Searching for scholarships can feel overwhelming, but the right websites can make the process much easier. Instead of manually sifting through hundreds of programs, scholarship search engines allow you to filter by eligibility, deadlines, and award amounts. Whether you’re a high school senior, college student, or graduate applicant, these top scholarship websites will help you find free money for school.

1. Scholarships.com

Best for: Large scholarship database and personalized matching

Why It’s Great:

  • Over 3.7 million scholarships worth $19 billion
  • Free personalized search based on your background, major, and interests
  • Updated frequently with new scholarships

Pros:
✔ Easy to use with detailed filters
✔ Includes college-specific scholarships
✔ Free to sign up and search

Cons:
🚫 Requires creating an account to access full listings
🚫 Some scholarships may have high competition

🔗 Visit: www.scholarships.com

2. Fastweb

Best for: Students looking for personalized scholarship recommendations

Why It’s Great:

  • One of the oldest and most trusted scholarship search engines
  • Matches students with scholarships, internships, and part-time jobs
  • Sends email alerts for new scholarship opportunities

Pros:
✔ Advanced filtering to find scholarships that fit you
✔ Offers financial aid and loan information
✔ Great for high school and college students

Cons:
🚫 Requires an account to access full listings
🚫 Some email alerts can be repetitive

🔗 Visit: www.fastweb.com

3. Cappex

Best for: Finding scholarships and comparing colleges

Why It’s Great:

  • Over $11 billion in scholarships available
  • Includes a college search tool to compare schools
  • Helps students see their admissions chances based on their profile

Pros:
✔ Easy to navigate with clear scholarship details
✔ Combines college and scholarship search in one place
✔ Includes student reviews of colleges

Cons:
🚫 Requires sign-up to view scholarships
🚫 Some scholarship listings may be outdated

🔗 Visit: www.cappex.com

4. Chegg Scholarships

Best for: A user-friendly experience and no spam emails

Why It’s Great:

  • Over 25,000 scholarships listed
  • No need to create an account
  • Simple, clean search tool for quick results

Pros:
✔ No account required to browse
✔ No spam or excessive emails
✔ Straightforward search filters

Cons:
🚫 Fewer scholarship opportunities than bigger databases
🚫 Some scholarships are limited to U.S. students

🔗 Visit: www.chegg.com/scholarships

5. Niche

Best for: No-essay scholarships and unique awards

Why It’s Great:

  • Offers easy-to-apply no-essay scholarships
  • Includes college rankings and reviews
  • Some scholarships require just a quick sign-up

Pros:
✔ Simple application process
✔ Unique scholarship opportunities
✔ Great for students who don’t want to write essays

Cons:
🚫 Limited advanced search filters
🚫 High competition for easy-apply scholarships

🔗 Visit: www.niche.com

6. College Board’s BigFuture

Best for: Reliable scholarships from a trusted source

Why It’s Great:

  • Over $6 billion in scholarships
  • Offers scholarship programs directly from the College Board
  • Matches students with merit-based and need-based scholarships

Pros:
✔ Reputable source for scholarships
✔ No account required to browse
✔ Helps students understand financial aid

Cons:
🚫 Some scholarships require additional applications
🚫 Not as many niche scholarships as other sites

🔗 Visit: bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

7. Bold.org

Best for: Exclusive scholarships with less competition

Why It’s Great:

  • Offers exclusive scholarships not found on other sites
  • Focuses on students with unique backgrounds, interests, and talents
  • Many scholarships have lower applicant pools, increasing chances of winning

Pros:
✔ No-essay scholarships available
✔ Supports underrepresented students
✔ Private platform with unique funding sources

Cons:
🚫 Requires a Bold.org account
🚫 Not as many large scholarships as bigger search engines

🔗 Visit: www.bold.org

8. Going Merry

Best for: Applying to multiple scholarships with one application

Why It’s Great:

  • Allows you to apply for multiple scholarships at once
  • Matches students with scholarships based on their profile
  • Also provides grants and financial aid resources

Pros:
✔ Saves time with a universal application
✔ Includes both local and national scholarships
✔ Offers FAFSA assistance

Cons:
🚫 Requires an account to access scholarships
🚫 Some scholarships still require separate applications

🔗 Visit: www.goingmerry.com

How to Make the Most of Scholarship Websites

💡 Sign up for multiple sites – No single website has every scholarship, so use at least 2-3 for the best results.

💡 Set up email alerts – Stay updated on new scholarships before deadlines pass.

💡 Apply early and often – The more you apply, the better your chances of winning.

💡 Watch out for scamsLegit scholarships never ask for money or personal financial details.

Final Thoughts: Find Free Money for College

Scholarships can make a huge difference in reducing student debt, but finding the right ones takes effort. These top scholarship websites will help you maximize your chances of winning. Take the time to explore them, apply for as many scholarships as possible, and keep working toward your educational goals!

Related Content

The Best Essay-Based Scholarships with Minimal Requirements

When it comes to landing college scholarships, many students assume that top GPAs and perfect SAT scores are the only tickets to free money. But in reality, there’s a whole category of scholarships where your grades matter far less than your ability to write a...

Employer Tuition Reimbursement: How to Use It Wisely

Going back to school or earning a degree while working can be expensive—but if your employer offers tuition reimbursement, you’ve got one of the best education benefits around. Many companies now help employees pay for college or graduate school, giving workers the...

The Best Free Online Resources for College Students

College can be expensive, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay for everything. From study tools to financial management apps, there are plenty of free online resources designed to help students succeed. Whether you need help with coursework, budgeting, or staying...

Making the Most of Work-Study Programs

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is often seen as just another line on a financial aid award letter. But when used strategically, it can be more than a paycheck. It can help reduce borrowing, build professional skills, and create connections that last beyond graduation. If...

Scholarship Application Mistakes to Avoid

Applying for scholarships is one of the best ways to reduce college costs, but even the most qualified students can lose out on funding due to simple mistakes. A strong application can mean the difference between winning free money for school or missing out on...

Financial Aid Tips for Adults Going Back to School

Why Financial Aid Looks Different for Adult Learners If you're an adult thinking about returning to school, you’re not alone—and you're definitely not out of options. Financial aid isn’t just for recent high school grads. There are grants, loans, scholarships, and...

Is Community College a Smart Choice for Adult Learners?

Rethinking the College Path For adult learners going back to school, community college often flies under the radar. But with flexible schedules, lower costs, and programs designed to fast-track careers, it might just be one of the smartest moves you can make. Whether...

Making the Most of Your Scholarships: A Guide to Maximizing Your Benefits

Winning a scholarship is an incredible achievement, but it’s just the beginning. Once you’ve secured funding, it’s essential to use it wisely and strategically. Learn how to stretch your scholarship dollars, stay eligible, and make the most of this opportunity for a...

How to Pay Off Student Loans Faster Without Burning Out

Student loans can feel like a long-term companion you never asked for—one that lingers long after graduation. With the average U.S. graduate owing over $30,000, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or unsure where to start. But here’s the good news: paying off student loans...

Balancing Family, Work, and Education: Time Management Tips for Adult Learners

Going back to school as an adult can be rewarding, but it also comes with challenges—especially if you’re juggling family, a full-time job, and coursework. Finding time for everything without feeling overwhelmed is possible with the right strategies. Learn how to...

Check out these scholarships:

Pentagon Federal Credit Union Pilot Training Scholarship

This scholarship is sponsored by Pentagon Federal Credit Union to fund pilot training towards a private pilot's license for three AFA members at a facility of their choice. The scholarship will be up to $10,000 and will be applied towards instructor training and...

Park Foundation Scholarship

Two awards are given to full-time students, one male and one female. Recipient must be either a single female, head-of-household student with dependents; a single male, head of household with dependents; or a Vietnam veteran who no longer has access to educational...

Alec Baldwin Drama Scholarship

The oldest Hollywood-working actor of the famous Baldwin brothers, Alec Baldwin received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in drama from New York University in 1994. The philanthropic celebrity has established an endowed scholarship for NYU students in the Tisch School...

ACF Rae Lee Siporin Scholarship for Women

The Rae Lee Siporin Scholarship for Women will make awards to those women who are continuing or returning to college/university for their first undergraduate degree and need financial assistance for their senior year of school. This program encourages applications...

Education Matters Scholarship

Why does education matter to you? What is the value you hope to receive from college? What would you do to convince the college cynics?Scholarship Sponsor UNIGO.COMAward Type $5,000 CashGender Eligibility AllOther Requirements/Criteria Geographic Criteria: USA...

Women Empowering Women Scholarship

The Women Empowering Women Scholarship helps non-traditional female students who have not had the opportunity to attend college or complete their post-secondary education started previously in life.Scholarship Sponsor Dearborn Community FoundationAward Type $500...

The VFW’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship”

The VFW's "Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship" provides service members and veterans with the financial assistance they need to complete their educational goals without incurring excessive student loan debt. Scholarship Sponsor Veterans of Foreign Wars Award Type...

Wisconsin Women’s Alliance Foundation Scholarship

The Wisconsin Women's Alliance Foundation Scholarship awarded to a female Wisconsin student attending a Wisconsin technical college or an accredited two-year or four-year Wisconsin college or universityScholarship Sponsor Community Foundation for the Fox Valley...

M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship

To enable women to return to physics research careers after having had to interrupt those careers. The fellowship consists of a one-year award of up to $45,000. Allowed expenses include dependent care (limited to 50% of the award), salary, travel, equipment, and...

New Mexico Tech Freshmen Silver Scholarship

New Mexico Tech gives academic scholarships, or merit-based aid, solely on the basis of academic achievement. All first-time scholarships require the student to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and be enrolled full time (12 hours or more per semester). The...

Hawaii Association of Public Accountants Big Island Scholarship

HAPA’s Big Island Chapter provides up awards to accounting scholars and future accountants each year. Applicants need not attend institutions located in Hawaii, but they must be accredited and students must be enrolled full-time to receive this award. Scholarship...

NCTA/AWMF Scholarship

To be eligible for the NCTA/AWMF Scholarship, applicants must submit a project concept based on the internet and television industry, cable operators, content providers, or affiliated vendors, and include a statement about why they believe the topic to be important. A...

Chris Andersen WomenLead Scholarship

WomenLead recognizes the need for diverse leadership in ministry, nonprofits and civic organizations and accelerates the extraordinary leadership of diverse women of faith to lead change by using their talents to educate, advocate, and activate. Two educational...

Hudson & Holland Scholars Program

The Hudson & Holland Scholars Program (HHSP) is a scholarship and support program for high-achieving minority students who are historically underrepresented. It is the largest merit-based scholarship and support program at Indiana University and serves nearly 2,000...

NJ Society of CPAs Four-Year Scholarship

The NJCPA Scholarship Fund awards $7,000 scholarships to college-bound New Jersey high school seniors intending to major in accounting or obtain a concentration in accounting which includes not less than 24 accounting credits. Scholarships are awarded based on...
Skip to content