Top 5 websites for students researching college scholarships

Top 5 websites for students researching college scholarships

 

Regardless of which website you use or which scholarships you apply for, the best practice is to start applying and researching early — and no, freshman year of high school is not too early! This will give you plenty of time to apply to an array of scholarships, giving you the best chance of receiving money.

Scholarships, like grants, are gifts of money that help finance your college education and don’t need to be repaid. So, what is the difference between a grant and a scholarship? Generally, scholarships are merit-based, while grants are usually need-based. There are a plethora of different scholarships available for college students who are already thinking about financing their college education. Below are the top five websites students can use to find and apply for them.

1. Fastweb.com

Fastweb is perhaps the most well-known online resource when it comes to paying for and preparing for school. There are scholarships for every type of student — from the high school freshman to the returning adult. Fastweb has been around for over 20 years and has earned a reputation as a leading scholarship search provider. Fastweb not only finds scholarships but offers their members information on financial aid, jobs and internships, student life and more. There is no cost to sign up, and you can immediately access thousands of opportunities.

When you sign up and fill out a profile, Fastweb will curate a list of scholarships that match your qualifications.

2. Scholarships.com

Scholarships.com, founded in 1998, has been matching students to scholarship opportunities for nearly 20 years. Scholarships.com helps students find money for college and provides information regarding the entire financial aid process. It is among the most widely-used and trusted free college scholarship search and financial aid information resources on the internet, and has been recognized by high schools and universities nationwide.

Scholarships.com is unique because of the solid relationships that it has built with colleges and universities across the country. It aims to provide students with the opportunity to not only find free money for college and interact with prospective colleges, but to be recruited as well.

3. Chegg.com

Chegg.com is one of the premiere websites for helping today’s students navigate college. As a self-proclaimed “all in one, big education-redefining student hub,” Chegg has everything from textbook sales to course reviews, study guides and 24/7 student support. It also has a scholarship search engine where you can browse more than 25,000 available scholarships.

Through this free resource, you can complete a profile which will enable Chegg to match you to available scholarships. You can view featured scholarships and save the ones you would like to apply for in your profile.

4. Cappex.com

On Cappex, you will find thousands of private scholarships, plus billions in merit aid. Cappex lets you know which ones are your “best bets,” depending on how hard they are to apply for and what the competition is likely to be, creating for you a list of the highest-value opportunities.

Cappex.com also offers a free scholarship directory to help students find money for college. Scholarships can be searched for in a number of different ways. For example, you can search for them based on ethnicity, gender, college major or based on state, finding opportunities available for students in Virginia or Maryland, for example. The Cappex scholarship search is free and registration is not required to view opportunities.

5. ScholarshipPoints.com

The ScholarshipPoints program is unique because it was created to help students win scholarships without the hassle of filling out paper applications and writing dozens of essays. By participating in the ScholarshipPoints.com community, high school and college students can earn points and enter scholarship drawings through their daily internet activities.

ScholarshipPoints was created in 2006 and is owned and operated by Edvisors, a company dedicated to helping students plan and pay for college. To date, Edvisors has given away more than $750,000 through the ScholarshipPoints program.

 

At Marymount University, we’re happy to help you finance your education! Finding ways to afford college doesn’t have to be a stressful experience. If you have any questions, contact us through our website. We’re always happy to help!