarship committee to review an essay and realize that the student didn’t make the effort to answer the application question. First impressions count, so make a good one.

2. Write in your voice

Scholarship committees want to hear from the student and learn about them through their writing sample in an authentic way. It’s not necessary to use flowery language to try to impress the decision makers, so just be yourself. It’s also important that you’re the one who actually writes the essay; never ask someone else to write the essay for you.  

3. Talk about your desired impact

Addressing the impact you plan to have on others in your future is key to a winning scholarship essay. Scholarship committees want to know that their award monies will have a deep impact wherever they go. The key to standing out and impressing committee members is to include a “Why you?” statement. This is a sentence focusing on what type of impact you plan to have on the lives of others once you finish college. Scholarship committees generally prefer for their scholarship monies to impact more than just one individual. 

Related: Secrets to Writing an Amazing Scholarship Essay

4. Be honest

Resist the urge to embellish a story or create a false story to make yourself seem more impressive. Scholarship committees regularly use research tools to verify applicant information, so it’s not likely you’d get away with it even if you tried. The best policy is to just tell the truth! 

5. Spelling and grammar matter

Spelling and grammar check software don’t always catch all errors. After you’ve edited your essay yourself , have someone else read your essay with attention to grammar and spelling. Also, double-check that you’ve spelled any names of committee members or the scholarship you’re applying to correctly; making careless mistakes could automatically put your essay in the “no” pile.  

6. Success is in the details

You’ll most likely be writing about yourself, so include specifics to give decision makers a window into your world. Recognize that they want to know who they’re awarding the money to, and the more they know about you and your goals, the more likely they’ll want to award you the scholarship. 

Related: Scholarship Search Best Practices You Need to Follow

7. Don’t be shy about your accomplishments

Include achievement highlights from inside and outside the classroom in your scholarship essays when possible. Don’t assume that the committee will have thoroughly read any supplemental materials like a résumé where you mentioned your accomplishments. Plus, it will give the committee a better idea of why you feel these accomplishments are important to highlight.

8. Organize your thoughts before writing

Take some time to create an outline before beginning your scholarship essay. Organizing your thoughts will make your writing flow better as you go and help you figure out key points you may want to add or remove from your essay to make it stronger. And as with all writing, make sure that you’re supporting your thesis statement. 

9. Know what wins

Sometimes scholarship committees will post the essay of the previous year’s winner. Review that essay to learn more about what the decision makers seek in a candidate . You could also reach out to the previous year’s award recipient through social media to learn more. They may be able to direct you to additional scholarships they’ve previously applied to.

10. Leave a lasting impression

Conclude your scholarship essay with a passionate and positive tone so that you’re memorable among the other candidates. Nothing turns off a committee more than a lackluster ending that doesn’t wrap up your goals and intentions for succeeding in college with the help of their award.

Related: Admission vs. Scholarship Essays: What's the Difference?

Applying for scholarships can get discouraging when you know there are hundreds (or thousands) of other students applying for the same ones. But with these writing tips, your scholarship essays will boost your chances of winning any award you apply for.

Looking for scholarships that highlight your newfound essay-writing skills? Our Scholarship Search tool is just what you need!

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About Jean O'Toole

Jean O’Toole is an educational consultant and author of the bestselling book  Scholarship Strategies: Finding and Winning the Money You Need . Over the past 15 years, she has helped tens of thousands of students in the United States. Individuals collectively have been awarded millions of dollars by applying Jean’s scholarship strategies. In 2008, Jean co-founded Connections101, a company specializing in providing motivational tools for scholarship searching. It is her goal to empower students to design their paths to their future without college debt. Visit  Connections101.com for more information, and follow Jean on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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

Financial Aid

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

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

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

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

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

Here are some things to look out for:

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

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

Essay Scholarships

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

Bachus & Schanker, LLC Scholarship

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

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

Courage to Grow Scholarship

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

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

Odenza Marketing Group Scholarship

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

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

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

No-Essay Scholarships

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

AFSA High School Scholarship

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

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

Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship

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

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

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

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

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

"No Essay" College Scholarship

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

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

Stuck at Prom Scholarship Contest

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

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

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

U.S. Bank Student Union Scholarship

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

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

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

Because College is Expensive Scholarship

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

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

3 Tips for Winning Easy Scholarships

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

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

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

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

What's Next?

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

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

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

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

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18 Essay-Free Scholarships to Apply for in 2020-2021

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

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

Avoiding Scholarship Scams

5 sweepstakes-style scholarships with no essays, 3 easy scholarships with short answers, 10 creative, essay-free scholarships, ready to apply for your own scholarships without essays, it’s important to keep in mind two things about the easiest scholarships without essays:.

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

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

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

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

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

Scam Tip #2: Do The Paperwork Yourself

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

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

Scam Tip #3: Guaranteed Scholarships Don’t Exist

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

Scam Tip #4: Avoid Dodgy Offers

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

Scam Tip #5: Do Your Research!

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

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Now that we’ve got that out of the way, here’s our list of 27 scholarships without essays:

These are scholarships that require almost no effort.

1. Going Merry Seasonal Scholarships ( Spring, Summer )

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

Provider : Going Merry

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

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

2. Christian College Scholarship

Amount: $2,500

Provider: The Christian Connector Inc

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

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

3. AFSA High School Senior Contest

Amount: $2,000

Provider: AFSA Scholarships

If you’re ready for an extra $2,000, simply fill out the online entry form on the AFSA website and be registered to win one of 10 prizes. The AFSA High School Senior Contest is open to high school seniors during the school year and deadlines change on a yearly basis, so head to the scholarship website for the most up-to-date information.

4. AFSA Second Chance Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

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

5. Scholarship4Moms

Amount: $10,000

Provider: Scholarships4Moms

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

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

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

6. C.I.P. Scholarship

Provider: College is Power

While the C.I.P Scholarship technically has an essay, it’s only a short 150 words, so we’re adding it in! To apply, just fill out the super short application form and write a mini-essay about the goals you have for your university education.

7. $5,000 Course Hero Scholarships

Amount: $5,000

Provider: Course Hero

In order to win one of the $5,000 Course Hero Scholarships , simply answer a short prompt in 150 words or less, such as “How do you prepare and study to feel confident for your final exams?” If you have more than one college class you’d like to review, you can improve your chances by leaving as many reviews as you’d like!

8. The Customized Girl Annual Scholarship

Provider: Customized Girl

Amount: $500

Submit: An Instagram post

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

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

9. Two Ten Higher Education Footwear Design Scholarship

Provider: Two Ten Footwear Foundation

Amount: Up to $3,000

Submit: Three design drawings

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

10. MUD Makeup Scholarship

Provider: Beauty Changes Lives, Make-up Designory (MUD)

Submit: A video, a storyboard, or an essay

This glam scholarship allows you to avoid an essay by providing submission options! Students pursuing beauty and wellness careers can apply to win one of 5 prizes from Make-up Designory (MUD). You can ignore the essay and choose between a video or storyboard submission. For the MUD Makeup Scholarship , you need to be a student attending an accredited Cosmetology and/or esthetics school with MUD makeup in their program.

11. Create-A-Greeting-Card Scholarship

Provider: The Gallery Collection

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

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

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

12. Axon Optic’s ‘Migraine Story’ Scholarship

Provider: Axon Optics

Submit: A video, an image, or an essay

Share your story of dealing with migraines or light sensitivity. All full-time students of accredited two- or four-year American universities may apply. Choose from a video (less than 1 minute in length) or an image (photo, drawing, etc.). To qualify for the Axon Optic’s ‘Migraine Story’ Scholarship , the submission must be posted on at least one of the following social media platforms: YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

13. #YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship

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

Amount: At least 50% of tuitio n

Submit: A video or an essay

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

14. “Create Real Impact” Contest

Provider: Impact Teen Drivers

Amount: $500- $1,50 0

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

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

15. GoSkills Scholarship

Provider: GoSkills

Submit: An application and business plan

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

16. GloFX Scholarship

Provider: GloFX

Submit: A 3-minute video, a PowerPoint, a PDF,  your own creative measure, or an essay

GloFX wants to hear from students like you with your own creative project. Simply answer their prompt in the format of your choice. The prompt: “Every person has failed at some point in his or her life, and dealing with the outcome is rarely an enjoyable experience. However, failure is how we learn, and it allows us to see our mistakes and make changes. Describe a time in your life you tried your best and still failed. How did this shape your thinking moving forward?” The GloFX Scholarship encourages applicants to post the project on their own social media accounts (this is optional, not required). Applicants must be a current or incoming student at a university in the United States.

17. Live Bearded Academic Scholarship

Provider: Live Bearded

Submit: A video

The Live Bearded team is focused on lending a hand to those building their future through higher education. While the company Live Bearded focuses on grooming products for men, their Live Bearded Academic Scholarship opportunity is open to males, females, high school students, college students, undergraduate, and graduate students. Send a 90-second video sharing your goals, facts about yourself, and why you deserve the scholarship. Upload your video to a social media platform, fill out your application with a link to your video, and you’re good to go!

18. HeadSetPlus.Com College Scholarship

Provider: HeadSetPlus.Com

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

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

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The 10 Best No Essay Scholarships

So many students have been there before. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Big Future’s $40,000 Scholarship

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

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

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

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

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

“Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship

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

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

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

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

Niche No-Essay Scholarship

Niche is a trusted source for all things college.

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

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

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

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

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

Nitro College No-Essay Scholarship

Nitro has a remarkably easy no-essay scholarship.

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

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

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

CollegeXpress $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship

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

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

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

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

College Covered $5,000 No-Essay Scholarship

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

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

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

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

$1,000 Dorm Survey Scholarship

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tallo $1,000 Scholarship

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

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

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

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

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

Scholarship Owl $7,000 Scholarship

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

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

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

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

ScholarshipPoints $10,000 Scholarship

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

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

Then, students spend these points to enter scholarship sweepstakes. 

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

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

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

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

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• 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 .

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The Best College Scholarships for High School Students

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

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Top 63 No Essay Scholarships in March 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.

Learn about our editorial policies

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

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

Why choose Scholarships360

We helped over 4 million students find scholarships in 2023

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

13+ years of experience helping students make smart education decisions

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

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

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

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

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

Offered by Scholarships360

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

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

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

Offered by Sallie Mae

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for…

Sallie Mae will award $2,000 each month to eligible entrants. No essay or account sign-ups, just a simple scholarship for those seeking help paying for school.

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

Offered by Niche

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

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

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.… Show More

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. Niche is giving one student $50,000 to help pay for tuition, housing, books and other college expenses — no essay required! Show Less

$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.

CollegeXpress $1,300 March Madness Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

The CollegeXpress March Madness Scholarship is an easy scholarship from CollegeXpress open to students who are 13+ and a legal resident of the 50 U.S.… Show More

The CollegeXpress March Madness Scholarship is an easy scholarship from CollegeXpress open to students who are 13+ and a legal resident of the 50 U.S. or D.C. A winner will be randomly chosen from among the applicants. If you're eligible, we encourage you to apply! To enter, simply apply on CollegeXpress and answer the following question: Will you be following March Madness this year? 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.

$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 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

$2,000 Annual Protestant Faith Based College Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by The Christian Connector

Are you a current high school student interested in attending a Protestant, faith-based college or university? If so, consider applying for the Annual Protestant Faith… Show More

Are you a current high school student interested in attending a Protestant, faith-based college or university? If so, consider applying for the Annual Protestant Faith Based College Scholarship! In order to apply, you simply need to fill out a form with some simple information about yourself, your high school, and your college plans. You will then be entered in a scholarship drawing with the opportunity to win up to $2,000. The scholarship is offered by The Christian Connector, a "one-stop-shop” for receiving free information from Catholic/Christian colleges and Bible colleges.   If you’re a high school student with plans of attending a Protestant, faith-based college, we encourage you to apply to the Annual Protestant Faith Based College Scholarship! Show Less

$2,000 Annual Catholic College Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Are you a current high school student interested in attending a Catholic college or university? If so, consider applying for the Annual Catholic College Scholarship!… Show More

Are you a current high school student interested in attending a Catholic college or university? If so, consider applying for the Annual Catholic College Scholarship! In order to apply, you simply need to fill out a form with some simple information about yourself, your high school, and your college plans. You will then be entered into a scholarship drawing with the opportunity to win up to $2,000. The scholarship is offered by The Christian Connector, a "one-stop-shop” for receiving free information from Catholic/Christian colleges and Bible colleges.   If you’re a high school student with plans of attending a Catholic college, we encourage you to apply to the Annual Catholic College Scholarship! Show Less

Close the Financial Gap No Essay Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Going Merry

There are a lot of ways to pay for college, and we want to help you figure it out! As a part of this scholarship,… Show More

There are a lot of ways to pay for college, and we want to help you figure it out! As a part of this scholarship, we’re offering you both monetary awards and financial coaching sessions with a Going Merry financial aid specialist. 10 semifinalists will receive a FREE one-on-one coaching session from a Going Merry Financial Aid Specialist, and 1 winner will receive a FREE coaching session AND a $500 scholarship! Depending on where you are in the “paying for college” process, the coaching session can focus on any of these 6 key elements of college finances: The FAFSA®: Learn how to apply for financial aid and get as much free money as possible. State grants: Get state-specific financial aid. State governments often provide money for college separately from the FAFSA®, especially for students intending to study in-state. Scholarships: Get tips on how to leverage Going Merry to find scholarships, and spend time on the scholarships you’re more likely to win! Financial aid award letter analysis: We’ll explain what your award letters mean, and show you how to make the best financial decision when choosing which college to attend. Appealing for more aid: Think of your financial aid package as an initial offer – there’s always room to appeal for more aid! We provide letter templates and appeal reasons to help you get more financial aid when possible. Student loans: Learn how they fit into the picture, and how to prioritize low-interest, flexible repayment options with the intent of keeping student loan debt to a minimum. Start your application now! Show Less

Money Mindfulness Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by Ascent and Scholarships360

The Money Mindfulness Scholarship is an easy, no-essay scholarship open to students ages 18 and older who write a brief Instagram comment about how they… Show More

The Money Mindfulness Scholarship is an easy, no-essay scholarship open to students ages 18 and older who write a brief Instagram comment about how they plan to be mindful about money this summer. Show Less

$40,000 BigFuture Scholarship This scholarship has been verified by the scholarship providing organization.

Offered by The College Board

Open to US-based high school students in the class of 2025 and 2026 - no essay, no minimum GPA, and no citizenship requirements.

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

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

$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

$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

Top 5 no essay scholarships

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

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

Tips for students applying to no essay scholarships

Look for competitions rather than randomized drawings.

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

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

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

Be wary of scholarship scams

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

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

If at first you don’t succeed…

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

Check out similar scholarship categories

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

Don’t over-rely on no essay scholarships

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

Don’t forget financial aid

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

Apply to affordable schools

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

Frequently asked questions about no essay scholarships

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

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

Who can apply for no essay scholarships?

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

Also see: How to write a scholarship resume

Explore these other scholarship categories:

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

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3 reasons to join scholarships360

• Automatic entry to our $10,000 No-Essay Scholarship
• Personalized matching to thousands of vetted scholarships
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By the way...Scholarships360 is 100% free!

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How to get scholarships for college in high school.

Your goal is to attend the college of your dreams, but you’ve started to discover all the expenses you’ll be responsible for when you do . College tuition, living expenses, books, supplies, the list can go on and on and can be overwhelming.

Scholarships are essentially gifts. For the most part, they don't need to be repaid. Many of them are out there, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, local community organizations, religious groups, and professional and social groups.

And there are many scholarships for students to apply for as early as their freshman year of high school.

Read on to learn more about how to get scholarships in high school.

Can high school students apply for college scholarships?

Many scholarship opportunities are available for high school students to start applying for to help pay for college. A scholarship might cover the entire cost of tuition, or it might be a one-time award of a few hundred dollars. Either way, they’re worth applying for, because any amount will help reduce the cost of your education.

Most scholarship deadlines are between September and May, although some scholarships allow you to apply throughout the year. This makes applying on breaks and off time easier so it doesn’t interfere with homework and studying.

Making the scholarship search a part of your high school routine will go a long way as far as possibly securing scholarships and will help to ensure you don’t miss deadlines.

College scholarships for high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors

There are many college scholarships sophomores, juniors, and seniors in high school are eligible to apply for. Here’s how to begin your search:

Online scholarship databases

There are plenty of online scholarship databases you can use to begin your search. We recommend exploring several as a starting point for your search. Use them to narrow down the scholarships that are out there so that you can then research a list of scholarships further.

School counselors

Contact your high school and college counselors and let them know you’re looking for scholarships. They’ll help you narrow down what kind of scholarships you may qualify for and where to look for them.

Teachers and coaches

If you’re interested in continuing any specific academic or athletic pursuits in college, reach out to teachers and coaches at your high school for help. Even if they don’t know of any specific scholarships, they’ll be able to help you present yourself well on scholarship applications.

Special interest organizations

Organizations that serve specific hobbies, pursuits, or demographics will also have information about relevant scholarships. A huge number of scholarships are available nationwide for specific interests, activities, and communities.

State scholarships

Contact your state’s education agency for more information about their merit and need-based scholarship programs.

Never hesitate to do a web search for a specific scholarship you’re hoping may exist. You’ll be surprised at the depth and breadth of what you’ll find.

Scholarship application tips

Every scholarship has a different application process, but many of the requirements overlap. While some local organizations may ask that you fill out a physical application, most applications are filed online.

Typical academic-based scholarships will require proof that you meet the eligibility conditions and an essay based on a given topic or prompt. Athletic and talent-based scholarships will also often ask you to provide evidence of your skill, which could mean a live performance, a portfolio, or a video of your athletic achievements.

Scholarship essay writing tips

When writing a scholarship essay, it’s best to start early. Make sure your essay fits the requested topic and do plenty of research. Ask a teacher you trust to look at your essay and offer critiques.

The essay is your chance to set yourself apart from the rest of the candidates. Do everything you can to make sure it stands out.

Final thoughts

The earlier you start applying for scholarships, the better your chances of receiving aid. Stay ahead of deadlines to ensure you’re putting your best foot forward when applying for scholarships. Good luck with your search!

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Brevard students vie for scholarships. But it's not an easy feat, even for top performers

It was 2020, during the early days of the pandemic. With hopes of earning a degree in public health, Karly Hudson applied for more than 100 scholarships. Some required 1,000 to 2,000-word essay responses to even be considered.

She never heard back from any of them.

"You pour your heart out for this essay to hope to get a thousand-dollar scholarship, and you're just ghosted," she said.

It's not unusual. While a university may offer scholarships, students often need to be accepted before they can be considered. Scholarships from outside sources often require essay responses and may get hundreds to thousands of applicants, generally with no real response ever sent to those not chosen to receive funds.

These opportunities outside of a college or university can be hugely helpful, said James Almasi, Florida Tech’s director of financial aid. But they can also be extremely time-consuming.

"They take a lot of work," Almasi said. "It's sort of like a part-time job, applying for these things."

So what are some of the ways students can try for scholarships?

That depends on many factors.

Many chosen based on merit, though other factors considered

Hudson, a Melbourne resident, considers herself lucky: Though she didn't get scholarships from the numerous places she applied, University of South Florida, now her alma mater, awarded her a scholarship.

It was a scholarship based on merit, meaning the school took Hudson's high school grade-point average, SAT scores and other factors into consideration before awarding her a certain amount of money.

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It's not an unusual kind of scholarship to get. Students looking into the Space Coast's various local postsecondary education opportunities — whether that be at a private institution like Florida Tech, or a two-year college like Eastern Florida State College, or University of Central Florida — have opportunities to earn scholarships based on their grades and testing scores.

Most students accepted at Florida Tech qualify for a partial scholarship, Almasi said. That amount may vary based on their SAT or ACT scores, as well as their high school GPAs.

"If you're admitted, you'll tend to get something," he said. "The better performer you are, the more you will get."

The true is same for both UCF and Eastern Florida State College students.

And those aren't the only types of scholarships available. The Eastern Florida State College Foundation, a not-for-profit corporation that helps provide financial support for EFSC students, also offers other types of scholarships, working with sponsors and donors to lay out the parameters of each kind of scholarship. While some may be awarded based on test scores, others are given out based on need, degree programs or to first-generation students.

"Donors get to select the criteria and the name of their scholarship," said Tonya Cherry, executive director of the foundation. She added that donors do not select the recipients of scholarships.

"We have a few scholarships that want the average student — the 2.0, the 3.0 — to get the scholarships because they feel like they are the ones that really need it," she said.

The likelihood of receiving a scholarship at any of these schools — and the amount awarded — is highly dependent on how many students apply.

"The competitiveness of scholarships is dependent on a variety of factors including the funding source; the funding amount; the scholarship requirements; and the applicant pool," said Karemah Campbell Manselle, interim director of UCF's office of student financial assistance.

In-state vs. out-of-state tuition struggles

In addition to the scholarship from USF, Hudson also received a partial scholarship from Bright Futures, a program through the state department of education and Florida Lottery that provides funds for eligible students seeking a postsecondary education.

The website boasts that the program has helped more than 950,000 students receive a postsecondary education and provides multiple opportunities for students looking to apply for scholarships: the Florida Academic Scholarship, Florida Medallion Scholarship, Gold Seal Cape Scholarship and Gold Seal Vocational Scholarship. All by the GSC scholarship require a certain GPA and a minimum ACT or SAT score, as well as additional criteria like a certain number of service hours or paid work hours.

While many top-achieving Floridians qualify for Bright Futures, the funds can only go toward in-state schools. Figuring out funding for out-of-state schools can be a challenge.

That's what the Cenker family of Rockledge discovered when Gabe Cenker, now a junior at the University of Oklahoma, graduated from high school in May 2021. Cenker hopes to work in radar/meteorology. His career goals played a big role in his college choice — and in the price tag that came with it.

While he was offered free ride scholarships at Florida State and Embry Riddle, their meteorology programs didn't appeal as much as OU’s, which has a top-flight weather center research facility and is located in the center of "Tornado Alley," said mom Jennifer Cenker.

“We’re not well off, but we do have it slightly better than some others,” Cenker said. “But we are struggling with paying Gabe’s out of state tuition, and have not found many scholarships for families in the upper lower-class or lower middle-class range.”

Outside scholarships, grants supplement university scholarships

Grants are also a way students can access funding. While Florida Tech's current scholarships are merit-based, they'll offer students a chance to receive the Brevard Boundless Opportunity Grant in the fall of 2024. It's a way to make the university more accessible to local students, Almasi said, with eligible students owing the university no money for tuition and fees.

To be eligible, a student must live in Brevard, complete the FAFSA and be federal Pell Grant-eligible, qualify for the Florida Academic Scholarship or the Florida Medallion Scholarship through Bright Futures and apply and be admitted to Florida Tech by May 1.

There are also scholarships awarded to individuals of certain races, gender identities or other marginalized experiences.

Hudson is currently attending Cooley Law School in Tampa, where she won a scholarship through an ambassador program for diversity, equity and inclusion. It's a dream come true, and something she wouldn't be able to do if she hadn't gotten scholarships during her undergraduate schooling.

"I have no debt from undergrad," she said. "So I was like, 'Well, taking out the debt for law school isn't going to be so bad,' because I had all of my undergrad paid for."

As for Gabe Cenker, he won an Award of Excellence Scholarship from the University of Oklahoma, which pays $64,000 spread over the course of four years. Additionally, he was awarded a $1,000 scholarship just this past month in honor of Paul Samaras at the National Storm Chaser Summit.

“He probably spent half of his Christmas break filling out scholarship applications. I lost track of how many he applied to,” Cenker said. “He got word that he won that Paul Samaras one, and then got one from the OU Honors College for $2,000 to be used for his summer abroad at Oxford.”

Scholarships can help prevent life-long debt

Scholarships are one way to keep students from incurring massive debt through loans.

While President Joe Biden had canceled about $138 billion in federal student loan debt as of this month, according to the U.S. Department of Education, the total federal student loan debt still equals about $1.6 trillion.

The Cenkers “never in a million years” thought it would be so hard to find scholarship money for a young man who is in an honors program and an honors scholars fraternity and currently has a cumulative 3.81GPA. Even with his scholarships, the cost for an undergrad living on campus still comes out to about $53,000 a year. This meant his parents needed to co-sign loans for him.

It’s worth all the struggle, Jennifer Cenker said, and the search for scholarships continues.

“I can’t imagine the number of kids who are missing out because of the high costs and then not being able to earn a scholarship,” Cenker said. “So he is lucky in that we will figure out how to cover everything, even if we have to sell our home and downsize or whatever.”

For many Eastern Florida students, scholarships are the reason they can attend school, Cherry said.

"They all apply for federal financial aid, but not everybody qualifies for that, and even if they do ... tuition and books are not the only cost associated with going to college," she said, adding that many EFSC students have families and may struggle to go to school full-time. "I think that our scholarship program benefits the community at large because it empowers them to pursue their dreams ... to ensure that we are building a community that is successful."

Hudson is attending law school with no debt from her undergraduate schooling thanks to the scholarships she received. She felt comfortable taking out loans for law school because of that lack of debt, and because she believed she would receive scholarships once she enrolled.

What fees aren't covered by the ambassador program scholarship — and the merit-based scholarship she was awarded based on her class rank that covers 40% of her schooling — she'll pay back through the federal public service loan forgiveness program. The program forgives the remaining balance on a student's direct loans after they make 120 monthly payments while working in a qualifying job.

"I graduate in 2025; I'll be 24," Hudson said. "So what? (I'll be) 34, and I was a public defender for 10 years. All of my loans will be forgiven; I'm debt-free by 34."

Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at   321-290-4744  or   [email protected] . X:  @_ finchwalker .

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Snaring scholarships is hard: How do Brevard students pay for college?

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