It might seem a bit strange that, outside of Hollywood, someone might pay you for being tall, having a certain eye color, or attending a Catholic church.
But unlike many of the scholarships listed in the other categories on this site that require you to be in a club, on a team or have a certain grade point average, some financial aid is available to people who have certain personal characteristics.
Just like people are all different and have many different attributes, there are also many different scholarships out there. In recent years, many scholarships have been created to give under-represented groups to opportunity to attend universities. This means an increase in the number of scholarships for women, African-Americans and Latinos and more financial aid available for those groups.
Religious groups also offer scholarships for students who are active in churches. In some cases students might be required to attend a religious university, but that is not always true. There are scholarships available for just about any religious affiliation from Judaism and Unitarianism, to Presbyterian, Episcopalian and Buddhism.
But scholarships for personal characteristics don’t stop there. Did you know that organizations like Tall Clubs International give out unique scholarships to students who just happen to meet a minimum height requirement? Or that being left-handed could fetch you $1,000 to study at college? Reading through the list of available scholarships in this category can prove to be enlightening, as many foundations are looking to offer scholarships to students that meet very specific criteria, like female students with a certain last name attending a specific college.
While seeing all of these types of scholarships can be fun, we realize that they can also be limiting.
After all, you can’t change your personal characteristics to get a scholarship, the same way that you can choose to become and English major or play basketball. But for students that may not be as involved in school and need and extra boost, these kinds of scholarships are a great way to get some money for college, just for being the people they are.
But organizations in this category serve as a great way to add to your overall financial aid package, which will help you to reach your college goals without having to break into your own piggy bank!
