How Unclaimed Scholarships become Unused

The term unclaimed scholarships is used to refer to scholarships which students who have the qualifications to apply and win, never took the time to apply.

Unclaimed Scholarships
Unclaimed Scholarships

The term unclaimed scholarships is used to refer to scholarships which students who have , or had the qualifications to apply and win a scholarship never took the time to apply; or did apply and win, but never followed through with accepting it.

This usually happens with the winning student having a last-minute abrupt ‘change of plans’ in regards to their college careers. Their winning scholarships then become unused!

Unusual circumstances tend to come into play at the final buzzer (so to speak) and everything suddenly changes for the student.

For instance the below unusual events may occur in regards to a scholarship becoming ‘unclaimed’ or ‘unused’:

* A student applies and wins a scholarship, but also wins another one too. The first scholarship may have a restrictive clause that prevents the student from accepting it IF they win another scholarship of equal of higher value. The student never responds and the first award becomes unclaimed. * Student applies and wins a scholarship, but the scholarship is only for the student to attend a particular college ONLY. The student overlooked this fact before applying, or never really knew this was the case. Many scholarship criteria cause’s detail’s like this to be hidden, or buried sometimes. Nevertheless; the student does not even respond back to the scholarship sponsor once getting the award letter in the mail which states this fact, and which cause’s the student to feel it was a scam in the first place. * Student applies and wins a scholarship. The scholarship may be for students who only will be studying in a certain field ONLY. The student changes his field of study at the last-minute and proceeds to attend a college with his/her new field choice – which was not the one which he applied for. * Student applies and wins a scholarship, but also wins many others at other schools who then decides to take the OTHER financial offers and could care less about the first one. * Student applies and wins a scholarship and just decides college is not what he wants to do at this time. Maybe it’s because the student met a significant other and feels that he/she may lose them IF they attend college (bad choice if they do!). Higher education plans are put on hold to see if things will work out (they never usually do at this stage in life) with the relationship. Another unclaimed scholarship!

Unclaimed Scholarships becoming Guaranteed Scholarships

Another classic unused scholarship scenario is the scholarship is never awarded because all the applicants did not meet the criteria for winning.

This one is more common than most think. This is how an unclaimed scholarship is obtained quickly. Sometimes these unclaimed awards are converted to guaranteed scholarships suddenly, or rolled over to the next quarter or year to be given out.

For those who are wondering what a guaranteed scholarship is, it’s an award given out to students who match up with the criteria exactly, such as ACT scores, GPA and other distinguished accomplishments.

Many times GPA and ACT scores are never used, but other specific past accomplishments ONLY. This becomes a paperwork shuffle only, with no evaluation of applicants whatsoever.

These guaranteed scholarships are quick and easy – IF you match up with the stated scholarship criteria! Students should apply to those awards which they match up well to. Your chances of getting one is greater because of this.

Our best advice which most never do!

Best unclaimed scholarship advice is to go into the FinAids office to see what is available for you. Just don’t think a list of scholarships,  but all other forms of student aid. It may be special grants, such as need based financial aid given out ONLY by the college itself with a criteria that fits you perfectly.This is the only way to find out what the college itself has available.

They will tell you on the spot many times if you fit in one of their student financial aid programs. They will tell you to fill out many particular forms. If they do, fill them out and turn them in ASAP.

This is how it’s best done!

Of all the advice given out, this may be the best which many times is never followed through on, and produces the most student financial aid for students. After all, the best unclaimed scholarship is the one you apply for and get – whatever it may be called!

Unclaimed Scholarships Q/A

How much money is left by unclaimed scholarships?
According to a recent study* by NerdScholar, the higher education team at NerdWallet, high school graduates in the U.S. left more than $2.9 billion in free federal grant money unused over the last academic year.

Where can I find scholarship money for college?
Try these free sources of information about scholarships:
*the financial aid office at a college or career school.
*a high school or TRIO counselor.
*the U.S. Department of Labor’s FREE scholarship search tool.
*federal agencies.
*your state grant agency.
*your library’s reference section.

Can you get a scholarship for writing with your left hand?
Scholarships & Grants for Lefties. … One such grantor is the Frederick and Mary T. Beckley Scholarship for Left Handed Students. Up to $1,000 is awarded to a student who meets their criteria, but only if that student is attending Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA.

How do you get free money for college?
*Grants. Colleges, states, and the federal government give out grants, which don’t need to be repaid. 
*Ask the college for more money. …
*Work-study jobs. …
*Apply for private scholarships. …
*Take out loans. …
*Claim a $2,500 tax credit. …
*Live off campus or enroll in community college.

Are there scholarships for twins?
Yes, there are several scholarships available for twins and other multiples, especially identical twins and triplets. … Examples include the Lake Erie College Twins Scholarship and Sterling College Two-for-One Twins Scholarship.

Understanding what Unclaimed Scholarships Are

There are many definitions of what unclaimed scholarships are, and there really is no one answer that is correct. Unclaimed scholarship monies are unused student aid.

what are unclaimed scholarships
Definition of Unclaimed Scholarships

There are many definitions of what unclaimed scholarships are, and there really is no one answer that is correct. This is because unclaimed scholarship monies come from many sources and there are many ways of finding it, so you will have a variety of meanings for it. Bottom line is it all does exist based on what your definition of it is and it is monies not found and used yet for college.

If you look at just what the word ‘unclaimed’ means you will see it’s an adjective only; and that the definition for unclaimed is:  ‘unknown, usually by choice’. This could indicate for example that a student won a scholarship and they decide not to claim it.

If you look at the Antonyms for unclaimed they are: discovered, identified, known, named. This could mean that a who student wins a scholarship, is identified and known who it is; and is named publicly.

The Synonyms for the word ‘unclaimed’ are many such as : incognito, undisclosed, innominate, nameless, unnamed, pseudo, pseudonymous, secret, so and so, such and such, unacknowledged, unattested, unavowed, unclaimed , uncredited, undesignated, unidentified, unsigned, unspecified, what’s his/her name, whatchamacallit, you know who…. you get the point!

Some people or students seem to think that just because a scholarship is not claimed than anyone can lay claim to it very quick and easily as their own if they discover it. Well, this seems too easy and unrealistic to say the lest. I guess if the student applies to it and qualifies for it then they can easily win it. But to just to try to fill the vacuum of the student who doesn’t claim it without qualifying for it would be wishful thinking and actually trying to get something for nothing. But there are some students who think this way.

A basic and safe way to describe unclaimed scholarships may be just that it’s monies for college that has not been given away or awarded yet, and that you can apply for it once you discover it – period!  The unclaimed monies are sitting their waiting to be awarded to the right student who fits what the scholarship sponsor is looking for and they will not award it until they have a perfect match for it! This means you still have a chance of getting it if it hasn’t been assigned or awarded at that time.

It’s UNCLAIMED as of yet.

If you have a better definition of unclaimed scholarships, or you actually know of some unclaimed college scholarship monies please leave your written comment in the comment section at the end of this page.

If you do –  we will respond to you on where you can find more unclaimed scholarship monies!

Unused Scholarships are Unknown Money

There may be millions of dollars in unused scholarships; money that piles up every single year because the sources of the scholarships are unknown about.

unused scholarships
Unused Scholarships are Unknown

There may be millions of dollars in unused scholarships; money that piles up every single year because the sources of the scholarships are unknown about. Yet at the same time, there are so many disappointed students that didn’t get to go to school because they couldn’t afford it. Some of them did eventually go to college, but they had to take out a large chunk of student loans they will be responsible to repay.

The reason that there is a gap in the two is that there isn’t really a bridge to get those in need across to the other side to where the money is. Things have gotten better than before, but there is still too much money that people just don’t know about. If you plan to go to college, you should be getting busy well in advance looking for the unused scholarships out there.

Getting Unused Scholarships for Everyday Students

The biggest problem is that people fail to recognize all that is offered in terms of those unknown scholarships. They often assume that if they didn’t graduate at the top of their class or they aren’t an amazing athlete there aren’t any funds for them. That simply isn’t true though and getting that message out there is important.

There are tons of unused scholarships offered for those that have a learning disability, that are first generation students, based on financial need, and more. There are some really crazy scholarships too, such as those for making a dress out of Duct Tape or being above a certain height or even below.

How to Find Unused Scholarship Money

To find unused scholarship money, you have to be able to use resources to your benefit. Find out if the locations where you or your parents work offer college scholarships. Talk to the financial aid office to see what they can offer you when you are accepted to a particular college. You may stumble across some easy scholarship money this way.

Contact your community organizations to find out what is out there. If you are involved in clubs at schools there could be funds through them. Sometimes your heritage, a particular area of study you are going into, or a particular goal you have for the future could be what it takes for you to be approved for various forms of unused scholarship money.

The internet is a great way to connect with money in unused scholarships. You do need to make sure you don’t get scammed though. Every single year the Federal Trade Commission investigates such fraudulent claims especially in regards to unclaimed scholarships. There are entities out there that tell you they can hook you up with unused scholarship money. They make money by asking you for membership fees, application fees, and more. They make you elusive promises but in the end they are just going to take your money and run. They may try to look legitimate though by sending you information about a variety of easy scholarships which are unclaimed. However, they send the same list to everyone and they haven’t done any customized searching on your behalf at all.

Unused Scholarship Money are Unknown Scholarships

If you want to really find unused scholarship money out there, you have to do the leg work on your own. Be dedicated to spending time searching for what you may qualify for. Make a list of things that you may be able to use as benefits for you to go to college. For example your leadership skills or the fact that you are going into a field that there is a huge demand for workers in. The more you apply, the more you increase your chances of getting funding through unused scholarships to pay for your education.

Don’t forget to look into the special interest categories as well. That is where you will be able to find lesser known means of getting unused scholarship money for school. It is a good idea to sign up for alerts too so that you can get information about unknown scholarships and their upcoming deadlines. The unknown college scholarships may be the best places to find any unused scholarships to apply too simply because not as many people know about them to apply.

It can be useful to set up a separate email account just for that information. Then you don’t have to worry about scholarship information getting mixed up with your regular email. You will get a lot of information sent to you daily which can and will get bothersome.

How to Find Unclaimed Scholarships for College

Are you looking for unclaimed scholarships for your college? A lot of money goes unclaimed or unused. But how can one get one of these unknown scholarships.

Unknown and Unclaimed Scholarships for College
Unclaimed Scholarships

Are you looking for unclaimed scholarships for your college? Everyone’s heard that each year a pretty good amount of money goes unclaimed or unused. But how can one get one of these unclaimed scholarships. Where can you find them, what are their requirements and why don’t many students apply for them?

The thing is that most of these unclaimed scholarships are given away for weird reasons or have odd requirements so they remain unused scholarships because no one can seem to match the criteria. Nonetheless, if you need support to get yourself though college, then you should take a look at them and see if any of these unspecified scholarships can be right just for you.

For example, if you enjoy nudist, you can get a scholarship offered by the American Nudist Research Library. All you have to do to get $1,000 is write a short essay and be a part of a nudist organization for at least three years. I can see how a nude scholarship can easily go unclaimed. No wondering here.

You can even get a scholarship for being left-handed. But in order to apply for this little known scholarship you must study at the Juniata College in Huntingdon. This may be little too restrictive for most students.

Other unheard about scholarships are available for tall people. Girls that want to apply for one of these height scholarships must be at least 5’10”, while boys must measure 6’2″ or more in order to qualify.

The following tips will help you to find an unclaimed or unknown scholarships that you can get and that suits you best:

• Assess your hobbies, your talents etc and then search for scholarships that are related to what you’re interested in. Figure out some unique feature or assets you might have that are required in order to get an unclaimed scholarship.
• Secondly, you need to do some research on the eligibility criteria. Apply accordingly based on the criteria and make sure that not many people know about the scholarship.
• You can also search for these types of unknown scholarships with the help of Google. Try searching for unclaimed, or unknown scholarships and you might find one that you’d be guaranteed to get.
• Don’t wait too long before searching for these undisclosed scholarships since you may miss the submission dates. It is recommended to start your research ahead of time.
• Most businesses and corporations award money to the students to maintain a positive image in the community. Check with these businesses and try to get funds suitable for you.
• You can also check with your financial aid office at you college. There are chances of getting some pointers with regard to finding unclaimed scholarships.

If you really want to get money for your education, then you will have to work hard in searching for the obscure, unknown and unidentified scholarships. You just need to be a detective and investigate to unlock that secret money even if you have to call the colleges directly. To keep you interested in doing this daily; remember that if you find financial aid for yourself you just got reimbursed for all your hard research work.

Finding an unclaimed student loan scholarship.

The Truth about Unknown and Unused Scholarships going Unclaimed

Unused scholarships are unclaimed because many college scholarships are unknown to students so they never apply. Awarded scholarships never are used by others.

Unused Scholarships
Unused Scholarships

There are essentially two types of unused scholarships. The first type is the unused scholarship money that people don’t apply for; either because of extremely rigid requirements, or because they aren’t aware that they are available, and more commonly because they don’t think that they stand a chance of winning the scholarship.

The second group is the unused college scholarships that are actually applied for and awarded, but then not used by the student. In terms of the second type, however, those unclaimed scholarship dollars are typically rolled over back into the originial scholarship fund, or awarded to other students as they become available. It is the first type that you need to know about.

The first reason that students do not apply for these unusued scholarships is because they don’t think that they could possibly win, with the competition involved, even if they meet all of the criteria. This is always a mistake. If you meet the eligibility requirements for a college scholarship, you need to apply. Never think of this as a waste of time. Remember that for most scholarships, a certain number of each scholarship is awarded every year. When there are strict eligibility requirements, or a complicated application process, fewer students will apply. What this essentially means is that often, there are fewer applicants than there are awards available, and this works in your favor. If you meet the requirements, and you go through the application process, in this instance, you pretty much have a guaranteed scholarship.

Surprisingly, students are largely unaware of many unknown scholarships that are available in their own community. Some high schools have taken the initiative to release lists of these local little known scholarships to their students, so that they are aware of them, but few have done this to date. When the student talks about financial aid with their high school guidance counselor, they need to ask specifically about local scholarships that are available along with state scholarships too. Encourage your school to put together a list of the local college scholarships that are available, so that more students can get financial aid, and there will be far fewer unused and unknown scholarships that go unclaimed for college.

Parents should check with their employers, unions, and any organizations that they belong to in order to find out about any little known scholarships that are available. Scholarship opportunities such as these are not always advertised. You should also check with your church to see if they sponsor any christian scholarships, and check with any type of organization that students belong to for any potential hidden scholarships. Sometimes, just being a member of an organization makes your eligible, but because so many people do not know this, there are a large number of unused scholarships each and every year.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that standard scholarships only go to the most advanced students, or to the financially poorest students. This isn’t so. While some scholarships grants are designed for the very brightest, or the very poor, this isn’t true of most scholarships. Also, don’t assume that you are automatically eligible for a scholarship and that you don’t have to apply. With just a little investigation into what is available, you can greatly increase the awards that you get to pay for your education with the many unused scholarships that go unclaimed each year. Find as many of these unknown, hidden and secret college scholarships available today and see what sticks. This will make your college financial ride a little more enjoyable.

Related Reading

A College Scholarship List Unknown to College Students

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Unclaimed College Scholarships are Unusual, Weird, Strange and Wacky

Do Unclaimed Scholarships really Exist?