Creative scholarships are merit based awards that tend to reward talents rather than grades. So, if you like to express your creativity, they can be a useful way to pay for college.
Many creative scholarships are for fine arts students with gifts in the visual arts. Visual arts majors are photography or design based arts like painting, graphic design or animation.
But you do not have to be a visual arts student to apply for a creative scholarship. Your artistic interests may lie in music, creative writing, dance, theater or film. It may be a hobby for you rather than your college major.
Either way, applying for a creative scholarship may be quick and simple. In fact, all you might need to do is upload a portfolio, project, photo, short video or essay.
What Creative Scholarships Can Students Apply for?
High school and college students may find many creative scholarships to show off their imagination. These types of awards are really fun to get your creative juices flowing in order to help pay for college.
Dixie Belle Paint Company Scholarship wants to help students succeed and graduate. To do this they offer a new award called the Creativity Leads to Success Scholarship. It is open to all high school, college and grad students who are also US citizens.
To apply, you fill out a quick form and write a 500 word essay that answers the question, “How does individual creativity lead to success?” There will be three winners. One grand prize of $2,500 and two prizes of $1,250 each.
Each year Arts for Life! awards $1,000 creative scholarships to 25 graduating high school seniors in Florida. Winners show their excellence in creative writing, dance, drama, music or visual art. Launched by former First Lady Columba Bush in 1999, the program has awarded scholarships to more than 500 gifted high school seniors.
To apply, you must submit a completed application, a brief essay explaining “How the arts have positively influenced my life” and a portfolio of work in one of five areas. Creative writing, dance, drama, music or visual art.
How a Creativity Scholarship Helps Pay for College?
Scholarships could cover the high costs of pursuing a college degree. Tuition, fees, housing, and other expenses may be paid for by a creative scholarship. Also, scholarships are a better alternative to a student loan.
According to the NCES, the average student loan amount for undergraduates was $7,200 for one academic year. Within the last decade, college tuition has increased by 19% on average. Public institutions tuition and fees went up by 18% compared to private nonprofit schools increased by 15%.
Since college is getting more expensive every year, you should start applying for creative scholarships today! Many creative scholarships tend to be renewable so it may help pay for college until you graduate. That means you might not have to pay out of pocket or borrow more student loans!
List of Creative Scholarships
To help you in your search, here is a list of creative scholarships to apply for. Follow the application guidelines, be mindful of deadlines and let your originality and creativity shine through!
The Stuck at Prom Scholarship Program is available to high school students with creativity. Applicants must create and wear an outfit completely made of Duck brand duct tape to a school prom. Applicants must be 14 years of age or older and a resident of the United States or Canada to enter.
Interested students can go to www.stuckatprom.com to obtain official contest rules and a registration form. Information is available under the ‘Contests’ link.
Each applicant is required to submit a completed entry form and one color photograph (professional or amateur) of him or herself in prom attire; the applicant’s full name, address, telephone number, email address (if applicable) and age/grade level, and the name of the closest major city to the individual’s hometown; a release form and, if any entrant is a minor (under 18 years of age), that individual’s parent or guardian; and the name, address, and telephone number of the high school, or home school association, which is hosting the prom, and the date the prom was held.
The complete entry must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on the deadline date. If the students cannot scan and upload their signed release forms online, those forms must be faxed to the number provided. Students may also mail their entry information to the address provided. Entries postmarked after the deadline date will not be accepted.
Are you a Chick-fil-A employee wanting to pursue higher education? If so, consider applying for the Remarkable Futures Scholarships! The scholarship is open to Chick-fil-A team members who want to receive their degrees from any postsecondary institution. These include two- and four-year institutions, online programs, and vocational/technical schools. The scholarship initiative is offered by Chick-Fil-A, one of the largest American fast-food restaurant chains. The scholarship looks to help employees pursue their desired education and help them achieve their long-term goals. The Remarkable Futures Scholarship initiative offers two scholarships: the True Inspiration Scholarship worth $25,000 and the Leadership Scholarship worth up to $2,500. If you are employed by Chick-Fil-A and looking for help funding your postsecondary education, we encourage you to apply!
MoreWithUs is jobs platform for people looking or entry level jobs near them. The service is free for all jobseeker. MoreWithUs is based in DeKalb, IL and was established in 2017.
Ok, so first question–why is this scholarship named the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship? If you are enrolled in graduate school (during the 2023-24 academic year) or have heard stories from those enrolled, you already know! “Gutsy” means courageous and determined, which nearly all successful graduate students are. Why else would one continue on with rigorous academics while often living on a shoestring? The rewards of graduate school are numerous, especially the more focused and advanced level of specialized study in your chosen field. Learning with like-minded people who share your passion is fulfilling, and the networking is awesome. The flipside of graduate school is the costly student loans to fund it. With this in mind, the “Gutsy” Graduate Student Essay Scholarship aims to help out a passionate graduate student who is actively looking for ways to fund their higher education journey. Thus, this scholarship will be awarded to students based on both the quality of their essays and quantity of scholarships applied for on the Scholarships360 platform. Good luck on your educational journey, and we hope to read your application!
You have a story that deserves to be told and a voice that needs to be heard. We want to hear you, and we want to help you be heard by the world!
I Weigh is all about radical inclusivity and allyship, creating a community where no one feels alone. Our mission is to amplify, advocate, and pass the mic, while inspiring everyone around us to continue learning and growing as individuals, which in turn will result in growth collectively as a society.
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have courage to lose sight of the shore.” – William Faulkner
Getting the most out of life requires both the courage to explore the world, and the kindness and openness to welcome and accept all those you meet along the way.
One student or graduate who demonstrates a trailblazing spirit and passion for educational exploration will be awarded $2,000 to help them continue on their path to travel and learn.
This may include philanthropic work abroad, participation in science fairs, immersion in new languages, and anything else that demonstrates an eagerness to explore and learn!
When people from different backgrounds meet to share their cultures and learn from each other, beautiful things happen and the world becomes a better place.
One student who demonstrates an openness to learning about other cultures and sharing their own will receive $1,350 to help them continue on their path to travel and learn.
This may include studying new languages, traveling to study in a new place, teaching or learning art styles, musical instruments, or cooking methods from a different culture, or anything else that demonstrates openness to new cultures in your school, work, or hobbies.
Project Yellow Light is a scholarship competition designed to bring about change. People know distracted driving is dangerous, but they do it anyway. As an applicant you have one clear mission: create a PSA to encourage your friends to avoid distracted driving, specifically using your phone while driving. Whether it’s sending a text, commenting on a photo, or messaging your friends in your favorite app, it’s never ok to message while driving.
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) has established two $2500 Scholarships to assist in the professional development of horror writers:
The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship,
and the Horror Writers Association Scholarship.
These rules also broadly apply to the other scholarships. Please click here for the Rocky Wood Memorial Scholarship information, click here for rules for the Dark Poetry Scholarship, click here for the Dennis Etchison Scholarship, click here for the Diversity Grants, click here for the Young Adults Write Now Endowments, and click here for The Scholarship From Hell.
The Scholarships are effectively two facets of the same award; applicants enter the same competition using the same application form. A sub-committee of the HWA Board chooses the scholarship winners from that pool of applicants. The Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship is available for those members who identify as women and the Horror Writers Association Scholarship is available for any member, regardless of gender.
