The 9 Best Websites To Find College Scholarships | Student Loans

If you are looking for scholarships for college the first place you'll look is the same place as anything else, online. Here are the best places to start!

1. Zinch is a resource provided by Chegg and since it's one of the newest to the scholarship game it has the most appealing platform. The service is free and has provided more than 25,000 different scholarships worth more than $1 billion. Once you create your account you can browse for scholarships that are relevant to you. They allow you to use your zip code or cumulative GPA in high school to find scholarships that are a fit and let you review deadlines and submission requirements. 

2. CollegeScholarships.org allows you to search through over 23,000 scholarships and grants by specific categories that you may qualify for.

3. Scholarships.com has more than 3.7 million scholarships with a total value of more than $19 billion in their database. The site is free and easy to use and once you've become a member you can choose which scholarships you are most interested in. They update things every few months so you can always check back! 

4. FastWeb.com is another free resource and provides access to more than 1.5 million in scholarships and a total of $3.4 billion.  You can browse scholarships based on amount, type, or requirements before submitting an entry. They also boast about not selling or distributing your personal and private information to another third-party without your permission which is nice I guess.. 

Their data bases are updated every 24 hours which means they are the most updated scholarship search engine. With your account you can receive emails whenever a new scholarship that meets your criteria is available.  

5. FinAid.org is one of the most well-known resources for information about scholarships and financial aid. They don't have a live search for scholarships like the other sites but they will provide authenticity of scholarships before submitting your personal information. They also provide insight into potential scholarship scams and tax liabilities you may face with different scholarships. 
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6. College Board is one of the first educational-based organizations and today has turned into a massive database of scholarships worth more than $3 billion. New scholarships are added annually but they make updates or changes on a monthly basis. They also offer a book version if you are looking for a paper copy!

7. ScholarshipMonkey.com is a free online database where you can compare more than 4,000 scholarships and see how they've given $3 billion worth of scholarships since its launch. You'll want to opt-out of sharing your information and personal data by requesting your information be stored privately by sending a handwritten or typed letter. 

8. SallieMae is not just for loans anymore as they have become a resource for people looking to find scholarships through Scholarship Search by SallieMae. They have shared more than $18 billion worth in scholarships since they started providing resources and opportunities. The site allows you to find ideal scholarships based on your field of study, areas of interest, or the type of college or university you have in mind.

Once you become a member you'll get access to the scholarship searching tool, college-planning calculator tool, and a letter analyzer to look over what you'll be sending to colleges and universities you might go to. 

9. The U.S. Department of Labor has a free scholarship search tool that has more than 7,500 scholarships, grants, and other financial awards.

​This isn't really a website but MyScholly is an app that is helpful also!

​Summary

Luckily all these services are free which means if you are having to pay to search for scholarships it may be a scam or better options are out there. Applying for scholarships can be daunting and time consuming but coming from someone who thought I didn't want to spend the time I wish I had! ​