28 Weird Scholarships for Unique Students in 2024
Are you a left-handed high school senior? A Pokemon master? A graduate student with a passion for tattoo removal? Believe it or not, there’s a scholarship for you.
As it turns out, there are more wacky and weird scholarships than you can imagine. And they’re here to help you make education affordable. Explore this list and find where you fit. When you’re ready, Going Merry makes applying a breeze.
Start your search with these 28 unique college scholarships for high school students:
1. Stuck at Prom Scholarship
Amount: Up to $10,000
Niche: Crafty prom attireGet ready to create the ultimate prom attire with duct tape! With the Stuck at Prom Scholarship, you’ll be literally stuck at prom using Duck brand duct tape to assemble your outfit. High School Juniors and Seniors will create and wear prom attire assembled with the crafting tape, then take a photo, and submit their creation for public voting. There are 4 scholarship awards in total: 2 for the Dress Category and 2 for the Tux Category.
2. Collegiate Beef Advocacy Program
Amount: $2,000
Niche: Beef advocate
Don’t start beef. Instead, advocate for it and potentially earn a college scholarship! The Collegiate Beef Advocacy Program connects high school graduates to beef industry experts to access mentorship, cattlemen, and cattlewomen to help improve leadership skills.
3. National Marbles Tournament
Amount: Varies
Niche: Mibster
Fellow mibsters – a.k.a. marble shooters – the National Marbles Tournament awards 4 college scholarships per year. The requirements? Applicants must be between the age of 7-14 and have won a local marble championship. Gamers unite in Wildwood, New Jersey for a tournament of over 1,200 marble games for this wacky college scholarship contest.
4. Teen Drinking and Driving Prevention PSA Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Niche: Educate people on the dangers of drinking and driving
If you like directing videos instead of writing essays, this McKenzie Law Firm, P.C., scholarship might be for you. This $2,500 scholarship is for the student who develops the best PSA video for teenagers about the dangers of drinking and driving. The Teen Drinking and Driving Prevention PSA scholarship is a creative opportunity to help fund your college tuition and do some community service!
5. The UNIMA-USA Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Niche: Puppetry
The UNIMA-USA Scholarship awards American puppeteers who desire to study puppetry abroad. Scholarship applicants must either have professional experience in puppetry, a puppetry degree, or a demonstrated commitment to the art of puppetry in order to apply for this wacky scholarship.
6. Foreclosure.com Scholarship
Amount: Up to $4,000
Unusual ask: Write about renting vs. owning a home
These college scholarships aim to educate the community about various topics in real estate. In order to apply to the Foreclosure.com Scholarship, simply enter the essay contest with a paper between 800 and 2,000 words about the pros and cons of renting versus owning a home. The first place winner receives a $4,000 scholarship while second and third place winners receive a $1000 scholarship.
7. STARFLEET Scholarships
Amount: $1,000
Niche: Star Trek fans
Star Trek fans can apply for these unique STARFLEET Scholarships worth $1,000. Applicants must have been members of STARFLEET for at least one year before applying for this unusual scholarship. STARFLEET is made up of hundreds of local chapters with the aim of providing a base for Star Trek fans to interact.
8. American Fence Association Scholarships
Award: $5000
Niche: Family involved in fence industry
The American Fence Association awards these little-known college scholarships each year at FENCETECH. Recipients must either be employed in the fence industry or be the immediate family member of an employee in the industry. Additionally, American Fence Association Scholarship applicants must have a B average GPA and have done at least 40 hours of community service. Winners do not need to be members of the AFA to qualify.
9. Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship
Amount: $1,500
Niche: Fitness-related career
High school seniors, undergraduates, and graduate students may apply. The Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship supports students focusing on health and fitness related careers. Academic achievement and extracurricular activities are taken into applicant consideration but there is no GPA requirement.
10. Future Designer Scholarship
Amount: $2,000
Niche: Designer
College students with a flair for the arts and an interest in greeting card design are encouraged to apply to this Future Designer Scholarship. Applicants to this design-a-greeting-card scholarship will enter using original artwork. CardsDirect hints at wanting December holiday-themed works from scholarship applicants!
11. Cosmetology Scholarship
Amount: $2,500
Niche: Studying cosmetology
Students studying cosmetology or any related field may apply to this Cosmetology School Scholarship sponsored by Beauty Schools Directory. Example majors are esthetics, nail technician, fashion design, electrology, and barbering.
12. “Be Bold” No Essay Scholarship
Amount: $25,000
Niche: Risk-takers
Bold.org believes the future of our world will be molded by earnest, determined risk-takers. If that sounds like you, the “Be Bold” No Essay Scholarship contest should be on your list. The award amount is generous and will go a long way to help offset student loans. The winning profile will demonstrate a high degree of boldness and students who apply early have a greater chance of winning!
13. Sarah E. Huneycutt Scholarship
Amount: $20,000
Niche: Female golfers
If you’re a female student with a GPA of 3.0 or higher who’s interested in golf, but not quite ready to play at the collegiate level, the Sarah E. Huneycutt Scholarship is an excellent opportunity to further your education and love of the game. The award adds to the college fund of one lucky recipient for four years of college or university at an accredited school in Florida. If you’re interested in exploring more scholarship programs specific to female college students, check out our comprehensive list.
14. Glenn Miller Music Scholarship
Amount: $3,000
Niche: Music lovers
The Glenn Miller Birthplace Society has honored the music and memory of Glenn Miller by offering the annual Glenn Miller Music scholarship and competition open to high school seniors and college freshmen who intend to make music a part of their future. 10 vocal and 10 instrumental semi-finalists are chosen to compete at the Glenn Miller Festival. Three winners are selected from each category, who will then get to perform at the festival, in addition to their scholarship winnings!
15. Heisman High School Scholarship
Amount: $10,000
Niche: Community-minded athletes
The word “Heisman” conjures images of standout collegiate football players. But the Heisman High School Scholarship has a different focus: highlighting student-athletes with notable achievements off the field and in their communities. If your financial aid package wasn’t quite enough and you’re passionate about your community, this award and other community service-focused scholarships can help put a little extra money into your college fund!
16. Two Ten Higher Education Footwear Design Scholarship
Amount: $3,000
Niche: Sneakerheads
Ever thought about turning your love of sneakers into a career? The Two Ten Higher Education Footwear Design Scholarship could make that dream a reality. This unusual scholarship goes to a student studying design with a specific focus on footwear. Applicants must submit three different designs from their portfolio, so sharpen those pencils!
17. Cleveland Browns Foundation Marion Motley Scholarship
Amount: $10,000
Niche: Football fans
The Cleveland Browns want to support the next generation of Ohio-based sports executives and educators. If that sounds like a win to you, check out the Cleveland Browns Foundation Marion Motley Scholarship. This scholarship award supports two passionate students for four years of higher education.
18. Greater Than Gatsby Annual Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Niche: Content creators
Jay Gatsby is an American icon. Every depiction of him in popular culture is perfectly lit, shot, and edited – just like the photographs that’ll win the Greater Than Gatsby Annual Scholarship! This scholarship program is targeted toward artistic-minded students, regardless of GPA, with dreams to pursue visual arts higher education and a career in photography or any related art form.
19. The Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
Amount: $2,000
Niche: Thrill seekers
The Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship takes the cake for the most unusual scholarship! This creative essay contest asks students to imagine their school has been overrun by zombies, and then come up with a plan for survival. With no GPA requirement or letters of recommendation, applying for this scholarship money is much less scary than outrunning a hungry zombie.
20. American Association of Candy Technologist’s John Kitt Memorial Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Niche: Dessert people
Talk about a delicious deal! The American Association of Candy Technologists’ John Kitt Memorial Scholarship rewards college students who are studying food science with an extra-sweet $5,000 scholarship. The scholarship money is paid in two installments throughout one school year. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in order to be eligible for this financial aid.
21. The Asparagus Club Scholarship
Amount: $5,000
Niche: Veggie vendors
If you envision a career selling asparagus at the farmers market or your local independent grocer, the Asparagus Club Scholarship can put some extra cash into your college fund. This award is open to students from college sophomores up to graduate students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 and above.
22. National Potato Council Scholarship
Amount: $10,000
Niche: Spud Lovers
Sponsored by the Potato Leadership, Education and Advancement Foundation, the National Potato Council Scholarship is a great target for graduate students with a focus on agricultural studies. Ideal candidates for this award will be conducting research that benefits the potato industry. The winner will be chosen based on a combination of criteria including academic achievement and areas of study related to the potato industry.
23. Doodle 4 Google Scholarship
Amount: $30,000
Niche: Illustrating Google
The Doodle for Google Scholarship is an award for artistic high school students who may submit a doodle illustrating the name “Google” using any materials. Students must also include a doodle description – an artist statement explaining the doodle and how it represents something that inspires the student. Doodles will be judged based on artistic merit, creativity, and theme communication (how well the student expresses the theme in the artwork and written statement).
24. Tall Clubs International Foundation Scholarship
Amount: Varies
Niche: Tall people
If you’re exceptionally height-advantaged, the Tall Clubs International Foundation Scholarship could be the scholarship for you. The application calls for high school students, either men or women under 21, who are entering their freshman year of college. The minimum height requirements for membership in Tall Clubs International are 5’ 10” for women and 6’ 2” for men. There’s no financial need or GPA requirement.
25. Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Amount: $5,000 – $10,000
Niche: Vegetarianism
Vegetarians and supporters alike – this group wants to know how you promote vegetarianism in your high school or community. An anonymous donor sponsors the Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship contest with two different award amounts: two $5,000 prizes and one $10,000 prize.
26. Create-a-Greeting-Card
Amount: $10,000, plus $1,000 for your school
Niche: Greeting card creator
Show off your design skills by creating your own greeting card and submitting it to win the Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship. Students are encouraged to include original art to apply to this scholarship contest. Ages 14 and up may enter, from high school to college students.
27. Flying Musicians Association Solo Program
Amount: First solo in-flight training with instructor
Niche: Musicians wanting to fly
This very specific scholarship program is geared toward musicians who want to learn how to fly. Through the Flying Musicians Association Solo Program high school juniors and seniors in good standing must be nominated by their music director. FMA will then sponsor the student’s first solo in flight training with a participating flight school, or with a flight instructor who is FAA-certified.
28. Alpine Scholarship
Amount: $1,000
Niche: Interest in Alpine cultureStudents interested in studying Alpine culture in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and surrounding areas, are encouraged to apply for the Alpine Scholarship. Scholarship provider Minnesota Krampus, a nonprofit organization, promotes cultural traditions of St. Nikolaus and his Krampus. College students from any major may apply as long as their major supports the study of topics that involve the Alps and its people, including language, history, politics, music, and folklore.
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