Welcome to an exciting exploration of some of the most unique scholarships available to students! Did you know that being left-handed could earn you a scholarship? At Juniata College in Pennsylvania, the Beckley Scholarship awards between $1,000 and $1,500 to the left-handed student with the best grades each year. Interestingly, they don’t even verify if applicants are truly left-handed!
If you’re interested in vacuum coating technology, the Society of Vacuum Coaters Foundation offers scholarships for students pursuing studies in this field. Vacuum coating involves applying a thin layer of material onto a surface in a low-pressure environment.
For those who have spent at least two years as a golf caddie, the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship is an option. Meanwhile, the Gilbert Roller Fund provides up to $10,000 for graduate students interested in parapsychology, such as séances or poltergeist phenomena.
ScholarshipExperts.com hosts intriguing essay contests. The Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship awards $2,000 to the best survival plan for a zombie apocalypse, while the Fifth Month Scholarship offers $1,500 for an essay about the number five.
At Carnegie Mellon, bagpipe enthusiasts can apply for a $7,000 scholarship, which even helps cover the cost of kilts. Although the SAMMY Program, which stood for “Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year,” ended in 2012, it once provided scholarships to milk-drinking student athletes.
The National Marbles Tournament offers scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 for participants aged 8-14. The Michigan Llama Association provides scholarships to its members or their children. Culinary students can compete in the Top Turkey Scholarship Contest by creating the best Thanksgiving leftovers recipe for a $10,000 prize.
Duck calling enthusiasts can enter the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest for a scholarship. Starfleet Academy, the International Star Trek Fan Association, offers scholarships in fields like engineering and the arts.
At the University of North Carolina Greensboro, the Alice Mcarver Ratchford Scholarship is for single females living on campus without a car. The National Grocers Association offers the Asparagus Club Scholarship for students aiming for a career in the grocery industry.
If your last name is Zolp, you’re Catholic, and you attend Loyola University Chicago, you might qualify for the Zolp Scholarship. The American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship awards $20,000 to those who excel in a fire sprinkler quiz.
The Bob Gurnsey Scholarship Awards recognize outstanding paintball players. The National Make It with Wool contest offers scholarships for creating the best wool garments.
The Tall Clubs International Scholarship is for tall students—men must be at least 6’2” and women over 5’10”. Zinch.com provides a weekly $1,000 scholarship for concise responses to various prompts.
The National Gay Pilots Association offers scholarships to aspiring pilots who have contributed to the LGBT community. Duck Brand’s “Stuck at Prom” contest awards $10,000 for the best duct tape prom attire.
The Junior Duck Stamp Contest awards a $1,000 scholarship for the best drawing of a North American duck, swan, or goose. Wholesale Halloween Costumes runs a $500 scholarship contest, which recently involved pumpkin carving.
Skateboarders can find scholarships through organizations like the Go Skateboarding Foundation. In 2004, the National Christmas Tree Association held a contest where the winner received $10,000 for finding the perfect Christmas tree.
Lake Erie College offers a Twins Scholarship, allowing two twins to attend for the price of one. The FBI Common Knowledge Scholarship awards $250 to those who excel in an FBI-related quiz.
Finally, the Jif’s Most Creative Sandwich contest awards a $25,000 college fund to the creator of the most inventive sandwich. The latest winner crafted a sandwich with ladyfingers, heavy cream, thin pretzels, mascarpone cheese, and Jif peanut butter.
These scholarships demonstrate that there are countless opportunities out there, no matter how unique your interests or talents may be. Keep exploring and you might find the perfect scholarship for you!
Choose one of the unusual scholarships mentioned in the article and conduct in-depth research about it. Prepare a short presentation to share with your classmates, explaining the scholarship’s history, eligibility criteria, and any interesting facts you discover. This will help you develop research skills and learn about unique opportunities.
Imagine you are creating a new scholarship for a unique interest or talent. Write a detailed description of the scholarship, including eligibility criteria, the application process, and the award amount. Share your idea with the class and discuss how it could benefit students with niche interests.
Participate in an essay writing contest inspired by the creative scholarships mentioned, such as the Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship. Write a short essay on a fun and imaginative topic, and present it to your peers. This activity will enhance your writing skills and encourage creative thinking.
Engage in a group discussion about the accessibility and inclusivity of unusual scholarships. Consider factors such as geographic location, financial need, and specific talents or interests. Discuss how these scholarships can be made more accessible to a diverse range of students.
Attend a workshop focused on applying for unusual scholarships. Learn how to effectively showcase your unique skills and interests in applications. Practice writing personal statements and preparing for interviews, gaining valuable skills for future scholarship opportunities.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Hi, I’m Paige. Welcome to the salon. This is Mental Floss on YouTube, and did you know that if you attend Juniata College in Pennsylvania, you could get a scholarship for being left-handed? The Beckley Scholarship gives between $1,000 and $1,500 to the left-handed student with the best grades each year. According to a former director of student financial planning, the school doesn’t even check whether applicants are left-handed. Very trusting.
And that’s the first of many unique scholarships I’m going to tell you about today! The Society of Vacuum Coaters Foundation gives out a scholarship each year to individuals entering or already participating in a course of study related to vacuum coating technology at an accredited institution. Vacuum coating, by the way, is when a thin coating is distributed onto something in a low-pressure vacuum.
You can apply for the Chick Evans Caddie Scholarship if you’ve been a golf caddie for two years or longer. The Gilbert Roller Fund provides up to $10,000 for a person with an interest in the parapsychological, like séances or poltergeist activity. Only graduate students are eligible for the National Potato Council Scholarship, which gives out $10,000 annually to someone conducting research for the benefit of the potato industry.
The website ScholarshipExperts.com runs some interesting essay contests for scholarships. The Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship gives $2,000 to the person who writes the best plan to survive a zombie apocalypse. The Fifth Month Scholarship is for $1,500 and is awarded to the person who writes the best essay about the number five.
At Carnegie Mellon, there’s a $7,000 scholarship for a bagpipe student, which subsidizes kilts. The SAMMY Program gave scholarships to student athletes up until 2012. SAMMY stands for “Scholar-Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year,” so the athletes had to be milk-drinkers. The winners of the National Marbles Tournament receive scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000. You must be between 8-14 years old to enter the tournament.
Each year, the Michigan Llama Association gives a scholarship to a member of the association or the child of a member. The Top Turkey Scholarship Contest is held by the Culinary Institute of America. The winner gets $10,000 for writing the best recipe for Thanksgiving leftovers. Speaking of birds, the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest gives out a scholarship to the person with the best duck call.
The Starfleet Academy, also known as the International Star Trek Fan Association, gives out annual scholarships for fields like engineering, medicine, business, and the arts. At the University of North Carolina Greensboro, the Alice Mcarver Ratchford Scholarship requires you to be a single female, living on campus, without a car.
The National Grocers Association gives out an Asparagus Club Scholarship to an undergraduate or graduate student studying something like business or food management with the intent of a career in the grocery industry. If your last name is Zolp, you’re Catholic, and you attend Loyola University Chicago, you are eligible for the Zolp Scholarship.
To win the $20,000 American Fire Sprinkler Association Scholarship, you must answer a multiple-choice quiz on fire sprinklers. The Bob Gurnsey Scholarship Awards are given out to excellent paintball players. The National Make It with Wool contest gives out three scholarships every year between $1,000 and $2,000. The winners create the best garments out of wool.
In order to qualify for the Tall Clubs International Scholarship, men have to be at least 6’2” and women must be over 5’10”. Zinch.com gives out a weekly $1,000 scholarship with different prompts each week, and applicants must answer in 2-3 sentences. The National Gay Pilots Association Scholarship gives out scholarships to aspiring pilots who have contributed to the LGBT community.
Duck Brand provides $10,000 of college funds for the student who makes the best duct tape prom dress. The contest is called “Stuck at Prom.” The first-place winner in the Junior Duck Stamp Contest wins a $1,000 scholarship. The contest involves drawing a North American duck, swan, or goose.
Wholesale Halloween Costumes has a $500 scholarship contest that changes every year; recently, it was a pumpkin carving contest. There are multiple foundations that give out scholarships to young skateboarders, like the Go Skateboarding Foundation. In 2004, the National Christmas Tree Association held a scholarship contest called “Help Santa Find the Perfect Real Christmas Tree.” The winner received $10,000 for her family’s Christmas tree in Greensboro, North Carolina.
Lake Erie College has a Twins Scholarship that allows two twins to attend the school for the tuition cost of one. The school claims that this eases the financial burden of parents with twins who would otherwise have to pay a significant amount in tuition. There’s an FBI Common Knowledge Scholarship for $250. To win, you take a quiz that tests how much you know about the FBI.
Finally, I return to the salon to tell you that the winner of the annual Jif’s Most Creative Sandwich contest receives a $25,000 college fund. The most recent winner created a unique sandwich featuring ladyfingers, heavy cream, thin pretzels, mascarpone cheese, and Jif peanut butter.
Thanks for watching Mental Floss on YouTube, which is made with the help of all these wonderful people. Again, I’m Paige, and if you want to check out my channel, you can find it here. DFTBA!
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Scholarships – Financial aid provided to students based on academic or other achievements to support their education. – Many universities offer scholarships to students who demonstrate exceptional academic performance or leadership skills.
Students – Individuals who are enrolled in an educational institution to gain knowledge and skills. – University students often engage in research projects to deepen their understanding of their chosen field.
Education – The process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university. – Education is a fundamental right that empowers individuals and fosters societal development.
Interests – Activities, subjects, or fields that capture the attention and curiosity of individuals. – Students are encouraged to explore their interests through elective courses and extracurricular activities.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry and education. – The integration of technology in the classroom has transformed the way students learn and interact with educational content.
Activities – Tasks or actions that are undertaken for a specific purpose, often to enhance learning or social interaction. – Participating in extracurricular activities can help students develop leadership skills and build a sense of community.
Talents – Natural aptitudes or skills that individuals possess, which can be developed through education and practice. – Universities often provide platforms for students to showcase their talents in various fields such as music, art, and sports.
Community – A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common, often sharing resources and support. – Building a strong community within the university can enhance students’ educational experiences and personal growth.
Opportunities – Favorable circumstances or chances for advancement or progress, particularly in education and career. – Internships and study abroad programs provide valuable opportunities for students to gain real-world experience.
Creativity – The use of imagination or original ideas to create something; inventiveness. – Encouraging creativity in education can lead to innovative solutions and a deeper understanding of complex concepts.
