You’re at that age, right? You know—that age where you’ve put Halloween trick-or-treating far behind you. But a sack full of candy is still really appealing, isn’t it? How about we make a tradition where you get a sack full of money for Halloween instead? Okay, maybe that’s a little much, but you can still get money this Halloween by applying for these spooky and eclectic scholarships.
Note: The awards with upcoming deadlines are listed first. Some of these scholarships are in an off season and have already been awarded for 2019, but many are annual scholarships, so be sure to keep track of when the applications open up again!
1. If you know the end is coming and you need to be prepared
Zombie Apocalypse Scholarship
Sponsored by: Unigo
Amount awarded: $2,000 to one recipient
Deadline: October 31 each year
Have you already thought of your plans for how you’re going to survive in a post-apocalyptic, zombie-infested world? Well, you could win money for that. Each year Unigo awards one recipient with the best plan on how to avoid the zombies, where to hide, and the top five essential things to carry for survival. Get planning, survivors!
2. Because bullying is one of the scariest things no one should experience
Anti-Bullying Scholarship Program
Sponsored by: Hollister Co.
Amount awarded: $2,500, renewable up to three years
Deadline: February 22, 2022
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, so we’d be remiss not to include a scholarship supporting such an important cause. The requirements for this scholarship are answering a short essay question, providing a recommendation and transcript, and writing up a student résumé. Be part of the movement!
3. If not all puppets look evil to you
UNIMA Grants and Scholarships
Sponsored by: UNIMA-USA (Union Internationale De La Marionnette)
Amount awarded: $1,000 to one recipient
Deadline: December 30 each year
One of the first things we probably all think of when we think of puppets is a creepy ventriloquist dummy. But there is a wide, beautiful world of artistic puppetry out there with the likes of Sesame Street, the Muppets, and the Dragon from Shrek the Musical. Explore this creative hobby with a scholarship that will send you to another country for a workshop in puppetry.
4. For those who want to discover haunted relics
Design Your Future Scholarship
Sponsored by: Chairish
Amount awarded: $5,000 to two recipients
Deadline: January 1 and June 30 (awarded twice a year)
Chairish is a marketplace for buying and selling chic vintage décor, furniture, and art. They award deserving students with a passion for design, engineering, landscaping, architecture, and more. If you love creative design then be sure to check this one out, and maybe buy a haunted old brooch while you’re on the site.
5. If you hate slasher movies wasting blood
Leaders Save Lives Scholarship Program
Sponsored by: American Red Cross
Amount awarded: Up to $2,500 each to six recipients
Deadline: January 15, 2022
If you love doing good, host a blood drive through the American Red Cross. Hosting it between the dates of December 15 and January 15 through the scholarship program will award you with a $50–$100 gift card depending on how many pints of blood you collect, plus the chance to win a $1,000–$2,500 scholarship, also depending on the amount of blood collected.
6. For someone who wants to face death head on
National Scholarship Program
Sponsored by: American Board of Funeral Service Education
Amount awarded: $1,500–$2,500 each to multiple recipients
Deadline: March 1 and September 1 each year (awarded twice a year)
Some people fear death above all else in life, and some people have a fascination and appreciation for the circle of life—death being a part of it. If you’re majoring or planning to study Funeral Service and/or Mortuary Science, take advantage of this scholarship. Not many things in life are certain except for death and taxes—your education should be too!
7. If you think we should start sending cards on Halloween
Create-a-Greeting-Card Scholarship
Sponsored by: The Gallery Collection
Amount awarded: $10,000 to one recipient
Deadline: March 2, 2022
This may be one of the cooler scholarships on this list because there isn’t an essay for it, plus you get to be creative. Applicants submit original photography, artwork, or computer graphics for a greeting card, and the finalists are decided by public votes. You’ll stand out with a Halloween-themed greeting card because it’s not as common as Christmas, birthdays, or other Hallmark holidays.
8. If you have a major sweet tooth
AACT’s John Kitt Memorial Scholarship
Sponsored by: American Association of Candy Technologists
Amount awarded: $5,000 to one recipient
Deadline: April 30, 2022
“There’s a scholarship for being interested in candy?” you ask? There certainly is. This scholarship is awarded to anyone who has a demonstrated interest in confectionary technology and is majoring in a related field, like Food Science, Chemical Science, Biological Science, etc. Give in to that sweet tooth and check it out.
9. If The Nightmare Before Christmas gets two holidays, so should this scholarship
VCTGA Scholarship
Sponsored by: Virginia Christmas Tree Growers Association
Amount awarded: $1,000 to two recipients
Deadline: April 1, 2022
If you want to go all Jack Skellington this spooky season, the best way to do that is to celebrate Christmas on Halloween! If you’re majoring in Forestry or Horticulture, consider applying to this scholarship.
10. If Chucky wasn’t your worst nightmare as a kid
UFDC Scholarship
Sponsored by: United Federation of Doll Clubs Inc.
Amount awarded: Up to $1,000 each to a maximum of four recipients
Deadline: April 1 each year
When it comes to dolls, you’re one end of the spectrum or the other: you love them or they scare you to no end. (No one is saying, “Meh—dolls are alright.”) So if you fall on the doll lover end of the spectrum and have a passion for spreading knowledge and appreciation for dolls, consider applying to this scholarship!
11. If you want to write the next Frankenstein
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley Scholarship
Sponsored by: The Horror Writers Association
Amount awarded: $2,500 to one recipient
Deadline: August 2, 2021
This scholarship acts as a complimentary award to the HWA Scholarship. The application process and requirements are the same, but the association wants to promote and support female writers in the genre by allotting a separate award for women only. Ladies, get spooky!
12. For the next Edgar Allen Poe
Dark Poetry Scholarship
Sponsored by: The Horror Writers Association
Amount awarded: $1,250 to one recipient
Deadline: August 2, 2021
Traditional prose not your style? Well, there’s a horror scholarship for poetry writers too! Let your heart bleed out on the page, and submit your dark/horror poetry samples (of which you can provide up to four) with the other regular requirements. Find more information here.
We hope these spooky scholarships help you fund your education and pursue your unique passions and interests. Make sure to do further research on each one before applying to ensure you qualify and complete the application properly.
Find even more free money for college in one convenient place using our Scholarship Search tool!
