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Scholarships
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Top adult scholarships for you
Find scholarships for adults that can help you pay for college.
Here’s a scholarship you can apply for in minutes.
What are adult scholarships?
Adult scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for adult students. Adult scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for adult scholarships
Before you apply for adult scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. Some common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are adult scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over scholarships for adults with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find adult scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find scholarships for adults.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search engine tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Find scholarships that are right for you
Easily search through thousands of college scholarships based on your background, major, state you live in, and more.
Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
Adult scholarships
Featured
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ScholarshipOwl No Essay Scholarship
Due:
No essay
$50,000
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Featured
Apply now
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"Be Bold" No Essay Scholarship
Due:
No essay
$25,000
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Featured
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The Scholarships360 $10,000 "No Essay" Scholarship
Due:
No essay
$10,000
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The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation Endowed Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
The Foundation was established through the estate of Charlotte W. Newcombe, who greatly valued the importance of higher education. The student must be 25 and working toward their first undergraduate degree. Applications are not necessary, and all awards are made through the Office of Financial Aid.
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Fresh Start Scholarship Program
Due: 5/31/25
No essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
Fresh Start awards annual scholarships to students in Delaware based on financial need, personal challenges, and academic record. Applicants must be at least 20 years old and have had a 2-year gap in their education. They must be a resident of Delaware, or be currently employed in Delaware for at least the past 12 months. Applicants must also have a high school diploma or G.E.D. They must be admitted to an accredited college in a two- or four-year degree program at the undergraduate level. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
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Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation Career Development Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
$500
The Career Development Scholarship provides funding assistance for tuition and enrollment fees relevant to continuing education in a non-traditional or non-degree format. This could include education programs that specialize in the skilled trades, applied sciences, modern technologies or career advancement. For example, classes in welding, accounting, dental hygiene or computer programs. This scholarship is intended to promote career development for those living with bleeding disorders. Parents and spouses are also eligible for this scholarship. Applicants must be a Wisconsin resident or receive care at a Wisconsin Hemophilia Treatment Center. If the applicant is not currently enrolled in the education or training program for which you are seeking assistance, they must also attach a copy of an acceptance letter from the program. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
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Upton Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No essay
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$3,000
The Upton Scholarship is available to female students who are 25 or older. This scholarship can be combined with other merit scholarships. This scholarship is renewable for up to three additional years for first-time freshmen or up to two additional years for transfer students. Students may contact the Financial Aid Office for more information and inquiries about the application.
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Helen McLoraine Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
Adult undergraduate education students going into their student teaching semester may be eligible to apply for the Helen McLoraine Scholarship. To apply, students must fill out an application in Taskstream during their student teaching semester in their Student Teaching Application portfolio. To be eligible, students must student-teach in a high-need school. Please reach out to the Division of Education for more information.
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R David Van Eaton John Deere Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
The R David Van Eaton John Deere Scholarship is available to students who are John Deere Ag-Tech or Agribusiness majors. This is open to second-year traditional or non-traditional students. Financial need is not a primary consideration. Students must file FAFSA each year by the state deadline.
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Barbara Loheider Gerhart Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No essay
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
The Barbara Loheider Gerhart Scholarship is available to students majoring in Nursing. Applicants must be non-traditional second-year students who are Knox County, Indiana residents. They must be employed and working at least 8 hours per week. A 2.5 minimum GPA is to be maintained at all times. Students must file their FAFSA each year by the state deadline.
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$1,000 All Star Verified Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$1,000
The $1,000 All Star Verified Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship and financial need is not considered. We designed this scholarship to help students pay for college and it may be used to pay for tuition or any related fees such as room and board. This scholarship is open to high school, college, graduate, or adult students and parents of high school and College Student. This scholarship has three rounds: Summer: May 1 - August 31; Fall: September 1 - December 31; Winter: January 1 - April 30. If you win the scholarship as a 9th - 11th grader, we will hold your scholarship until you are a senior. If you are a parent, you are welcome to apply but you must be the parent or legal guardian of a current college-bound high school or college student. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
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Phoenix Scholarship
Due: 5/31/25
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Varies
The Phoenix Scholarship is available to on-traditional UCF student(s) of junior class standing who are conquering personal or family challenges. The applicant must be a non-traditional student who is conquering personal or family challenges (e.g., Single Mom, a student serving as head of household with children, a student returning to college later in life after overcoming personal adversities, students dealing with unusual circumstances that prevented him/her from pursuing his/her degree at an earlier time in life, etc.). Preferential consideration will be given to applicants who attended Apopka Learning Center in Apopka, FL. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
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What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for adult scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
Need more money for college?
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More resources to explore
Tips for writing scholarship essays
Get tips for writing scholarship essays. Learn what makes a good scholarship essay.
Find scholarship resources
Explore our scholarship resources, articles, and guide to get all the tips and tricks to help pay for college.
Fill out the FAFSA®
Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
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