As the beginning of a new school year draws nearer, you might be turning your mind to tuition bills, financial aid, student loans, getting a job, and other financial concerns. Many students disregard scholarships because they figure they aren’t likely to win, but this notion is often false. Here are five scholarships with August deadlines that you won’t want to miss.
Wholesale Halloween Costumes Scholarship – $500
Eligibility: must be enrolled at a two-year or four-year college, be a U.S. citizen or hold a student visa.
Application: Tweet a short story that is exactly 100 characters long. Include the hashtag #ScholarshipWHC in your tweet. Include the link to the scholarship page bit.ly/1aI7L6q in your tweet.
Deadline: August 13.
Germ Warrior Scholarship – $1000
Eligibility: open to high school seniors or enrolled college students (undergrad and graduate)
Application: 500 word essay. Includes applicant’s name, address, phone number and the college, university or institute of attendance in August 15th, 2014.
What are your health goals? In the next 10 years, how do you think your lifestyle will change, and what do you plan to do in order to stay healthy? What changes do you plan on doing in the near future to better your life?
Deadline: August 15.
Atlanta Dental Spa Scholarship – $1,000
Eligibility: open to high school juniors and seniors, and students enrolled in any post-secondary institution
Application: Answer these three questions in a 250 to 1,000 word essay:
What is the most difficult challenge you’ve faced in your life? What did you do to overcome it?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
How will this scholarship contribute to your academic, professional, or personal goals?
Deadline: August 18th
Clubs of America Scholarship Award – $1500
Eligibility: open to students enrolled in any accredited U.S. college or university, must have GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Application: Write an essay of no fewer than 800 words about their career aspirations and how their current course load will help them achieve success in their careers. Where do you see yourself 10 years from now?
Deadline: August 31.
Lexington Law Scholarship – $5,000
Eligibility: open to students enrolled in any accredited U.S. college or university, must have GPA of 2.5 or higher.
Application: Write an essay of no fewer than 800 words about what a credit score means to them, how it impacts their financial future, and how they plan to obtain and retain a great credit score during their college years. Competitive candidates will describe and demonstrate knowledge of credit scores, connect the importance of college years to a credit score, and discuss why improving the candidate’s credit score can improve his or her future. YouTube submissions are strongly encouraged, although not required. Video should be no longer than 4 minutes.
Deadline: August 31.
These are just a few of the scholarships available out there! Check with your university’s financial aid and scholarship office for other scholarships you may be eligible for, based on your major, GPA, class rank, and more. Additionally, you should always keep an eye out for local scholarships, either in your college area or in your hometown. Local scholarships typically receive fewer applicants, so your odds of winning can increase dramatically. (Example: at my high school, a few years before I graduated, a local organization planned to give out 3 separate $1,000 scholarships. Only one girl applied – they just gave her all $3,000!)
Applying for scholarships may seem time consuming and tedious, but it can be well worth it. An 800 word essay might take you three hours to write, edit, and polish up. If your essay wins a $5,000 scholarship, you’ve just made $1,666.66 per hour worked, or $6.25 per word, depending on how you look at it. So why are you waiting? Apply for these scholarships before time runs out!
