Should College Students Apply for Weird Grants and Scholarships?

The cost of college tuition is on the rise. Many student are struggling to pay in this tough economy. With the large number of weird, alternative, and strange scholarships available college students may have some relief. 

Millions of students attend college in the United States –
approximately 20 million. That number includes students attending full and
part-time. What is even more shocking is that almost half of those students receive
financial aid. That is a lot of money in loans that graduates will need to pay
back. Most of these students do not apply for scholarships because they think
there is no way they will qualify. Weird college scholarships provide a way for
students to use their most interesting and quirky attributes and interests to
receive free money for college.

Do not worry if you were not at the top of your class, or if
you did not perform as the star quarterback. There are still many weird college
scholarships out there for you if you know where to look, and you search based
on your interests and attributes. Are you an atheist member of the LGBT
community? Then there is a scholarship for you.

If you have a unique skill like duck calling, can knit the
best scarf in town, or make a mean prom dress out of duct tape, then you should
look into weird college scholarships. It is often the things about us that we
never think could have any practical use that can get us through college for
free. For instance, if you play the bagpipes and are willing to go anywhere for
college, then you can get a free ride if you apply for the Carnegie Mellon
University scholarship. There is not a lot of competition. Most years the
scholarship goes unclaimed.

Did you get flak as a child for your love of Star Trek? Did
your mom always tell you to come out of your room and be social? Well prove her
wrong with not one, but two scholarships for Trekkies. You do not even need to
be fluent in Klingon to apply!

Celebrities sponsor several weird college scholarships. They
use their funds as a way to give back and provide opportunities for those in
need. Some celebrities who sponsor scholarships include Alec Baldwin, Jerry
Seinfeld, Bill and Melinda Gates, Michael Jackson, David Letterman and Bruce Lee.
A lot of their scholarships focus on minority and low-income students and are
designed to give students the opportunity to live up to their fullest
potential, especially in fields such as the arts and sciences.

Bettering your future and bettering the environment can go
hand-in-hand, and some weird college scholarships involve more than simply
writing an essay and filling out an application. You can become an SCA intern,
where you work for the national parks of the United States as a part of
conservation. You will get paid, all while your room, board and other expenses
are covered. What a great way to see our beautiful country and get money for
college at the same time! Local companies also sponsor prospective college
students who care for their community and world. The AA Plumbing Go Green
Scholarship is a $1,000 award given to Fairfield High School seniors.

Weird college scholarships are a-plenty if you know where to
look. Use the money from weird college scholarships so you do not have
thousands of dollars in student loan debt when you finish school.