Easy scholarships are simple and quick to apply to. That’s why people sometimes call them “no-brainers”. You may have to write an essay, submit a short video or fill out a contact form. But the process takes very little time. And you might be able to enter a few times to boost your odds of winning.
10 Easy Scholarship Tips
Easy scholarships are often open to a broad and diverse group. So, you may find there is lots of competition. Here are ten hacks that might improve your chances to win an easy scholarship (or more than one!).
- START APPLYING ASAP. It is a good idea to start searching (and applying for) scholarships as early as you can. True, many scholarships are for high school seniors and college students. But there are others for people in grades K8-11. Plus, getting the ball rolling makes it a safer bet that you won’t miss the deadlines.
- KEEP DEADLINES IN MIND. Most easy scholarships have a deadline, or last day you can enter. Some also tell you to apply by a certain hour on the dateline date. That deadline may be days, weeks or months away. But don’t wait until the last minute. Keep a calendar and checklist. You can also send yourself a reminder for the ones that allow you to enter a few times.
- FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. Even easy scholarships have directions. Read through them first, then follow them. That means if your essay needs to be 250 words or less, stick to the word count. Judges often need to narrow the field from hundreds of applicants. However brilliant your essay is, they may bypass it if too long. Or move on if it does not answer the question to a T.
- PROOFREAD IT. If you have to write it, proofread it. Being original and creative does not mean you should have sloppy sentences. Check your spelling, grammar and punctuation. Even a typo in your email address is not a good idea. These tips may help your essay stand out as they show you have an eye for detail and really want to win!
DON’T SKIP THE FAFSA. You may be eligible for many scholarships. Easy ones and federal grants alike. No brainer scholarships use a simple process. They tend not to ask you to fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. But filling out a FAFSA may help you apply for other awards. And with the cost of a public college at about $24K, you want to apply for lots of scholarships (big and small).
- IF ELIGIBLE, APPLY. Easy scholarships often come with simple rules on who is eligible to apply. For many, you need to be a certain age, a legal resident of any of the 50 states or DC, and enrolled in an accredited school. If you fit the bill, apply. Entering more than one may boost your odds of winning.
- KNOW HOW TO SPOT A SCAM. What info should you never provide for a scholarship? You should never provide sensitive data when you apply for a scholarship. Sensitive data includes your social security number and banking details. Legit providers do not ask for a fee either. Whether it is to create a user profile or send in an essay, it should be free to apply.
- APPLY TO MORE THAN ONE. To boost your odds of winning an easy scholarship, apply to more than one. And, where possible, apply to the same one as many times as you can.
- PAUSE BEFORE YOU CLICK SUBMIT. When you enter most scholarship sweepstakes, you are agreeing to their terms of use. These details may be in small print or have a hyperlink to the provider’s privacy policy. And, you may need to check a box before you can click through to enter. That said, there may be a second box too. This one may be your consent to receive emails from the provider. If you don’t want that, don’t check that box.
- USE A SCHOLARSHIP MATCHING TOOL. Did you know you can get matched with scholarships for free? If you use a matching tool, like the one found on Unigo, it may help you identify scholarships you’re well qualified for. You can also search Unigo’s scholarship directory for tons of other scholarship info. These ideas are timesavers, and can link you with a database of scholarships you didn’t even know about.
Start applying for these three easy scholarships now
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#1 Niche No Essay Scholarship
Value: $2,000 per month
Deadline: End of every month
Who can apply: All high school and college students.
To apply all you do is log in or create a free account. You don’t need a specific GPA, and the only thing you furnish is your name, level of study and email. If you agree to the terms of use, you can uncheck the box to take yourself off the email list.
#2 ScholarshipPoints
Value: $1,000 per month
Deadline: End of every month
Who can apply: All high school and college students.
To apply, you need to complete a student profile. This asks for your name, birthday, address and grade level. You also need to accept the terms of use before you click “enter”.
#3 Because College is Expensive Scholarship
Value: $500 annually to 12 winners
Deadline: end of each quarter, March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, September 31, December 31
Who can apply: All students and those planning on enrolling within 24 months.
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