Sites for Scholarship Hunting

Yesterday, I mentioned that, although merit scholarships given directly by colleges are often the largest source of merit money, students who are willing to put time and effort into the process can find other sources of merit scholarships as well. Today, I thought I'd list some great websites to help you get started with your search.

Before I give the list, however, here's an important caveat: Beware of scholarship scams! You should never have to pay to apply for a scholarship or to find a scholarship. If you receive an unsolicited letter or email "guaranteeing" you a scholarship once you pay a fee, it is most likely a scam, according to the FTC and the Better Business Bureau. There are no "hidden" scholarships -- reliable search engines and lists like the ones below are your best way of finding scholarships.


1. Federal Government Career Net Scholarship Search Engine This search engine, sponsored by the Federal government, offers an exctensive searchable database of scholarships. No registration is required. The scholarships listed are for study at a variety of levels, so in addition to searching before you start college, return here next year to find more scholarship opportunities for students already enrolled in college.

2. The College Board Scholarship search. Like the site above, this site does not require registration. Enter your specific characteristics and you'll get a list of scholarships you might qualify for -- applying is up to you!

3. Free Scholarship Search Information Website. Although this site is a little less professional looking than the first two, it's search engine does a good job of matching students with scholarships. Some great advice about applying for scholarships is here as well. No registration.
Searchable database, no registration required

4. Broke Scholar
This is a nice search engine for finding scholarships, but you must register to access it.

5. GoCollege.com. Another nice database that you must register to access. The database is located under the financial aid link.

7. FastWeb. One of the most popular scholarship search engines. It will automatically alert you, via email, to approaching scholarship deadlines. You must register to access.


8. Black Excel’s List of 200 Free Scholarships for Minorities Not a search engine, but rather an excellent list of various scholarships. Some are not minority specific.


9. ScienceNet Minority Scholarships This is an extensive list of links to science-oriented scholarships for minority students.

10. Scholarships for college bound high school seniors A nice list of links.

In addition, if you have a specific major in mind, try googling to find trade or professional associations related to the major. Often, they offer undergraduate scholarships as well.

Do you know of any other great resources on the Internet to search for merit scholarships? If so, please share them by clicking on the "comments" link below.