Top No Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

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In 2024, as you're gearing up for college, it's crucial to take an active role in exploring and applying for no-essay scholarships. You have the opportunity to actively pursue no-essay scholarships tailored to your interests, background, or academic pursuits, boosting your chances of securing financial aid. We're here to guide you through the process and help you seize these valuable opportunities!

List of Top No Essay Scholarships to Apply for in 2024

Young Innovators to Watch

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Award Amount
$1,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
10 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Nov 22 Deadline

The Young Innovators to Watch contest is open to U.S. students between the ages of 13 - 19 who submit a project or innovation that shows technical or scientific creativity. Applicants may work individually or in small teams.
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$25,000 "Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship

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Award Amount
$25,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Nov 30, 2024 Deadline

The $25,000 “Be Bold” Scholarship is a no-essay scholarship that will be awarded to the applicant with the boldest profile. To us, boldest does not mean “best”, or “most accomplished”. Being bold means being: - Earnest - Determined - Moving The scholarship will be awarded to the student whose profile is most bold, according to these characteristics. Furthermore, this scholarship will be similar to the many easy scholarships available on Bold.org in that it will favor students who apply earlier—who are bold and seize the day without procrastinating.
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TicketCity Annual College Scholarship Program

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Award Amount
$3,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Dec 1 Deadline

This scholarship essay contest is open to U.S. college freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are enrolled full time in an accredited four-year university in the United States. Students must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher.
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Michigan First Scholarship Competition - College Division

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Award Amount
$6,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
3 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Feb 1 Deadline

This scholarship competition is open to current undergraduate and graduate students who are or become members of Michigan First Credit Union and are 17 to 25 years of age. Students must have a grade point average of 2.8 or higher and submit a video.
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Michigan First Scholarship Competition - High School Division

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Award Amount
$1,811 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
37 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Feb 1 Deadline

This scholarship competition is open to high school seniors who attend high school in Michigan or are Michigan First Credit Union members attending high school anywhere in the U.S. Students must have a grade point average of 2.8 or higher, and submit a video or essay.
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BBB Northwest Students of Integrity Scholarship

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Award Amount
$5,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Mar 11 Deadline

This scholarship is available for U.S. high school seniors in Alaska, Oregon, and Western Washington State. To apply, applicants must submit an original video that educates consumers about common business and financial scams.
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PICPA Student Writing Competition

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Award Amount
$2,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
3 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Mar 15 Deadline

This writing competition is open to graduate and undergraduate accounting and business majors. Students must attend Pennsylvania colleges/universities or maintain a permanent residence in Pennsylvania.
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Law Office of Cohen & Jaffe, LLP Scholarship Program

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Award Amount
$450 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
5 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Apr 5 Deadline

This scholarship contest is open to U.S. high school seniors and current college/university students. Students must submit an essay to be considered; public voting for finalists' essays will determine the winners.
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Youth Free Expression Film Contest

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Award Amount
$2,250 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
3 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Apr 15 Deadline

U.S. residents aged 19 or younger are eligible to enter this film-making contest. Students must submit a four-minute film on a specified censorship topic.
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Ortho Dermatologic Dermatology Woman Scholar Award

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Award Amount
$10,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
3 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Apr 26 Deadline

This scholarship is available for U.S. mothers who have been diagnosed with and treated for a dermatological condition. Applicants must submit an original essay and complete an online application form to be considered.
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Ortho Dermatologic Graduate Scholar Award

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Award Amount
$10,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
3 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Apr 26 Deadline

This scholarship is available for U.S. graduate students who have been diagnosed with and treated for a dermatological condition. Applicants must submit an original essay and complete an online application form to be considered.
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Ortho Dermatologic Undergraduate Scholar Award

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Award Amount
$10,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
3 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Apr 26 Deadline

This scholarship is available for U.S. undergraduate students who have been diagnosed with and treated for a dermatological condition. Applicants must submit an original essay and complete an online application form to be considered.
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A Voice for Animals High School Essay Contest

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Award Amount
$300 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
17 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Apr 30 Deadline

This award is available for high school students in Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties who are under the age of 19. Students must submit an original essay accompanied by photographs, create a Blog/Facebook page, or create an original video that examines either the mistreatment of one animal species or one cause of animal suffering, occurring anywhere in the world, and possible measures to reduce it.
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grownish & broke- Student Loan Payoff

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Award Amount
$150,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
3 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Apr 30 Deadline

Applicants must be US Residents, over 18 years of age, and a current undergraduate or graduate student or alumni.
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MindSumo and Meteorological Service of Canada Challenge

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Award Amount
$333 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
5 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
May 1 Deadline

The MindSumo and Meteorological Service of Canada Challenge is available for U.S. and international participants who submit proposals about potential improvements and upgrades to the MSC weather app.
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#ArriveAliveTX Distracted Driving Scholarship

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Award Amount
$1,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
May 31 Deadline

The #ArriveAliveTX Distracted Driving Scholarship is available for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students who have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
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Jim Dodson Law Scholarship

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Award Amount
$1,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Jun 20 Deadline

This scholarship is available for undergraduate students in who have a grade point average of 2.75 or higher. Applicants must be diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury or provide care for someone who has.
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The Law Offices of Joel J. Kofsky Scholarship

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Award Amount
$1,500 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Aug 15 Deadline

This scholarship is open to U.S. incoming and current undergraduate and graduate students. Students must submit a 2-3 minute essay on the current year's topic to apply.
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Maryknoll Student Essay Contest

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Award Amount
$1,450 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Nov 15 Deadline

This essay contest is open to U.S. students in grades 6-12. Students must submit an essay on the current year's topic; essays must be written in English.
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FIRE's Free Speech Essay Contest

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Award Amount
$20,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
9 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Dec 31 Deadline

This scholarship is open to juniors and seniors in U.S. high schools, including home-schooled students, as well as U.S. citizens attending schools overseas. Additional questions regarding eligibility may be emailed to essaycontest@thefire.org. Click to learn more and apply today!
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Power Poetry Scholarship Slam

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Award Amount
$1,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Feb 6 Deadline

This poetry contest is available for young poets in the United States who submit an original poem on the current scholarship slam topic. Power Poetry is an online poetry founded on the belief that words and poems can have power to change the world. Click here to learn more and apply to one of the poetry programs today!
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Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum Student Essay Contest

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Award Amount
$300 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Feb 23 Deadline

This essay contest is open to U.S. public, private, parochial, or homeschool students in grades 5-12. Students must write an essay on the current year's topic to enter; essays must be accompanied by student and teacher registration forms.
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World of 7 Billion Student Video Contest

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Award Amount
$10,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
18 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Feb 25 Deadline

Population Education, a program of Population Connection, is the only national program with a strong emphasis on curriculum and professional development for K-12 educators that focuses on human population issues. Since 1975, the program has developed age-appropriate curricula to complement students’ science and social science instruction about human population trends and their impacts on natural resources, environmental quality and human well-being.
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Life Lessons Scholarship Program

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Award Amount
$250,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
1 Award
Scholarship Deadline
Mar 1 Deadline

Life Happens sponsors the annual Life Lessons Scholarship Program for college students and college-bound high school seniors who submit essays or videos about how the death of a parent impacted their lives
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Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards

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Award Amount
$50,000 Award Amount
Total Award Amount
5 Awards
Scholarship Deadline
Mar 2 Deadline

The Penguin Random House Creative Writing Awards is available to U.S. high school seniors, nationwide. Applications open in November. Since 1993, this program has awarded more than $2.7 million to public high school students for original poetry, memoir/personal essay, fiction/drama, and spoken-word compositions.
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EXPERT INSIGHT When registering for a scholarship that doesn't require an essay, the primary concern should be the qualification criteria. If the respective platform has not solicited detailed information in advance, such as your GPA, education level, co-curricular involvement, and demographic data to gain a comprehensive understanding of your profile, a cautious approach is warranted. Informed platforms, particularly in the age of AI, possess the capability to construct a holistic depiction of your qualifications.
-JP Novin (BA, MBA, EdD) Expert Quote from JP Novin
As a high school or college student, you’re probably aware that one of the most draining aspects of the scholarship application process is writing essays. Specifically, writing unique essays for each individual scholarship you apply to that you may or may not receive. However, if the thought of writing dozens of essays is stressing you out —- don’t worry. There’s one type of scholarship that doesn’t require written essays and can be applied for without the stressful and time-consuming effort that comes with writing, editing, and polishing essays. Enter the no-essay scholarship. As you might have guessed from the name, no-essay scholarships are easy-to-apply-for scholarships that don’t require you to write an essay to be considered. Though it may sound too good to be true, becoming familiar with this amazing type of scholarship could result in you saving a substantial amount of money on your higher education career.

What Is a No Essay Scholarship?

Whether you’re a high school student getting a headstart on the college application process or a returning university student excited for the new semester, it’s important to know what type of funding options are available to you. Because, let’s face it, a college education is expensive these days. As such, a working knowledge of all of the scholarships, grants, and loans available to you can save you some serious cash. But, you must be aware of some key differences between the various funding options available to you.

What Are Your Financial Aid Options?

Here’s a quick breakdown of what types of financial options you can expect to utilize for your higher education tuition: Loans: College and university loans are portions of money you’re given to utilize for your education-related expenses that you’re required to pay back at a later date. Some loans are unsubsidized, meaning they’ll start accruing interest from the moment you receive them, while others are subsidized, meaning you’ll typically have a grace period before interest starts to accrue. Grants: College grants are portions of financial aid awarded to students based on their financial need. Unlike loans, these financial awards do not need to be repaid. Scholarships: University scholarships, much like grants, are financial aid awarded to students that don’t need to be repaid. Unlike grants, however, scholarships are awarded to students based on their academic performance and extracurricular achievements.

Scholarships vs. Loans vs. Grants

As you’ve probably realized, receiving as many grants and scholarships as possible —- as opposed to loans —- is the best way to save money while pursuing higher education. However, not all financial aid is created equal. In particular, scholarships have varying degrees of requirements you must meet in order to qualify for consideration. Thankfully, for those of you who are short on time and battling a heavy workload, the scholarship application process doesn’t have to be draining. No essay scholarships, also known as sweepstakes or no-brainer scholarships, are scholarships that you can apply for without writing an essay.

Scholarships Without Essays

Typically, organizations offering no-essay scholarships will take criteria such as academic achievements, extracurricular experience, and other student accomplishments into account to determine who will receive their financial aid awards. In some cases —- especially when it comes to online applications —- organizations will have no-essay scholarship applicants fill out a simple form. And, whether you’re a high school junior or a college grad student, you know how much less effort that is than having to write an entire essay. Now that you’re aware of just how easy it is to apply for no-essay scholarships, there’s no excuse not to start blasting out some applications! And if you’re worried about not knowing where to start —- don’t be. We have loads of resources that you can access from right here, so you don’t have to put any extra effort into searching across the internet for the best no-essay scholarships.

Are No Essay Scholarships Legit?

If you’re like most college students, you’re probably wondering if no-essay scholarships are legit. Fortunately, they’re not only legit, but they’re also effortless and uncomplicated to apply for. It’ll probably come as no surprise that some other names for these types of scholarships are sweepstakes scholarships and no-brainer scholarships. In a way, these scholarships are like contests because it’s kind of like putting your name in a hat and hoping that it gets chosen. And —- if you do win — you’ll be able to put your financial awards toward things like books, tuition, fees, and other education-related expenses.

Tips for Essay-Free Scholarships

However, you should be aware that not all no-essay scholarships are in fact legit. Just like in many other industries, scammers are posing as credible organizations in attempts to dupe students and steal private information. Fortunately, there are some key strategies you can utilize to steer clear of any suspect no-brainer scholarships out there. Here are a few ways to make sure that the scholarship you’re applying to is legit:
  1. Scholarships do not come with fees. The only thing you might have to spend on is a postage stamp. So, make sure you say “no way” to a no essay scholarship with an upfront fee.
  2. You should fill out any application yourself even if it’s only a simple form. You want to control who you give your information to.
  3. Awards that don’t ask for essays aren’t always sure wins. . If a company claims to guarantee you a scholarship, think twice.
  4. Check the source. Some scammers may want to sell your contact info. Look to see how they notify winners and what kind of track record they have

Are There No Essay Scholarships for High School Students?

If you’re a high school student, you’re probably wondering if you should be applying for no essay scholarships as you ready yourself for your higher education career. Thankfully, as a high school student, you have access to a wide variety of easy scholarships that require no essay just like your college-aged counterparts. Even if you’re only a freshman, sophomore, or junior, you can start applying for no essay scholarships that will help you pay for your college education. Given the many different organizations out there offering no essay scholarships, you can start investing in your college career without having to add too much to your high school workload.

Scholarships With No Essay

To make the most out of your efforts, it can help to be mindful of which no essay scholarships you’re applying for. However, which ones are right for you will depend on your unique workload and availability as a high school student. For example, if you’re struggling to keep up with your current high school workload, you may want to spend your time applying for simple no essay scholarships that only require you to fill out a simple application form. Conversely, if you don’t currently have a lot of commitments, you may want to spend your time applying for no essay scholarships that require extra tasks, content, or information.& Typically, the scholarships you’ll be eligible for as a high school student will depend on a variety of unique factors about yourself. Some key types of scholarships you can apply for as a high school student include:
  • Scholarships for academic achievements
  • Scholarships for students from minority groups
  • Scholarships for sports
  • Scholarships based on location
  • Scholarships for family members of military professionals
By homing in on your unique accomplishments, interests, and attributes, you have an opportunity to find a wide range of no essay scholarships that you can potentially win. This being the case, you should apply for all of the no-brainer scholarships at your disposal even if you don’t think you have a chance of being awarded. By being proactive and taking advantage of these scholarships as a high school student, you have the opportunity to save a significant amount of money on your higher education.

What’s Different About Scholarships With No Essays?

Typically, those who receive no essay, or sweepstake, scholarships can show organizations that they’re in financial need or have achieved laudable academic or extracurricular accomplishments. Educational institutions can be a great resource for finding legit no-brainer scholarships to apply to. You can also tap into resources, such as the National Center for Education Statistics and Federal Student Aid. Beyond this, credible websites like Unigo are amazing, consistently updated resources that can simplify and streamline your process of applying for no essay scholarships.

Essay Scholarships vs. No Essay Scholarships

Obviously, the biggest difference between no essay scholarships and other types of scholarships is the fact that applicants don’t have to write an essay to be eligible for a financial award. However, this doesn’t mean that all no essay scholarships only require a form. While some no essay scholarships only require you to fill out a simple application form and truly resemble a sweepstake, others do require additional content, information, or actions. This could be anything from a personalized video to a social media post tagging the organization providing the award. However, if you’re interested in spending as little time and effort as possible applying for academic scholarships, you can easily find what you’re looking for with no essay scholarships. By understanding the key differences between different types of scholarships, you can significantly streamline your overall scholarship application process.

8 Scholarships Without Essays You Should Apply For In 2024

Ready to save a sizable amount of cash on your college tuition? If so, check out these easy, no-essay requirement scholarships that could drastically reduce your higher education out-of-pocket costs. Just fill out a short form in a few minutes and apply to as many as you want to increase your chances of earning one.
  1. Niche Monthly Scholarships
  2. Ascent Community Champions Scholarship
  3. Nitro College Scholarship
  4. ScholarshipPoints $1,000 Monthly Scholarship
  5. DoSomething Scholarships
  6. ScholarshipOwl You Deserve It Scholarship
  7. Cappex Easy Money Scholarship
  8. CollegeXpress Monthly Scholarship

When You Should Apply for No Essay Scholarships

Whether you’re just starting high school or you’re well into your college career, the truth is it’s never a bad time to start applying for no essay scholarships. While many high school students wait until their junior and senior years to start the scholarship application process, high school students can start applying as early as freshman year. What’s important for you to be aware of —- regardless of what point of your educational career you’re in —- is the unique deadlines of each scholarship. There are scores of different organizations out there offering scholarships. Just like some require essays and some don’t, some have short, strict deadlines while others allow students to apply year-round. Keeping the fact that each scholarship application is different in mind, it’s always a good idea to start the scholarship application process as soon as possible. This allows you more time to apply to more no essay scholarships which will ultimately increase your chances of securing a substantial amount of financial aid.

Scholarships for High School Seniors: No Essay

If you’re a high school student worrying if you’re too young to start the scholarship process, you don’t have to be. Though it’s not as common, young high school students are more than welcome to take advantage of a wide variety of no-brainer scholarships whose application processes don’t take substantial amounts of time or energy.

Scholarships for College Students: No Essay

If you’re already a college student, there’s no reason for you to think it’s too late to apply for no essay scholarships. You’re eligible to apply to scores of no-brainer scholarships throughout your college career. In other words, you can take advantage of opportunities to decrease your college tuition without having to add to your likely already heavy college workload. So, no matter what point in your academic career you find yourself in, it’s always a great idea to explore your options and start applying for all of the low-effort no essay scholarships you can.