The expense of higher education may be on the rise, but at the same time, it seems that college scholarships are becoming more unusual and amazing. There are some very extraordinary scholarships available in the United States, and while most scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and/or financial need, there are some much more unusual scholarships out there. These scholarships can be given based on anything from being able to make a duck sound to being a genius at engineering.
We have compiled a list of the most unique scholarship opportunities that we could locate for students in the United States, along with information on what you will need to do to have a shot at winning one of these awards. If you read our list, you’ll find out how you may win anything from two thousand dollars for writing an essay on zombies to a staggering twenty-five thousand dollars for cooking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Please note that this page is updated yearly, and because the sponsors or institutions that open these scholarships may often change the period in which they accept applications, we may not keep up with these updates due to the volume of scholarships we publish here. Therefore, this page is basically intended to show you the endless opportunities you have to get a scholarship to study anywhere in the world. Simply click on the link to the scholarship you want to check the deadline for on the official website. Or click here to access our list of current scholarships.
Unusual scholarships contests
- American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship Program – scholarship contest for US college students who write a winning ‘fire sprinkler essay’.
- Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest – prospective college students in the US can take part in the Arkansas annual duck calling scholarship contest, to win awards totaling US$4,250.
- Create-A-Greeting-Card $10,000 Scholarship Contest – scholarship contest for US college students to design a winning greeting card.
- Duct Tape “Stuck At Prom” Scholarship Contest – Funded by Duck Tape, this gives graduating high-school students the opportunity to gain college scholarships by dressing entirely in duct tape for their prom.
- Illustrator of the Future contest – US college scholarships are awarded to winners of this science fiction illustration competition.
- Jif Most Creative Sandwich Competition – A massive US$25,000 in college scholarship funding is awarded annually to the creator of the best peanut butter sandwich.
- Junior Duck Stamp Contest – another duck-related scholarship contest, this initiative gives US$1,000 to the student who creates the best drawing, sketch, or painting of a duck.
- National Marbles Tournament – This marble tournament awards US scholarships to the winning ‘mobster’ (marble shooter).
- Rube Goldberg Machine Scholarship Contest – US scholarship contest to make a winning Rube Goldberg machine. Open to incoming students at the Milwaukee School of Engineering.
- Writer of the future contest – creative US scholarships contest for science fiction and fantasy writers.
- Zombie Apocalypse Scholarships – US scholarships worth US$2,000, offered by ScholarshipsExpert.com. To win, students must write a creative application essay on how they would survive if a zombie apocalypse broke out in their school.
- Collegiate Inventors’ Scholarship – annual US scholarship awarded to full-time US students with an idea for an original invention in a STEM subject or other field.
- Unusual scholarships for specific groups of students
- Little People of America Scholarships – offering scholarships for current undergraduate or graduate US students, with preference given to LPA members medically diagnosed with dwarfism, immediate family members of an LPA member, or non-member students with dwarfism.
- Optimist International Communication Scholarship – college scholarships for deaf and hard of hearing students graduating from high school in the US or Canada.
- Starfleet Scholarships – opportunities to gain US$1,000 scholarships for US students who are members of the International Star Trek Fan Association, Starfleet.
- TCI Foundation Tall Scholarships – unusual scholarships for tall, first-year university students in the US with a height of over 6 foot 2 inches (for men) or 5 foot 10 inches (for women).
- Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarships – US scholarships for current students who are vegetarian and actively promote a vegetarian way of life at their university.
Unusual scholarships for sports fans
- Bob Gurnsey Paintball Scholarships – college scholarships for current US students who are active paintballers.
- The Chick Evan Caddie Scholarship – full-tuition college scholarships for golf caddies pursuing study in the US.
- Unusual scholarships for foodies
- AACT John Kitt Memorial Scholarship – offering a US$5,000 scholarship to US students with an interest in confectionary technology. Funded by the American Association of Candy Technologists.
- National Beef Ambassador Program – US$1,000 in scholarships for national beef ambassador students in the US. Weird, yes, but they do also offer a free iPad…
- National Potato Council Scholarship Program – a graduate-level scholarship program for students conducting research to further the US potato industry.
- NDS Milk Marketing Scholarship – seven US scholarships are given away by the National Dairy Shrine to encourage undergraduate students to pursue careers in dairy marketing.
Subject-specific unusual scholarships
- American Welding Society District Scholarship Program – scholarship opportunities for US students studying or training within a welding-related program.
- ASEV Scholarship Program – university scholarships open to US students studying a degree in enology and viticulture, the science behind the wine and grape industry.
- Eileen J Garrett Scholarship – open to students at an accredited US university wishing to pursue study in parapsychology, the study of paranormal and psychic phenomena.
- Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarships – scholarship opportunities for graduate students with a major interest in crystallography (e.g. crystal structure analysis and crystal morphology). Awards total US$2,500 each.
- National Gay Pilot Association Scholarships – opportunities for members of the LGBT community to gain funding to pursue a professional pilot education at a US institution.
- TAPPI William L Cullison Scholarship – scholarship opportunities for students studying pulp and paper science at an accredited US university. Sponsored by TAPPI.
- TYLENOL Future Care Scholarships – US scholarships funded by TYLENOL drugs company, offered to students pursuing studies in healthcare.
University-specific unusual scholarships
- Alice Mcarver Ratchford Scholarship – (very specific) scholarship opportunities for female students at the University of North Carolina who are single, live on campus and don’t own a car.
- Loyola University Chicago Zolp Scholarships – unusual scholarships on offer to Catholic students with the surname Zolp at Loyola University Chicago in the US.
- the University of Michigan LaFontaine Aquatic Entomology Scholarship – scholarship opportunities for students conducting an aquatic entomology research project within the department of Natural Resources & Environment at the University of Michigan in the US.
- The Hiram College Hal Reichle Scholarship – scholarships offered at Hiram College in Ohio, US for students who show humanity and kindness, be that through volunteering, community involvement, or humanitarian efforts.
- Waterfowl and Wetlands Conservation Scholarship – US scholarships awarded to students enrolled at Mississippi State University in the Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science program.
Scholarships for twins and triplets
- Eastern Michigan University Furlotte Twins Endowed Scholarship – Endowed scholarships for twins studying at the College of Education at Eastern Michigan University
- George Washington University Family Grant – cut-price tuition scholarships for twins and other siblings attending George Washington University in the US in the same year.
- Layton Frazier McKinley Scholarship – offering undergraduate business scholarships for twins at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University in the US. Preference is given to identical twins.
- Wilson College Scholarships for Twins and Triplets – scholarships for twins and triplets awarded annually at Wilson College in Pennsylvania, US. 45% off tuition fees awarded to each twin/triplet.
