While we’ve put in a lot of work to find some unique scholarships for our students, we also recognize that you may not fall into niches found on this list. Fear not, because you still have plenty of options. “I start all the students I work with out on Google,” says Hunt. “I have them write down personal interests, clothing brands, foods, companies, hobbies, talents, or skills and then add the word scholarship to their search. In my 20+ years of higher education experience, I’ve seen some really cool scholarships appear.”

Just because these scholarships are quirky doesn’t mean some of them might be too good to be true, and it’s important to keep your eye out for red flags. “If a request for money is made by phone, the operation is probably fraudulent. Beware of telephone numbers with a 900 area code. A dishonest operation might put pressure on an applicant by saying that awards are on a first-come, first served basis. Fraudulent operations may also claim endorsements by groups with names similar to well-known private or government organizations. For instance, the Better Business Bureau and government agencies do not endorse businesses.”