Paying for an undergraduate education can be a costly endeavor, with parents often starting to save money even before their children are born. Although there are many ways to pay for college - grants, loans, tax-advantaged savings plans or simply out of pocket -- nothing is more attractive than free money in the form of scholarships.

There is a huge range of scholarships available in the U.S., and although most are quite conventional in their focus, some are more eccentric, as applicants must meet very specific -- and sometimes weird -- requirements.

Predicting the future, baking an apple pie, knitting wool garments, sporting a milk mustache while performing community service and singing The National Anthem with sincerity are just some of the ways in which college-bound students are funding their education in 2011, according to Aristotle Circle, who researched the top 15 most unusual college scholarship opportunities for the 2011-2012 academic year.

With college costs at an all-time high and family financial resources stretched to the breaking point, Aristotle Circle has experts to help students find the right college, while advising them on how to be competitive for merit and need-based scholarships, said Aristotle Circle expert Rod Bugarin, former admissions and financial aid director, Columbia University.

Start slideshow to view a gallery of the 15 most off-beat college scholarships for 2011-2012: