🎯 10 Low(ish) Competition Scholarships to Apply for This Summer
- Amanda Rhoden
- Jun 18, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 7, 2025
A head start on scholarships that won’t take all summer and might actually be worth your time.
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Summer is the perfect time to explore scholarships that reward creativity, leadership, and real-world skills, not just GPA. Most local awards don’t open until winter, so these national options are a smart way to get ahead.
Many allow videos or short essays. The best part is that a strong response can often be reused for college apps or other scholarships. You might even discover new goals along the way.
Why these 10 are worth a look:
✅ Open to most U.S. students (one Florida-only is noted below)
🎨 Focus on creativity, service, or leadership
♻️ Essays and reflections can often be reused later
Parent Tip: Help your teen group scholarships by theme, like career goals, leadership, or cultural background. Think quality over quantity!
Manageable Scholarships to Start With
1. Navigate Your Future Scholarship💰 $2,500 | 🗓️ Deadline: June 27, 2025
📝 Essay about future career goals and educational path in aviation
Why it’s worth your time: Perfect for students interested in aviation careers—and that “career goals” essay can often be adapted for college.
2. Financial Empowerment Video Scholarship (BMTX)💰 $1,500 | 🗓️ Deadline: July 11, 2025
📝 Create a 30–60 second video about financial empowerment
Why it’s worth your time: Fun, low-lift video prompt that works for other finance or entrepreneurship awards.
3. U.S. Bank Student Scholarship💰 Up to $20,000 | 🗓️ Deadline: June 30, 2025
📝 Complete short online learning modules (no essay)
Why it’s worth your time: No essay required, and the modules teach real-world financial skills.
Women in STEM & Future Leaders
4. Gator Women in Tech Scholarship💰 $3,100 | 🗓️ Deadline: July 13, 2025
📝 Essay about tech interests and goals
🌐 bold.org
Why it’s worth your time: Great option for girls exploring STEM or tech majors.
5. Anderson Engineering Scholarship
💰$7,210 | 🗓️ Deadline: July 31, 2025
📝 Essay on hands-on experience; BIPOC students encouraged
🌐 bold.org
Why it’s worth your time: Ideal for students with a maker mindset or engineering goals.
6. Black Women on a Mission to Lead💰 $1,000 | 🗓️ Deadline: June 30, 2025
📝 Essay on how you uplift your community
Why it’s worth your time: Service and leadership-focused, and can double as a college essay.
Community & Creativity-Based
7. Hearts for Community Service Scholarship💰 $5,000 | 🗓️ Deadline: June 30, 2025
📝Essay + letter of recommendation on your volunteer work
🌐 wdc.
Why it’s worth your time: Already volunteering? This essay could anchor other applications, too.
8. El Jefe Entrepreneurial Scholarship (FL only)💰$1,000 | 🗓️ Deadline: July 31, 2025
📝Essay for underrepresented students in Florida with business goals
Why it’s worth your time: Business-focused and regional = smaller pool.
9. USA Lacrosse LGBTQ+ Inclusion Scholarship💰 $1,500 | 🗓️ Deadline: June 28, 2025
📝 Short essay or proposal on inclusion in sports
Why it’s worth your time: Combines leadership, sports, and advocacy; useful for multiple prompts.
10. Taco Bell Live Más Scholarship💰 $5,000–$25,000 | 🗓️ Deadline: July 1, 2025
📝Submit a 2-minute video about your passion
Why it’s worth your time: No GPA or test scores, just your voice and vision. A strong video here could open more doors.
Final Thought for Families
Scholarships don’t have to be overwhelming. Many of these prompts can be adapted and reused, with just a few tweaks, for other applications, including college supplements. Even one strong submission this summer can boost your teen’s confidence (and maybe their bank account, too).
If you’d like help building a personalized scholarship list or reviewing an essay, I offer one-on-one support to make the process easier.
📩 Contact me for more information or to schedule a free consultation.
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