Top Online Resources and Tools to Find Merit-Based Scholarships for High Achievers

The Value of Merit-Based Scholarships

If you’re interested in finding the best merit-based scholarships for high achievers, we’ve got you covered. Here, we’ll discuss the best online resources and tools to achieve your goal. Then, you’ll also learn strategies to maximize your scholarship search success.

What are merit-based scholarships in the first place? These are scholarships for high achievers awarded based on achievements, such as:

• Academic excellence
• Athletic skills
• Artistic talent
• Leadership and community service

These are free money granted by colleges, corporations, nonprofits, and community organizations. The award amount can cover tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies.

Why are merit-based scholarships valuable for college students? Since these are free money, there’s no need to repay them at any time. In contrast, student loans must be repaid with interest. There’s also no need to work for the money, as is the case with work-study programs.

Best of all, merit-based scholarships enable more individuals to earn a college degree. With the rising cost of college education, the free money to cover college costs is welcome.

In-state students in public colleges pay $11,011 in tuition and fees, on average (US News, 2024-2025). Out-of-state students pay higher tuition and fees – $24,513/year. Students in private colleges pay $43,505 in direct costs.

Besides tuition and fees, college students must also spend on indirect costs. Room and board, books and supplies, and living expenses are common.

Indirect costs comprise about 60% of the cost of attendance. Students can then spend between $27,500 and $108,700 per year without scholarships.

Yes, indeed, it’s a significant amount of money. But with merit-based academic scholarships, the cost becomes more manageable. There’s also less risk to take out student loans that, in 2024, totaled $41,520/student, on average. You’ll spend 7-10 years paying it off, too.

When you know how to find merit scholarships for high achievers, you’ll find full-tuition and full-ride scholarships. Full-tuition scholarships cover the full tuition and mandatory fees. Full-ride scholarships cover direct and indirect costs and even provide stipends.

But free money for your college education isn’t all there is to them. You’ll also enjoy networking and mentorship opportunities, community immersions, and other perks.

How to Effectively Search for Merit-Based Scholarships

The Digital Age ushered in more effective ways to search for everything. Log in to the Internet, use a search engine, and type in your search words – easy and effective.

Of course, your search efficiency will depend on your search skills. There are also information overload, misinformation and bias, and privacy issues. But with practice, your search for merit-based scholarships becomes more effective and efficient.

Start with these key strategies for finding scholarships and achieving better search results.

Key Strategies for Finding Scholarships Efficiently

• Use scholarship search engines. Start your search with the best websites for scholarships. These are one-stop shops for scholarships offered by colleges, corporations and nonprofits. You’ll create your profile with your GPA, test scores, and major. Then, you’ll receive personalized recommendations based on your profile.
• Check for scholarships with the colleges you’re interested in. Ask a college’s financial aid officer about the available merit scholarships. If you can’t make an in-person visit, check out its financial aid page. Browse the scholarships section, send an email for questions, and call, if possible.
• Ask for scholarship opportunities with professional and industry organizations. Ask profession-specific student clubs and organizations for recommendations. Many professional and industry organizations offer merit scholarships for next-gen professionals. Examples include AICPA (accounting), SWE (women in engineering), and NSPE (engineering). Consider national merit scholarships, too. The  National Merit Scholarship Program and National Science Foundation are popular.
• Explore local scholarship opportunities. Ask businesses, community organizations, and nonprofits in your local area. While these may offer smaller awards, every penny adds up to cover your college costs. With fewer applicants, you’ll also have higher chances of winning.
• Take full advantage of social media and online platforms. Check out College Confidential, Reddit’s r/scholarships, and Facebook groups for information and insights.
• Stay organized. Create a scholarship spreadsheet and portfolio. This way, you can keep track of application requirements, deadlines, and awards.

Useful Tips to Filter Results to Match Academic Qualifications and Interests

The best websites and databases featured below offer scholarship search tools. Your job is to take full advantage of these tools to get the best results possible. By best results, we mean scholarships that match your academic credentials and interests.

• Use the advanced search features. Filter based on your major and interests, for example.
• Search by special interests, geography, and demographics. Use keywords like “first-gen students,” “women in STEM,” or “underrepresented populations.”
• Use the award amount and renewable scholarship filters.
• Focus on your specific academic strengths.
• Boost your chances by highlighting your leadership and service experiences.

Yes, it takes time and effort to find merit scholarships that meet your needs. But once you have a list of these opportunities, it’s easier moving forward.

Top Scholarship Search Websites and Databases

Fastweb

This website features over 1.5 million scholarships for college students. But it’s fast and easy to find personalized scholarship matches based on your profile. Fastweb also offers free services and resources on:

• Career planning
• College application process
• Financial aid and student loans
• Internship and job-hunting strategies

Scholarships.com

The free online scholarship search platform offers more than 3.7 million scholarships. Find hundreds of academic scholarships based on your academic qualifications, among other criteria. Use the advanced search filters (e.g., cost and admission requirements) for this purpose.

Get email alerts and notifications, too, for new scholarships. The website updates its listing on a regular basis.

College Board’s Scholarship Search

This is a free online tool that offers merit-based financial aid opportunities. More than $6 billion in scholarships and grants are available. Students can browse the listings without creating an account. But, a personal account makes it possible to receive personalized matches.

The College Board also offers free college planning resources.

Cappex

This is among the top scholarship databases with many useful features, including:

• A scholarship search tool with filtering options
• Personalized college and scholarship recommendations based on your profile
• An admissions and scholarship chances calculator
• An application tracker

Cappex offers these services for free. Students can also access Cappex-exclusive scholarships.

Niche

This website offers thousands of scholarships for GPA requirements and other criteria. Users love its user-friendly interface and scholarship search tool.

If you’re still looking for colleges, Niche also offers college search tools and rankings. There are also student reviews about campus life, academics, and financial aid.

Unigo

Think free scholarship search sites that offer scholarship contests and it’s Unigo. Students can compete for video-based and essay scholarships.

Unigo offers an extensive scholarship database with an efficient search tool. There are no-essay scholarships along with high-value scholarships. Check out its college matching tool, reviews, and rating, too.

Bold.org

The free online scholarship search platform offers exclusive donor-funded scholarships. Students create a profile to receive personalized matches. There’s a wide range of scholarships, from no-essay to renewable scholarships.

Scholarships are available for all students, from high school to graduate students. Alerts are available via the site’s dashboard. College financial aid resources are also available.

Chegg Scholarships

Chegg offers a free online scholarship search tool for students from all backgrounds. While it’s a smaller database with 25,000 scholarships, it’s still useful for students.

Users create a profile to receive personalized scholarship matches. But you can also use the advanced search filters. Other features are deadline and application tracking and integration with Chegg’s services.

Peterson’s Scholarship Search

Peterson’s services include college search tools, test prep, and career planning. Its scholarship search service covers an extensive $10-billion financial aid database.

Notable features include personalized matching, search filters, and financial aid resources. Listings are updated on a regular basis, too.

Going Merry

If you want a simple scholarship application process, think Going Merry. Apply for as many scholarships as you’re eligible for using a single application form. Personalized scholarship matches are available, too, with your profile on hand.

There are also exclusive Going Merry scholarships aside from the usual ones. Browse scholarships using your mobile devices, too. Local and national scholarships are available. 

Online Tools to Help with Scholarship Applications

Scholly

Find AI-powered tools for more efficient scholarship applications with Scholly, including:

• Scholly Search offers access to an extensive scholarship database.
• SchollyMatch for personalized scholarship recommendations.
• Scholly Editor for better scholarship applications and essays.

You must use the Scholly Pay feature, too. With it, you’ll improve your negotiation skills to reduce student loan payments. 

Trello

Track your application deadlines using Trello, a visual project management tool. Features useful in scholarship applications include:

• Create dedicated boards, lists, and cards.
• Set deadlines and create reminders and alerts.
• Use filters and labels to organize your application documents.
• Store your application documents in one place.

Evernote

Being organized in your scholarship applications is easier with Evernote. The features that make it so include:

• Dedicated notebooks and tags to categorize scholarships
• Web clipper feature to save scholarship features and details
• Templates to track applications, including deadlines and documents

You can also store, search, and sync your application documents in one place.

Zapier

This is an automation tool with useful features like:

• Automate deadline reminders in Trello, Notion, or Google Calendar.
• Automatically save listings in your Google Sheets or whatever tool you’re using.
• Sync application documents in Dropbox or Google Drive.
• Set up alerts for new scholarships.

Notion

If you’re looking for an all-in-one note-taking and organization app, think Notion. Take advantage of these useful features in your scholarship applications.

• Create a personalized database for your scholarship opportunities. Use the sort, filter, and search features. Track deadlines and application status.
• Use Kanban boards to organize every application process. Move cards with every completed step.
• Create better application essays with its rich text editor.

You can also share documents with your family members and teachers for feedback.

Check out these online tools, too:

• Google Keep is a beginner-friendly tool for taking notes and reminders.
• Hemingway Editor is a free web-based tool to improve the clarity and readability of essays.
• Grammarly is an AI-powered grammar-checking, proofreading, and plagiarism tool.
• ProWritingAid is an advanced AI-powered writing assistant.
• Coggle is a mind-mapping tool that makes essay brainstorming more efficient.

Don’t use every tool in the book, however. Choose the best tools that work for you.

Tips to Maximize Your Scholarship Search Success

Here are effective scholarship application tips that will boost your success. 

• Create a personalized scholarship spreadsheet. Use Excel, Google Sheets, or Notion.
• Use online scholarship search tools on a regular basis. Sign up for notifications and email alerts to keep updated. Set aside 1-2 hours on scholarship search engines and databases.
• Understand the scholarship eligibility criteria. Take detailed notes, too. Apply first to scholarships with eligibility requirements matching your qualifications.

You must be aware of these common mistakes in your search and application.

• Skipping the smaller scholarships
• Ignoring need-based scholarships
• Not stacking as many scholarships as possible
• Missing deadlines or submitting applications at the last minute
• Not following the instructions
• Submitting the same resume and personal statement
• Not editing and proofreading your documents

Merit-based scholarships for high achievers are competitive because of their emphasis on achievements. Putting your best foot forward is a must but so is being organized and motivated.

Final Thoughts: Making Merit-Based Scholarships Work for You

Being successful at winning scholarships isn’t easy. You must be patient and persistent in applying to as many scholarships as possible. Be sure to double-check your application documents and meet deadlines, too.

But knowing how to win scholarships isn’t the end of the matter. Yes, your persistence in finding and applying for many scholarships bore fruit. You now have many merit scholarships that can cover a significant part or all of your college costs.

Now comes the challenging part. You must use your free money as intended – to pay for your college costs. This way, you’ll enjoy less financial stress and focus on your studies. Indeed, it’s a win-win for you.