When thinking about the future, ever-increasing tuition costs are a concern for many students. While there are countless scholarships available, it can be overwhelming deciding where to look first. Here are some helpful websites to check for scholarship opportunities that can reduce the cost of tuition, supplies, and any other expenses in the way of starting your college journey.
Unigo.com
Unigo.com has a multitude of scholarships available. After signing up, you’ll be prompted to answer questions about your academic and personal life. These questions help the site match you with scholarships that you may be eligible for. Unigo also has its own self-published scholarships available as well. Most are fifteen hundred dollars or over, so writing the required 250-word-maximum essay is more than worth it.
Bold.org
Bold.org publishes new scholarships every day, including fun scholarships like the recent “Billie Eilish Fan Scholarship,” which asks the applicant to write an essay about their three favorite Billie Eilish songs.
Bold.org also has its own currency, called Bold Points, which can be redeemed as real money. To begin earning these points, the site has tasks with the number of points you’ll earn from completing them attached. Some of these tasks consist of completing surveys, applying to scholarships on other sites, and completing your Bold.org profile. Accumulating Bold Points will also qualify you for the websites very own scholarships. The more points you receive, the higher the chance of winning their scholarships.
Scholarships360.org
This website has the largest array of scholarships. The site presents plenty of filters to help narrow down the kind of scholarships you are eligible for or interested in by funneling hundreds of scholarships and matching, semi-matching, or deterring you from them. You are also able to save scholarships for later dates and track the ones you have already applied for.
Niche.com
Niche.com has scholarships specific to Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. In addition to providing scholarship opportunities, the site has reviews and ratings for colleges all over the world that students may be interested in. Students can also use the site to explore housing options near the of their choosing, and with a account, you can receive messages from colleges that are interested in speaking with you or have already accepted you to their school.
ScholarshipOwl.com
Scholarship Owl, while it is the most underdeveloped site on this list, asks you a multitude of questions and sends you scholarships that you are eligible for. The site often finds scholarships that you won’t find on your own, and sorts them by the amount of earnings. Additionally, upon registration, you’ll automatically be entered to win the site’s 50,000-dollar scholarship. You are also given the option to pay to have the site apply to the scholarships it has matched to you. For some, this may be a stress-free way to apply for the otherwise overwhelming number of scholarships presented.
Scholarshippoints.com
This site is based around earning points by completing tasks like applying to other scholarships and signing up for other sites. However, Scholarship Points has the user put the points they have earned towards scholarships on their page. One-point equals one entry, so the site advises students to apply the points strategically. The site has a drawing every fifteen days, starting with the 2,500-dollar giveaway on the fifteenth of the month, and three 1,000-dollar giveaways at the end of the month. However, while great for sweepstake submissions, Scholarship Points is not viable as a stand-alone scholarship website and should be used in addition to the others.
Scholarships.com
Scholarships.com has a large array of scholarships to apply for, even including college specific ones that you may receive upon acceptance. The site has a “Scholarship Directory” where you will search for scholarships with your specific qualifications. Whether it is based on your test scores or your intended major in college, Scholarships.com has the scholarships for you. In addition, next to each scholarship is a checkmark or “X”. Clicking the checkmark will indicate to the site that you have completed that scholarship and will match you with others which are similar over time.
CollegeXpress.com
Unlike the other sites on this list, College Xpress is primarily a college connection website. The site sends the info you present to colleges of your choice. College Xpress will also email you about colleges who reach out to you. However, College Xpress also has a decent number of scholarships which don’t require long essays to apply. Much of the time, these scholarships only ask for a 100-character response to earn an entry into the giveaway.
Appily.com
Appily is a great place for scholarship searching, housing a large catalogue with almost zero limitations. The website has its own scholarships which you will apply for upon signing up. The site also allows you to list the colleges you’re interested in applying to, where it will then help you keep track of your application progress and inform you of any changes in the college’s interests.
CollegeBoard.org
You have most likely heard Ms. Gill or one of your teachers mention this site. College Board is the most accessible and organized site on this list. Not only do you already have free access to the site, but it also presents a list of tasks to complete for the student to stay focused during their journey to college. College Board has sections for scholarship searching, college searching, and even career searching. The site also houses your scores for the PSAT and the SAT, which you will need while applying to colleges. Using College Board will ensure that you are ready for life after graduation.
Whether you’re a stressed-out senior or just want to get ahead, signing up for some of these sites is something you won’t regret.
