Key Takeaways:
- FastWeb and Scholarships.com are top sites with vast scholarship databases and tailored search capabilities, aiding students significantly in finding funds.
- Chegg and Cappex offer additional tools like tutoring and admission calculators, enhancing their scholarship search functionalities and user experience.
- Niche and Unigo provide unique scholarship options, including no-essay and creative scholarships, catering to diverse student needs and interests.
If you’re like most students, your college education will be costly. Without funding, some individuals may not be financially equipped to take on debt associated with higher education. And who wants student loans? Thankfully, billions of dollars in scholarship money are awarded annually. Also, you do not have to be graduating high school as a valedictorian or star athlete to get funds. Merit-based scholarships do exist. But many programs award students based on financial need, sexual orientation, or race. Some of the best websites for scholarships offer unique programs to identify all types of students. We researched a large pool of college scholarship websites to find some of the best resources to fund your college education. Our diligence led us to the following college scholarship websites 2020 and beyond.
Below is a list of websites designed to help you get started on your search to get funding for your college education. These college scholarship websites offer thousands of programs to help you pay for college. These options can be filtered to generate a list of specific scholarships uniquely fit for you.
Featured Programs
#1 – FastWeb
FastWeb, one of the best websites on our list for a scholarship search, is owned by the parent company Monster.com. This scholarship site offers a robust database. It tracks a reported 1.5 million in college scholarships to help students pay for college. The scholarship search tool works like most online scholarship websites. That is, multiple scholarships are found and emailed to the address you provide. Once students sign up, the process begins with a search for scholarships. Then, emails start to come in. These emails may be in the form of a list of scholarships, newsletters, scholarship deadline reminders. They will also include targeted scholarships. These are based on the information you entered into the scholarship search function.
FastWeb offers a huge database. It also boasts high success rates among students who find scholarships. But with login requirements comes access to your email. According to users of FastWeb, you can expect plenty of emails as you begin your searches. To make the scholarship search easier, some users suggest setting up an email address just for scholarship searches. By doing so, you will keep your email inbox under control. But if you’re okay with the receipt of many emails each day, then FastWeb will work for you to find quality scholarship opportunities.
#2 – Scholarships.com
Scholarships.com offers one of the best websites to find scholarships. This is due to its robust tracking capabilities. Among our list of sites, Scholarships.com is the most robust and established search website to help students pay for college. The site reportedly offers $19 billion in scholarships in many different scholarship categories. The sheer size of this database makes Scholarships.com one of the most well-known scholarship websites in the world. The site is extremely user-friendly and features custom options. These will lead to better searches and more targeted scholarship applications.
To access scholarship search capabilities, a sign-up profile with pertinent information is required. Once you’ve completed a profile, you can tailor your criteria to find a list of scholarships that are relevant. According to the website, your answers cultivate matches. This allows college scholarships to be matched to students based on fit. It eliminates the need for searching through thousands of scholarship programs that you’re not qualified for. Thus, Scholarships.com has created one of the most customizable online scholarship websites.
#3 – Chegg
Chegg is known as a textbook and tutoring website. Still, the site operates a scholarship search function with more than 25,000 of the best scholarships available today. Since Chegg offers tutoring services, help with writing scholarship essays is just a click away. This is likely Chegg’s most standout feature. After all, their listed scholarships are many of the same scholarship programs that other sites offer. But Chegg combines online tutors and helpful tips for drafting your scholarship essays for college applications. Thus, you get a one-stop-shop for prospective students.
Chegg prides itself on helping students find scholarships that are current with upcoming deadlines. Also, their search tool can be tailored to address the specific needs and criteria of the user.
#4 – Cappex
The search tool Cappex lands a prominent spot on our list. This is mostly due to the size of its database and user-generated data capabilities. Cappex offers searches for both colleges and scholarships, making it a one-stop-shop. The sizable database offers more than $11 billion in scholarship monies. This makes it one of the top websites to find money for college. Also, what makes Cappex unique is its proprietary calculator. This tool allows students to predict their chances of getting into a particular school. But if you’re looking only to find scholarships, Cappex offers plenty of them.
The site does not offer a breakdown of student chances for winning college scholarships. But, it does provide a reality check for admission. That way, students get a better feel for what colleges they are more likely to fit. Most colleges and universities award admitted-student scholarships. So by understanding what schools are more likely to admit you, you may see which schools will award you the best financial aid package. Applying for the right scholarships does not have to be complicated. Sites like Cappex demystify the process of finding scholarship awards. They make applying for money easy and effective.
#5 – The College Board
The College Board is one of the top websites for a scholarship search on our list. This is due to both its powerful scholarship search engine and $6 billion in scholarship awards and financial aid. The comprehensive Big Future College Board site helps students find scholarships that they are best fit to win. Students create an account, enter information into the search engine, and curate a list of programs that fit their needs and criteria. You don’t need to have scored a 36 on your ACT, though merit scholarships are available based on test scores. Still, the search fields allow you to save scholarships according to areas of interest and talent. Also, diversity-based search fields allow marginalized students to tailor their searches for little known scholarships.
This site is more than just a robust scholarship search engine. College Board provides additional resources like standardized test preparation and SAT score help, expert advice, and college planning tools.
#6 – Niche
Niche is one of the college scholarship websites that discuss the “personality” and uniqueness of colleges. Students get to read through reviews written by actual students who share insight on a specific college or university. The Niche scholarships site also offers a comprehensive scholarship search function. It evaluates aa student’s information and financial situation. Then, the program pairs students with scholarships available. Based on your student qualifications, Niche will find awards and college scholarship programs that ideally match your needs. Also, students may search for specific criteria, such as no-essay or local scholarships, to find more scholarships.
Niche doesn’t get the press or traffic that some of the big scholarship websites do. Still, it has become a strong online presence for financial aid and scholarship searches.
#7 – Scholarship Monkey
Scholarship Monkey offers one of the best college websites for a scholarship search. In fact, Scholarship Monkey has become a household name among high-traffic college scholarship search engines. Here you will find a free online search database that allows you to find money for college. The site requires a few minutes of your time completing registration to become a member. But once you’re registered, you gain access to a complete list of millions of dollars’ worth of scholarships. This includes those for an associate’s degree or even graduate school.
Registration information is private. But you must manually opt-out of Scholarship Monkey sharing your personal data with third parties. If you don’t, plan on receiving loads of new emails daily. But the registration only takes minutes and connects students to invaluable resources.
#8 – Sallie Mae
Recognized as a student loans organization and website, Sallie Mae has branched its services. Sallie Mae is now recognized as one of the best college websites to help students find resources and extra money for college. Through the exclusive Scholarship Search function, Sallie Mae offers more than $18 billion in scholarships. This makes it one of the leading online scholarship websites out there. Students register with Sallie Mae to establish their account and profile. Once verified through the email address you provided, the process begins. Then, you can log in to the site and begin searching for specific scholarships that meet your criteria.
When joining Sallie Mae, you also gain access to one of the very best college-planning calculators. This tool is designed to help students analyze their fit with selected institutions. Additionally, Sallie Mae offers monthly drawings for users of their scholarship searches. In recent months, students have been entered to win up to $1,000 in scholarship funds.
#9 – Unigo
Unigo, one of the top websites on our list, sets itself apart from its competitors. This is thanks to its robust platform. This platform offers scholarships, internships, college rankings, job advice, and more. This all-inclusive scholarship website ranks high on our list of sites. Unigo provides access to nearly 4 million scholarships. These scholarships total over #14 billion in award money. Scholarship searches can be personalized so that results are specific to the needs of each student. The search capabilities allow you find the best opportunities in scholarship money.
Also, Unigo prides itself in offering out-of-the-box programs. Not all scholarships ask for a CV and essay about your biggest challenge. One of the most popular scholarships found on Unigo is the $2,000 Zombie Apocalypse scholarship. This scholarship asks applicants to detail a plan to avoid zombies in the event of an apocalypse. The description should include where you would hide and the top things you would bring with you to stay alive. These types of opportunities allow students to have fun with the process and not get bogged down by semantics.
#10 – Peterson’s
Peterson’s is a top choice among the best college scholarship search sites. This is due to its ability to help current students and prospective students search through five thousand scholarship providers. Peterson’s features over $10 billion in college scholarships, fellowships, grants, and prizes. It also showcases forgivable loans. To gain access to the wealth of scholarship programs, a short survey must be completed. The survey gathers information relating to the student’s background, life experience, and more. Thanks to the site’s filtering capabilities, students are able to tailor their searches. You can actually narrow searches down based on location, ethnicity, military background, and more. In fact, the more niche you are with your searches, the better results (and free money!) you will yield.
Most of the programs available are geared to undergraduate students. Still, there are ample graduate level scholarships. In fact, over eighty scholarships alone offer at least $25,000 each. For undergraduate students, several college scholarship monies over $100,000 are available. According to Peterson’s, the highest scholarship offered is the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship. This award is prized at $200,000 per winner.
#11 – Broke Scholar
Broke Scholar is one of the best sites on our list to find scholarships available to you. It offers a comprehensive search database that provides both opportunities and advice. Broke Scholar first takes the information you provide. Then, it uses this data to find third-party scholarships and available grant money. To start, students register and complete fields such as education level, study area, gender, and ethnicity. What makes Broke Scholar unique is that no personal information is required and the site is free to all. While searches cannot be drilled down to certain niches, the site offers a more general approach to curating scholarships.
There’s more to the website than the database and pool of scholarships available. Broke Scholar also offers various blogs on subjects relating to college admissions. Essay-writing advice and tricks of the trade when applying for a college scholarship are just some of the hot articles on this site. Also, Broke Scholar requires no personal information to search for college funding. Thus, it is often a good place to start for those hesitant on offering their email address to college scholarship sites.
#12 – Student Scholarships
Landing a spot on our list, Student Scholarships offers one of the largest collections of scholarships on the Internet. Since 2003, Student Scholarships has provided myriad opportunities to students. It has also long provided services for college scholarship management companies. This makes it one of the leaders in the industry and one of the best scholarship websites. For students, a large scholarship database offers a comprehensive search system. This tool is 100 percent online and completely free of charge. The database allows students to first create an account. They then enter search criteria to find new scholarships based on their needs and college aspirations. Scholarships change on a regular basis. Still, the search capabilities allow students to bookmark the scholarships they are interested in.
Student Scholarships requires an email address and login credentials. Once you’ve established a profile, you will gain access to a wide range of opportunities. The website also includes career services. These include salary information, career questions and answers, and a series of videos and virtual tours. These all assist in your college scholarship navigation process. Popular videos include career information on how to become a dentist or on how much civil engineers make.
#13 – JLV College Counseling
JLV College Counseling is one of the leading websites for college scholarship seekers on our list. That’s primarily because it offers a much more intimate and personal process. Former college admissions officer Jessica Velasco posts scholarship opportunities on her Facebook page every Saturday. Posts include upcoming application deadlines and information about the scholarship program. She also runs a blog. Here, she offers tips on completing scholarships and working through the college application process. Velasco’s blog is ripe with advice for all stages of application and funding.
Velasco offers ten years of experience in higher education. She has served as both an admission officer and director. She puts her inside knowledge into practice when assisting students with college scholarship and admission opportunities.
#14 – Tuition Funding Sources
Tuition Funding Sources, or TFS, lands a spot on our list of top college scholarship sites. TFS offers a comprehensive online resource, including support for international students. This includes free access to more than seven million individual scholarships and up to $41 billion in aid. TFS has been around the block since the site’s creation in 1987. Since then, TFS has become one of the most trusted online scholarship sites available. Also, the site never gets stagnant. In fact, five thousand new scholarships are added each month to help keep the opportunities fresh.
Aside from scholarship search capabilities, TFS offers resources outside funding for college. Information on career planning is also available once you create an account. For those interested in financial aid or federal and private loan programs, this scholarship finder has you covered.
#15 – Moolah Spot
Making its way onto our list, Moolah Spot is dedicated to helping individuals avoid student debt. Just like its name, its search capabilities match free money with your college scholarship needs. Through a login and password-protected search process, the site provides a large array of scholarship programs available online. There may be a few bugs to iron out, as the site is in BETA. If you do find some hiccups during your searches, contact the site and they will assist you with the scholarships listed. Moolah Spot is working hard to refine and improve their website and offer stellar customer service.
Search criteria for eligible scholarships at Moolah Spot can be curated. This feature is available for both undergraduate and graduate students who create an account. This means users can save scholarship searches by career, academic major, interest, military, sport, ethnicity, religion, and state. That way, you get the local awards and scholarship matches that fit you. General searches for various scholarships are also possible. But better results yield when criteria are completed.
Other Best Scholarship Websites to Check Out
These 15 scholarship databases are great to find free college money fast online. But, they’re certainly not the only places for finding scholarships. Every college student should visit the U.S. Department of Education website. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) here. The online form determines your eligibility for need-based national scholarships and grants. For example, the Federal Pell Grant will award up to $6,345 for the 2020-21 academic year based on household income. For 2020, the Federal TEACH Grant is providing $3,764 max to education bachelor’s and master’s majors who will teach in high-need disciplines. The FAFSA form is also needed for the Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant or Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
State education departments run scholarship sites for local residents. Google your state’s name with the phrase “financial aid.” State scholarships and grants could be based on merit or unmet need. For instance, take the Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship. This award gives $4,500 per year to future RNs attending in-state nursing colleges. The Roberta B. Willis Scholarship offers $5,250 yearly to Connecticut high school graduates with at least a 1200 SAT and 25 ACT scores. The Florida Farmworker Student Scholarship covers up to 100 percent of tuition for eligible workers. Eligibility criteria includes 30+ service hours and GPAs above 3.50. From Washington’s Opportunity Scholarship to Maine’s Hope Milliken McNally Scholarship, there are state funds available nationwide.
Research professional organizations connected to your declared major. Many associations have their own scholarships and scholarship sites. These platforms reward student members with free cash. For example, the National Society of Professional Engineers offers the $5,000 Steinman Scholarship. This award is for juniors pursuing ABET-accredited engineering degrees. The Government Finance Officers Association presents the $10,000 Frank L. Greathouse Scholarship to full-time accounting students. The Future Farmers of America awards a $2,000 John Deere Scholarship to five outstanding agriculture majors. Don’t forget about Greek organizations and honor societies you belong to. Most sororities and fraternities, such as Sigma Kappa, offer merit scholarships to pledges.
It is important not to overlook the obvious when finding scholarships online to fund your college tuition. Sometimes opportunities are in places you least expect, yet the most obvious. Some places did not make our list of scholarship sites. Still, these organizations maintain local scholarships for aspiring and current college students. This includes the websites of the colleges and universities where you are applying. These sites routinely feature institution-based scholarships and external scholarships as well. Also, your high school websites offer ideas for different scholarships for high school students. And community foundation websites for local organizations help provide information about exclusive scholarships. Merit scholarships can also be found at your local bank or credit union or by an employer. Often, your parents’ employers will make available scholarships you might be qualified for. Students with part-time jobs should also ask their own employers about available scholarships. Remember, many viable local scholarship monies go unclaimed because of limited or no applicants. You don’t have to search for scholarships on your own. Your teachers and school counselors are valuable resources. They may have a list of scholarships and other financial aid search tools.
CVO Staff
This concludes our list of the best scholarship websites.
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