Does it ever feel like your life is spent writing essay after essay, filling out application after application? Applying for scholarships can be frustrating and time-consuming, and may not seem worth it when you don’t see results. It’s true that many scholarships require quite a bit of effort—worth it if you have the time and energy to apply, but certainly not everyone’s cup of tea. Luckily, studentawards.com can help you find many alternatives to essay-based scholarships.

There are tons of opportunities for students to win money for school through contests and draws. These are easy to apply for, and don’t usually have strict eligibility criteria. The downside is that because they require a minimal amount of effort for a big reward, lots of people enter to win. But even if the odds of winning are low, there’s really no downside to applying. It barely takes any time or effort; usually all you have to do is register to be entered into the draw. And someone’s always going to be the lucky winner, so why couldn’t it be you? Studentawards.com enters students into draws for registering with the site, for filling out surveys, and for participating in different contests throughout the year. You can also find other student contests by visiting your mailbox to see your personalized list of awards.

Another alternative is to look for any awards that you might be eligible for simply by belonging to a certain group. You may have a part-time job with a company that offers scholarships for employees, or you may be eligible for an award through your parents’ jobs. There may be awards for members of your church, your community group, your bank or a club that you or your parents belong to. There’s usually a lot less competition for these awards, because they have quite narrow eligibility criteria. Make sure to apply for these awards when you see them in your studentawards.com mailbox.

But with all that having been said, essay-based scholarships are still a good option. Given all the great opportunities, you should only apply for an award if you actually have an interest in the subject matter. Your passion or disinterest will be reflected in your writing. All too often students think that they’ll have a chance of winning simply by writing a few sentences without really answering the question. Your odds of winning will be much better if you do your best to answer one scholarship’s questions well than if you apply to ten scholarships without making an effort.

You’re the best person to decide what kind of award you should apply for. You know your strengths, how much time you have to put into applications, and how much effort you’re willing to make. Whatever kind of awards you decide to apply for, studentawards.com wishes you the best of luck!