Scholarships are a hybrid between earned and unearned income. It is earned income for purposes of the $13,850 filing requirement and the dependent standard deduction calculation (earned income + $400). It is not earned income for the kiddie tax and other purposes (e.g. EIC). For grad students and post grad fellows, scholarship, stipend and fellowship income is earned income ("compensation") for IRA contributions.
Because of the standard deduction, the first $13,850 doesn't get taxed, but the amount over $15,100 ($13,850 +1250) is subject to the kiddie tax.
The only ways of not treating the entire amount as unearned income is to report it as self employment income or report the employer, to the IRS, for not using a W-2 (and that's iffy). For the latter, you still have to pay the employee half of FICA, when you file.
