High school seniors and others thinking about college often search under every rock to find ways to help pay for tuition, fees and books. The usual way to find scholarships is by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. FAFSA is an online financial application used by students around the world to request federal student aid for college.

However, don't stop there. Many scholarships are available for unusual reasons.

Many Based on Unusual Qualities

If you don't have the highest test scores or GPA, there are still plenty of other ways to get scholarship money. For example:

  • Speedy duck-calling can earn you a $2,000 prize in the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest
  • The Tall Clubs International Scholarships are open to males 6'2" or taller and females 5'10" or taller. The author of the winning essay "What Being Tall Means to Me" gets $1,000
  • If you're 4'10" and have medically-identified dwarfism, you could be eligible for funds from the Billy Barty Foundation
  • Students with an interest in sweets and can make them are eligible for a $5,000 scholarship from the American Association of Candy Technologists. Promoting vegetarianism in your school or community, can get you $5,000 scholarship in an essay contest
  • Students pursuing a health care career are eligible for $5,000 or $10,000 toward their tuition from the makers of Tylenol (Johnson & Johnson)

Other scholarships are available if you're pursuing a particular field such as education, entrepreneurship or law.

Search Your College Web Site

Don't forget to look nearby for scholarship offerings. Often, colleges select scholarships created by alumni who are looking for particular talents, qualities and interests:

  • Female students at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro can apply for the Alice McArver Ratchford Scholarship. To qualify, you must live on campus, hold another scholarship, show financial need, not own a car and be single
  • DePauw University students can apply for the Don U. Bridge scholarship, going to a female music student "of good character and interested in constructive activities in addition to music and be able to sing or play the National Anthem with sincerity"
  • The Culinary Institute of America offers a hefty $25,000 first prize in the All-American Apple Pie Contest, as well as other culinary-related scholarship prizes

Often, little-known scholarships can be found by looking closely at your school's financial aid brochures and web site, or even by visiting the school's Financial Aid Office and looking at the bulletin boards for flyers.

Check for Your Name

Several colleges and universities have scholarships available to students with particular last names. For example, a full tuition scholarship is available at Loyola University at Chicago for any Catholic with the last name of Zolp.

Texas A & M University offers a full scholarship to students with the last name of Scarpinato.

North Carolina State University offers students with the last name Gatling or Gatlin a scholarship of $18,000, if out-of-state, and $9,000 if in-state.

Even Harvard University has a listing of names which, if they appear on your family tree, could get you scholarship money.

The moral of the story is to not give up even when you think there's nothing out there for you.

Questions for Your Attorney

  • Can my scholarship money be taken away after I win it?
  • Do I have a discrimination claim against a college because their scholarships are limited to a particular religion or nationality?
  • How is a scholarship based on a last name different from one based on nationality or ethnicity, for purposes of any discrimination issues?
  • Can I change my name and qualify for a surname scholarship?