In an age where educating children is becoming more and more expensive, relief for both students and parents comes in the form of scholarships. Graduate fellowships and undergraduate scholarships are types of aid that help students pay for their education. Scholarships and fellowships, unlike student loans, do not need to be repaid. In usual circumstances, scholarships are granted to students who are exceptionally brilliant in their studies, or in the field of athletics or art.

However, from time to time, colleges and other private sponsors of scholarships set up scholarships with mysterious eligibility requirements. These have come to be known as the unusual scholarships for students, an example being a scholarship for left-handed students. The Frederick and Mary F. Beckley Scholarship of up to $1,000 is the only scholarship for left-handed students. This scholarship is awarded to left-handed students who will be either attending or already enrolled at the Juniata College.

Though very few in numbers, they do manage to attract a lot of attention due to the slightly offbeat nature of the scholarship.

Unusual scholarships allow a student the chance to explore a wide variety of skills, interests, characteristics and talents that could make him/her eligible for a scholarship. Scholarships in the unusual category range from grants for accordion players, asthma patients, amateur radio operators, bird watchers, bicyclists, blind students, boy scouts and girl scouts, bowlers, cartoon experts, children of veterans, choral singers, cheerleaders, debaters, entrepreneurs, farmers, French speakers, Gospel musicians, grandchildren of alumni, Huguenot descendants, never married students, overweight students, etc. This list just gives a glimpse at some of the categories, while in actual, there are much more of such unusual scholarship requirements, new ones are also being added on a regular basis.

Another unusual scholarship is the