What Kinds of Scholarships Are Out There?
Most people know about academic and athletic scholarships, but those are just the beginning. Scholarships exist for all kinds of students and situations, including:
- Your religion, cultural background, or ancestry
- Your intended major or career path
- Community service and volunteer work
- Artistic ability, writing, or creative talent
- Financial need or first-generation student status
- “Unusual” scholarships based on unique traits — even things like height or left-handedness
The point is: don’t assume you won’t qualify for something. Cast a wide net.
Where to Find College Scholarships
Through School
1. Your High School Guidance Office
If you’re a high school student, this is your best first stop. Your guidance counselors maintain lists of local and regional scholarships, some of which are only available to students from your specific school or district. That means less competition and better odds.
Stop by regularly throughout the year. New opportunities pop up in fall and spring, but some are added throughout the year and have rolling deadlines. Don’t wait until senior year to start asking.
2. Your College’s Financial Aid Office
Once you’ve decided which school you’re going to attend, your next stop should be the financial aid office. Your school has scholarships you won’t find anywhere else, often tied to your specific major, background, or situation. Some are automatically considered when you apply for aid. Others require separate applications that you’ll need to seek out.
Check your school’s financial aid website and set up a meeting with a counselor. They know which scholarships are available and can help you figure out which ones you may qualify for. This is worth doing every year, not just as an incoming freshman. New scholarships become available often, and your eligibility can change.
Pro tip: When you’re accepted to colleges, each school will send you a Financial Aid Award Letter showing how much aid you’ll receive, including scholarships, grants, and loans. Comparing these letters side by side can make a big difference in how much you borrow overall.
Online
3. U.S. Department of Labor’s Free Scholarship Search Tool
The U.S. Department of Labor maintains a free scholarship database on its CareerOneStop site. It connects students with thousands of opportunities from a wide range of sources — and the best part is you don’t need to sign up for anything to use it.
The database includes fellowships and grants in addition to scholarships, but you can filter down to view just the type of aid you’re looking for. You can also filter by your current education level, location, field of study, and more. It’s straightforward, trusted, and completely free.
4. Fastweb
Fastweb.com is one of the most popular free scholarship search sites out there. To use it, you’ll create a profile with details about your background, academics, and interests. The more thorough you are, the better your matches will be.
Once your profile is set up, Fastweb matches you with scholarships you may qualify for and sends regular notifications as new ones are added. The types of scholarships available include merit-based awards, scholarships for high school vs. college students, state-specific opportunities, and even quirky “unusual” scholarships.
Fair warning: expect some marketing emails since the service is free. But the personalized matches are genuinely useful.
5. Scholarships.com
Similar to Fastweb, Scholarships.com offers a free, searchable database with thousands of opportunities. You’ll create a profile and answer questions about yourself to get matched with scholarships based on your academic record, background, intended major, and more
Categories span academic achievement, community involvement, career goals, heritage, religion, and more. It’s worth setting up a profile on both Fastweb and Scholarships.com. The overlap isn’t total, so you’ll likely find different opportunities on each.
6. Cappex
Cappex.com combines college matching with scholarship searches. Answer questions about yourself and browse opportunities that fit your profile. It also includes a “lotteries” section for no-essay scholarships great for students who want to add some lower-effort entries to the mix.
7. Niche
Niche.com is more than quick-entry scholarships. Their platform helps you discover merit-based and need-based opportunities across a wide range of categories, from major-specific awards to scholarships from private educational trusts and organizations like Fulbright and ROTC programs. Create a free profile to get matched with personalized scholarships based on your background, interests, and academic path.
8. College Board and FinAid.org
The College Board’s scholarship search is another solid, well-known resource. If you’ve taken the SAT, you may already have an account. Their database is extensive and updated regularly.
FinAid.org is a long-standing resource for all things financial aid, including a scholarship search tool and guides to help you understand your options. It’s especially helpful for parents who want to get a fuller picture of the financial aid process.
9. Scholly
Scholly is a scholarship matching app that’s particularly popular with students looking for a mobile-friendly search experience. Unlike the free sites, Scholly charges a small monthly fee, but it’s known for surfacing scholarships that are harder to find elsewhere. Worth considering if you’re doing a serious search.
Businesses
10. Your Employer (or Your Parents’ Employers)
This one surprises a lot of students. Many companies — even smaller ones — offer scholarship or tuition assistance programs for employees and their families. If you have a part-time job, ask your HR department whether the company offers any scholarships and what the requirements are. Many programs are open to part-time workers, not just full-time employees.
Then ask your parents to do the same. Their employer’s HR or benefits department may offer scholarships for employees’ children that your family doesn’t know about. These programs often have smaller applicant pools — which means better odds for you.
11. Corporate Scholarships
Major corporations understand that tomorrow’s workforce depends on accessible education today. Fortune 500 companies — from tech giants like Google and Microsoft to household names like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Walmart, Amazon, and Mercedes-Benz — sponsor scholarship programs for employees, their families, and sometimes the general public.
These corporate scholarships often target specific fields like computer science or engineering, support underrepresented groups, or help employees’ children afford college. Some are need-based, others are merit-based, and many offer substantial awards ranging from a few thousand dollars to full tuition coverage.
If you’re not sure where to start with this one, you can browse Fortune 500 corporate scholarship opportunities here. The site breaks down programs by company and provides details on eligibility requirements and award amounts.
These require more effort than a simple sweepstakes entry, but the payoff can be significant.
Organizations
12. In Your Community
This one may not be as obvious, but local organizations are one of the best-kept secrets in scholarship hunting. Rotary clubs, Kiwanis, chambers of commerce, labor unions, churches, and community foundations often have small scholarships that don’t get much attention — and that’s exactly why you should apply for them.
They’re usually modest amounts ($500–$2,000), but they add up. And because fewer students apply, your chances of winning are significantly better than with big national scholarships. Importantly, these scholarships rarely show up in national databases — so you’ll need to do a little legwork.
Ask around. Check bulletin boards at your library. Search your town’s website. Call your local community foundation. You might be surprised what’s out there.
13. Professional Associations in Your Field
Planning to study nursing? Engineering? Teaching? Business? Professional associations in almost every field offer scholarships for students entering their industry. These are often less competitive than general scholarships because only students pursuing that specific field apply.
A quick search for “[your major] scholarship professional association” is a good starting point.
Lenders
14. Scholarships from Student Loan Companies
Some student loan companies offer scholarships and sweepstakes to help students reduce borrowing costs. You don’t need to be a borrower to enter, and many have simple entry requirements with no essay or minimum GPA required.
Abe℠ runs regular scholarship sweepstakes with straightforward entry forms. Check out our Sweepstakes page here.
Other student loan companies run similar programs, so it’s worth checking any lender’s website you’re already researching to see if they offer scholarships or sweepstakes.
A Few Tips for Your Scholarship Search
Apply a Lot…And Keep Applying
One or two applications won’t cut it. Students who win meaningful scholarship money usually apply to 20, 30, sometimes 50+ opportunities. Treat it like a part-time job, especially in your senior year of high school and during college. Set a weekly goal for how many applications you’ll submit.
Small Scholarships Matter More Than You Think
Don’t skip the $500 ones. Four of those equal $2,000 you don’t have to borrow — and over four years, that adds up to real money. Smaller scholarships often have fewer applicants, which means your odds are genuinely better.
Local College Scholarships Usually Beat National
Your odds of winning a $1,000 scholarship from a local organization are often far better than your odds with a $10,000 national program that gets 50,000 applications. Don’t overlook what’s in your own backyard.
Watch Out for Scams
Legitimate scholarships never ask you to pay an application fee. If someone wants money up front to “guarantee” your scholarship or to access a list of opportunities, walk away. Free databases like the ones listed above are all you need.
Keep a Simple Tracking Spreadsheet
As you apply to more scholarships, it’s easy to lose track of deadlines, requirements, and what you’ve already submitted. A simple spreadsheet with the scholarship name, amount, deadline, requirements, and status can save you a lot of stress.
Stay Connected with Abe
We regularly run scholarship sweepstakes for students and parents. Entering is simple with no essays or hoops to jump through. Check out our Sweepstakes page here.
Once you’ve explored all your financial aid options — scholarships, federal grants, and federal student loans — Abe is here with plain, honest private student loans when you need them.