More than $10,000 in Simple Writing Scholarships that Don’t Require a GPA
Many people do not enter scholarships that require writing, which increases your chances because you will have less competition.
Here are some simple writing scholarships that don’t require a GPA, and how to find more like them.
$1,500 Make Me Laugh Scholarship and More than $10,000 in Unigo Scholarships
https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships/make-me-laugh-scholarship
$1,500 Make Me Laugh Scholarship, D: Aug 31, 2026
Question: “OMG… finding and applying for scholarships is serious business, but it’s time to lighten things up a little. We don’t want to know why you deserve $1,500 or how great your grades are, we simply want to LOL.
Describe an incident in your life, funny or embarrassing (fact or fiction), and make us laugh! (250 words or less)”
Here are some general guidelines for all of Unigo scholarships: “This award is for U.S. students. Must be a legal U.S. resident. Must be a resident of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Must be 14 years of age or older at time of application.”
https://www.unigo.com/scholarships/our-scholarships
More $1,000-$10,000 Unigo Scholarships, monthly deadlines
$5,000 Bick First Generation Scholarship and More than $20,000 in Bold.org Scholarships
https://bold.org/scholarships/bick-first-generation-scholarship
$5,000 Bick First Generation Scholarship, D: Sept 9, 2026, six awarded
Winners announced Oct 10, 2026
First-generation college students who are in high school or enrolled in college or trade school.
To get a good overview of the scholarship and Marcia Bick Herman who inspired the scholarship, click on the link above.
Essay Topic: “To apply, tell us in 500 words or less what being a first-generation student means to you, how you’ve faced and overcome challenges, and how this scholarship would help you move closer to your goals.
Tell us about your dreams, what drives you, and how this scholarship would help you continue your journey. We’re not looking for perfection – we’re looking for honesty, heart, and a clear sense of purpose and determination. (300–500 words)”
Find More than $20,000 in Scholarships Administered by Bold.org
$2,000 in Writing Scholarships that Require a 2.5 or Higher GPA
These scholarships are still simple, but they require you to have a 2.5 or higher GPA.
$1,000 Building Bridges Scholarship to Assist Those Who Help Others
https://www.parent-volunteer.org/building-bridges-scholarship
$1,000 Building Bridges Scholarship, D: Sept 30, 2026
Selected criteria from web page:
“Each year NPVA (National Parent Volunteer Association) offers merit-based scholarships for students who are committed to volunteering and making a difference in their communities. Our scholarships are open to students pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must:
- Be currently enrolled or plan to be enrolled part-time or full-time in an accredited U.S. college or university. Vocational/technical, two-year, four-year, or graduate institutions are eligible.
- Be a high school junior or senior, undergraduate student, or graduate student
- Have a grade point average of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 system
- Recipients must provide an official transcript confirming their reported GPA and proof of enrollment. No transcript or proof of enrollment is required until after students are selected as winners.
Please write an essay of 150 words or fewer describing how you are involved in your community. You may describe any community of which you are a part including school, neighborhood, ethnic, or other.”
https://www.parent-volunteer.org/scholarships
Other Scholarships offered by the National Parent Volunteer Association (NPVA)
Courage to Grow Scholarship to Help You Pay for School
https://couragetogrowscholarship.com
$1,000 Courage to Grow Scholarship, D: Sept 30, 2026
Applicants must be current high school juniors, seniors, or college students with a minimum GPA of 2.5. U.S. citizenship is required. Answer the scholarship question of why you deserve this scholarship in 250 words or less.
More than $5,000 in Scholarships that Require More Writing But Help You Grow as a Writer
The following two scholarships are more involved, which means fewer people will apply. Consider taking the time to see what is required and trying them out.
You could make appointments in the TSU Writing Center to help you plan out and go over various parts of the essay as you write them.
Also, you can see previous winners of these competitions and see what they wrote.
$1,000 to Help You Discover More About a Career You Love
https://www.jonestshirts.com/pages/scholarship
$1,000 JonesTshirts.com “Love Your Career” Scholarship, D: Sept 10, 2026
Students attending college or university in the 50 U.S. states.
Write an essay between 1,000-3,000 words where you “outline at least 3 steps that you plan to take in the next year to start a path towards having a career that you love” and “interview a professional in the field that you are looking into” with at least three years or more experience and ask him or her at least three questions from a designated list of questions.
A.I. generated essays are disqualified.
This essay has strict essay and submission requirements, so follow them to the letter.
Note: This scholarship essay has the potential to lead to greater knowledge about yourself and the field you wish to major in. Consider that you win even if you don’t receive the scholarship.
$6,000 in Foreclosure.com and Housing Market Scholarships
https://www.foreclosure.com/scholarship
$4,000 and $1,000 Foreclosure.com Scholarship, D: Dec 15, 2026
From webpage:
“2026 essay topic: “The Great Housing Reset (2026)” – How is the real estate market shifting?
Low housing inventory and mortgage rates have buyers getting creative shopping for a home, but many are waiting for the real estate market to transition to a more balanced environment. Describe how you expect to see the market shift in the coming year.
Requirements: Here are the text requirements
- Minimum 800 words–Maximum 2,000 words
- Must have a title for the essay
- Essay must be in English
- No AI generated essay submission partial or entirely will be accepted
- Essay submissions must be sent in as a word documentor PDF documen
Awards: Three winners will be selected
- Top prize $4,000
- Second and third place will receive $1000 each”
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Online and In-Person Writing Center Appointments Available
The AARC Writing Center at TSU assists students, faculty, staff, and alumni of Tennessee State University.
We can help you with scholarship essays, resumes, applications, or any other writing project.
Our contact information (EAB links, email addresses, and phone numbers) can be found here: https://www.tnstate.edu/asc/writing.aspx
Ms. Rhonda Kavan, Writing Center coordinator; Dr. Shiloh Carroll, Writing Consultant; Ms. Lori Danley, Writing Consultant; and Mr. Mike Turner, Writing Consultant
You can also set up a scholarship coaching session (either online or in person) with Mr. Mike Turner, mjturner@tnstate.edu, where we look for scholarships and other money tailored to your major and your situation.
Scholarship Tigers--Students Helping Each Other Find Money for College 