Searching for scholarships is a crucial part of the college search, admission process, and beyond—because you should really be searching for scholarships all throughout college. The more scholarships you apply for, the more chances you have to win, and the smaller your student debt burden will be. This can all seem intimidating and like an arduous process, but with this treasure trove of advice, you’ll be finding, applying to, and winning more scholarships in no time. (You’ll be thanking yourself later since scholarships don’t have to be paid back like loans!)
What to know about scholarships
- Ultimate Scholarship Guide: How Scholarships Work: There’s no better place to start your scholarship search process than with our ultimate guide. Learn the basics of what scholarships are and how they work here.
- Scholarships 101: Getting Free Money for College: You know you need scholarships for college, but you may not know where to start. This introduction to the scholarship search will set you up for success!
- Scholarship FAQ: The Biggest Myths and Facts: A scholarship strategist addresses some of the biggest scholarship myths, facts, scams, and more. Make your scholarship search more effective with this advice!
- The Pros and Cons of Big and Small Scholarship Awards: There's merit to putting in effort for both large and small scholarships. Here are the pros and cons of each amount to consider while conducting your search.
- When Can I Start Applying for Scholarships?: Some students think scholarships are just for high school seniors, but that simply isn’t true. Start your scholarship search early in high school with this advice!
Starting your scholarship search
- Ultimate Scholarship Guide: Searching for Scholarships: You didn’t think there was only one part to our ultimate guide, did you? Part two walks you through how to start searching!
- Scholarship FAQ: Expert Advice to Start Your Search: You may have a lot of questions as you’re starting your search, but luckily, one of our experts has answered many of the frequently asked question about scholarships you likely have.
- How to Get and Stay Motivated in the Scholarship Search: The scholarship search is meant to be continuous, but many students quit before they've hardly even begun. Here's how to get and stay motivated in the process.
- 3 Scholarship Search Mistakes Students Should Avoid: Students are often eligible for many more scholarships than they initially think. Here are three mistakes you can avoid to find and win more money for college.
- 5 Reasons to Start Your Scholarship Search Early: Starting the scholarship search early is your best chance for minimum stress and maximum rewards. Here are five reasons why starting early is a good choice!
Finding and organizing scholarships you’re eligible for
- Scholarship Search Spreadsheet Template: Want an easy way to organize all the scholarships you're applying for? Look no further than our Scholarship Search Spreadsheet! Download the free template now.
- How to Find Scholarships in Hidden Places: Scholarships can be found in the most unexpected of places. Here's how to find the right people to help you find the right scholarships for you.
- Scholarship Search Best Practices You Need to Follow: These scholarship search best practices will keep you on track and organized to expedite your applications with ease.
- Smart Strategies for Scholarships With Multiple Deadlines: If you find scholarships you’re eligible for with multiple deadlines, here are some smart strategies to help keep track of them that’ll help make applying less stressful.
Writing scholarship application essays
- Admission vs. Scholarship Essays: What's the Difference?: College admission and scholarship essays are pretty similar, but there are some key differences you should know about before you start typing up your scholarship essays.
- 10 Tips to Help You Write a Winning Scholarship Essay: If you’re writing essays for scholarships, you want to write an essay that wins you the award, right? Of course! Use these 10 tips to make sure your essays really shine.
- Secrets to Writing an Amazing Scholarship Essay: Who knows better how to write an amazing scholarship essay that wins you money than a student who’s already done it? CollegeXpress Student Writer Taylor has some insider tips for you!
- How to Write a Winning Study Abroad Scholarship Essay: Some scholarship awards are for specific academic uses only, so if you have dreams of an incredible study abroad trip during your college years, this advice is for you.
Completing and submitting scholarship applications
- Ultimate Scholarship Guide: How to Apply and Win: The final installment of our ultimate guide explains how to apply for scholarships and increase your chances of winning with a strong application.
- How to Improve Your Scholarship Applications: As you finish up your scholarship applications, there are a few things you should do before sending them off to make sure you’re submitting your best, error-free work possible.
- Secrets From a Scholarship Application Reader: Who’s better to tell you how to best polish and submit your scholarship applications than an experienced scholarship application reader? No one!
How to win more scholarships
- The 3 Easiest Steps to Winning Scholarships: Sure, there's a lot of work to winning scholarships. But being successful can be boiled down to three easy but effective steps. Here's what to do!
- Make Your Scholarship Applications Stand Out in a Crowd: Competing for scholarships can be tough, but with this advice, you can make your apps stand out among all the others for a higher chance of winning.
- 3 Smart and Easy Strategies to Win More Scholarships: The key to winning scholarships is just a little extra thought and strategy. If you want to win more free money for school, use these three smart tips to do so!
Scholarship opportunities and resources you should know about
- The CollegeXpress Scholarship Search Tool: Use our search engine to find awards based on keyword, category, GPA, academic year, and more. We have over $7 billion worth of scholarships in our database!
- The Best Scholarship Search Sites, Books, and More: Of course, you could just search for your scholarships on CollegeXpress, but these resources are the best of the best for finding as many scholarships as possible.
- The Ultimate List of Easy Scholarships: The scholarship search can be long, but that’s why some organizations make it easy on students by offering scholarships that require minimal effort to apply. Here’s a huge list of them! (The CX team updates this list yearly, so it’s a good one to bookmark and come back to!)
- Easy No-Essay Scholarships You Need to Know About: This list crosses over a lot with our Ultimate List of Easy Scholarships, but you’ll find even more opportunities that may require some creative work but still won’t ask you to write an essay.
- The National Merit Scholarship: What It Is and How to Win: What is the National Merit Scholarship and how do you qualify for it? Short answer: It depends on your PSAT score. But there's a lot more to it than that. Learn all about it here!
- 8 Great Need-Blind Scholarship Options for Students: Scholarships aren't just for students who demonstrate financial need. You can find great awards no matter your family's economic status. Get started here!
- 7 Scholarships to Help You Study Abroad: Use your newfound study abroad essay-writing skills to apply for these scholarships when you start planning your big travel adventure.
- Scholarships for International Students (Undergrad and Grad!): This list of scholarships and fellowships is aimed at international students studying in the United States.
We've compiled our top-tier content for other topics too, like how to find internships and resources to make the transfer process easier. Check them out with the "our best advice" tag.
