There are so many reasons to pursue a hobby or extracurricular activity. Hopefully, the first reason is that you enjoy doing a certain activity. But there is also college applications, social interactions and family traditions to consider.
Spending time playing volleyball, chess or the violin are not just fun ways to enrich your life, and maybe increase your chances of getting into college. Hobbies and interests are also a way to qualify for many scholarships for college.
Scholarships by hobby, interest or extracurricular activity are available from a variety of sources. Much like scholarships for specific college majors and fields of study, there might be more financial aid available for students involved in some of the more “popular” or “mainstream” activities, but there are still plenty of available scholarships for unique or unusual hobbies and interests.
The largest pool of scholarship money for special interests is sports scholarships. Most sports scholarships are distributed directly by specific universities who are looking for players for specific teams. These are not limited to the “big” sports like football and basketball. There are also scholarships for lacrosse players, bowlers and golfers which are offered both by universities and by organizations and foundations looking to promote a specific sport. In fact, there are even scholarships for those who participate in sports behind the scenes, like the Evans Scholars Foundation Scholarship for golf caddies!
It is important to note that for many scholarships involving a special interest or hobby, application processes for these awards can be more creative than more straight-forward awards. For example, the Ball State University Letterman Communications scholarships awards creative students with up to $10,000 for creative pursuits related to telecommunications. Students create their own telecommunications project to apply for the scholarship, like videos, websites and other media presentations.
Sports and hobbies are the only things that can help you get non-academic scholarships. Students involved in activism and public service will also find many opportunities to apply for financial aid. There are also scholarships for student environmentalists, and young citizens working to create a better planet.
With all of these different types of scholarships available, the listings found in this section of the site should offer something for just about everyone!
There are pages in this section featuring scholarships for people who have many different hobbies and interests, including:
- Student Athletics
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Community Service and Volunteering
- Social Activism
Our editors are continually uncovering scholarships specific to hobbies and interests. Keep checking back and view our latest scholarship postings. We add new scholarships many times per week.