Scholarships provide millions of dollars of free college money to students that they don’t have to pay back. The Web makes searching for the right scholarship easy—but it helps to know where to look:

  1. www.fafsa.ed.gov
    In addition to being the place to fill out the FAFSA online, this site provides worksheets, information on financial aid requirements and scholarships, a college savings calculator, and more.
  2.  www.fastweb.com
    This is a thorough database featuring thousands of scholarships affiliated with Monster, an online career finder. Match your profile to scholarships to save time.
  3. www.scholarshipexperts.com
    Want to search 2.4 million scholarships worth $14 billion? This is the place.
  4. http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
    The College Board (the folks who run the SATs) provides a search for $3 billion worth of scholarships.
  5.  www.collegetoolkit.com
    This site features a searchable scholarship database as well as cool features such as “Can I Get In?” Type in your dream college and qualifications and this feature will calculate your chances of getting accepted.
  6. www.collegenet.com/mach25/app
    This allows you to search scholarships by keyword. Try using keywords that describe your interests and background.
  7. www.mappingyourfuture.org
    Run by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), this site lists loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study programs with helpful links to other resources.
  8. www.finaid.org
    With information on financial aid and search tips, the site is a complement to www.fastweb.com
  9. www.scholarshiphelp.org
    If you're looking for a breakdown of the process—from writing scholarship application essays to rating scholarship search sites—look no further.
  10. www.collegegoalsundayusa.org
    Another site by NAFSAA where you can find links to College Goal Sunday sites by state. Go to College Goal Sunday and let the pros help you get it done, for free, on time.



Content by Susan J. Demas, a 2006 Knight Foundation Fellow in Nonprofits Journalism.