nextstepu no essay scholarship

NextStepU Free Tuition Scholarship

About the scholarship.

NextStepU Free Tuition Scholarship provides financial assistance for college to students who enter an online random drawing.

• Essay Required : No
• Need-Based : No
• Merit-Based : No
• This program is open to legal residents of the United States and Canada who are at least 15 years of age.
• Applicants must be enrolled in college or able to enroll in college within the next 3 years.
• They must be registered users of NextStepU.com.
• Winners are selected in a random drawing.
• Country : CA, US

How to Avoid Scholarship Scams

A healthy dose of skepticism and discernment can save students from falling for illegitimate scholarships, experts say.

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Experts say it's imperative that students and families use discernment when vetting scholarships and providing personal information.

While a junior in high school, Jocelyn Pearson spent many nights applying to dozens of college scholarships. Each took no longer than 15 minutes to complete and required nothing more than her basic information and a short essay.

Before long, her inbox was flooded with emails from the scholarship companies – but none were offering her scholarships. Instead, she was overwhelmed with marketing emails to the point where she had to create an entirely new email account. While it seemed smart to apply to as many big-money scholarships as possible, in the end it proved fruitless.

That's when Pearson realized that some scholarships weren't all they claimed to be. She decided her time could be better spent pursuing scholarships that, although the dollar amount may be much smaller, seemed more legitimate and offered a more realistic chance to win.

“That was a turning moment for me when I realized these other ones, they look easy, but there’s a reason,” says Pearson, now CEO and founder of The Scholarship System, a company that offers help securing college scholarships. Her experience motivated her to start the company to share with students and families what she wishes she had known.

"Unfortunately, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Just being aware of that, I think that alone can save students a lot of headaches."

Experts say it's imperative that students and families use discernment when vetting scholarships and providing personal information. Scholarship scams are often a ploy to gain someone's personal information and relentlessly market to them or potentially sell their information to other companies.

In more egregious cases, scammers may look to obtain someone's bank account information or Social Security number, which could have more serious ramifications.

Here are ways to spot and avoid potential scholarship scams.

Identifying Scholarship Scams

As the cost of college continues to rise and students search every nook and cranny for ways to pay for it , experts say this demographic is an easy target due to a mix of inexperience, vulnerability and desperation. Concerns over paying for college rose during the 2023-2024 school year due to delays rolling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, notes Will Geiger, co-founder and CEO of Scholarships360.org, a website that offers a free database of thousands of vetted scholarships.

Scammers often use clever language and official-looking branding to entice students to apply for scholarships that advertise attractive award amounts. Students may receive emails that look official and contain language that may pass the initial sniff test. But anything involving scholarships, financial aid or grant money requires a critical eye to ensure legitimacy, experts say.

Some of the most prominent red flags are when students are selected for scholarships they never applied for, the scholarship offers a "guaranteed" award or students are asked to pay a fee to be eligible for a scholarship. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application or processing fee, experts say.

Certain language might also be a red flag. If a scholarship claims to be a "no essay scholarship," asks applicants to "enter to win" or mentions a drawing, it's likely just a sweepstakes that's meant to attract a high amount of entries, making the chances of winning slim to none, experts say. These so-called scholarships are usually based on luck, rarely merit or need.

"I always recommend that students pay attention and be observant," Geiger wrote in an email. "If something looks off, double-check the scholarship and provider website. For instance, if you see typos or spelling mistakes, invasive questions or lack of detail around the organization awarding the scholarship you should pause and take some time to examine further."

Tips to Avoid Falling for Scholarship Scams

Scholarship scams are less common than other scams, but the Federal Trade Commission still receives hundreds of consumer reports each year regarding illegitimate scholarships and educational grants, according to a 2023 report . The Better Business Bureau has reported that it receives numerous complaints each year regarding scholarship scams.

Anything that requires bank account information, a Social Security number or anything that could leave an applicant vulnerable to identify theft or bank fraud should be avoided. Schools may ask for this information regarding merit-based awards or financial aid, but third-party scholarships won't until perhaps after a scholarship has been awarded, says Denard Jones, lead counselor at Empowerly, a college admissions consulting company.

Though students are busy and often juggling multiple tasks, one of the best ways to avoid falling victim to a scam is to take a little extra time to investigate a scholarship, Jones says.

"Read, read, read,” he says. “Read the instructions. Read the details. Read what’s going on, because a lot of times it’s right there in front of us, but we’re so quick to (go to) where we see a box – we just start filling it out."

Pearson says she looks at scholarships on a spectrum. On one end are the quick and easy ones that she initially targeted that don’t require much effort. On the other end are those with more defined eligibility and criteria and a more rigorous application process, such as lengthy essays and perhaps interviews. These typically require more effort and have some degree of selectivity, but often draw fewer applicants and are awarded by trusted local or national organizations with more transparency about their selection criteria.

Pearson eventually turned her attention to, and won, a local $500 scholarship and was able to decipher what was and wasn't worth her time. She also discovered that applying for scholarships is best done as a team effort by both students and parents. Parents have more life experience and often a more trained eye for spotting potential scams, she says.

She recommends parents help by researching and vetting legitimate scholarships while students spend their time applying for them. This allows students to focus on their essays and making their application as strong as it can be.

Students should also consult with their school counselors , experts says.

"The search process is the best place to make the difference, because if they’re helping their students choose the right scholarships from the beginning, then their student’s not going to be burned out wasting their time on all these scams," she says. "From the beginning, they could be applying to a lot of scholarships where they have actual chances of winning."

If students encounter a fraudulent scholarship or feel they have fallen victim to a scholarship scam, experts encourage them to report the website or company to the FTC and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau . Additionally, those who have shared banking or financial information with a scammer should immediately get in touch with their bank, Geiger says.

Trying to fund your education? Get tips and more in the U.S. News  Paying for College  center.

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NextStepU $1,500 STEM Scholarship

Sponsored by: NextStepU

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Applicant must be a student who is interested in pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) major. Entrant must be a 16-22 year old at the time of entry and be a registered user of NextStepU.com. A short essay (between 150-250 words) explaining why you are interested in a STEM education and what specialty you are pursuing is required.

Contact Information

NextStepU 2 West Main Street Victor, NY 14564 United States

Phone: (585) 742-1260 Fax: (585) 742-1263 Official website

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The 10 Best STEM Scholarships for High School Students

An education in the STEM field is a valuable asset. STEM, referring to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, permeates every aspect of our everyday lives. 

A STEM degree involves a high degree of technical training in various skills that will make you more employable, set you apart from other candidates when applying for jobs or graduate schools, and prepare you more than adequately for entering the labor market. 

The emphasis that STEM programs place on a hands-on approach to education, real-world problem-solving skills, and complex critical thinking provide STEM students with the tools they will need to navigate not just the employment market, but also life after college more broadly. 

A STEM degree is a wise investment in your future. Of course, it is also a pretty steep financial investment, and many aspiring STEM students may find that the degree is prohibitively expensive. 

On the bright side, there are many different ways that high school students who wish to pursue an undergraduate education in a STEM field can get financial support for earning their degree. 

Here, we have compiled a list of some of the best STEM scholarships for high school students out there. Read on to learn more about how you can find free money to finance your STEM education. 

NACME Engineering Scholarships

Each year, the National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering (NACME) provides around $3 million in scholarships for students who belong to minority groups and intend to pursue an undergraduate degree in either computer science or engineering. They offer financial support to about 1,000 underrepresented students annually. 

NACME offers a number of different scholarships through corporate sponsorship from leading companies, including major employers like Apple, Google, IBM, and Proctor and Gamble. 

As the scholarships are offered through partnerships with top universities, participating institutions vary from scholarship to scholarship. 

To be eligible for any of NACME’s scholarships, high school students must be in their senior year and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a four-point scale. 

Breakthrough Junior Challenge Scholarship

The Breakthrough Junior Challenge Scholarship is a video contest open to students between the ages of 13 and 18 worldwide. To enter to win this scholarship contest, students must create a short, engaging video explaining a big idea in physics, life sciences, or mathematics. 

Video submissions may be in whatever format or style the applicant prefers, including animated short films, documentaries, skits, and so on. The video must be no longer than one minute and 30 seconds long. 

There are three prizes for being awarded the Breakthrough Junior Challenge Scholarship. First, the winner receives a $250,000 scholarship. The student’s teacher also gets a $50,000 prize. 

Last, the student’s school receives a $100,000 grant for the purpose of renovating or building a science lab.

Hyundai Women in STEM Scholarship 

The Hyundai Women in STEM Scholarship for high school seniors and college students who plan to pursue or are pursuing a degree in a STEM field. Each year, five students are selected to receive this $10,000 scholarship. 

 To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be legal residents of the United States and be at least 18 years old, or 16 with permission from a parent or legal guardian. 

To apply for the Hyundai Women in STEM Scholarship, applicants must submit an essay of no more than 500 words describing how their past and present experiences related to a STEM field have 

In the essay, students should explain how they will use their future and present achievements relating to a STEM field, including their degree, to impact others positively.  

AAPT Barbara Lotze Scholarship 

Offered by the American Association of Physics Teachers, the AAPT Barbara Lotze Scholarship is open to high school seniors and undergraduate students who plan to seek an undergraduate degree in a field of study that will pave the way for a career as a high school physics teacher.

The award for this scholarship is $2,000 stipend and complementary AAPT Student Membership for one year. 

Additionally, the scholarship is renewable for up to four years, meaning that recipients will have received a total of $8,000 toward tuition by the end of the scholarship.

To be eligible for the Barbara Lotze Scholarship, students must be citizens of the United States and have a solid academic record. The deadline to apply is December 1 of each year. 

Digital Responsibility E-Waste Scholarship 

The E-Waste Scholarship is an award of $1,000 for high school, college, and graduate students who submit a response to the following prompt: the most important reason to care about e-waste is… ?

Offered by Digital Responsibility, an organization that raises awareness for the impact of 

Technology on health, society, and the environment, the purpose of the scholarship is to encourage students to be conscious of the potential harm that can be done by what they choose to post on the internet.

The essay response should be no more than 1,000 words in length. This short, written response is the only required application material students will need to submit in order to be considered to receive the scholarship.   

Additionally, there is no minimum GPA, citizenship requirement, age requirement, or any other criteria for eligibility. 

Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship 

Each year, the Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship Program awards 200 computer science or engineering students $10,000 to help defray the tuition cost associated with earning a STEM degree. The scholarship is open to high school seniors, as well as first- and second-year college students.

In order to be eligible to receive the Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship, applicants must be citizens of the United States, demonstrate financial need, and have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. 

High school seniors must plan to enroll full time at an accredited college or university in the US, and major in a STEM field.

Qualifying college majors include physics, engineering, computer science, and mathematics. 

Recipients of the Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship are chosen by Scholarship America, a philanthropic organization that assists students with securing financial support for college.

Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship 

The Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship is a $1,000 tuition scholarship awarded on a biannual basis. 

The scholarship is open to college students attending an accredited four-year university in the United States, as well as high school seniors who have been accepted to enroll at an accredited four-year school. 

To enter to win the scholarship, students must submit an original web design. All web design submissions must be created only by the applicant, but both past and present creations are permitted.

In addition to the $1,000 award, scholarship recipients also get the opportunity to take part in a design critique session with Ken Braun,  founder and chief creative officer of Lounge Lizard. The critique can be for any project of the recipient’s choosing.   

NextStepU STEM Scholarship 

The NextStepU STEM Scholarship is a college tuition assistance award open to any students between the ages of 16 and 22 who plan to pursue an undergraduate degree in a STEM major field. 

The award money is paid in three payments of $1,500 over the course of a year, amounting to a total of $4,500. 

Consideration for the NextStepU Scholarship is restricted to citizens of the United States and Canada.  High school seniors who apply for this scholarship must plan to attend either a four-year college, two-year college, or a vocational-technical school upon finishing their final year of high school.

In order to apply for the NextStepU STEM Scholarship, students must first visit the NextStepU website and register by filling out the appropriate form. Applications must be submitted between the beginning of February and the end of May each year.

20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship Program 

Created by Peter Thiel, billionaire and co-founder of PayPal, the Thiel Foundation offers the 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship Program. 

Open to anyone under the age of 23, the program awards recipients $100,000, as well as mentoring from experts and professionals in the technology industry.  

The Thiel Fellowship comes with an interesting catch, however: in order to accept the Thiel Fellowship, students must drop out of college or take a minimum 2 years long hiatus from studies. 

The purpose of the program is to allow students the freedom to dedicate their time to make their ideas into reality, using the two years of the program to take a break from studying and start building. Each year, around 20 to 30 aspiring STEM professionals are selected.

Applications for the unique 20 Under 20 Thiel Fellowship Program are on a rolling basis. 

ASME Inspire Charles W.E. Clarke Scholarship

Offered by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the ASME Inspire Charles W.E. Clarke Scholarship is a $2,000 tuition award for high school seniors who intend to pursue an undergraduate degree in engineering or another related STEM field. 

The purpose of the award is to provide financial support for an aspiring young engineer in their first year of study at an accredited mechanical engineering program.   

To be considered for the ASME Inspire Charles W.E. Clarke Scholarship, students must provide evidence of their past leadership and involvement in STEM activities, such as clubs or summer programs. 

Students also must also demonstrate financial need for the scholarship to be able to go to college. Other application materials include their transcript for the first semester of senior year, resume, FAFSA, and a recommendation from someone other than a parent, friend, or relative.

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Win Free Tuition Giveaway

Offered by NextStepU

1 award worth

Grade level.

High School Seniors, College & Graduate Students

Expected deadline: This scholarship might not currently be accepting applications. Most scholarship programs only accept applications a few months ahead of their annual deadline. We’ve estimated this deadline based on last year’s deadline in order to help you plan out your scholarship applications.

August 2024

Scholarship Overview

The Win Free Tuition Giveaway annually awards $2,500 to one student who registers on NextStepU.com during an eligible drawing period and opts in to Win Free Tuition – no essay required! The drawing period typically runs from March 1 – August 31 of each year.

If you’re a current or incoming postsecondary student looking for an easy solution to your tuition, we encourage you to apply and try your luck!

About NextStepU

NextStepU.com is a personalized resource for students, parents and counselors to find information about pursuing a career, joining the military, applying to and attending a two-year or four-year college or university and developing essential life skills.

Eligibility information

This scholarship is open to students meeting the below eligibility criteria.

U.S. Citizens, Canadian Citizens

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$2,000 No Essay CollegeVine Scholarship

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What’s Covered:

Are “no-essay” scholarships worth it, where to focus your scholarship search.

• 34 No-Essay Scholarships  

Scholarships play a large role in many students’ plans for how to pay for college, but completing the applications for some scholarships is time-consuming—especially for students who are busy taking challenging courses and involved with extracurricular activities. Luckily, some scholarships are easier to apply for than others, like the no-essay scholarships listed below. 

No-essay scholarships are easier to apply for than other, more involved scholarships, so it doesn’t cost you much in time or effort to apply. However, because they’re easy to apply for, they receive a lot of applications, which means more competition and lower odds of winning. It is also less clear how no-essay scholarship recipients are selected without an essay to set your application apart.  

If you choose to apply for no-essay scholarships, just know that they are just a part of a strategy for winning awards to college and are best-suited as a supplement to local and more niche scholarships. If you don’t like the idea of writing an essay, look for a scholarship with an equivalent task, like making a video or creating a piece of art instead. 

Outside scholarships garner a lot of attention, but colleges and universities are actually the best place to look for scholarships—schools themselves grant $175 billion in scholarship money annually! It’s also worth noting that college awards are often larger than outside awards; 80% of external scholarships are less than $2,000, which looks great on paper but will only put a small dent in the cost of most colleges. 

You have the best chance of winning a merit-based scholarship from a college or university. While super-selective schools with applicants fighting for admission often don’t offer merit-based scholarships—for example, none of the Ivy League colleges do—less selective colleges are often anxious to attract strong applicants. This makes applying to a college where your profile is particularly strong a smart strategy for getting a merit scholarship .

34 No-Essay Scholarships 

1. “be bold” no-essay scholarship.

Amount: $25,000

Deadline: December 31 

Eligibility: Students of any education level, school, field of study, and GPA considered

This scholarship is for bold students who are determined to change the world one step at a time. No essay is required to win this eye-popping award. Instead, create a bold profile highlighting your earnestness, determination, and how you’re moving toward your goals for a chance to win.

2. Scholarships360 No-Essay Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Deadline: September 30 

Eligibility: All students—including high school students, community college students, undergraduates, and graduate students

No essay is required to win this generous award. Simply sign up for Scholarship360—a scholarship newsletter—for your chance at $1,000 for college. 

3. $2,000 “No-Essay” College Scholarship

Amount: $2,000

Deadline: Monthly  

Eligibility: All high school and college students

The name says it all: no essay is required to receive this $2,000 college scholarship. Simply create an account for a chance to win this substantial award. A winner is chosen monthly and the money can be used to cover tuition, housing, books, or any other education-related expenses.

4. $2,000 Nitro Scholarship

Deadline: Monthly 

Eligibility: 

• Age 17 or older
• A parent with a child enrolled in an accredited college or university in the U.S. 
• A student enrolled in an accredited college or university in the U.S. 
• A parent with a high school senior in the U.S.
• A high school senior located with the U.S. 
• A student or a parent who has graduated from an accredited undergraduate school and is paying back debt from educational expenses

No essay is needed to win a $2,000 Nitro Scholarship. Applicants only need to complete a short application for this chance to win this award and to take a step to control the cost of college. 

5. The Student Loan Hero Smart Money Giveaway

Eligibility: Legal U.S. residents in the contiguous U.S. and Washington, D.C., 18 years of age and older

This scholarship wants you to take control of your college finances so you can focus on your future. Entry is easy—just fill out a short online application. 

6. College Board “Complete Your FAFSA” Scholarships

Amount:   $500

Deadline: October through February 

Eligibility: Current high school seniors in the U.S., Puerto Rico, and U.S. territories

The College Board—the organization that administers the SAT—provides scholarships to students for simply filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The College Board will give out 500 awards every month from October through December and 100 awards in both January and February.

7. College Board “Complete Your Journey” Scholarships

Amount: $40,000

Deadline: February 

Complete the College Board’s six steps of college planning for your chance at one of 25 $40,000 scholarship opportunities. The program is open to students from all financial backgrounds, however, at least half of the scholarships will go to students from families who earn less than $60,000 annually. 

8. ScholarshipPoints Scholarship Program

Amount: $10,000

Deadline: Quarterly 

Eligibility:   

• Age 13 or older
• U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident 
• Attending or planning to attend college in the U.S.

No GPA, no essay, and no hassle! To enter for an opportunity to win one of these impressive awards, simply fill out an online application. In addition to the quarterly $10,000 scholarships, ScholarshipPoints also draws three $1,000 scholarships monthly.

9. Christian Connector Scholarship

Amount: $2,500

Deadline: May 31

Eligibility:  

• Age 13 or older 
• Must enroll for the first time as a full-time student at a Christ-centered Christian college, university, or Bible college

Sign up to receive information about Christian colleges—and for a chance at winning this handsome scholarship award for college. The scholarship is only open to students planning to attend a Christ-centered Christian college, university, or Bible college. The funds are sent directly to the winner’s school of choice. 

10. No Essay ‘You Deserve It’ Scholarship

Amount: $2,222

Deadline: December 29

• Age 16 or older 
• Legal resident of the U.S. or its territories (Rhode Island and Michigan applicants are ineligible)
• Enrolled in a qualified high school, college, or university in the U.S.

Sign up for ScholarshipOwl (a scholarship service) and you’re simultaneously registered for a chance to win a $2,222 award. Your odds of winning are about 1 in 140,000—not too bad considering there is no essay required and sign up is quick. 

11. CollegeXpress $10,000 Scholarship Contest

• Legal U.S. resident 
• Must enter a CollegeXpress member college as a full-time freshman, transfer, or graduate student for the fall term 

Just create a CollegeXpress profile for a chance at $10,000 to use at a CollegeXpress member college . Winners of this no-essay scholarship are selected at random. 

12. Annual Catholic College Scholarship

Amount: $1,500

• Must enroll for the first time as a full-time student at a Catholic college

Sign up to receive information about Catholic colleges—and for a chance at winning this handsome scholarship award for college. The scholarship is only open to students planning to attend a Catholic college, university, or Bible college. The funds are sent directly to the winner’s school of choice. 

13. Discover Student Loans Scholarship Award 

Amount: $5,000

• Resident of the U.S. or its territories
• High school seniors, college students, students who’ve earned a General Education Development (GED), or parent/guardian of an aforementioned person

Sign up to receive emails that provide helpful college tips and useful resources and get entered to win one of 12 annual $5,000 awards. Complete a survey after registering for emails for an additional entry for the scholarship. 

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

14. Lounge Lizard Web Design Scholarship  

Deadline: Semi-annually (spring and fall)

Eligibility: Attending an accredited school in the U.S. or accepted to an accredited school and set to begin within six months of application

Show off your creativity for a chance to win this no-essay scholarship. To enter, fill out a short application and either submit a web design or attach a link to a webpage. In addition to a scholarship, winners also receive a critique session with Lounge Lizard’s founder and CCO. 

15. Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship

Deadline: March 3

• Age 14 or older 
• Legal U.S. resident or international student with a student visa 
• High school, college, or university student 

While you don’t need an essay to win this generous scholarship, you are required to submit an original photo, artwork, or computer graphic for use on the front of a greeting card. Entries are limited to one per person, so send in your best work! 

16. Frame My Future Scholarship Contest 

Amount: $6,000

Deadline: April 1

• Legal U.S.resident
• Planning to enroll at a U.S. college or university in the fall

Show how you frame your future through photography, illustration, painting, or mixed media art for a chance at this ample award. Although no essay is required, applicants are asked to submit a brief overview of their piece (no more than 500 characters). 

17. Annual Faith-Based College Scholarship

• Must enroll for the first time as a full-time student at a faith-based college

Sign up to receive information about faith-based colleges and for a chance at winning this handsome scholarship award for college. The scholarship is only open to students planning to attend a faith-based college, university, or Bible college. The funds are sent directly to the winner’s school of choice. 

18. Sallie Mae $5,432 Sweepstakes

Amount: $5,432

Deadline: December 31

Entering for this scholarship is easy, all you need to do is complete an online registration for your chance at this $5,432 award. 

19. Ascent Scholarships 

Amount: Varies 

• Age 18 or older 
• Legal U.S. resident or DACA student
• Enrolled at least half-time in a degree program or technical skills training program 

Ascent Scholarship giveaways are designed to help students cover school-related expenses such as tuition, books, rent, groceries, parking, and transportation. No essay is required, all you need to do is register for a chance to win one of these awards. 

20. The “No Sweat” Scholarship

• Between 8th and 12th grade 

Create an account and complete a portfolio for your chance at this super scholarship which you can use for any educational purpose—from books to summer camp. The more complete your profile is, the better your odds of winning are. 

21. Too Cool to Pay for School Scholarship

• U.S. residents, DACA and undocumented students, and international students currently studying in the U.S.
• Current high school, college, and graduate students

Paying for school is stressful which is why this scholarship is intentionally low pressure. Complete the online registration to enter. Follow Access Scholarships on Instagram for an extra entry. You can use the scholarship for any educational expense—including tuition, textbooks, housing, and technology. 

22. Cappex Easy Money Scholarship

Eligibility: Current high school or college student 

No need to stress about your GPA or an essay when entering this scholarship contest. Simply answer a few simple questions for your chance at one of these awards. 

23. Scholarships4Moms 

Deadline: December 15

• Age 18 or older
• U.S. legal resident
• Mother or expectant mother 
• Enrolled in a college or university in the U.S. or will enroll in one within three months 

The Scholarships4Moms award is designed to help mothers meet their educational goals. Founded by a group of moms, who understand how busy moms are, signing up is quick and easy. All you need to do is complete a short entry form. 

24. College Survey Scholarship

Eligibility: College undergraduate or graduate student and undergraduate or graduate alumni who graduated within the last four years

All it takes to enter this running for this scholarship is to fill out a college survey on Niche, a ranking, and review website. Your responses are anonymous and are displayed on Niche to help other students to find the right college for them. 

25. Easy Scholarships

• Age 25 years or younger
• Living in the U.S. or Canada (or a citizen of either country but living abroad)

No GPA requirements or essays are required to participate in this scholarship contest. For a chance to win, you simply must sign up for a campaign, complete it, and take a photo to document your participation. Campaigns are quick and completed in under five minutes!  

26. SuperCollege Scholarship

Eligibility: High school, college, or graduate student, or adult planning to go back to school

Just fill out the application and answer a few simple questions about your college plans for the opportunity to win this award. You can use the scholarship to pay for any education-related expenses. For example, tuition, books, computers, or room and board.

27. Debt.com Scholarship For Aggressive Scholarship Applicants

Amount: $500

Deadline: Every other month 

Eligibility: Actively applying for scholarships

This scholarship rewards students with the drive to earn scholarships and the willingness to fight for financial independence. In order to win, you need to send confirmations from all of the scholarships you’ve applied to. Also, while there is no essay, you are required to submit a short biographical letter.

28. MyMozaic Monthly Scholarship Contest

Deadline: Every month 

Eligibility:

• U.S. citizen or legal resident
• Enrolled in high school or college in the U.S.

Simply create a profile at MyMozaic.com and answer a few simple questions—like your graduation year, your GPA, and the major(s) you’re interested in—for the opportunity to win one of these monthly, no-essay scholarships. 

29. WayUp Dream Job No-Essay Scholarship

Deadline: Jun 1 

Eligibility: Current college student

Create a profile at WayUp—a jobsite for college students and recent college graduates—for a  chance of winning a $1,000 scholarship. The stronger your profile and the more internships and jobs you apply for, the better your odds are to receive an award.  

30. College Ave Scholarship Monthly Sweepstakes

• U.S. citizen or permanent resident 
• Enrolled in high school or a post-secondary educational institution or are the parent or legal guardian of a person enrolled in a high school or a post-secondary educational institution 

Earning this $1,000 simply requires filling out a very short entry and a little luck. Winners are chosen monthly!  

31. Give Me Liberty Easy Scholarship

• U.S. citizen 
• High school senior or enrolled in an accredited institution in the U.S.

The intention of this scholarship is to provide every student with an equal opportunity to experience freedom from the burden of tuition and loans. Recipients are selected through a lottery which gives every applicant the same chance of winning—regardless of their academic performance, extracurricular achievements, and essay writing skills. 

32. Because College is Expensive Scholarship

Eligibility: High school sophomores, juniors, and seniors, along with current college students and anyone else looking to attend college or graduate school

If you’re planning to attend college you’ll want to look into this scholarship—all it takes is completing a short application to enter for a chance to win. Only one entry per quarter is allowed. 

33. Return 2 College Scholarship Program

Deadline: January 31

• U.S. citizen or legal resident 
• Starting a program of higher education—either undergraduate or graduate—within the next 12 months or are currently full or part-time students 

While this scholarship doesn’t require an essay it does ask you to compose three sentences answering the question why are you getting your degree? Have a lot to say? Perfect, more than one entry is allowed, but more than a dozen are discouraged. 

34. Project Yellow Light Create a Billboard Scholarship   

Deadline: March 1

• Legal U.S. residents 
• High school juniors and seniors, along with undergraduate and graduate students 

Design a billboard to promote safe driving to a broad audience and draw attention to this important topic. In addition to a scholarship, winners may see their design grace a billboard or used on the web and other digital platforms. 

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

• Browse Scholarships
• Learning Center
• Scholarships for Science Majors

NextStepU Essay Scholarship

The scholarship was established to provide educational support to sophomore, junior or a senior in high school who are interested in pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) major.

Key Information

• Scholarship Website

Eligibility Requirements

• Age/Grade Level: sophomore, junior or a senior in high school
• Financial Need: Not Mentioned
• Major/Career: Pursuing a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) major

Application Details

• Transcript: Required
• Resume/Activity List: Required
• Essay: Short essay (between 150-250 words) explaining why you are interested in a STEM education and what specialty you are interested in

Contact Information

• Email: [email protected]

Related Pages

• Scholarships for Applied Sciences Majors
• Scholarships for Chemical Engineering Majors
• Scholarships for Civil Engineering Majors
• Scholarships for Industrial Engineering Majors
• Scholarships for Mechanical Engineering Majors
• Scholarships for Engineering Technology Majors
• Scholarships for Electrical Engineering Majors
• Scholarships for Nuclear Engineering Majors
• Scholarships for Bioengineering Majors
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