The Best Scholarship Search Sites, Books, and More

Do you want to win college scholarships? There are literally billions of dollars out there but you need the right resources to find them. We found them for you!

Wondering where you can find college scholarships? Well, lucky for you, there are tons of resources with literally billions of dollars in awards out there. Sure, finding and winning those scholarships will take some work. But don’t worry—you’ve got this. And these scholarship sites, books, and other resources will help.

Scholarship search sites

You’re probably going to do most (if not all) of your scholarship searching online. Use these sites—and, yes, use more than one. Scholarship databases can vary a lot from site to site!

  • CollegeXpress: A great place to start your scholarship search is the site you’re on. Sure, we’re a little biased, but CollegeXpress has $7 billion in scholarships listed in its database. And all you have to do is enter a little bit of info to get a list of awards that fit you. (Plus, you can enter our $10,000 scholarship giveaway just for registering—for free!)
  • College Board: Ah, the people who brought you the SAT, PSAT, AP tests, and the most popular college search tool (even we can admit that) can hook you up with scholarships too! They conduct their own scholarship survey, and they’ve collected $6 billion in awards from 2,200 scholarship providers.
  • Fastweb: Once you sign up with this free site, you can access info on scholarships worth more than $3.4 billion. The site allows you to develop matches between your own interests and abilities and possibilities drawn from 1.5 million scholarships. Along with guidelines and application details, there are specially featured scholarships, application tips and even helpful videos.
  • Peterson's: Peterson’s has a simple and straightforward scholarship search tool, with links to 5,000 scholarship providers and 1.5 million awards. These include scholarships, grants, fellowships, sweepstakes/prizes, and even some favorable loans. They also have a bunch of easy-to-win featured awards.
  • Scholarships.com: It may come as no surprise that the scholarship search service that managed to nab the best site name also happens to be on top of the scholarship search game. They have 3.7 million awards totaling around $19 billion. That’s billion with a B. Dang.
  • StudentScholarships.org: Along with providing scholarship management services for companies, the site maintains an extensive database of scholarship opportunities, which anyone can search for free. You can also sign up for updates on new awards that become available during the year.
  • And if these aren’t enough, other scholarship search sites worth checking out include Cappex, CollegeNET, and Unigo.

Scholarship guide books

While you can’t beat the convenience of scholarship search websites, printed directories can also be great for browsing, getting ideas, and making notes. Several publishers produce annual editions offering 600–800 pages packed with scholarship listings. These are some of the best:

  • The Ultimate Scholarship Book (published by SuperCollege): Thiss guide somehow manages to squeeze in over a million scholarship profiles. (Of course, the book is massive, but still.) The awards are organized by pretty standard scholarship search criteria: majors and academics, jobs, artistic talent, sports, religion, ethnicity, and more. They also offer some helpful advice for searching and applying to awards.
  • Scholarships, Grants & Prizes (published by Peterson's): This collection of “privately funded awards” provides details on hundreds of scholarships. They too are categorized by common search criteria, like academics, career interests, athletic and other talents, military experience, and more. They also have a “quick-reference chart” with awards over $2,000, as well as general scholarship search advice.
  • Scholarship Handbook (published by College Board): With “the most complete and authoritative facts about more than 1.7 million awards” (according to their Amazon listing, at least) and every entry verified to be accurate and viable at multiple colleges, this book is a great addition to your scholarship library. It also includes internships and loan programs, as well as a scholarship search planning calendar and worksheet you can fill out.

Local scholarship resources

In addition to scholarships listed in online or print directories, don’t overlook those offered on a local basis. If you’re still in high school, you may be eligible to apply for a wide range of scholarships that are available only to students from your school district or town/city. Regional companies, credit unions, and civic organizations (Rotary Club, Lions Club, American Legion, etc.) are among many other possibilities. Be sure to ask your high school guidance counselor for more info on these scholarships; your local library might have a list of awards too.

College/university scholarships

Before you get caught up in finding and applying to every national award out there, remember: your college or university will also offer its own scholarships, just for students attending the school. Many of these awards will be broken down by academic major, so look for scholarships related to your academic major if you have one. Be sure to research and apply (if necessary) for awards available at any college you’re considering. Basic information will be available on the school’s website, but it’s a good idea to check with the financial aid office for more details.

Where else can you find scholarships?

Finally, don’t limit your thinking. When it comes to hunting down scholarships, cast a wide net, says Sarah Seitz, an independent college counselor based in Houston, Texas. “Don’t just apply for the big money scholarships, as they tend to be far more competitive,” she says. “Seek out smaller ones that will attract fewer applicants. They add up!” 

Scholarship search advice

Using websites, books, and local resources to find scholarships is just the beginning. You’ll need to review various guidelines and determine if you are eligible to apply (many scholarships have very specific eligibility limits) and whether your background provides enough of a potential match that it's worth your time to apply. Next, you’ll need to put in the effort to complete application forms in a complete and competitive way. This advice on CollegeXpress can help you send in the best, most winningest scholarship applications possible:

What resources are your using in your scholarship search? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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Katie

Katie

High School Class of 2019

My favorite feature of CollegeXpress is the scholarship search. As someone going out of state for college, I needed all the financial help I could get, and CollegeXpress helped me easily find scholarships I could apply for to help fund my education.

Sonny Harris

Sonny Harris

College Student

For the entire year before college, I spent a lot of time deeply considering what major I wanted to go into and how to fund my higher education. After a lot of research, I came across CollegeXpress, which helped me ultimately find a ton of scholarships for which I could apply—and some of which I received! If it weren’t for CollegeXpress, I may not have found those scholarships as they didn't appear on any other scholarship search forum. Additionally, I learned more about the options I had been considering for my major through CollegeXpress’s resources. In the end, I chose to major in Computer Science, as it seemed best suited to me and the careers in the field seemed enjoyable, and I've never been more excited to move into my future! Ultimately, I want to thank CollegeXpress for offering their services. I received enough financial aid in scholarships to fund my entire freshman year of college and even got some money refunded which I used to purchase a new laptop, and I bought all of the books I needed for the semester!

Ida Akoto-Wiafe

Ida Akoto-Wiafe

High School Class of 2022

I wanted a school that wasn't too far away from home and could provide me with a full-ride scholarship. CollegeXpress helped me put into perspective the money I had to pay to attend those schools, which ultimately drove me to choose to attend a community college first to get used to being in college before transferring to the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, one of the colleges I was able to research further on CollegeXpress.

Maria  Fernanda

Maria Fernanda

High School Class of 2023

CollegeXpress is always telling you with time to spare when to apply for certain scholarships, what they require, and if you’re eligible or not. They also provide helpful tips for both incoming college students and current college students, such as what to absolutely have in your dorm.

Lydia Huth

Lydia Huth

Student, Campbell University; CollegeXpress Student Writer

I discovered CollegeXpress while embarking on my college search journey as an excited—but scared and way confused—high schooler without a counselor or college-bound sibling to give me advice. Let me tell you, I’m so glad that I stumbled on this community! CollegeXpress helped me find potential colleges and keep application deadlines straight. It gave me a great list of scholarships, and the blogs and emails made me feel like I wasn’t going it alone. Almost three years later and with freshman year of college down, I still love the CollegeXpress vibe so much that I’m writing for them. I’d recommend this site to anyone!

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