Category: Favorite Resources
One of our favorite scholarship resources is FastWeb – an awesome scholarship site that gives you access to over $3 Billion in scholarships, including weird and crazy scholarships (FastWeb calls them “Promotional Scholarships”). What’s great about them is that they aren’t just a list of scholarships, they actually go into detail about how to go about getting scholarships, as well as creating online communities to get your scholarship questions answered and giving you ideas on how to make yourself stand out from the crowd of applicants. We like them because if you’re interested in getting in the know (like we are!) they keep in touch with you about scholarship updates so you’re always in the loop in the scholarship scene, including crazy and promotional scholarships. FastWeb is the largest source of college-specific scholarships, and they even have a specialized scholarship-matching program so they let you know which scholarships are right for you. Hear it from the founders of Crazy College Scholarships: we wish we had heard of this when we were applying to college.
Oh and the best part, it’s free. Check out FastWeb here to get started. Or click the pretty banner below:
Even if you are reading this website using your fingers, we can still help you find a scholarship. The American Foundation for the Blind offers multiple scholarships for the blind and visually-impaired. They’re strict about the application requirement (i.e. proof of blindness) and will only read complete applications. All of the scholarships are available to both undergraduate and grad students, unless otherwise noted, and all applicants must provide proof of blindness or visual-impairment. According to www.abf.org, current available scholarships are:
The Delta Gamma Foundation Florence Margaret Harvey Memorial Scholarship: One scholarship to a student in the field of rehabilitation or education of the blind and visually-impaired.
The Rudolph Dillman Memorial Scholarship: Four one-time $2500 scholarships given to students studying in the field of rehabilitation. One of these awards is reserved specifically for a student who has proof of economic need.
The Paul and Helen Ruckes Scholarship: One $1000 scholarship given to a full-time four-year student studying engineering, computer, physical, or life sciences.
The R.L. Gillette Scholarship: Two $1,000 scholarships to women who are enrolled in a full-time four-year undergraduate program studying music or literature. In addition to the other application requirements, Gillette applicants need to submit a 30-minute or less CD/tape of their performance, or a creative writing sample.
The Gladys C. Anderson Memorial Scholarship: One $1000 scholarship given to women undergraduate or graduate students studying classical or religious music, with a 30-minute or less CD/tape of their performance.
The Karen D. Carsel Memorial Scholarship: One $500 scholarship given to a student who demonstrates financial need.
The Ferdinand Torres Scholarship: This is an interesting scholarship. The Ferdinand Torres Scholarship gives one $2500 scholarship to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student, with preference given to new immigrants to the United States, and even more preference if you live in New York City. You need to be a resident of the U.S., but you don’t need to be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this scholarship.
So if you’re a scientist, musician, a recent immigrant, a woman, or live in New York City, and are blind, you have a good chance of finding a crazy scholarship here that suits your needs. More information on the American Foundation for the Blind Scholarships can be found here.
Love chilling in the buff? Want to get paid for it? The American Association of Nude Recreation offers a $2,000 scholarship awarded to two college students each year. Requirements include 18 months of AANR membership, so be sure to take off your pants and join today. You’ll be writing an essay, in the nude, about the nude, and for the sake of nude. Graduate students are eligible, but scoring is weighted in favor of younger students. AANR also offers $1,000 for scholarly articles written by college students for the advancement of nakedness, as well as $500 for a publishable 500-word article including photographs. FYI you need explicit consent to publish naked pictures of people. So students, it’s time to take it all off and go here to find out more about this weird college scholarship.
Have another one of you running around somewhere? You could be in luck with the Marie Simmons Scholarship of the New York State Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs. Winners of this crazy scholarship each get $1000, and your hard-working mother gets $1000 as well, only if she has lived in New York for at least five years. Applications require letters of recommendation describing your multiple good character traits, an essay about “How Higher Education Will Affect My Future” (you need two essays, and no looking over your counterpart’s shoulder. This may be especially challenging for some twins), as well as other basic scholarship requirements. You can take a look in more detail about this crazy college scholarship here. Sorry, sextuplets are not given special preference.
Feel like you have the world on your shoulders? The Ayn Rand institute offers scholarships students entering college for an essay competition about Atlas Shrugged. This crazy college scholarship gives winners crazy money for their essays, with prizes ranging from $10,000 for first place, three second place prizes for $2000 each, five third place prizes for $1000 each, and 20 finalists get $100 each and $50 is awarded to 20 semi-finalist students. Here are the three essay topics:
- Hank Rearden does not apply the same philosophy to his personal life that he applies to his business. In what way does this contradiction harm him psychologically and practically? What is the central error that he makes? How does correcting his error improve his life?
- In Atlas Shrugged, the heroes want to “make” money while the villains want, on the surface at least, to “have” money. What is the difference between these two views of money? Explain your answer by reference to actual events in the novel.
- Choose one of the following pairs, and compare and contrast each character’s approach to life and basic motivation:
- Hank Rearden and Francisco d’Anconia
- Dagny Taggart and Lillian Rearden
- Eddie Willers and James Taggart
So if you love Ayn Rand, and you’re hankering for a cool $10,000 scholarship, check this one out here.
Believe it or not, there are quite a few scholarships out there that are name-based scholarships, particularity last name scholarships. The following five scholarships include university specific and general awards:
Going to Loyola in Chicago?
If your last name is Zolp, and you are Catholic, you’re in luck. The Zolp Scholarship will give any actively Catholic student with “Zolp” on their birth certificate a full ride to Loyola in Chicago. So Zolps of the world, get out there and convert to Catholicism. And go to Loyola. Visit the Zolp Scholarship site for more information.
North Carolina State University?
If your last name is Gatling (like the gun) the John Gatling Grant will give you $9000 if you’re from the North Carolina, and a hefty $18,000 if you aren’t. Don’t be discouraged, North Caroliners: NCSU is cheaper for in-state students anyways. Visit the Gatling Scholarships site for more information.
Going to Texas A&M?
If you need a Crazy Scholarship, change your last name to Scarpinato or marry a Scarpinato. You’ll get a full ride to Texas A&M, just contact their financial aid department for more information: 979-845-3236.
Going to Harvard?
If you have the last name Baxendale, Hudson, Thayer, Downer, or Bright, you’re in luck. Harvard also has crazy scholarships based on other criteria, like where you grew up or what major you’re considering. Check out the Harvard Funds website for more information.
Is your last name Van Valckenburg?
The Lambert and Annetje Van Valckenburg Memorial Scholarship will give you a cool $1000. This Crazy College Scholarship isn’t restricted to any specific universities, and if your last name is a variation of Van Valckenburg, that counts too. Visit the Van Valckenburg Memorial Scholarship website for more details.
