National Marbles Tournament
Requirements: Awesome marbles skills
Amount: $2,000 grand prize, $500 for best sportsmanship
How to Apply: For information on area teams and qualifying tournaments, contact your local marbles team or the National Marbles Tournament at NationalMarblesTournament.org.
Just when you thought the game of marbles had officially gone the way of the hula hoop, this contest proves otherwise. Designed for students ages 7 through 14, the National Marbles Tournament requires players to weather a four-day competition to walk away with the prize.
A bonus: The National Marbles Tournament is open to younger students, not high school seniors.
Scholarship America's Segal says younger students looking to maximize their scholarship eligibility should start the search now. "Looking for scholarships takes as much time, if not more, than applying for colleges," she says, adding that most students don't think about financial aid until their senior year in high school. "Start as early as possible."
Those who apply for awards open to high school juniors, sophomores, freshmen and younger students will face less competition than students applying for national awards during their senior year.