If you’re frustrated that you can’t find a single scholarship that applies to your personal needs, background and goals then perhaps you’ll be well-served by some scholarships that take funding off the beaten path. Even if you’ve already gotten other awards, some of these scholarships can be quite beneficial and can help you to further alleviate the pain of paying for four years of college.

A student’s eligibility for the less common scholarships will weigh heavily on their personal interests and hobbies. Some will require students to submit their GPA while others will reward students for study in a particular field or by competing to showcase their talents against other students.

A few examples of the more offbeat scholarships out there are the Kor Memorial Scholarship from the Klingon Language Institute. Trekkies will appreciate the chance to earn money for college, though the award applies to students looking to study any language in college. If knitting is more of your thing than languages you could win yourself a few thousand dollars through the American Sheep Industry Association. Simply create a project to submit to the competition and you could find yourself a little closer to a free education.

More athletic students can take advantage of their skills on the half pipe with Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship. It gives out a few awards every year to students who maintain a minimum GPA and who are enrolled full time in a degree program. If that wasn’t odd enough, the Potato industry has gotten in on the scholarship game as well, providing funding to students who pursue a potato related field of study (think agriculture or botany). While these awards might be a less well-known way to fund school, that doesn’t mean the help they provide can be any less useful to you, so give them a try.

Weird Scholarships

• Duck Brand Duct Tape Stuck at Prom Contest: $1,000 to $3,000 to a couple who wears attire made entirely of duct tape to prom.
• Scholar Athlete Milk Mustache of the Year Award: $7,500 to 25 regional winners who excel in athletics, academics and community service and are seniors in high school.
• The SPAACSE Liliane Webb Art Scholarship: $1,000 to two high school seniors who create original, space themed artwork and have an interest in the arts.
• Tall Clubs International Scholarship: Varied number of $1,000 scholarships to college bound men 6‘2“ and over and women 5‘10‘ and over.
• National Make It Yourself With Wool Award: $1,000 to $2,000 to students who knit a creative wool-based design.
• Klingon Language Institute Scholarship: $500 to one student looking to study languages or linguistics.
• Potato Industry Scholarship: Up to $2,000 to an undergraduate or graduate student pursuing a potato-related field of study.