You don’t need to be headed to Division I on a full ride to get paid for playing sports. Golfers, soccer players, baseball players, athletic trainers, and even student sports journalists—there are scholarships out there for all of them, and most ask for nothing more than an honest essay.
Here are eight legitimate, currently open opportunities worth your time.
1. Tom LoCasale Developing Character Through Golf Scholarship
Who it’s for: High school seniors who play golf What you get: 3 winners, $1,000 each What it takes: A 400–600 word essay on the biggest life lesson golf has taught you Deadline: May 29, 2026 Apply: bold.org
2. Heather Brown Sports Information Scholarship
Who it’s for: High school seniors, incoming freshmen, or current undergrads pursuing sports information, sports administration, or sports journalism What you get: 2 winners, $1,000 each What it takes: A 400–600 word essay on the skills you believe matter most for success, plus how you show generosity in daily life Deadline: May 29, 2026 Apply: bold.org
3. Mass Youth Soccer Student Athlete Scholarship
Who it’s for: College-bound high school seniors with 5+ years in Mass Youth Soccer-affiliated programs, as a player, coach, or referee What you get: $1,000 What it takes: An application plus a 500-word essay on how soccer shaped your life Deadline: June 1, 2026 Apply: mayouthsoccer.org
4. BigSun Scholarship
Who it’s for: Any high school senior or postsecondary student who’s played any sport What you get: $500 What it takes: A 500–1,000 word essay connecting your sports experience to your career goals and family Deadline: June 19, 2026 Apply: bigsunathletics.com
5. American Legion Baseball Scholarship
Who it’s for: High school graduates on a current American Legion Baseball roster What you get: $500 to $5,000 What it takes: An application, nomination form, three letters of testimony, transcript, and a statement on your college plans and community service Deadline: July 15, 2026 Apply: legion.org
6. Michael Moody Fitness Scholarship
Who it’s for: High school seniors, undergrads, or grad students enrolling full-time in a U.S. college What you get: $1,500 What it takes: A 1,500-word essay imagining you’ve been hired to build public policy against diabetes, heart disease, and obesity Deadline: Rolling — applications close once 1,000 are submitted, or by August 1, 2026, whichever comes first Apply: michaelmoodyfitness.com
7. Sports Gear Swag Scholarship
Who it’s for: College-bound high school seniors, undergrads, and grad students What you get: $1,000 What it takes: A 500-word essay on the benefits of playing sports Deadline: October 1, 2026 Apply: sportsgearswag.com
8. PFATS Scholarship Endowment Program
Who it’s for: Collegiate athletic training students, junior year or higher, 3.2+ GPA, NATA members What you get: 11 winners, $3,200 each What it takes: Short-answer application plus nomination from a certified athletic trainer Deadline: January 15, 2027 Apply: pfats.com
The Honest Part
Most scholarship winners get $2,500 or less, and full-ride awards are rare — worth knowing before you apply, so you go in with realistic expectations rather than betting your whole college plan on one essay. That doesn’t mean skip these: stacking three or four of the awards above can meaningfully cut what you owe, and the application cost is just your time.
Start with the ones closest to your deadline (LoCasale and Heather Brown close May 29), and reuse your strongest essay draft across the ones with similar prompts to save time.