USA Scholarships
Make Me Laugh Scholarship 2027 - $1,500 Unigo Award
The Make Me Laugh Scholarship 2027 is a $1,500 award from Unigo that asks for one thing: a 250-word story that actually makes the judges laugh. No transcript, no GPA floor, no recommendation letters, no financial documents. The prompt tells you plainly that Unigo does not want to hear why you deserve the money or how good your grades are, it just wants to laugh, so you describe an incident from your life that was funny or embarrassing. Fiction is allowed, which is unusual and worth knowing before you start writing. Eligibility is wide: you need to be 14 or older on the day you apply, a legal resident of one of the 50 US states or the District of Columbia, and either enrolled now or enrolling no later than the fall of 2032 at an accredited college, university or trade school. That last clause means a high school freshman can enter years before starting college. Entry for this cycle opened on 31 August 2026 and closes on 31 August 2027 at 11:59pm Pacific Time, with one entry allowed per person and no way to resubmit a corrected draft afterwards. A panel picks the single winner on or about 29 November 2027 on writing ability, creativity, originality and overall excellence, weighted at 25 per cent each, and notifies them by email or phone around 30 November. The money is paid as a check to the winner's accredited institution once proof of enrolment is filed, not handed over as cash.
What is the Make Me Laugh Scholarship 2027?
The Make Me Laugh Scholarship is Unigo's $1,500 prize for the funniest 250-word story, and it is about as close to a zero-friction scholarship application as US students get. No transcript. No GPA floor. No recommendation letters. No financial paperwork, and no essay explaining why you are worthy. The prompt is blunt about it: Unigo does not want to know why you deserve the money or how good your grades are, it simply wants to laugh. So you describe one incident from your life that was funny or embarrassing, and the rules let that incident be fact or fiction. Invented stories are allowed, which changes the task from memory to craft.
The entry rules are wider than most awards on this site. You need to be 14 or older on the day you apply, a legal resident of one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia, and either studying now at an accredited college, university or trade school or planning to enrol no later than the fall of 2032. That 2032 clause is the interesting one. A high school freshman can win this years before setting foot on a campus, which is why the field skews younger than a typical undergraduate award. The current cycle opened on 31 August 2026 and closes on 31 August 2027 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. If you are on the East Coast, that is 2:59am on 1 September, and a late submission is simply not read.
Be clear about how the money reaches you, because it is not a $1,500 check in your name. Unigo sends the money as a check made payable to the accredited institution you attend, and only after you have enrolled and filed proof of enrolment, which can happen any time up to 2032. There is no cash alternative. The winner also signs an affidavit of eligibility, shows proof of identity and completes tax forms including a W-9, since the award is taxable and comes with a 1099. Skip any of that paperwork and the prize passes to the next highest scoring entry. Only one entry per person is accepted, and once you hit submit there is no swapping in a better draft.
Winning comes down to the scorecard, and the scorecard is public. On or about 29 November 2027 a panel scores entries on writing ability, creativity, originality and overall excellence, each worth 25 per cent, with ties broken on overall excellence. Three of those four marks reward the same thing, which is a piece that has been built rather than dashed off: a short setup, a clean turn, and an ending that lands. Spelling and grammar are named in the rules, so proofread before you submit. Two clauses deserve a read before you enter. Unigo takes ownership of your submission and can publish or edit it in its own marketing without paying or telling you, and by applying you agree that Unigo and its related companies may get in touch with things they think will interest you. Neither is buried, but both catch people out. If you want awards that pay far more for far more work, the Coca-Cola Scholars Program guide, the Gates Scholarship guide and the Horatio Alger Scholarship guide cover three of the biggest. The rules, the prompt and the application form all sit on the Unigo Make Me Laugh Scholarship page.
Eligibility
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✓Aged 14 or older on the day you applyThe age floor is 14 at the time of application, which is far lower than most US awards and is the reason high school students enter this one. There is no upper age limit, so adult learners and returning students qualify on the same terms.
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✓Legal US resident in one of the 50 states or DCThe rules limit entry to legal residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia. Students in Puerto Rico, Guam, the US Virgin Islands and other territories are outside that wording, and the contest is void wherever local law prohibits it.
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✓Enrolled now, or enrolling by the fall of 2032You either already attend an accredited post-secondary institution or commit to enrolling no later than the fall of 2032. Colleges, universities and trade schools all count. A 14-year-old still in middle or high school meets this gate as long as they reach an accredited school inside that window.
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✓One application per person, submitted onlineOnly one entry per person is accepted for this scholarship. Once you submit, you cannot swap in a new draft or send corrected pages, so the version you upload is the version the judges read.
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✓An original 250-word response, written in EnglishYour answer must be your own work, previously unpublished, written in English with correct spelling and grammar, and no longer than 250 words. Anything obscene, pornographic, libellous or otherwise objectionable is disqualified rather than scored.
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✓No connection to UnigoEmployees, officers, directors and agents of Unigo and its related companies cannot win, and neither can their spouses, parents, siblings, children or anyone living at the same address.
Benefits
- Scholarship prize $1,500 to one winner
- How it is paid Check made out to your accredited institution
- When it is paid After you enrol and file proof of enrolment
- Application fee None, no purchase necessary
- GPA minimum or transcript Not required
- Recommendation letters Not required
- Financial need documents Not required
- Cash equivalent No cash alternative is offered
- Money paid directly to you No, the check goes to the school
- Taxes on the prize Paid by the winner, who is issued a 1099 form
- Renewal in later years One-off award, not renewable
- Rights over your story Unigo owns the submission and may publish it
Document checklist
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✓The online Unigo application formEverything is filed through the application form on unigo.com. There is nothing to post, email or scan, and no application fee at any stage.
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✓Your name and contact informationStandard identity and contact fields. Use an email address you check, since the winner is notified by email or phone and a missed message is your problem rather than the sponsor's.
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✓Background detailsBasic personal background questions inside the form. These take a couple of minutes and are not scored against you.
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✓Academic detailsWhere you study now or intend to study. No transcript, GPA figure, test score or proof of grades is requested at the application stage.
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✓The 250-word written responseThe only piece of real work. One original, previously unpublished answer to the prompt asking you to describe a funny or embarrassing incident, fact or fiction, in 250 words or less.
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✓Proof of enrolment, if you winThe winner has to show they are enrolled at an accredited post-secondary institution before any money moves. Proof must reach Unigo on or before 2032.
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✓Affidavit, ID and IRS Form W-9, if you winWinners sign further paperwork: proof of identity, the required affidavit of eligibility, and tax forms including IRS Form W-9. Refusing any of these forfeits the prize to the runner-up.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
What is the Make Me Laugh Scholarship?
The Make Me Laugh Scholarship is a $1,500 award run by Unigo.com that judges one thing: whether your 250-word story makes the panel laugh. The prompt says outright that Unigo does not want to hear why you deserve the money or how strong your grades are. You describe a funny or embarrassing incident, real or invented, and that is the whole application. Unigo has awarded more than $610,000 through its own scholarships since 2007, and this is one of the easiest of them to enter.
When is the Make Me Laugh Scholarship 2027 deadline?
The current cycle closes on 31 August 2027 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. Entry opened on 31 August 2026, so the window runs a full year. Judging takes place on or about 29 November 2027 and the winner is notified by email or phone around 30 November 2027. The award runs on an annual cycle, so if you miss this deadline the next one usually opens the day after it closes.
Who is eligible for the Make Me Laugh Scholarship?
You must be 14 or older at the time of application, a legal resident of one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, and either currently enrolled or enrolling no later than the fall of 2032 at an accredited college, university or trade school. There is no GPA requirement, no test score, no citizenship clause beyond legal US residency and no upper age limit. Employees of Unigo and its related companies, their immediate families and anyone at the same address cannot win.
How much is the Make Me Laugh Scholarship worth?
One winner receives $1,500. The prize is not renewable and there is no second or third place. Payment is made as a check to the accredited institution the winner attends, issued once they have enrolled and sent proof of enrolment, which has to happen on or before 2032. No cash equivalent is offered, and the winner is responsible for any taxes and is issued a 1099 form.
What do you write for the Make Me Laugh Scholarship essay?
One original, previously unpublished response of 250 words or less, in English, describing an incident in your life that was funny or embarrassing. The rules allow fact or fiction, so you can invent the story outright. Judges score writing ability, creativity, originality and overall excellence at 25 per cent each, and ties are broken on the overall excellence score. Practically, that rewards a tight piece with a real ending over a rambling anecdote. Anything obscene, pornographic or libellous is disqualified rather than marked down.
Is the Make Me Laugh Scholarship legit?
Yes. It is run by Unigo.com, which has published official rules naming the sponsor, the judging criteria, the prize and the notification date, and it charges nothing to apply. Two clauses are worth reading before you enter. Unigo takes ownership of your submission and can publish or edit it for marketing without paying or notifying you, and by applying you agree that Unigo and its related companies may contact you with information they think you will find interesting. Neither is hidden, but both surprise people who skip the rules.
Can international students apply for the Make Me Laugh Scholarship?
No. Entry is limited to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia. International students studying in the US on an F-1 visa, applicants living abroad and residents of US territories such as Puerto Rico and Guam fall outside that wording. If you are an international student looking for US funding, guides like the [Gates Scholarship](/scholarships/gates-scholarship-usa-2027) and the [Coca-Cola Scholars Program](/scholarships/coca-cola-scholars-program-usa-2027) set out awards with different residency rules worth checking.
How is the Make Me Laugh Scholarship paid out?
The $1,500 is sent as a check made payable directly to the accredited post-secondary institution the winner attends, not to the student. Money only moves after the winner enrols and submits proof of enrolment, and that proof has to reach Unigo on or before 2032. Winners also provide proof of identity, a signed affidavit of eligibility and tax forms including a W-9. Anyone who refuses the paperwork or fails the eligibility check forfeits the prize, and it passes to the next highest scoring entry.
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