Writing is a time-consuming endeavor. But that alone shouldn't stop you from applying for scholarships—and more importantly, writing essays shouldn't be an obstacle to securing funding.

Many scholarships require students to write a personal statement as part of the application. In this article, we'll list scholarships that don't require essays.

A few large no-essay scholarship awards include:

Doodle for Google Scholarship (up to $55,000)
"Be Bold" No-Essay Scholarship ($25,000)
Coca-Cola Scholarship ($20,000)

These no-essay scholarships have high dollar amounts, making them very competitive. Apply for no-essay scholarships that relate to your major, intended occupation, and other factors to increase your chances—we've listed several top categories of no-essay scholarships below.

While essay scholarships allow you to showcase your personality and talents, you don't always have time to spend on scholarship applications. You can apply to no-essay scholarships in literal minutes, saving huge a significant amount of time and effort needed to apply for financial aid.

You should apply for scholarships whether you think you'll need them or not. You may qualify for more aid than you think, and no-essay scholarships require so little time it's worth your while.

Statistics from the Education Data Initiative, NASFAA, and Utah System of Higher Education support this:

$100 billion in grant and scholarship aid is awarded each year from private and federal sources.
The average scholarship for a public 2-year college is $4,100.
20% of undergraduate students did not apply for financial aid in 2011. Of these students, 43% did not apply because they thought they were not eligible for aid.
62% of high school seniors did not complete a FAFSA in 2024.

Scholarship and financial aid funds exist even if students do not apply for aid. While scholarships remain a competitive form of funding, students should still apply as the potential earnings far outweighs the effort needed to apply—especially for no-essay scholarships.

Use this guide to apply for and find no-essay scholarships easily, categorized by major, financial need, and more, so you can focus on opportunities you're eligible for and apply fast. Let's dive into the list!

Apply for a free Bold.org profile today to find no-essay scholarships!

Top No-Essay Scholarships for Extra Financial Aid

1. Scholarships for Minorities

These scholarships help promote diversity in academia. Some of these may be good opportunities for international students in particular, but be sure to check the citizenship requirements. If you're a student of color looking to attend college or university, be sure to apply!

2. College Scholarships

These general scholarships can help students finance everything from textbook fees, room and board, and other college expenses. Whether you're trying to find niche scholarships for your undergrad or saving up for a master's program, this list has something for you.

3. High School Scholarships

It's never too early to start saving for college. As upcoming deadlines for scholarships are constantly changing, and new financial aid opportunities emerge, applying as early as possible makes you more likely to win.

4. Need-Based Scholarships

It's difficult to afford college, and even more challenging to pay for graduate school. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Apply for these need-based scholarships to accrue funding for your classes, whether you're a traditional student, adult learner, returning scholar, or are facing other barriers.

5. Merit-Based Scholarships

Students with good grades are eligible for merit-based scholarships. You'll be a strong applicant if you have an above-average test score, are involved with niche research projects, or demonstrate academic excellence in other areas.

6. Big Future Scholarship

The College Board funds the Big Future scholarship, which varies between $500 and $40,000. No GPA minimum or essay required. Winners are selected by random drawing from the applicant pool, though lower-income students have an increased chance of receiving award money.

STEM Scholarships

1. Biology Scholarships

Biology is a vast field. Look through this curated list of biology awards to find even more niche scholarships relating to your particular area of study: biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, evolutionary biology, and more.

2. Engineering Scholarships

Engineering scholarships is another umbrella category. In this list, you'll find researched and credible engineering scholarships, which may be specific to different fields of engineering, such as mechanical, electric, or chemical engineering.

3. Psychology Scholarships

An emphasis on mental health can improve your prospects as either a healthcare professional or a research assistant in a psychology lab. Students attending college or university with a focus in social justice, human behavior, or other related areas may want to pick up research positions in psychology.

Business Scholarships

1. Accounting Scholarships

Attending college as a future accountant means financial literacy should be even more important to you. Use these accounting scholarships to help flesh out the budget you've no doubt already mapped out for college.

2. Business Scholarships

Business majors are uniquely situated to apply for local scholarships. Many companies and organizations that are headquartered near you will fund small awards for students interested in their sectors. Check with small businesses and larger corporations to see what local awards you're eligible for.

3. Finance Scholarships

Apply for finance scholarships to invest in your career early on. With financial aid for aspiring bankers, quantitative analysts, and loan officers, you'll be able to find something in this list to help fund your college years.

Arts Scholarships: No Essay Required

1. Art Scholarships

Interested in pottery? Painting? Printmaking? These art scholarships are for you. Take your pick of the top art scholarships, many of which won't require an essay. Instead, you'll likely be asked to submit a portfolio of your best works.

3. Graphic Design Scholarships

Similarly, graphic design scholarships will probably ask for a portfolio of digital designs. These could be magazine covers, product and packaging designs, or other semi-professional projects you've worked on.

4. Music Scholarships

If you're applying for music scholarships, be prepared to create a video submission to showcase your talents. If an essay is not required, donors and scholarship panelists may want to see proof of your talent in other ways.

Graduate School Scholarships

1. Scholarships for Graduate Students

Graduate school is even more expensive and time-consuming than your undergrad years. Apply for no-essay graduate school scholarships to maximize your earnings with as little time spent as possible.

2. Medical School Scholarships

Medical school is a massive undertaking. As a future doctor, you have classes to attend, residency to prepare for, and not much time left over. Scholarships for medical students that don't require an essay can help you budget for college without taking too much time away from your studies.

3. Law School Scholarships

Becoming a lawyer means becoming an asset to society and to your community. Some donors and organizations may be willing to provide funding that doesn't require a personal statement to support your education, and in turn, support their community.

4. Dental School Scholarships

Oral health is a smaller subset of the medical community, but still a lucrative and important industry. Graduate students seeking a medical degree can consider dental school for a more focused education in medicine.

5. Pharmacy Scholarships

From painkillers to antidepressants and anxiety medication, nearly everyone knows someone who takes some form of medication every now and then. Learning about drug interactions and how medicine can manage symptoms offers a rewarding experience for graduate students interested in pharmaceuticals.

Check out the full range of scholarships on Bold.org to find your academic discipline!

Why No-Essay Scholarships Matter

So many students want to apply for financial aid opportunities but find themselves running out of time. That's where no-essay scholarships can come in handy. The applications are so time-saving that no-essay scholarships worth even a few hundred dollars are a good profit for the time spent.

Student Loan Debt and College Tuition

Student loans continue to present complications for students pursuing postsecondary education. Rising costs of college, scholarship scams, and other factors contribute to the difficulty of finding adequate and credible forms of financial aid.

Although in 2023, we saw the first-ever decline in student loan debt, the student loan debt crisis continues to affect many students, according to statistics from the Education Data Initiative:

The average cost of one year in college is $38,270 per student.
42.7 million student borrowers hold federal loan debt.
The average public university student takes out $31,980 in loans for a bachelor's degree.
Total student loan debt has increased $47,962 billion in 2024.

Evidently, students are still struggling to attend college. Various forms of aid are gradually helping to reduce the burden of debt on students. Taking advantage of scholarships and other forms of aid can help make college a reality.

Diversifying Your Scholarship Portfolio

That's not to say that no-essay scholarships are the best type of scholarship—the key to winning scholarships is diversity. Scholarship sweepstakes are a numbers game. Students should apply to both essay scholarships and no-essay scholarships.

Other ways to diversify the scholarships you apply to include sorting by academic area of interest, grade level, and other factors. Don't just apply to one type of scholarship!

For example, qualified high school students should look for scholarships based on their GPAs as well, as this will help them find relevant opportunities with less competition.

Every type of scholarship has its merits. Obviously, with no-essay scholarships, they save time. However, if you find a relevant essay scholarship offered to you, strongly consider applying.

Essay Scholarships

Essay scholarships provide the best chance for you to persuade the donor that you're a deserving winner, as personal statements are often more convincing than grades and resumes. Essays are time-consuming, which is why we've provided the above no-essay scholarships.

Even so, consider applying for a few if you have the time! Essay scholarships are more common and also receive fewer applicants, so you'll likely have slightly higher chances of winning if you submit an essay. A scholarship that asks for a portfolio or a video scholarship offers similar benefits.

Aside from essay or no-essay scholarships, financial aid awards can also be divided into areas of academic interest. Applying only to generalized no-essay scholarships may be difficult to win as there will be an extremely high volume of applicants—it's free money, after all.

All this to say, don't put all your eggs in one basket. Apply to lots of scholarships, not just one. Student financial success is best achieved through a wide array of scholarships and aid packages.

How No-Essay Scholarships Work

No-essay scholarships are any scholarships that don't require an essay to apply! Some no-essay scholarships require alternative application materials, such as a video, picture, or other creative project, while others have no application requirements.

1. No Essay Needed

As you can probably guess, no-essay scholarships stand out because they do not require an essay to apply. These simple scholarships seek to make the application process as easy as possible so that high school and college students can pursue higher education.

2. Quick Application Forms

No-essay scholarships are also known for being the easiest to apply for since you don't need to spend the time and effort necessary to write an essay. Since no-essay scholarships are so effortless to apply for, you can apply for many scholarships with ease!

Eligibility Requirements for No-Essay Scholarships

No matter what level of education you're in, there are no-essay scholarship opportunities for you. Many scholarships are even open to high school students, so don't wait to apply!

High School Students

You can start applying for scholarships on Bold.org as early as your freshman year of high school. Some scholarships are open to high school students of all grades, but there are some exclusively for high school seniors.

College Students

Many no-essay scholarships seek to help college students complete their degrees by easing the burden of tuition. Undergraduate students and graduate students alike can apply for no-essay scholarships.

For example, undergraduate students budgeting for grad school might want to start applying more as a college junior or senior to prepare for application season.

How to Apply for No-Essay Scholarships

The great thing about applying to no-essay scholarships is that it's really easy. The most difficult step is always writing the personal statement, which you don't have to do. So really, it just boils down to these simple steps:

1. Ways to Find No-Essay Scholarships

First, put together a list of scholarships you're interested in applying to. Whether that's opportunities from our list of top no-essay scholarships or private financial aid opportunities, it's a good idea to use more than one avenue to look for scholarships.

Online Databases

Online scholarship platforms are the most obvious choice; nonprofits like Bold.org allow you to sift through thousands of scholarships and search exclusively for no-essay scholarships.

Search through hundreds of exclusive scholarships on the Bold.org database and apply for aid!

Local Community Scholarships

You should also exhaust any local resources near you, like schools and community organizations. Whether you're in high school, college, or graduate school, be sure to ask your financial aid office if your institution offers any scholarships exclusively to attending students.

Take a look at any local community organizations as well. Ask your extracurricular clubs, volunteer centers, and other offices you associate with if there are any financial aid opportunities offered to participating members.

Academic Interest Scholarships

Make sure to also look at scholarships for your grade level or academic concentration. Within these categories, you'll be able to find certain no-essay scholarships.

For example, if you're a biology major, try searching for biology + no-essay scholarships to get more specific results. When you sort by two categories like this, you'll narrow the applicant pool and find opportunities that align more directly with your specific experiences and goals.

2. Gather Necessary Documents

The scholarship application will vary slightly depending on the criteria for the opportunity you apply to, but they'll all require certain documentation from you. This could be letters of recommendation, transcripts and grades, or even a portfolio of some sort.

Make sure you budget enough time to get these documents in order. With letters of recommendation, you'll need to let recommenders know ahead of time so they have time to write a good response. Everyone's busy, so give them more than enough time.

Even with documents that already exist, like your transcripts, be aware that school offices may take a few business days to transfer any records. Regardless of whether the application is asking for an electronic or paper copy, be generous with how much time you budget for the documents to arrive.

Basically, scrambling to put everything together a few nights before the deadline usually doesn't win scholarships. Take note of deadlines and plan ahead!

Tips for Winning No-Essay Scholarships

1. Seek Out Niche Scholarships

Scholarships with less broad eligibility will have fewer applicants as a result, increasing your chances of winning one. Find scholarships relating to your field of study, hobbies, or identity.

2. Apply Early and Often

An additional way to increase your chances of winning a no-essay scholarship is to apply as early as possible. Many yearly scholarships stop accepting applications at the end of spring semester, so for this year, May 31, 2025 might be a date you want to keep track of.

3. Make Your Bold.org Profile Unique

Since no-essay scholarships don't give you the chance to show off your personality with creative writing, making your Bold.org profile as complete and unique as possible can help you stand out and make the most of your one entry.

You can demonstrate your personality by adding personal information to your profile, such as your passions and goals for the future. Test scores and GPA can also provide a snapshot of your academic abilities.

Education can be confusing. Check out our student blog for more free resources on student life and finances. If you're looking for more scholarships, sign up with Bold.org and start applying now!

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