College Scholarships Students May Not Know About

Need some extra scholarship money?  There are opportunities which may fit you perfectly, but don’t know about.

To win a share of the billions of dollars available in college scholarships, you don’t necessarily have to be a 4.0 student or have scored a perfect 2400 on the SAT* or 36 on the ACT* – though that helps too.  There are many unusual, little-known scholarships available for students of diverse backgrounds and lifestyles, but who may not have the strongest academic records. Here are just a few:

• The Parapsychology Foundation’s Annual Eileen J. Garrett Scholarship is designed to assist a student who plans to pursue the academic study of parapsychology.  The organization says applicants must demonstrate a previous interest in parapsychology and included writing samples on the subject with the application form.  Boo!

• The Klingon Language Institute’s Kor Memorial Scholarship may be a Treky’s dream come true.  According to the organization, the purpose of the scholarship is to recognize and encourage scholarship in fields of language study. Familiarity with Mr. Spock’s Klingon language is not required, but they do prefer creative and innovative applicants.

• Duck Tape’s® Stuck at Prom® Scholarship Contest challenges students to create and accessorize their prom outfits with duct tape, then wear them to prom.  Participants take snapshots of themselves with their dates at the prom and then an online, public poll decides the winner. Quacking on the dance floor isn’t a requirement to compete, but speaking of quacking…   

•  The Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest takes place every year in Arkansas – in sunshine or in fowl weather. During its nearly 40 year history, the contest has awarded more than $60,000 in scholarships to young duck callers who have gone on attend 32 different colleges. 

• Vegetarian Resource Group awards two $5,000 scholarships to high school students who have promoted vegetarianism in their high schools and/or communities. Applicants should NOT beef up their résumés.
  

• Tall Clubs International offers $1,000 scholarships to tall students who meet the organization’s requirements: minimums of 5’10” for women and 6’2″ for men.  Note: 5’10” and 6’2” WITHOUT heels.

“How to pay for college is a huge concern for many families, but luckily there are billions of dollars in private scholarship money available for almost every kind of student,” said Jieun Choe, executive director of college prep and K-12 programs, Kaplan Test Prep.  “We strongly encourage students to look for scholarship opportunities before their senior year – and look at searching and applying for scholarships as a part-time job, as it can really be worth your while.  You can actually start banking scholarship money as early as freshman year of high school. The more money you have by the time college acceptance letters come, the more options you’ll have since your ability to pay will be less of an issue. ”