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It’s that time of year again, when students and parents are being solicited by all sorts of organizations who promise to find you a scholarship.
Before you lunge at that offer that seems to be good to be true, make sure you check out the Federal Trade Commission’s Scholarship Scams website.
What are the best external scholarship resources for high school seniors?
The most effective scholarship search starts closer to home than most families expect. Sarah Farbman, Senior Admissions Consultant at Great College Advice, advises families to begin with their high school guidance counselor: “Your guidance counselor is a resource many families underuse. They often know about local scholarships that never appear on any website, and those awards typically have far fewer applicants.”
Once you have explored local options, move to the major aggregator platforms. These are the expert-vetted scholarship search engines that our team recommends:
- Fastweb — One of the largest and longest-running scholarship databases, listing both traditional academic awards and niche scholarships. Great College Advice has highlighted Fastweb as a comprehensive resource for finding everything from conventional merit awards to unusual opportunities.
- Big Future (College Board) — The College Board’s scholarship search tool connects students with awards based on their academic profile, intended major, and personal background. Because Big Future draws from College Board data, it can surface opportunities matched to your PSAT, SAT, or AP performance.
- Going Merry — A modern platform that streamlines the application process, allowing students to apply to multiple scholarships through a single profile.
- Scholarships.com — A free, well-organized search engine that categorizes awards by deadline, award amount, and eligibility criteria.
- Appily (formerly Cappex) — Particularly useful for matching students with colleges that offer merit aid in addition to listing external scholarships.
- College Xpress — Offers scholarship searches alongside college matching tools, useful for families building a strategic college list.
- Unigo — Known for curating unique and niche scholarship opportunities that students may not find elsewhere.
Since 2007, the expert team of college admissions consultants at Great College Advice has provided comprehensive guidance to thousands of students from across the United States and over 45 countries across the world. Great College Advice has offices in Colorado, New Jersey, Chicago, North Carolina and Massachusetts.
In addition to our one-on-one counseling, Great College Advice extends its support through one of the most active and resource-rich Facebook Groups for college-bound students and their families: College Admissions Experts. With over 100,000 members—students, parents, and experienced counselors—this vibrant forum offers peer support and expert advice like no other.
