Taxable scholarships are a "hybrid" income category. They are unearned income for most purposes, including the "kiddie tax". But taxable scholarships are treated as earned income for purposes of a student-dependent's standard deduction.
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/college-education/discussion/kiddie-tax-on-scholarship/00/2449625#....
Earned income includes money from wages, salaries, tips, bonuses, commissions, and self-employment income. Also, the IRS considers disability retirement benefits as earned income until you reach the age at which you could have received a pension or annuity if you didn't have a disability.
https://www.investopedia.com/retirement/ira-contribution-limits/#:~:text=Earned%20income%20includes%....
https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc421
