Graduating seniors and motivated juniors are going to come back from winter break eager to finish out the year. There are portfolios to build, college applications to send, essays to complete, and campus tours to take. And, of course there are also scholarships to research and apply for.
As you know, scholarships can be as unique as students themselves. There are thousands of popular ones available such as the HOPE scholarship, Best Buy scholarships, and Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. And, there are new scholarships that pop up every year. This year is no exception. There are several new opportunities available for students—even seniors still scrambling to apply for awards—such as The Art Institutes Culinary Scholarship, best teen chef contest, BigSun Scholarship, and the Tom Norton Scholarship. To view a more detailed list of available scholarships, click here to visit studentscholarships.org.
But, what about the far out awards that pop up in your Google results? You know the ones we’re talking about—scholarships that are awarded to students for the most outrageous prom outfit, awards for essays about home improvement (e. g. fire sprinkler activities), and scholarships for students who love candy and want to major in confectionery technology.
Here is a list of some of the strangest scholarships we found. (Originally published by Online Colleges.)
Stuck at Prom: It’s been said that you can do just about anything with duct tape. For some creative high school students, “anything” includes a prom dress. For 11 years now, Duck brand duct tape has offered a Stuck at Prom scholarship contest, which awards $5,000 scholarships to the couple with the most creative use of duct tape in their prom outfits. A bonus? Their school also gets $5,000.
Make It With Wool: For budding clothing designers and wool lovers, the American Sheep Industry’s Make It With Wool competition offers several different scholarship winnings to students who make the most interesting and creative wool pieces, with some prizes as high as $1,500.
Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest: A total of $4,250 in scholarship money is up for grabs at this duck calling contest, open to any current high school senior. The first place winner receives $2,000 to use for school. In 36 years, the contest has awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships.
National Potato Council Scholarship Program: A love of potatoes can add up to a whole lot of money if you’re the lucky winner of this scholarship. Each year, a graduate student pursuing advanced studies in agribusiness for the enhancement of the potato industry will win $5,000 to put toward his or her education.
Starfleet Scholarships: Star Trek fans who are also members of the Starfleet Star Trek Fan Association are eligible for scholarships from the organization. To qualify, you must be a member for at least one year before applying. Scholarships are available for medicine, engineering, performing arts, foreign language, business management, veterinary medicine, education, writing, law enforcement, and more.
The Vegetarian Resource Group: If you don’t eat meat, you just might get money for college. The Vegetarian Resource Group awards $10,000 in college scholarships each year to students who promote vegetarianism in their schools and communities. This $10,000 is split into two awards of $5,000, so being vegetarian and sharing your lifestyle in the community can really pay off.
Barry Lefkowitz Scholarship Billiards Tournament: University of Akron alumnus and former university billiards champion Barry Lefkowitz started this scholarship program to keep billiards alive at the university, and through tournaments in the spring and fall, three talented players can claim up to $1,000 to use for school and books at the University of Akron.
Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship: Most people think of golfers as the only athletes in the sport, but the fact is that caddies have a vitally important role to play in golfing as well. The Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship honors the role of caddies, providing funds for outstanding caddy students to attend select universities with an Evans Scholarship House.
Want to see more? Read 30 Obscure Scholarships That Actually Exist at onlinecolleges.net.
