Dreaming of a full-ride scholarship but overwhelmed by the massive competition? There is a better way to find free college money that most students completely ignore: $500 micro-scholarships.
While massive national scholarship awards get all the hype, small scholarships are actually your fastest ticket to cutting your tuition bills. Here is why these hidden gems are easier to win and how you can start stacking them today to pay for college.
The NTX Powersports Scholarship is available to high school seniors and current undergraduate students. Preference is given to students who demonstrate interest in business, engineering, outdoor recreation, or vehicle mechanics. A 300-word essay is required.
The ShareMyToolbox Tools for Success Scholarship is available to students who are pursuing careers in construction and the skilled trades. You must be recommended by a current ShareMyToolbox Business or Enterprise customer to be eligible for this award. You must also submit a 500 to - 800 - word essay on the following topic: “Why I Chose a Career in the Trades & How I Plan to Make an Impact in the Industry.”
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 from 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 for a lunchroom conversation between friends about bullying. You must be following at least one of the sponsor's social media handles to be eligible for this award.
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 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 postsecondary education. You must submit a video of up to 3 minutes that responds to one of the prompts on Mustangs.
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 Bottle Your Brand Design Scholarship is available to undergraduate students and graduate students. To be considered, you must create an original sticker or label design concept for a specific cause, event, product, or fictional brand of your choice. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award. A 200 to - 500 - word essay is also required.
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 GPA of 2.5 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.
3 Reasons Small Scholarships Give You Better Odds of Winning
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 that of Big Brand or national awards.
- 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 you win a $500 scholarship, 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 for no-essay, contest entries, photography or video submissions, social media challenges or networking, short essays, and more.
The Best Easy $500 Scholarships to Apply for Right Now
NTX Powersports Scholarship
Deadline: 7/31/26The NTX Powersports Scholarship is available to high school seniors and current undergraduate students. Preference is given to students who demonstrate interest in business, engineering, outdoor recreation, or vehicle mechanics. A 300-word essay is required.
ShareMyToolbox Tools for Success Scholarship
Deadline: 7/31/26The ShareMyToolbox Tools for Success Scholarship is available to students who are pursuing careers in construction and the skilled trades. You must be recommended by a current ShareMyToolbox Business or Enterprise customer to be eligible for this award. You must also submit a 500 to - 800 - word essay on the following topic: “Why I Chose a Career in the Trades & How I Plan to Make an Impact in the Industry.”
Race to Inspire Essay Contest
Deadline: 8/15/26The 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 from the experience.
Be A Friend Project Scholarship
Deadline: 8/31/26The Be A Friend Project Scholarship is available to high school students. To be considered, you must write a two- to four-page script for a lunchroom conversation between friends about bullying. You must be following at least one of the sponsor's social media handles to be eligible for this award.
"Because College is Expensive" Scholarship
Deadline: 9/30/26The "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.
Connect Scholarship Program
Deadline: 10/15/26The 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: 10/15/26The CJ Pony Parts Scholarship Video Contest is open to students who will be enrolling in postsecondary education. You must submit a video of up to 3 minutes that responds to one of the prompts on Mustangs.
InspireCraft Scholarship
Deadline: 12/30/26The 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.
Bottle Your Brand Design Scholarship
Deadline: 4/15/27The Bottle Your Brand Design Scholarship is available to undergraduate students and graduate students. To be considered, you must create an original sticker or label design concept for a specific cause, event, product, or fictional brand of your choice. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award. A 200 to - 500 - word essay is also required.
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 GPA of 2.5 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...
