Top 15 Strangest Scholarships
Thousands of soon-to-be students are hunting for extra financial assistance for college tuition. Without a perfect SAT score or the ability to run a sub 4.5 forty yard dash, you might find your chances of securing a scholarship aren’t looking too bright. However, you might not realize that your odd talent or hobby may make you the perfect applicant for one of these 15 strange but real scholarships.
Oink, Oink
Has your room been compared to a sty? Are you comfortable living in a messy habitat? These aren’t requirements for a scholarship, but they are attributes of the creatures you care about – pigs! If you’re interested in creatures of the bovine persuasion, this is the scholarship for you; the International Boar Semen (IBS) Scholarship is available for those interested in swine management. For more information, visit piggene.com/IBS/ibs_home.htm.
The Next Generation of . . . Klingons
Trekkies, leave your capes, figurines, posters and other memorabilia behind. Just bring, well, yourself! Klingon Language Institute, in an effort to promote language study, awards one lucky winner a $500 Kor Memorial Scholarship—but don’t worry, fluency in Klingon is not a requirement. Check out the requirements for this scholarship at: kli.org/scholarship/.
Think Tall Thoughts
You’ve got Michael Jordan’s stature but you’re about as agile as a water buffalo. That’s okay with Tall Clubs International! Males over 6’2” and females above 5’8” are encouraged to apply. The reward is no small (pun intended) amount either; Tall.org awards a whopping $1,000 scholarship to the winner. Find more info at: www.tall.org.
Yo, Shorti!
For the vertically challenged, the Billy Barty Foundation offers scholarships to students of “short stature”. Similarly, the Little People of America awards students – and their families – scholarships. To join, members must be 4’10” and shorter. Scholarship amounts range from $250 to $1000. Read all the requirements at: lpaonline.org.
More Trans fat, please!
Say goodbye to the cabbage soup, grapefruit only, or south beach diets! The National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance encourages “fat” people to apply for one of their two merit-based scholarships. The scholarships, offered to already-existing NAAF members, awards $1,000 for first place, while the second place prize is $500. For more fat-friendly information regarding the scholarships, go to: naafa.org/newevents/shcolarship.html
For the Herbivores
Calling all veggie-lovers around the world! Two health-conscious winners will be awarded $5,000 in scholarship money from the Vegetarian Resource Group. But be forewarned: unless you love your legumes, this scholarship is not for you. Eligible applicants must not only exemplify a healthy lifestyle, but also promote vegetarianism within their community too. For more information visit: vrg.org.
Sk8 through School
Thanks to Tony Hawk and a few scrapes, bruises, and breaks, your skateboarding skills may have finally paid off. The Patrick Kerr Skateboard scholarship program awards four different scholarships each year. One applicant will receive a $5,000 college scholarship and three others will receive $1,000 awards. And your mother thought skateboarding would never get you anywhere! Requirements include maintaining at least a 2.5 out of 4.0 GPA, be a graduating senior, and a United States citizen. Be sure to read all the requirements skateboardscholarship.org.
Bit of the Bubbly, Please
Finally, your weakness for wine might serve another purpose—besides the pounding morning-after headache. The American Society for Enology and Viticulture (AASEV) awards multiple students for enrolling in science fields relating to the grape and wine industry. The scholarship amount is not predetermined; it varies year to year. To read other requirements for this scholarship, go to: asev.org/scholarship-program.
Bowling for Dollars
Though those middle-school years of loitering around bowling alleys have ended, your talent for earning turkeys may finally be cashing in. The United States Bowling Congress (USBC) offers a range of scholarships, including the Chuck Hall Star of Tomorrow that offers a $1,500 renewable scholarship for distinguished male high school bowlers and the Alberta E. Crow Star of Tomorrow that also offers $1,500 in renewable scholarship funds for great female high school bowlers. Read more at: bowl.com/smart/locateState.aspx.
Got Milk?
The Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year award is given to twenty-five graduating high school seniors who have what it takes to sport the famous milk mustache; winners receive $7,500 in scholarship funds. If that’s not enough, winners receive a special ad that runs in USA Today. If that’s not enough, winners receive an all-expense trip to an awards ceremony at Disney Wide World of Sports’ Milk House in Orlando, FL and an induction into the Milk House Hall of Fame. Check out applications at: sammy.bodybymilk.com.
Offer an Organ
You signed up to be an organ donor when you received your license. Put that heart on your ID to use! The Students for Organ Donation Youth Leadership award one or two $500 to $1,000 scholarships to full-time high school or undergraduate college students. Successful candidates actively promote organ donation and transplantation. More criteria to apply for this scholarship can be found at: studentdonor.org.
Tee It Up
You’ve seen them trudging up and down the greens, toting thirty pounds of iron on their backs, and offering tips to improve swings, distance and posture. Finally, they’re due their recognition; Francis Ouimet Scholarship Fund, founded in 1949, offers anywhere from $1,500 to $7,500 per year to caddies. Eligible applicants must have served at least two years as caddies, helpers in the pro shop or course superintendent operations at a club in Massachusetts. Read more information: ouimet.org/scholarships/
Color in the Lines
Did you meticulously color in the lines of your coloring books as a child? You may have graduated from crayons to acrylics, but the concept is the same: you’re an artist at heart. Established in 1983, the L. Ron Hubbard Illustrator of the Future contest awards both quarterly and annual scholarships, ranging from $1,500 to $4,000. Read more : writersofthefuture.com
Hot, Hot, Hot
You’ve heard it, those three little words…in case of a fire: stop, drop and roll to safety. Earning a scholarship from the American Fire Sprinkler Association is almost just as easy; AFSA offers ten $2,000 scholarships per year to graduating high school seniors. Requirements include reading an essay and taking an online (and open-book) test. Read more about this sizzling offer on: afsascholarship.org.
Giddyup, cowboy!
The Arabian Horse Foundation offers an annual scholarship of $2,500 to one eligibly equine enthusiast. The scholarship, named in remembrance of William Zekan, is offered to horse lovers that demonstrate financial need, are currently either a high school senior or college freshman and can provide two letters of recommendation. For more eligibility criteria: arabianhorsefoundation.org.
What is the best international boarding high-school in Europe if i want to get into a top university?
I am from Romania, my mother is ready to “invest” for my high-school abroad and want to find the best schools in europe for my future, to have the chance to reach a scholarship to a top university.
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Jenny Sweeney is a copywriter with DMi Partners, an interactive marketing agency devoted to informative websites, including ecollegefinder.org, a site devoted to distance learning and accredited online colleges.
19 Comments on “Top 15 Strangest Scholarships”
University Language Services is currently hosting a college scholarship for international and study abroad students. You must be a senior in high school or already in college. It is a photo contest that allows you to win one of four prizes. Check it out and good luck!
Hi,
For information on scholarships, student support, grants and student loans have a look at
http://taweek.com/11.html
It's got a lot of good stuff for you to look at. Have a look at the free textbooks you can download at the 'TextBooks – Sometimes Free – Always Cheaper' section further down the page
Good Luck
There area a lot of scholarships for specific situations. i do not know if it applys to you but i got my list from;
http://www.tracemediums.com/front%20page/Consulting/site/Grantlist.html
for a small fee. You can also get some online, but not too in detail.
Talk to your guidance counselor. I'm sure they can help.
Hola Pete tu puedes!!! I found interesting information about your answer, college loans,SCHOLARSHIPS, college grants here.http://all-student-loan-consolidation.blogspot.com/2007/07/scholarships.html
Senior High School where? This information is necessary in assessing what may be available for you.
try looking here, http://www.cappex.com/?code=JA9554.
Most private schools do not give International students financial aid, in fact, they need proof up front that your bills will be paid for if you are attending boarding school and require payment quicker than they do with local students. The only reason a lot of schools will go through the hassle of admitting foreign students (paperwork, visa, etc) is because they typically can pay full tuition and will donate generously.
In this economy, need-blind admissions aren't as they were, and they were very rare to begin with. First, current school families who are having financial difficulties will be looked at for financial aid, and they may be able to qualify easier than a new student. This is fair, they've already paid into the school.
Because there are a limited amount of funds, even schools that state they are need-blind aren't really. There will be many more qualified applicants at the top schools than there are spaces, so not every qualified applicant will be offered a space or financial aid, or the financial aid they offer will be very low. Need blind doesn't mean full financial aid. Even at Phillips Academy it is not as need-blind as they seem to make it out to be, and I believe that is the only need-blind boarding school now.
http://www.privateschoolreview.com/
http://www.boardingschoolreview.com/
http://schools.com/
Good luck!
I found some info about getting this scholarship online in this scholarship database – education.mypressonline.com
There are scholarships and government grants available for this case. But you will need to go to a website like Scholarship Support so you can learn more about how to find and apply for these. Scholarship Support provides free information and services that help students get Scholarships, Government Grants and Student Loans. Good Luck
You have to go to the website of international student of the university you want to go. They might have information about it or you can always email them. I know that a couple of universities in Oregon have a cultural program that allows international students to go to school for cheaper.
Try these links:
http://www.yorku.ca/web/futurestudents/scholarships/Scholarship_Intl.html
http://www.studyabroad.com/forum/financial_aid.html
http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/ld.phtml
Try Oxford University UK or probably University of chicago united states, this are one of the best universities i can imagine for now, you can contact PROF. Broughton in the UK, here is his email link: broughtonrobert@ymail.com or Mr Johnson in the united states: ben_aggie123@yahoo.com.
-Yes it would be better to graduate with an IB scholarship than a regular one because IB courses in high school is like taking college courses. And since IB is mostly college level courses you are able to receive credits for college during high school so…
-And yes it would also give you a higher chance at getting into a good college because they will be able to see that you can the handle the pressure.
-I would say the change would somewhat hard because you are going from regular classes to college coursed classes. It would be somewhat difficult but the result would be more than likely worth it.
I hope this helps you out a bit.
You would definitely need to take the TOEFL no matter what if you are a foreign student unless it is determined that you live in an English speaking country and that you have been brought up speaking English. Of course though, this all depends on the college. The TOEFL is an exam which determines your level of competence in English. Just by reading your question, I would guess that you are pretty proficient in English and I think you would not have any trouble with the TOEFL. As for the SATs, there are schools that do not require them, like Bowdoin College and Bates College in Maine where it is optional and there are other ones as well. To apply for a scholarship, you usually have to apply to a college first.
You have good grades and are good at soccer, so I would say you have a lot going for you and yes you could get a scholarship even if you are from another country.
Here is a good website about coming to the US to go to school. There is a good section about financial aid…