Apply below to the best Difficult Scholarships in February 2025.
Sign up for Mos to get matched with scholarships and help applying!
Age • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
The AWS James A Turner Jr Memorial Scholarship offers $3,500 for students pursuing a business degree in welding operations.
Deadline:
March 1, 2025
Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors • Graduate Students
The John L. Dales Standard Scholarship offers $250+ to SAG members and their children under 27 for college education.
Deadline:
March 15, 2025
Washington • Idaho • High school • Freshmen
The Marsden Scholarship offers $250+ for high school seniors in the Episcopal Diocese of Spokane. Requires essay, references, and awards list.
Deadline:
March 15, 2025
California • High school • Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors • Graduate Students
PG&E offers a $1,000 scholarship for students supporting Senior communities. Open to California residents and veterans.
Deadline:
March 22, 2025
California • Aerospace • Chemical Engineering • Civil Engineering • Computer Engineering • Construction Engineering • Electrical Engineering • Engineering • Environmental Engineering • Industrial Engineering • Materials Science • Mechanical Engineering • Medical/Biomedical Engineering • Nuclear Engineering • Agriculture • Business (MBA) • Business Administration • Conservation • Energy
PG&E NuEnergy offers scholarships up to $5,000 for California undergraduates. Veterans and returning students encouraged to apply.
Deadline:
March 22, 2025
California • Freshmen
PG&E Samahan offers scholarships up to $2,000 for CA high school seniors and veterans enrolling in college. References required.
Deadline:
March 22, 2025
For Jewish students • Freshmen
The Chester M. Vernon Memorial Eagle Scout Scholarship offers $1,000 to Eagle Scouts active in a synagogue, demonstrating citizenship and need.
Deadline:
March 30, 2025
AFA offers scholarships up to $5,000 for dependents of active members attending college. Top 15% class rank and essay required.
Deadline:
April 10, 2025
Transportation/Logistics • Travel & Tourism • Freshmen
NDTA Academic Scholarship Program B offers $250+ for high school grads pursuing degrees in logistics and transportation with a 3.0 GPA.
Deadline:
April 15, 2025
Physics • Science • Graduate Students
The Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award offers $1,500 for original doctoral work in fluid dynamics. Apply with your thesis and recommendations.
Deadline:
May 1, 2025
Freshmen
Ted & Holly Rollins Scholarship awards $5,000 to high school seniors with compelling life stories and career aspirations.
Deadline:
December 31, 2025
The Future Mentors Scholarship offers $2,500 to full-time college students for essays on mentorship. Apply now!
Deadline:
September 30, 2025
Age • Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
Apply for the Foreclosure.com Scholarship for undergraduates. Write an essay to win up to $4,000.
Deadline:
December 15, 2025
Law • Age • Graduate Students • Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
The Devadoss Law Firm offers a $1,000 scholarship for law students valuing civil rights. Apply with a video or essay.
Deadline:
September 4, 2025
Law • Graduate Students • Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
The Keith M. Fletcher Excellence in Ethics Scholarship offers $1,000 for law students who submit an essay on pro-bono legal work.
Deadline:
July 1, 2025
Computer Engineering • Computer Science • Cybersecurity • Game Design • Information Sciences • IT/Information Technology • UX/Technical Design • Freshmen • Sophomores • Seniors • Juniors
Apply for the $2000 PixelPlex Bi-Annual STEM Scholarship for college students in STEM or business. Compelling essay required.
Deadline:
December 5, 2025
Medicine • Healthcare-Related • For Black and/or African American students • For Native American / American Indian students • For Asian students • For Pacific Islander students • Freshmen
The Slater-Millner Scholars Fund offers $2,500 scholarships for college sophomores pursuing medicine, targeting diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Deadline:
June 24, 2025
Freshmen
The YouAreWelcomeHere Scholarship provides up to $30,000 for first-year international undergraduate students at select colleges.
Deadline:
January 1, 2026
Clark County • Oregon • Art History • Arts • Arts Management • Studio Arts • Theatre/Performing Arts • English • Foreign Languages • History • Graphic Design • Film • Design/Visual Communications • Literature • Writing • Political Science/Government • Social Sciences • Architecture • Interior Design • Religious/Theological Studies • For Asexual students • For Bisexual students • For Gay students • For Lesbian students • For Pansexual students • For Queer students • For Transgender students • Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
The Larry McDonald Scholarship supports LGBTQ+ students in Oregon and Clark County, WA, pursuing Arts or Humanities with an average award of $6,700.
Deadline:
January 10, 2026
Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
The AES Engineering Scholarship offers $500 to high school seniors and post-secondary students, regardless of their major.
Deadline:
October 8, 2025
Law
Apply for the $1,000 Law School Scholarship with a 500-750 word essay. Open to future and current law students.
Deadline:
December 1, 2025
California • Nevada • Nursing • Community Service
The Bonnie Fang Nursing Scholarship offers $5,000 for full-time nursing students in California and Nevada. Apply with an essay and video.
Deadline:
December 31, 2025
Alaska • Montana • Idaho • Oregon • Washington • Theatre/Performing Arts • Design/Visual Communications • Arts • Art History • Photography • Film • For Lesbian students • Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
The Patricia Van Kirk Scholarship supports lesbians in theater or visual arts committed to social justice. Apply with three essays.
Deadline:
January 10, 2026
Graphic Design • Studio Arts • Photography • Game Design • Design/Visual Communications • For Gay students • For Lesbian students • For Straight students • For Queer students • For Transgender students • For Women • For Trans Woman students • For Trans Man students • For Non-binary students • For Gender-fluid students • For Two-spirit students • Freshmen • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors • Graduate Students
AIGA Worldstudio Scholarships support underrepresented students in design fields with awards up to $5,000. GPA of 3.0 required.
Deadline:
April 28, 2025
Law • Freshmen • Graduate Students • Sophomores • Juniors • Seniors
The DP Law Aspiring Attorney Scholarship awards $1,000 to students pursuing a law career with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Essay required.
Deadline:
October 31, 2025
In your personal statement, include your academic achievements, career goals, relevant experiences, and why you are a strong candidate for the scholarship. Make sure to convey your passion and commitment to your field of study.
Difficult scholarships are often very competitive, with many applicants vying for a limited number of awards. This competition can be intense, so it's crucial to present a strong application.
Some difficult scholarships may require interviews as part of the selection process, especially if they are highly competitive. It's important to prepare for potential interviews by practicing common questions and articulating your goals.
To apply for difficult scholarships, you typically need to complete an application form, submit required documents such as transcripts and letters of recommendation, and sometimes write essays or personal statements. Check the specific application process for each scholarship.
To increase your chances, focus on maintaining a strong academic record, getting involved in extracurricular activities, crafting a compelling personal statement, and ensuring that your application is complete and submitted on time.
Many difficult scholarships do require a high GPA, as they are competitive and seek to reward students with strong academic records. However, some may consider other factors such as leadership or community service.
Eligibility criteria for difficult scholarships can vary widely but often include academic performance, specific fields of study, extracurricular involvement, and sometimes demographic factors. Always check the specific requirements for each scholarship.
Yes, difficult scholarships are legitimate and are offered by various organizations, institutions, and foundations. However, it's essential to research each scholarship to ensure its authenticity.
You can find difficult scholarships on platforms like Mos, which aggregates various scholarship opportunities tailored to your needs and qualifications.
Difficult scholarships are competitive financial aid opportunities that often have stringent eligibility criteria, a rigorous application process, and may require exceptional academic performance, unique talents, or specific achievements.
This guide explains what a niche scholarship is, how to get a niche scholarship, and the best niche scholarships for fall 2022.
Here are our absolute favorite big-money and largest scholarships, hand selected from tens of thousands, to help you pay for college without loans.
Applying to scholarships isn’t just a numbers game. A little bit of strategy goes a long way.
What grade are you in?
What's your major?
What's your home state?
We’ve got $$$ with
your name on it
Explore $160 billion dollars worth of scholarships on the Mos app.
Get Startedstudents
are saying