Think back to your last few days as a high school senior. With a half dozen college acceptance letters and a severe case of senioritis, your parents probably pressured you to spend time on websites like Freeweb.com and Scholarships.com searching for any scholarship money you could put towards the tuition bills you were soon to be receiving. Whether you applied for just a handful or a few dozen, you remember that process well.
Fast forward to today. Whether you’re a few months or a few years out of high school, applying for scholarships probably hasn’t taken priority—yet your college bill is still sitting in front of you, flashing big green dollar signs and the promise of hefty student loans upon graduation. Fear not, collegiettesä! We’ve got a list of 10 scholarships that college undergraduates can apply for right now. So if you’ve got time to spare in the next few weeks, fill out the forms and get your creative juices flowing. There’s tons of free money out there—you just have to claim it!
1. “Frame My Future”
How to apply:
Prize: Five awards of $1,000 each
Deadline: March 2, 2011
Not a writer? This scholarship is perfect for you! Created by diplomaframe.com, entrants can create a piece of artwork that embodies what they would like to achieve following college graduation. The entry can be anything from a photograph or collage to a graphic design, scrapbook style page or poem. A short accompanying description of your submission is required, although it only has to be 500 words.
2. Proof-Reading.com Scholarship
How to apply:
Prize: One $1,500 award
Deadline: June 1, 2011
The only requirements for this scholarship are being enrolled in more than 12 credit hours at a university and maintaining a 3.5 GPA. Contestants must choose from three different prompts and must submit a 1,500-word essay about recently sworn in U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan. As of February 20, 2011, only 41 entries had been received, making your chances of winning much higher than scholarships that receive thousands of applications!
3. Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
How to apply:
Prize: Varies
Deadline: Varies
The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation offers a wide variety of scholarships with deadlines well into late April, May and June. Although each award is different, many do not require students to be of African American descent. Some, like the Performing Arts Scholarship require a resume, letters of recommendation, a personal statement and a video recording of a recent performance. Others, like the Environmental Studies Scholarship, will award $10,000 to minority women pursuing a degree in environmental science or other related fields.
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4. George Watt Prize
How to apply:
Prize: Two $500 awards
Deadline: July 1, 2011
Calling all history buffs! The Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives is offering a $500 prize to an undergraduate and graduate student who can produce a 3,500 to 7,500-word essay on one of the following topics:
- Any aspect of the Spanish Civil War
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The global political or cultural struggles against fascism in 1920s and 1930s
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The lifetime histories and contributions of the Americans who fought in support of the Spanish Republic from 1936 to 1938
Applicants working on a thesis in any of these areas are encouraged to present a chapter from their work as their submission.
5. Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships
How to apply:
Prize: Five $15,000 awards
Deadline: March 31, 2011
Perfect for the aspiring poet, this scholarship supported by the Poetry Foundation awards $15,000 to any current college student between the ages of 21 and 31. Ten pages of poetry and a short introduction to your work are all that’s required.
6. Google Scholarships
Prize: Varies
Deadline: Varies
Google has partnered with a number of organizations to offer a slew of scholarship money for college students pursuing degrees in computer science or computer engineering. Although a few have already passed their deadline, the Hispanic Fund award and the United Negro College Fund are still open for qualifying students of color.
7. Radio Television Digital News Association
How to apply:
Prize: Varies
Deadline: Varies
The RTDNA offers numerous financial awards for candidates enrolled as full-time college students with the aim of entering the field of electronic and online journalism. In order to qualify, you must have at least a full year of college remaining. All deadlines and applications for the different awards vary, so visit the site for more information on each award.
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8. “No Essay” Scholarship
How to apply:
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: Currently February 28, 2011. New contests added continually throughout the year
Looking for a no-hassle way to win some money? College Prowler offers this incredibly easy way to score a chunk of change. Simply fill out the form with your basic contact information and they’ll randomly select the winner. If you’re the lucky one, you can use your winnings to help cover tuition, housing, a meal plan, books, computers or any other education-related expenses.
9. The Christophers Video Contest for College Students
How to apply:
Amount: $2,000 (grand prize) to $100 (honorable mentions)
Deadline: September 2011
You’ve got some time with this contest, but if your creativity skills lay in video-making or producing, this scholarship is perfect for you. Information about the 2011 competition has not yet been posted, but the annual program will definitely be taking place. Applicants are asked to submit a five-minute short film interpreting the mission of the Christophers organization. Check out last year’s press release for examples from past years and more information.
10. National Press Photographers Foundation Scholarships
How to apply:
Amount: $2,000
Deadline: March 7, 2011
Passionate about photojournalism? The National Press Photographers Foundation has five $2,000 scholarships available to undergraduate college students pursuing a degree in journalism. Entrees must include six to 12 photographs and a letter of recommendation, and students must prove financial need in order to apply. For examples of past winners, check out the NPPF website.
Personalized Scholarship Searches
Dozens of websites have personalized scholarship searches that let you input your own personal information and then populate hundreds of scholarships you can apply for. Some of the best include:
- Collegeboard
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Scholarships.com
Student Scholarship Search - finaid.org
- StudentScholarships.org
- CollegeScholarships.org