Scholarships Are Not Just for Geniuses.
Scholarships Are Not Just for Geniuses.
Every year, millions of dollars in scholarship money expires unclaimed — not because families didn't qualify, but because no one told them it was there.
$100M+
Scholarships Unclaimed Annually
40%
Of Families Miss Scholarship Opportunities
45%
Growth in Available Scholarships Over 10 Years
schol·ar·ship
def.
An award of financial aid for a student to further their education. Unlike loans, scholarships do not need to be repaid. They are awarded based on academic achievement, talent, background, financial need, community involvement, heritage, career interest, or a combination — and there are thousands of organizations awarding them every single year.
Here's what most families don't realize: scholarships are not just for 4.0 students heading to Harvard. They exist for students at every grade level — from elementary through post-secondary — and they cover a breathtaking range of interests, backgrounds, and ambitions. There are scholarships for left-handed students, duck-calling competitions, tall people, short people, homeschoolers, first-generation college students, aspiring farmers, and future cosmetologists.
The single biggest barrier to winning scholarships is not knowing they exist. That's not a knowledge problem — it's an access problem. And solving it is exactly what we do.
The number of scholarships available has grown by over 45% in the last decade — but the percentage of families applying has barely moved. The opportunity gap is growing in your favor.
— National Scholarship Providers Association
The Truth About the Money Nobody's Claiming
This is the number that should make every parent sit up straight: over $100 million in scholarships goes unclaimed every year — not because families didn't qualify, but because nobody applied. The National Scholarship Providers Association has documented this consistently. The pool of money is growing. The number of applicants is not keeping up.
Beyond private scholarships, the federal Pell Grant (the largest single source of college financial aid) saw nearly $4.4 billion left unclaimed in 2024 alone. That's 830,000 eligible students who never filed a single form. In Texas, where Anthony and Crystal Obey are based, students left over $547 million in Pell Grant funding untouched in just one year. California left $557 million on the table.
Why does this happen?
The data is clear:
MYTH
"Scholarships are only for straight-A students."
46% of families believe this, and it's completely false. Thousands of scholarships are awarded based on interests, community service, heritage, career goals, and more.
TRUTH
There's a scholarship for almost every student.
Creative writing, sports, music, entrepreneurship, faith, ethnicity, and even unusual hobbies, if your child has a story, there's a scholarship looking for them.
MYTH
"We make too much money to qualify."
32% of families disqualify themselves based on income, but merit-based and niche scholarships have nothing to do with financial need.
TRUTH
Middle-income families qualify more than they think.
Merit, talent, background, and community involvement scholarships are income-blind. Families earning six figures still win thousands every year.
MYTH
"Scholarships are only for college freshmen."
36% of families think this. In reality, scholarships exist for K–12 students, trade school, continuing education, and career training at every stage.
TRUTH
You can start building a scholarship portfolio at any age.
Smart homeschool families begin identifying and pursuing scholarships years before their children graduate — and arrive at college with awards already in hand.
The 7 Scholarship Categories Every Homeschool Family Should Know
Scholarships span a much wider landscape than most families realize.
Here's where the money lives, and where the Homeschool Money newsletter points you every single week:
01
K–12 Academic Scholarships
Private schools, co-ops, and educational organizations award scholarships to high-performing students at the primary and secondary level. Homeschoolers with strong portfolios and test scores are increasingly competitive for these awards.
02
Extracurricular & Talent Scholarships
Music competitions, essay contests, art awards, athletic scholarships, science olympiad prizes, extracurricular wins in childhood become scholarship leverage in college. We track the contests worth entering.
03
College Merit Scholarships
Institutional scholarships offered directly by colleges, sometimes worth full tuition, for academic achievement, leadership, and talent. Homeschool students with strong portfolios are winning full rides. Anthony and Crystal have personally secured these for college.
04
Need-Based College Scholarships
Federal Pell Grants (up to $7,395/year), state need-based awards, and institutional aid packages for qualifying students. Up to $4.4 billion sat unclaimed last year, the application alone is worth filing.
05
Heritage & Identity Scholarships
Organizations serving Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, Asian, faith-based, first-generation, and other communities award scholarships specifically to support students from their communities. Billions in this category go underutilized.
06
Career & Trade School Scholarships
Not every path runs through a four-year university. Vocational schools, coding bootcamps, culinary programs, and trade certifications have dedicated scholarship funding from industry associations and workforce development organizations.
07
Niche & Community Scholarships
These are the hidden gems, local community foundations, employer programs, credit unions, churches, and civic organizations award scholarships that receive almost no applicants. Competition is low; award amounts are real.
Their Story
They Didn't Wait for Permission. They Went and Got the Money.
Anthony and Crystal Obey are parents of five, homeschoolers of 14 years, and two people who made a decision early on: debt would not be the price of their children's future.
They pursued scholarships for their own college educations, and won. Now they're doing the same for their five children, identifying and building scholarship pipelines years before graduation day. They've coached other families through the same process, helping parents navigate scholarship applications, essay strategies, and portfolio building that most school counselors never think to teach.
"We want every one of our children to walk across that stage debt-free. And we want that for your family too. Scholarships aren't luck, they're strategy. And strategy can be learned."
Their podcast, Homeschool Money, covers scholarship alerts, application deep dives, and interviews with families who've won big. And their weekly newsletter is where the real-time opportunities land, open windows, upcoming deadlines, and exactly how to position your child to win.
This is the Homeschool Money mission: help 100,000 families access $1 billion in funding. Scholarships are one of the most powerful tools in that arsenal, and most families haven't even picked it up yet.
🎙️
Homeschool Money Podcast
Real scholarship wins, application strategy, and money conversations for homeschool families. Hosted by Anthony & Crystal Obey.
How Homeschool Families Win Scholarships:
The 5-Step System
Winning scholarships is not about luck or waiting to be discovered. It's a repeatable process that smart families start early and execute consistently. Here's the framework:
01
Build the Scholarship Profile Early
Start documenting your child's achievements, interests, community involvement, and strengths in middle school, not senior year. Scholarship applications reward depth and specificity, not last-minute scrambles.
02
Identify the Right Scholarships
Match your child's profile to the right categories: merit, niche, local, heritage, career-focused. The most overlooked scholarships (local and community) have the lowest competition and real money attached. Our newsletter curates these weekly.
03
Master the Application Process
Compelling essays, strong references, and polished applications win scholarships. We teach families how to write scholarship essays that stand out — including the exact frameworks that win full-ride awards.
04
Apply Broadly and Strategically
No single application is a silver bullet. The families who win big apply consistently, 20, 40, even 60 scholarships over a student's career. Small awards stack. Big ones change everything.
05
Stay Current on Deadlines
Scholarship windows open and close on schedules most families never see. This is where our newsletter becomes your competitive advantage, we track the calendar so you don't have to.
The families who win scholarships aren't smarter or luckier. They're informed. They know where to look, and they act before the window closes. That's the entire game.
— Anthony & Crystal Obey, Homeschool Money
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