As the 2025-2026 school year kicks off, college preparation is well on its way for Robinson seniors. High school transcripts are being printed, letters of recommendation being requested, and the dreaded application process is coming to a close. As applications begin to pile up, so do their corresponding expenses, allowing tuition, housing, and books to put a financial strain on students. On the brighter side of things, scholarships are one of the largest ways to cut the cost of college tuition. Each scholarship is unique, and personalized to specific demographics of students, but despite the wide array of grants available, innovative and personalized scholarships often go unnoticed. To help cut down on college expenses, here are 5 beneficial yet unpopular scholarships you might want to apply for this school year:
One of the most overlooked and highest paying scholarships this year is the “No Essay” Scholarship, offered by Niche. This grant offers $40,000 to to one student, helping cover the cost of college including, tuition, room and board, dining, books, and more. The application having no required essay makes it a very simple process; this includes creating an account with Niche, applying for said scholarship, and waiting for the news. All high school and college students seeking higher education are eligible, with the winning student being randomly selected by November 15th. The deadline for this scholarship is October 15th, 2025, making this one of the easiest and highest paying grants available this year.
The following scholarship requires a little more academic drive, but is a great opportunity for those interested in economics and personal finance. The US Bank Student Scholarship offers a grand prize of up to $20,000 for first place students. Offered by US Bank, the scholarship aims to teach students independence and encourages self-paced learning. In order to be eligible, students 17 and older must complete free in-app lessons on personal finance. Being a module-based system, the more modules completed, the more scholarship money appointed. The completion of 25-49 modules results in a possible prize of $2,500, the completion of 50-74 modules corresponds to a prize of $5,000, the completion of 75-99 modules equates to a $10,000 prize, and 100+ modules completed results in a grand prize of $20,000. Excluding the module completion process, the application includes an entry form and registration to the US Bank website, as well as downloading the corresponding app, Zogo, to access the modules. The deadline for this scholarship is October 30th, 2025, leaving students with a little over a month to complete their application.
Next up on the list, one of the more unconventional scholarships available to high schoolers is Duck Tape’s “Stuck at Prom” Scholarship contest. This scholarship offers anywhere between $1,000 to $15,000 to the student that creates the best prom attire out of Duck Brand Duct Tape. The grand prize of $15,000 is awarded to two students, one for the tuxedo and the other for the dress category. The dress and tuxedo runner ups are also awarded a second place prize of $1,000 in cash, along with a Duck Tape Brand prize worth $100. Despite the overall grant itself being on the unconventional side, the application process is quite straightforward; creating and wearing your tape creation, filling out the entry form and submitting a photograph on the appropriate website, and voting while you await the results. All high school grade levels are applicable, with the expected open date of the scholarship in March of 2026.
Continuing the trend of creativity, the “Create-A-Greeting-Card” Scholarship contest is another overlooked opportunity to severely cut the costs of college tuition. This scholarship, offered by The Gallery Collection, is about as straightforward as it sounds. Since July of 2025, the Gallery Collection is offering $10,000 to the student who submits the best original greeting card cover artwork. All students over the age of 13 are eligible to participate. The deadline for this grant is March 9th, 2026, and the finalists will be decided by public voting, with the winner announced in mid-May of the same year. 2026. The application process requires only one submission via The Gallery Collection website, encouraging students to utilize their artistic talent and originality.
Lastly, sticking with the theme of originality, the “Zombie Apocalypse” Scholarship, offered by Unigo, certainly wins its own prize in terms of irregularity. This scholarship offers $2,000 to any high school or college student that submits the best 250 word essay on their survival plan if their school were to be overrun by a zombie apocalypse. In order to apply, students must submit their response to the question, “Imagine that your high school or college has been overrun with zombies.” The application and selection process consists of submitting the online application, including your response to the question. The voting process determines the winner, fittingly on October 31st of 2025, allowing high school and college students to express their imagination and writing skills.
