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Even the best student loans and other financial aid items don’t always provide enough to cover all the costs of college. Scholarships are a great way to bridge the gap, with no obligation to repay the money. Finding ones you qualify for can be difficult, but several great scholarship websites can help you do it.
However, remember that many colleges deduct private scholarships from the amount of gift aid they provide, reducing how much “free money” you can get from the school. That would effectively negate the work you did in seeking out and applying for private scholarships. Therefore, you should consider looking at schools that offer merit-based scholarships or provide generous packages to students with financial need.
Scholarship websites help you find opportunities that can save you thousands of dollars on your education. A wide range of scholarships are available, from local scholarships to national awards for students in niche categories. By filtering your searches on a scholarship website for criteria like location, race, and GPA, you can quickly identify the specific opportunities available to you.
And scholarship websites aren’t just for unearthing opportunities. Many will also help you apply for scholarships and track the progress of your applications.
There isn’t a single website that’s the best for applying for scholarships. Instead, consider Scholarships.com, Fastweb, Bold.org, Peterson’s, BigFuture by CollegeBoard, Scholarship Search by Sallie, Going Merry by Earnest, ScholarshipOwl, ProFellow, Appily, and Niche.
To find a trustworthy scholarship, do your due diligence. Confirm that the scholarship’s sponsor is legitimate by looking at reviews of the company and checking its Better Business Bureau grade, if available.
You probably can’t get a 100% scholarship, as most private scholarships won’t completely cover the cost of your education. You’re better off looking for merit scholarships from individual colleges that cover your costs completely or filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to see if you’re eligible for a need-based full ride.
Generally speaking, you shouldn’t pay someone to search for scholarships for you, though there are exceptions to every rule. Many scholarship websites are free to use. They only “cost” the time you spend searching for them.
The timing of when you should start filling out applications for scholarships varies depending on the specific scholarship you’re applying for. Some scholarships are even available to high school students, so it’s never too early to start your search.
The GPA requirement varies from scholarship to scholarship, but the lowest GPA is usually around 2.0. In general, you’ll have a better chance of success with a higher GPA.
Some of the most common scholarships include academic, athletic, identity-based, and first-generation student scholarships.
To increase your chances of winning a scholarship, use scholarship websites that allow you to identify various opportunities. You can also boost your applications by crafting a strong essay or personal statement and securing excellent letters of recommendation.
Yes, most scholarship websites are free to use, though some do charge a membership fee. Watch out for messages claiming you must pay money to complete a scholarship application. Those are usually scams.
Yes, graduate students can absolutely find scholarships on popular scholarship websites. These sites let you filter your searches by education level, making searching for scholarships geared toward graduate students easy.
We’ve rounded up the best scholarship websites for students looking to save on the cost of college, emphasizing those that provide a wide breadth of opportunities. Most of the sites are free to use. Some offer basic features at no cost, with an option to pay for additional functionality.
Scholarships.com uses an algorithm to pair you with scholarships you may be eligible for, with millions of opportunities available. To make the algorithm work for you, you’ll need to create an account and input your current grade in school, your birthday, ZIP code, and email address.
You can also search through its database of scholarships yourself, filtering by criteria such as academic major, GPA, and military affiliation. The website is free to use.
Similar to Scholarships.com, Fastweb has an algorithm that uses your profile on its website to match you each day with scholarships you may want to apply for. Fastweb has more than 1.5 million scholarship opportunities.
Fastweb’s scholarship opportunities are updated daily, so check back frequently to see if you qualify for the latest batch. Professional scholarship researchers vet every scholarship in its database. The website is free to use.
In addition to a scholarship search, Peterson’s allows you to search for grants, prizes, fellowships, and forgivable loans. Peterson’s website boasts a database of more than 1.9 million scholarships, grants, and fellowships. Peterson’s has a host of resources for graduate students, including prep for the LSAT and MCAT.
The website also has an extensive College Discovery Center to help you find the best school for you. Students can search by specific college name, location, major, or a keyword of their choice to learn more about which schools may be the best fit.
Bold.org partners with donors to create scholarships, grants, and fellowships for students who qualify. The interface is sleek, and the website offers exclusive scholarships you won’t find elsewhere.
You can explore scholarships by category. For instance, Bold.org has a tab for nursing students, women, and students from Texas. Bold.org even has a button you can toggle to search for scholarships that don’t require essays. The website is free to use.
CollegeBoard is probably best known for its administration of college entry exams and Advanced Placement programs, but it also has a tool to help you find scholarships. Its BigFuture website has a database of more than 6,000 scholarship opportunities.
After you make an account, you can search for opportunities through various filters. This includes scholarships available for children of divorced parents, non-citizens, and students who are members of some community organizations. The BigFuture search tool is free to use.
Going Merry, from the same company offering Earnest student loans, will autofill some scholarship forms once you’ve input the required information, saving you time in the process and allowing you to apply to multiple scholarships simultaneously. Additionally, it will help you keep on top of deadlines by sending reminders about when applications are due.
The website is also a great source for local awards, which may be harder to find on other scholarship websites. Going Merry even has a mobile app — perfect for students who want to manage scholarship applications on the go. Going Merry is free to use.
Sallie Mae acquired Scholly in July 2023 and renamed the website Scholarship Search by Sallie. The original Scholly website gained a premier reputation after appearing on the hit show Shark Tank. The scholarship search website will pair you with scholarships and give them a score. The higher the score, the better you fit the scholarship’s requirements.
Sallie Mae also made the website completely free for all students, families, and other users. Previously, some premium features, including personalized scholarship matches, cost money to use, with pricing ranging from $4.99 for one month to $34.99 for a year subscription.
ScholarshipOwl is another freemium service. While you can use a portion of the website for free, you’ll have to pay to access some features, including a personal account manager and the automatic submission of applications.
ScholarshipOwl uses AI to help students win more scholarships. The premium package offers tools and strategies such as credibility scores for each provider, automatic reapplications, exclusive verified scholarships, and information on how much competition students have for each scholarship.
While the premium service can range from $20 to $69 a month, with the highest tier, you’ll have access to several hours of college admissions webinars and an expert who will proofread one 500-word essay a month.
ProFellow is a website that focuses exclusively on funding awards for graduate and professional development. The website has a database of more than 2,800 available opportunities.
ProFellow also offers workshops, courses, and other events on how to create an application that stands out. It’s free to use and is a great place for people who have already completed their undergraduate degrees to begin their search.
Formerly known as “Cappex,” Appily is more than just a scholarship website. It’s a comprehensive platform for researching schools, understanding college applications, and adjusting to college life.
The scholarship portion of the Appily site is simple and user-friendly. Start by creating a free account to gain access. From there, you can search for scholarships by filtering for criteria like location, ethnicity, and minimum award amount. Once you’ve found a scholarship you like, you can save it to your account or apply immediately.
Niche is another comprehensive website for researching colleges and finding scholarships. It allows you to search for scholarships by category or quickly get matched with the opportunities that you’re eligible for.
Niche stands out from other scholarship websites by offering “easy to apply” as a search filter, which allows you to search specifically for scholarships that don’t require essays or letters of recommendation. Niche is free to use.
“Scholarship” is a broad term that applies to various financial awards for students. Before applying for scholarships, it’s best to understand which types of scholarships are available to you.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the main types of scholarships you’ll find on scholarship websites.
Merit-based scholarships are awarded to students who display a high level of achievement in academics or extracurricular activities. These opportunities are especially worth pursuing if you have a high GPA, strong standardized test scores, or a special talent.
Need-based scholarships are awarded to students who show they require financial assistance to afford the cost of higher education. In many cases, need-based financial packages are called “grants” rather than “scholarships.”
Some scholarships are reserved for members of marginalized identity groups. Eligibility for these scholarships depends on categories like race, ethnicity, age, sexual identity, and gender.
Field-specific scholarships are awarded to students pursuing a particular field or major. These scholarships represent a great opportunity for students who already know what they plan to study.
A scholarship website is a tool, and, like any tool, it’s most effective if you know how to use it. Here are tips for getting the most out of scholarship websites:
The effort you put into the scholarship application process can majorly impact your success rate. To maximize your chances of earning scholarships, keep these tips in mind.
Your essay or personal statement gives you a chance to address the scholarship committee directly. To win them over, make sure you deliver a piece of writing that’s thoughtful and polished. While each scholarship may have its own specifications, it’s generally best to discuss how you’ve overcome any struggles in your life, the goals you hope to meet, and how achieving your goals will positively impact society.
A strong letter of recommendation corroborates what you say about yourself, showing the scholarship committee that you’re a deserving candidate. Make sure you request recommendation letters from the right people — starting with teachers, coaches, and supervisors who can speak to your character or personal growth. Also, be sure to ask these people for recommendation letters in advance and in a polite and professional way. Respecting their time will reinforce their positive opinion of you, which could influence how they describe you in the letter.
Scammers will sometimes ask for money in exchange for a scholarship opportunity. For example, you receive a letter, email, or message saying you’re a finalist for a scholarship, but you need to pay a “processing fee” to maintain your eligibility. Ignore these messages and stick with legitimate scholarship applications that don’t ask you to pay.
We consulted scholarship and financial experts to give their insights into finding the best scholarship websites — and when to avoid them altogether.
Neeta Vallab:
“Honestly, there are very limited advantages to using private scholarships over grants directly from schools. Unlike private scholarships, most grants from schools do not require a separate application and are renewable for four years. Additionally, many colleges will deduct the value of a private scholarship from any award they give you. This is called ‘displacement.’ And because this practice is so prevalent, it often leaves students with no net financial benefit, despite the effort they invested in submitting an application.”
Jennifer Ledwith:
“Unlike scholarships from schools, private scholarships can be used at multiple universities. Furthermore, unlike grants from schools, private scholarships don’t have to follow federal or institutional financial aid methodology. Consequently, students can receive private scholarships without regard to other financial aid awards. Furthermore, some private scholarships send the money directly to the student, allowing greater flexibility in using the funds.”
Christopher Rim:
“No, you should never pick a loan over a scholarship! You always have to pay back loans. Students should bear in mind that they may have their scholarship rescinded if they don’t meet the terms and conditions. They should be absolutely sure to read the terms of their scholarship thoroughly to understand the possible consequences if they fail to meet the set conditions.”
Ryan Wangman:
“You’ll need to repay the money you borrow from any lender, so it’s never a good idea to choose a loan over a scholarship, which is money you don’t have to pay back. There aren’t any scenarios I can think of where it is better to pick a loan than a scholarship.
Rim:
“Many websites will allow students to filter through their databases to find scholarships they are eligible for. Others ask students to create a profile and then match them based on demographic information. Once students find the scholarships on databases, they should be sure to cross-check eligibility requirements on the sponsoring organization’s website.”
Vallab:
“Private scholarships will usually have a qualifications section in their description. Some colleges may publish a scholarship grid showing the GPA and test scores required for certain levels of eligibility. Not all merit scholarship information is published however.”
Ledwith:
“Students should keep a spreadsheet to track their scholarship application status.”
Wangman:
“Like Jennifer mentioned, a spreadsheet is usually the best way to track application status. Make sure you note how far along you are in each process, as well as any awards you have received — both private and from the schools you’ve been accepted to.
Editorial Note: Any opinions, analyses, reviews, or recommendations expressed in this article are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any card issuer. Read our editorial standards.
Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they’re subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available.
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