If you’re anything like me, you researched the cost of your tuition to prepare for school and felt your heart stop when you saw the price tag.
According to Sofi.com, a whopping 100 million dollars in scholarships and 200 million dollars in grants go unclaimed.
Despite the estimated millions that go unclaimed, I found it hard to find scholarships beyond the consistent 5 that popped up under every search.
To make it easier for struggling students like me, I’ve compiled a list of scholarship websites and topics to help others find the funding they need.
- Scholarship Websites
- Loans and Grants
- Tips for applying
Scholarship Websites
With thousands of websites popping up under each scholarship search it’s hard to know which site will give you reliable results. Here are a few I found trustworthy paired with a rating of each site. (Links to sites are underlined)
Scholarship America
Scholarship America was founded in 1958 by optometrist Dr. Irving Fradkin in Fall River, Massachusetts. They work with several brands to start scholarship funds and encourage students of every background to apply
Their scholarship opportunities are listed clearly, and all the postings are legitimate opportunities. The deadlines are also clearly listed next to each title. Here, you won’t get your hopes up on a scholarship to later find its deadline has already passed.
Usability: 4.5/5 Information: 4.5/5 Site Navigation: 5/5
Niche
Niche is one of the more popular scholarship websites, and is well-known for its college search engine and rankings with categories like social life and campus.
Their scholarship search provides several pages; the first couple of pages boast “no essay scholarships” worth anywhere from 1,000 to 50,000 dollars with no application fee.
While this may seem like easy money, these listings are highly competitive for students. Further, the amount of money and deadline “varies” on many postings with lengthy descriptions below.
While it is a helpful avenue to find new possibilities for scholarships and it won’t hurt to cross your fingers and enter the lottery system, it’s not my go-to scholarship search engine.
Usability: 2.5/5 Information: 2/5 Site Navigation: 3.5/5
Scholly
Scholly was first advertised on Shark Tank by the creator Christopher Grey, who earned 1.3 million dollars in scholarships during his collegiate career. The site boasts a website and app to aid students in finding opportunities.
Scholly is similar to Niche, the front page boasts 25000 dollar scholarships with “no essay to enter;” it’s attractive, yet highly competitive.
They have clear deadlines and scholarship values next to their listings, however, you may be disappointed to find the posting is no longer active despite being active on Scholly’s site.
This site overall is easy to use and after clicking through the first few pages of “sweepstakes” and “chance to win” listings you’ll find quite a few helpful postings.
Usability: 3.5/5 Information: 3.5/5 Site Navigation: 4/5
Scholarship Institute
Scholarship Institute noted the strikingly high number of individuals with student debt (1 in 5 Americans, not exclusively students). The site is run by Morgen Henderson and Mary Ann Lazar, who research scholarships and provide objective information.
The scholarships available on the site are all legitimate and have been pre-categorized by the coordinators so it’s easy to scan through to see what you might qualify for.
They even review popular scholarship search sites in depth with an honest analysis of the website’s accessibility, which I found incredibly helpful.
They also have fantastic resources for students like tutors, PSAT tips, AP test advice, and service animal access in school. Overall, even if you don’t need scholarships, as a student this website is a great resource.
Usability: 5/5 Information: 5/5 Site Navigation: 4/5
Loans and Grants
Loans and grants differ from scholarships in their type of funding but are another avenue available to students preparing for a significant bill.
A loan is money borrowed, meaning it must also be paid back. Loans accrue interest, or an annual percentage of the money you are loaned. In 2023, undergraduate loans had 5.50% interest and graduate loans had 7.05% or 8.05% interest depending on the loan.
A grant is similar to a scholarship because it does not need to be paid back. These are generally different than scholarships because they are provided based on financial need rather than merit.
SoFi
SoFi is a great starting point to understand which loans and grants are available based on your state. They specialize in fields beyond student loans such as mortgage, and auto.
This site helps outline the different varieties of loans available. They define the criteria to be eligible for each loan in your area and the confusing terms like “unsubsidized” and “direct consolidation.”
They also have links to grants and scholarships specific to your state as you look around their site.
Usability: 4/5 Information: 5/5 Site Navigation: 4/5
Tips for Applying
As you prepare for your scholarship search, prepare to write a few essays and ask around for some letters of recommendation. How should you approach this?
Asking for Letters of Recommendation
The types of people you should ask for a letter of recommendation are teachers, supervisors, or advisors. These people should know you and your work ethic well so they can highlight specific attributes that make you stand out in the crowd.
Be sure to ask 2 or 3 months before your application is due, many of the people you ask will not be able to write it right away and will need some notice.
When you request a letter of rec, your references will ask what day you need this completed. Providing a date a week before the true submission due date will give you some wiggle room to collect your information, letter(s), and essays so you aren’t panicking to submit everything the day of.
You might be nervous to ask, and that’s completely normal. However, you’d be surprised how many of your peers or supervisors are more than willing to provide a letter of recommendation on your behalf.
Some of your references may ask for information you would like added to the letter. This is your opportunity to tailor your shining review to the scholarship. For example, if the scholarship is based on community service be sure to provide a detailed list of your volunteer hours and service paired with the tasks you completed.
Be aware that some of the individuals you ask may say no, it happened to me and it’s okay! They have work, families, and commitments that may be a handful as is, adding one more task is too much to handle. Be sure to thank them for their time and seek other sources.
Writing Your Essays
These are usually anywhere from 300 to 1000 words submitted with your personal and school information.
Many platforms allow you to write your essay directly on the site and submit it as is. However, if the site crashes, freezes, or closes before you have the opportunity to submit you will lose all of your work (this has happened to me!!)
Before starting your essay, copy and paste the prompt into Word, Google Docs, or whichever document platform you use. Then draft your essay and once you are finished paste it into the official website.
This part should go without saying, but always always always check your work. Check for grammar and spelling mistakes before you submit to maintain the professionalism you presented with the content of your essay.
Takeaways
Scan over each scholarship site to get an idea of the resources available to you. Once you have a list of websites you trust, stick with those and compile a list of scholarships you are eligible for.
If you are still overwhelmed and unsure what is best, the financial advisor at your school is a great resource to step you through an already intimidating process. For those not quite enrolled yet (starting in the Fall, considering if they can afford school, etc.) you should still be able to schedule a meeting with your future or potential school’s financial advisor. Don’t be afraid to call or email with questions, they are there to help!