Like most students, when you see a large or full-tuition scholarship your eyes light up with excitement at all of the college saving possibilities. Earning a huge scholarship IS the ticket you need to make paying for school a breeze and to help you save money.
Yet, there's a hidden scholarship secret that many students don't know about. We're here to help high school, college, and graduate students see why these hidden gem scholarships really shine. Diamonds in the rough, $500 scholarships don’t get the attention they should.
Fewer U.S. students apply for lower-value scholarships because of the it's ONLY $500 mindset. They may not have the same WOW FACTOR as some of the larger national scholarships, like the $10,000 Tide, Downy and Gain Back to School Scholarships, Dr Pepper's $100,000 Tuition Giveaway Contest, or the $100,000 Paradigm Challenge Scholarship (just to name a few).
But, add a couple of free $500 scholarships and grants and they'll put a serious dent in the final cost of college.
The Race to Inspire Essay Contest is open to students who have run a 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon. To be considered, you must submit a 1,000 – 2,000 - word essay detailing what inspired you to run, what challenges you faced, and what you learned through the experience.
The Be A Friend Project Scholarship is available to high school students. To be considered, you must write a two - to four - page script of a lunchroom conversation between friends that is related to bullying. You must be following at least one of the sponsor's social media handles to be eligible for this award.
The Connect Scholarship Program is open to full - time juniors, seniors, and graduate students. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and submit a 500 - to 700 - word essay on one of the following topics: "How International Tourism to the U.S. Impacts It’s Economy" or "How Technology can Revolutionize (or has Revolutionized) the Ground Passenger Transportation Industry."
The CJ Pony Parts Scholarship Video Contest is open to students who will be enrolling in post - secondary education. You must submit a video of up to three minutes responding to one of the prompts on the topic of Mustangs.
The EK Insurance Scholarship is available to students enrolled at an accredited college or university. You must choose one of the insurance related topics offered and submit a video essay of at least 60 seconds to qualify for this award.
The InspireCraft Scholarship is available to students who are at least 18 years of age. You must demonstrate a passion for arts, crafts, and decoration, or a related field to be eligible for this award.
The Rove Pest Control Scholarship is available to high school and full - time college students. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award. Special consideration will be given to students pursuing a degree in entomology or a related field.
The Alert Scholarship is available to high school seniors in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. To be considered, you must submit a 650 - to 800 - word essay about a personal encounter you, or someone you know, has had with drug and / or alcohol abuse, how it was dealt with, and, in your opinion, what was right or wrong about the way the incident or problem was handled. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award. There are many more $500 scholarships out there too! Be sure to create your free Fastweb profile to find more opportunities to help you pay for college.
Reasons to Apply for $500 Scholarships
As the dollar value has them overlooked by the student majority, you can use this lack of luster to your advantage. Here are three reasons you should apply for $500 scholarships:- Your odds of winning a $500 scholarship are higher. The applicant pool for $500 scholarships is much smaller than those from Big Brand or national scholarships.
- Applying for a $500 scholarship is fast. You can apply to many of these scholarships in less than an hour. Look at it this way, if a $500 scholarship is won, where else can you earn $500 per hour as a student?! Not many places!
- You have more variety of application types. $500 scholarships are offered as no-essay, contest entry, photography or video submissions, social media challenges or networking, short essay and more.
$500 Scholarships
Do yourself a favor; apply for a few these $500 scholarships below:Race to Inspire Essay Contest
Deadline: 8/15/25The Race to Inspire Essay Contest is open to students who have run a 5k, 10k, half marathon, or marathon. To be considered, you must submit a 1,000 – 2,000 - word essay detailing what inspired you to run, what challenges you faced, and what you learned through the experience.
Be A Friend Project Scholarship
Deadline: 8/31/25The Be A Friend Project Scholarship is available to high school students. To be considered, you must write a two - to four - page script of a lunchroom conversation between friends that is related to bullying. You must be following at least one of the sponsor's social media handles to be eligible for this award.
Connect Scholarship Program
Deadline: 10/15/25The Connect Scholarship Program is open to full - time juniors, seniors, and graduate students. You must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and submit a 500 - to 700 - word essay on one of the following topics: "How International Tourism to the U.S. Impacts It’s Economy" or "How Technology can Revolutionize (or has Revolutionized) the Ground Passenger Transportation Industry."
CJ Pony Parts Scholarship Video Contest
Deadline: 10/15/25The CJ Pony Parts Scholarship Video Contest is open to students who will be enrolling in post - secondary education. You must submit a video of up to three minutes responding to one of the prompts on the topic of Mustangs.
EK Insurance Scholarship
Deadline: 12/30/25The EK Insurance Scholarship is available to students enrolled at an accredited college or university. You must choose one of the insurance related topics offered and submit a video essay of at least 60 seconds to qualify for this award.
InspireCraft Scholarship
Deadline: 12/30/25The InspireCraft Scholarship is available to students who are at least 18 years of age. You must demonstrate a passion for arts, crafts, and decoration, or a related field to be eligible for this award.
Rove Pest Control Scholarship
Deadline: 12/31/25The Rove Pest Control Scholarship is available to high school and full - time college students. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award. Special consideration will be given to students pursuing a degree in entomology or a related field.
Alert Scholarship
Deadline: OngoingThe Alert Scholarship is available to high school seniors in Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. To be considered, you must submit a 650 - to 800 - word essay about a personal encounter you, or someone you know, has had with drug and / or alcohol abuse, how it was dealt with, and, in your opinion, what was right or wrong about the way the incident or problem was handled. You must have a minimum 2.5 GPA to be eligible for this award. There are many more $500 scholarships out there too! Be sure to create your free Fastweb profile to find more opportunities to help you pay for college.
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Shawna Newman
Managing Editor, Contributing Writer
Shawna Newman covers various topics related to post-secondary education, including trade schools, the military, and college. She details strategies for paying for school, such as scholarships, financial ai...
