Do you realize just how many random scholarships there are in the world? Most students struggle to pay for their college educations without the use of student loans, but that is because they are not willing to put the effort into finding the aid that is already available to them. Whether you’re a high school student or someone pursuing a master’s degree, you have bizarre financial aid available to you. All you need to do is identify your talents and find a scholarship program that speaks to you. The tips below will hopefully let you see the many opportunities you have in your arsenal.
What Makes Random Scholarships So Desirable?
Quite frankly, random scholarships are just cool to say you’ve won. Not everyone in the world can say that their obsession with skateboarding helped pay for their college education, but winners of the Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship can. There is no reason for you to be ashamed of your passions and special talents when there are plenty of scholarship committees out there honoring students just like you. Everyone is a little “random” at times, so you might as well get paid for being random in the right ways. In that sense, you can truly make the most out of your college experience.
Popular Random Scholarships
No matter what your talents, passions, and features may be, there is likely a scholarship out there for you. The list below shows some of the most popular ones to choose from, but there are plenty of other crazy scholarships available to fund your education.
- Tall Clubs International Student Scholarships: Are you a man taller than 6’2″? How about a woman taller than 5’10″? If so, you may qualify for a TCI student scholarship. In order to receive an award like this, you will need to be a member of a local TCI. That organization must appoint you as their scholarship candidate for the term. You must be younger than 21 years of age to apply. The awards range in value every year, so check the TCI website for more information.
- National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance Scholarship: For the less than skinny scholars among us, the NAAFA provides a $1,000 award every year for college students of all majors who participate in the organization. If you are a member in good standing of the NAAFA, you may qualify for this scholarship contest. To apply, you will need to write an essay about fat acceptance, which you can turn in to your NAAFA chapter.
- Dr. Seuss “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” Scholarship Program: Have you ever read the Dr. Seuss book titled “Oh the Places You’ll Go”? The book is often used as a tribute to high school and college graduates getting ready to pursue a career in the “big world.” Random House issues an annual scholarship in honor of the book, and all you have to do to qualify is write an essay based on a prompt. The scholarship is valued at $5,000, and it is open to all high school seniors.
- Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship: Do you skip the bus to get to class, just so you can ride to it on your skateboard? If so, this is certainly the scholarship for you. The Patrick Kerr Scholarship was designed to encourage students and the community at large to see the positive impact skateboarding can have on a person’s life. Scholarships range in value from $1000 to $5000, and there are four scholarships given out every year. To apply, you must write an essay about how skateboarding has impacted your life for the better.
- Vegetarian Scholarship: Are you a vegetarian planning to attend college in the near future? If so, don’t you think it’s about time that you got paid for not eating meat all these years? The Vegetarian Resource Group offers two $5,000 scholarships for high school seniors upholding a vegetarian lifestyle. This is an essay scholarship where students submit works about how they have lived peaceful lives due to their choice to be vegetarians. Check the VRG website for more information about application dates and requirements.
Tips for Finding Random Scholarships
The “random” nature of random scholarships makes them fairly hard to find. Nevertheless, you may have success finding a scholarship you can use if you look for organizations that sponsor students with your talents. If you can wiggle your ears, look for a national ear wiggling organization. If you can do a handstand underwater, look for a water acrobatics organization. Those organizations are usually the ones that have random scholarships for you to apply to. If they don’t, they may know of a different group that does.
If you have a unique trait, talent, or tale that you want to share with the world, you might as well get paid for doing so. Check out some of the random scholarships that fit your individualism, and see if you can grab some quick cash for college.
