But even if you’re already sold on the value of scholarships, it can be difficult to actually find them. Here are some of the best resources to find scholarships that match your talents and interests to help you finance your education.
What do the best scholarship websites offer?
The best scholarship search engines will list a wide variety of scholarships, including niche awards, lotteries, and major national awards. Most sites also allow you to create a profile where you can save scholarship applications for later or receive alerts when a scholarship matching your skills is posted.
Scholarship sites should also allow you to filter awards by specific categories and characteristics, such as your location, grade point average (GPA), or ethnicity. Narrowing down scholarships is key to your success because you’re more likely to win awards that relate to your unique talents and interests.
The best scholarship websites serve as invaluable resources for students seeking financial aid to pursue their education. These platforms go beyond merely listing scholarship opportunities; they provide comprehensive features and user-friendly interfaces to streamline the scholarship search process.
- Extensive Scholarship Database: Top scholarship websites boast vast databases with a wide array of scholarship opportunities. Users can filter and search based on criteria such as academic achievements, field of study, or demographic information, ensuring a tailored and efficient search experience.
- User-Friendly Navigation: The best scholarship websites prioritize user experience, offering intuitive interfaces that make navigation seamless. Easy-to-use search tools and filters empower students to quickly find scholarships relevant to their unique qualifications and aspirations.
- Up-to-Date Information: Keeping abreast of the latest scholarship opportunities is crucial. Leading scholarship websites regularly update their databases to provide accurate and current information, ensuring that students have access to the most recent opportunities available.
- Application Guidance: Beyond just listing scholarships, these websites often offer valuable insights and tips on the application process. This may include advice on writing compelling essays, preparing recommendation letters, and navigating the overall application procedure.
- Deadline Reminders: Timeliness is critical when applying for scholarships. The best platforms offer features such as deadline reminders and notifications, helping students stay organized and submit their applications punctually.
- Educational Resources: Some scholarship websites go the extra mile by providing educational content, including articles, webinars, or guides on financial aid, standardized testing, and college admissions. This additional information can empower students with knowledge to make informed decisions about their academic journey.
- Personalized Profiles: Users often appreciate platforms that allow them to create personalized profiles, inputting their academic and extracurricular achievements. These profiles can then be used to match students with relevant scholarship opportunities.
11 Scholarship Websites to Help You Find Awards
We reviewed popular scholarship websites and compared them based on factors such as the ability to filter and sort listings, save information to your profile, ease of use of the sites, and added tools such as an automatic comparison feature. Here are the best scholarship websites you can use to find awards you’re eligible for:
1. Scholarships.com
Scholarships.com awards scholarships by a variety of unique categories, including GPA, military affiliation, ethnicity, artistic ability, ACT or SAT score, and state of residence. And when you select one of these categories, you’ll likely see a large list of subcategories where you can then view all eligible scholarships. This system helps students find niche awards with smaller groups of bidders that are more likely to win.
2. Fastweb
Fastweb collects awards from directories large and small. To search for scholarships, you need to create a profile that is similar to other sites. But after the initial registration process, you can easily search for scholarships and filter your results based on a few data points. Fastweb will also notify you when a new scholarship matching your description is posted and when you have upcoming deadlines.
3. Dormitory Council
You’re probably familiar with the College Board if you’ve taken the SAT, AP tests, or other college entrance exams. But the College Board can help you after you’ve been accepted to school—its scholarship search can help you find awards to help pay for college.
After creating an account, you can filter awards based on your interests, field, club affiliation, or specific situations, such as when your parents are divorced. The College Board will also automatically match you with eligible scholarships based on the information in your profile. There is also an autofill feature that allows you to reuse information from other scholarship applications, saving you time and helping you apply for more awards.
4. Going Merry
Applying for scholarships can seem repetitive; that’s why Going Merry allows students to enter information once and apply for multiple scholarships at the same time. If you’re pressed for time, check out the pricing on Going Merry before checking out the other main sites.
The site also prides itself on including local awards that are less competitive and can be easier to win than the big national scholarships.
5. Owl Scholarship
Scholarship Owl is a popular scholarship website that compiles awards and organizes them by amount, request types, number of winners, and application deadline.
Scholarship Owl will automatically resubmit your application for recurring scholarships that require nothing beyond your basic information. This gives you more time to focus on awards that require essays and letters of recommendation.
6. Bold.org
While many scholarship sites are difficult to navigate, Bold.org has one of the cleanest interfaces. It’s easy to search and find the different scholarships you may be eligible for, and you can filter by education level, award category, award amount, and deadline. You can even switch to the “no essay” button to find scholarships that don’t require a written essay.
7. Capital
Cappex claims to be the largest scholarship database online, so it might be worth checking the site for possible leads. Like other sites, you need to create an account to see all the scholarships you might be eligible for. Their filtering system allows you to sort awards by year in school, scholarship amount, gender, ethnicity and award date. You can also look for renewable scholarships that offer college funding for multiple years.
8. Scholly
When you fill out a profile on Scholly, their algorithm searches for available scholarships and creates a list of eligible awards. Each scholarship will have a Scholly score that assesses how well it fits your background and experience. The higher the Scholly score, the better you meet the scholarship requirements.
9. CareerOneStop
The US Department of Labor has its own website for scholarships through the CareerOneStop portal. More than 8,000 scholarships are listed here, and you can filter awards by keyword or sort by amount, term, state of residence, and state of study.
Scholarships are available for students enrolled in professional school or working toward an associate degree, as well as undergraduate and graduate students.
10. Scholars4dev
Scholarship for Development Known as Scholars4dev, is an updated listing of scholarships for international students, specifically for people from developing countries, people who would like to pursue development-related fields, who seek global and national development through further education.
11. ScholarshipRoar
ScholarshipRoar.com, is an updated listing of international scholarships for students who seek national and global development through higher education. At this site, you will find information on scholarships, grants, and any other means of financial supports available worldwide. You will also find information on application resources, scholarship/study guide, how to apply and employment/profession guide to assist you in fulfilling your educational and professional dreams.
Our mission is to promote higher education and help bright and needy students in finding scholarship and financial aid opportunities worldwide. The higher education will help students to channel their unbridled zeal into more productive avenues and become agents of enlightenment in the world.
You should also search online through your state’s department of education or higher education agency, which may also list local awards and grants. Remember that local awards are often easier to win than national scholarships because the number of applicants is likely to be smaller.
conclusion
Applying for scholarships can seem like an exercise in futility unless you have a 4.0 GPA or an impressive extracurricular record. But winning scholarships is more about your attitude than your honors. If you are persistent and apply for the scholarships you are eligible for, you will have a much better chance than if you called it quits.
Set aside time each week to review these resources and find scholarships you may be eligible for. Every dollar you earn in scholarships is a dollar you won’t have to borrow for student loans.
FAQs
What are the best scholarship websites for international students?
Answer: There are several scholarship websites that cater to international students. Some of the best ones include Scholarship.com, Fastweb, Chevening (for UK-bound students), and InternationalScholarships.com. These platforms offer a variety of scholarships for students around the world.
How can I maximize my chances of finding relevant scholarships using search engines?
Answer: To maximize your chances, use specific keywords related to your field of study, interests, or demographic details. Regularly update your profile on scholarship search engines, and set up email alerts to receive notifications about new opportunities. Additionally, explore niche websites and professional organizations that might offer scholarships in your specific area.
Do scholarship websites charge a fee for access to their services?
Answer: Reputable scholarship websites and search engines do not charge fees to access their databases or apply for scholarships. Be cautious of any platform that requests payment for access, as this could be a scam. Legitimate scholarship opportunities are typically free for students to explore and apply for.
Can I apply for multiple scholarships simultaneously?
Answer: Yes, you can apply for multiple scholarships simultaneously. In fact, it’s encouraged to increase your chances of receiving financial aid. Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria for each scholarship, and tailor your application materials to match the specific requirements of each opportunity.
What documents and information do I need to have ready when applying for scholarships?
Answer:Â While specific requirements vary, common documents and information needed for scholarship applications include academic transcripts, letters of recommendation, a resume or curriculum vitae (CV), a personal statement or essay, and proof of financial need. It’s essential to carefully review the application instructions for each scholarship and provide all requested materials in a timely manner.
