Essay Scholarships

If you’re a skilled writer, a few hundred (or even a thousand) words is no biggie.

Students that can easily express themselves through writing flock toward scholarships with interesting essays and the scholarships on this list are just that.

All of the below scholarships require an essay entry – some as short as only 250 words – with interesting essay topics that range from safe driving and technology to America heroes and animal activism.

To help better organize your scholarship and internship search, please note that the following scholarships for writers are listed according to deadline, with the earliest deadline appearing at the top of the page. Deadlines that vary will appear at the bottom of each list.

If you enjoy expressing your opinions through writing, the scholarships on this list await your entries.

Mobility Disability Scholarship

Deadline: 9/01/17
Available to: Ages 16+
Award Amount: 2 Awards of $500

The Mobility Disability Scholarship is available to students who have a mobility disability, and those who have a regard for disability awareness in America. To be considered, you must submit a presentation of why disability awareness is important. Entries may include essays and poems.

Learn more about the Mobility Disability Scholarship.

International Public Policy Forum Contest

Deadline: 10/17/17
Available to: High School Freshmen through High School Seniors
Award Amount: 30 Awards from $400 – $10,000

The International Public Policy Forum Contest is open students with an interest in debate or forensics. You must form a team of at least three students and work with your debate coach, English or Social Studies teacher to prepare an essay of no more than 2,800 words on the topic “Resolved: International climate accords for greenhouse gas emissions should adopt binding enforcement mechanisms.” in order to be considered for this award. Essays may be presented from an affirmative or negative perspective.

Learn more about the International Public Policy Forum Contest.

The Future is Female Scholarship

Deadline: 11/01/17
Available to: Female students
Award Amount: $3,000

The Future is Female Scholarship is available to female students. You must be a U.S. citizen and have a minimum 3.0 GPA to be eligible for this award. You must also answer five short essay questions.

Learn more about the The Future is Female Scholarship.

Build U. Scholarship

Deadline: 11/01/17
Available to: Ages 18+
Award Amount: $2,500

The Build U. Scholarship is available to product design, interaction design, engineering, and computer science students. To be considered, you must submit a 1000 word essay on the following topic: “Which company or organization (other than Buildium) you think best exemplifies one of the above core values and how?”

Learn more about the Build U. Scholarship.

Bachus & Shanker, LLC Scholarship

Deadline: 11/30/17
Available to: High School Seniors through College Seniors
Award Amount: $2,000

The Bachus & Schanker, LLC Scholarship is available to high school seniors accepted to a college or university and students enrolled at an accredited college or university. You must have a minimum 3.0 GPA and submit a minimum 800 word essay on the following topic: Give your opinion on the importance and efficacy of the 7th Amendment and how it affects your life.

Learn more about the Bachus & Shanker, LLC Scholarship .

Tutor the People Essay Scholarship

Deadline: 12/15/17
Available to: High School Juniors through College Seniors
Award Amount: $1,000

The Tutor the People Essay Scholarship is open to current high school seniors and undergraduate students attending an institution in the United States. You must be at least 16 years of age, be in good academic standing, have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and submit a 500 to 1,000 word personal response to the prompt on the sponsor’s website in order to qualify for this award.

Learn more about the Tutor the People Essay Scholarship.

MajGen Harold W. Chase Prize Essay Contest

Deadline: Varies
Available to: College Freshmen through College Seniors
Award Amount: $3,000

Sponsored by the Marine Corps Gazette, the MajGen Harold W. Chase Prize Essay Contest is open to all Marines on active duty and to members of the Selected Marine Corps Reserve.

The contest honors the essay that proposes and argues for a new and better way of “doing business” in the Marine Corps.

Learn more information about the MajGen Harold W. Chase Prize Essay Contest.

Mary Grant Charles Prize Scholarship

Deadline: Varies
Available to: College Freshmen through College Seniors
Award Amount: Varies

The Mary Grant Charles Prize Scholarship is open to undergraduate students at Tufts University.

You must possess the same creative qualities in the writing of prose and poetry to qualify for this award.

Preference is given to students whose writing reflects an interest in ancestry and genealogy.

Get more information on the Mary Grant Charles Prize Scholarship.

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