“Easy Scholarships” usually mean awards that don’t require an essay, have few eligibility requirements, and can be applied for in less than five minutes. This is for students who are new to the world of financial aid. They are often set up as sweepstakes or profile-based selections, which makes them a wonderful place to start building a scholarship portfolio.
As of April 24, 2026, a few of these beginner-friendly chances are in their last week for this month’s cycle.
1. The best “No-Essay” Scholarships for April 2026
These scholarships work like a merit-lite award. They are excellent for beginners because they look at your academic interests and how complete your profile is instead of how well you write.
- One of the biggest easy awards is the “Be Bold” No-Essay Scholarship ($25,000). It’s not a random drawing; the student with the most “bold” and complete profile on the platform gets it.
- • Due date: April 30, 2026.
- $2,000 from Sallie Mae Monthly Sweepstakes: A classic scholarship for beginners that takes two minutes to enter. You don’t need to write an essay or have a GPA. +1
- • Due date: April 30, 2026 (it resets every month).
- • $2,000 for a niche The “No Essay” Scholarship is open to all high school and college students, as well as anyone who wants to go to college or graduate school in the next year.
- • Due date: April 30, 2026.
- $2,026 for ScholarshipOwl No Essay Award: A scholarship that students can apply for quickly to help them start looking for money for this school year.
- • Due date: April 30, 2026.
- $40,000 for the BigFuture Scholarship: The College Board gives this award to people who do simple things like making a list of colleges they want to attend.
- • Due date: April 30, 2026.
2. International Awards for Beginners (May and June 2026)
If you are an international student, “easy” usually means that you can get scholarships based on your admission application instead of going through a separate, complicated process.
- NL Scholarship (formerly Holland Scholarship): For students from outside the EEA who want to get a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in the Netherlands. In your first year, you get €5,000. When you apply for your degree at many Dutch universities, they automatically consider you.
- Different universities have different deadlines. Most of them close on May 1 or June 1, 2026.
- Global Scholar Award ($3,000): This award is for international students who are studying in a country where they are not a citizen. Anyone with a diploma or higher can apply.
- Due date: May 31, 2026.
- Christian Connector Scholarship ($5,000): A short survey for students who want to go to a Christian college or university.
- Due date: May 31, 2026.
3. “Micro-Scholarships” Based on Surveys
People often forget about these, but they are the easiest way to make a little extra money for books or supplies by just giving your opinion.
- Niche offers a $1,000 school scholarship. To enter the drawing, all you have to do is write a short, honest review of your current or former school.
- • Due date: April 30, 2026.
- College Survey Scholarship ($1,000): This award is for current college students or recent graduates to talk about their time on campus.
- Due date: April 30, 2026.
- Ipsos iSay Survey Rewards: This program isn’t a regular scholarship, but students can earn points by doing market research that can be used to buy gift cards or pay for school-related costs.
4. A plan for new players to win
- Complete Your Profile: For sites like Bold.org or Scholarship360, a fully filled-out profile is like your “essay”. To stand out in the automated selection process, include your hobbies, volunteer work, and career goals.
- The “One-Click” Rule: Many beginners feel overwhelmed by the paperwork. Use “One-Click” to apply for scholarships to get things going before moving on to bigger prizes, like the Chevening or Fulbright.
- Be vigilant about the “Resets”: Numerous easy scholarships, such as Sallie Mae and Niche, reset on a monthly basis. You should reapply for the new cycle on May 1, 2026, if you don’t win in April.