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 $20,000 Foot Locker Foundation Scholarship, $10,000 Create-a-Greeting Card Scholarship 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 Rubincam Youth Writing Competition is available to high school students. To be considered, you must submit a genealogy in a biographical narrative format for one family line; include four generations, beginning with you, as the first generation.
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 Fastweb Invite a Friend Sweepstakes is open to registered Fastweb members who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and who are at least sixteen (16) years of age. You must log into your Fastweb account to obtain your personal referral link. For each person who registers for Fastweb via your personal referral link during the Promotion Period, you and your referral will be entered as a pair into the monthly drawing.
The Driven Coffee Scholarship is available to undergraduate students in the U.S. and Canada. To be considered, you must submit three short essays, including the following: "If you could have coffee with any person - dead or alive - who would you pick? Why? What would you discuss?"
The "Because College is Expensive" Scholarship is available to high school juniors and seniors, current undergraduate students, and graduate students. The winner will be determined by random drawing and then contacted directly and announced on the Scholarship Winners page. One entry per person is all that is necessary.
The Live Deliberately Essay Contest is open to high school students between the ages of 14 and 19. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 750 - word essay on the following prompt: "We, too, are out, obeying the same law with all nature. Not less important are the observers of the birds than the birds themselves." - Henry David Thoreau
The Design Your Signature Hat Scholarship Contest is open to students who are currently studying fashion design or another field related to the clothing/garment industry. You must submit a hat design using any medium: sketch, digital graphics, or a combination of both to be considered for this award. You must also include a brief description explaining the inspiration behind your design and any unique features.
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 Soar to Success Accounting Scholarship is available to full - time undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a career in accounting. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this award.
The Frozen Dessert Supplies 15 Second Video Scholarship is available to college students. You must send a 15 - second video that is witty, inspiring, interesting, or artistic and involves a frozen dessert or coffee to be considered for this award.
The Better Than a Loan Scholarship is available to full - time undergraduate students. To be considered, you must submit a 500 - word essay on the following topic: "You are the CEO of a new startup. You have $1 million in starting capital. Which areas of your business do you allocate the funds to? Why?"
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:Rubincam Youth Writing Competition
Deadline: 12/15/23The Rubincam Youth Writing Competition is available to high school students. To be considered, you must submit a genealogy in a biographical narrative format for one family line; include four generations, beginning with you, as the first generation.
EK Insurance Scholarship
Deadline: 12/30/23The 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.
December 2023 Fastweb Invite a Friend Sweepstakes
Deadline: 12/31/23The Fastweb Invite a Friend Sweepstakes is open to registered Fastweb members who are legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, and who are at least sixteen (16) years of age. You must log into your Fastweb account to obtain your personal referral link. For each person who registers for Fastweb via your personal referral link during the Promotion Period, you and your referral will be entered as a pair into the monthly drawing.
Driven Coffee Scholarship
Deadline: 12/31/23The Driven Coffee Scholarship is available to undergraduate students in the U.S. and Canada. To be considered, you must submit three short essays, including the following: "If you could have coffee with any person - dead or alive - who would you pick? Why? What would you discuss?"
Because College is Expensive Scholarship
Deadline: 12/31/23The "Because College is Expensive" Scholarship is available to high school juniors and seniors, current undergraduate students, and graduate students. The winner will be determined by random drawing and then contacted directly and announced on the Scholarship Winners page. One entry per person is all that is necessary.
Live Deliberately Essay Contest
Deadline: 2/19/24The Live Deliberately Essay Contest is open to high school students between the ages of 14 and 19. To be considered, you must submit a maximum 750 - word essay on the following prompt: "We, too, are out, obeying the same law with all nature. Not less important are the observers of the birds than the birds themselves." - Henry David Thoreau
Design Your Signature Hat Scholarship Contest
Deadline: 3/29/24The Design Your Signature Hat Scholarship Contest is open to students who are currently studying fashion design or another field related to the clothing/garment industry. You must submit a hat design using any medium: sketch, digital graphics, or a combination of both to be considered for this award. You must also include a brief description explaining the inspiration behind your design and any unique features.
CJ Pony Parts Scholarship Video Contest
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.
Soar to Success Accounting Scholarship
Deadline: 5/15/24The Soar to Success Accounting Scholarship is available to full - time undergraduate and graduate students who are pursuing a career in accounting. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and be a U.S. citizen to be eligible for this award.
Frozen Dessert Supplies 15 Second Video Scholarship
Deadline: 8/1/24The Frozen Dessert Supplies 15 Second Video Scholarship is available to college students. You must send a 15 - second video that is witty, inspiring, interesting, or artistic and involves a frozen dessert or coffee to be considered for this award.
Better Than a Loan Scholarship
Deadline: 8/31/24The Better Than a Loan Scholarship is available to full - time undergraduate students. To be considered, you must submit a 500 - word essay on the following topic: "You are the CEO of a new startup. You have $1 million in starting capital. Which areas of your business do you allocate the funds to? Why?"
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.
