9 Best College Scholarship Search Engines
One of the best ways to find scholarships is through scholarship search engines. While Dormoney will always be the first choice for most students, there is nothing wrong with having other options to accompany Dormoney. These websites are databases that list millions of scholarships to help students pay for their education without having to resort to taking out student loans.
Students can find millions of scholarships with the help of scholarship finders and we explain all of this in the Dormoney Scholarship Course. Along with using Dormoney, below are some of the best scholarship websites to assist you in your search.
1. Dormoney
Of course we will start with Dormoney! Dormoney is the only platform where YOU can create your own scholarships. You know exactly what you need financially to successfully get to and through college and graduate school. Dormoney’s website and mobile app helps to ensure that you have all you need to get your college expenses paid for. Further, you have full control over when and how you receive money for your educational-related expenses.
Of course, Dormoney does not stop there. Dormoney provides free courses to provide you with tips and tricks on scholarships, grants and Dormoney. However, if you are looking to understand all that it takes to navigate the college and career preparation process (and it is A WHOLE LOT!), Dormoney provides in-depth, step-by-step courses that cover every single part of the process. Finally, Dormoney offers virtual small group and one-on-one counseling for all aspects of the college and career preparation process.
2. Fastweb
Fastweb has been around for many years and they have mastered what it means to match you to scholarships. The sign up process can take some time but that will be time well used. Here is what we mean- you will enter information about yourself and answer every question that you can. If the question applies to you, your parents/guardians and your situation, ANSWER THAT QUESTION. What Fastweb will eventually do for you is to match what you enter into your account to scholarships and their criteria. You will begin to receive emails and messages about scholarships to which you can apply. Now please understand that this does not mean that all of the scholarships that you will be notified about will match perfectly to you and your criteria. Therefore you will need to closely read each scholarship’s eligibility criteria before you take the time to apply.
3. Scholly
The Scholly app is very similar to the Fastweb style of gathering information from you to include in your profile and Scholly will match you to scholarships. What is unique about Scholly is that based on your profile and your profile responses, Scholly will rank the scholarships and the level to which the scholarship criteria matches your profile. If you receive a high ranking for a scholarship then it is very likely that this scholarship is one that you should take your time to apply for. Still make sure that you check the scholarship eligibility criteria before you spend your time applying. Finally, Scholly no longer costs. The app is now free!
4. Scholarships.com
Scholarships.com has unique and niche scholarships. This can be a plus for you because the scholarships will be specifically geared towards you and your qualifications. This will not only allow you to narrow your searches but also allow you to use your time wisely applying for scholarships that really match your profile. This format also means that there may be less applicants for some of these scholarships which can therefore increase your chances of getting these scholarship awards.
5. College Board
It’s College Board! Of course they have a database of scholarships! What is unique, however, about College Board is that when you apply for scholarships, there is static information about you that likely never changes, e.g. your name, address, school name, etc. When you apply for scholarships with College Board, you do not have to continuously fill out this static information each time. This may seem like a small deal, but when it comes to this entire college and career prep, saving even a few minutes is so worth it.
6. Going Merry
This site allows you to search for scholarships that may have local requirements. If your local town, county, state or region has scholarships just for students who live in these jurisdictions, they could be listed on Going Merry. Similar to Scholarships.com, this could mean saving you time and result in a higher chance of receiving scholarships awards.
7. ScholarshipOwl
Scholarship Owl is, again, similar to these other search engine sites. However, what is cool about Scholarship Owl is that if there is a recurring scholarship, Scholarship Owl will automatically reapply to this scholarship for you. For example, if there is a scholarship that is a one-year award for engineering students and it is renewable every year, Scholarship Owl will reapply for that scholarship for you each year. A possible major drawback with this model is that your personal/static or other information could have changed since the last time you applied for a particular scholarship. For instance, if your GPA is now much higher than the year before, or if you transferred schools, that information may not transfer to the automatic re-application form for those scholarships.
8. Appily (formerly Cappex)
Formerly Cappex, Appily is pretty much the same as the other websites in that you complete a profile and you are matched to scholarships. Appily just has a cool website period. It is newer than the other sites but is a very good resource and Dormoney mentions it here because it is just a good website to navigate.
9. CareerOneStop
CareerOneStop is actually a scholarship search engine administered by the U.S. Department of Labor. It is truly unlike the other sites because these scholarships here are geared towards vocational schools. This site also has scholarships for students pursuing an associates degree. Not everyone is going to a traditional 4-year institution higher learning. That is what makes this website particularly awesome.
To Sum It All Up...
Well, to sum it all up, Dormoney is your first and best choice! These other websites that Dormoney really loves are also excellent resources. Remember, at Dormoney, our goal is that you successfully navigate the college and career prep process, move on to an amazing life after high school, and get all your higher educational expenses paid for so that you graduate DEBT FREE! NO STUDENT LOANS… just in case you didn’t already know!
Also remember that you are guaranteed to find basically the same scholarships across most of these websites. Therefore, Dormoney suggests that you explore them and settle on just two or three (INCLUDING DORMONEY!) that you will utilize for your scholarship searches.
Here are a few tips for you to remember when you are applying for scholarships. Don’t forget, Dormoney’s courses provide you step-by-step and in-depth information on all that you need to apply for scholarships, apply for college and get all you need for a successful life after high school.
Tips for applying for a scholarship
- Apply for as many scholarships as you can: The more scholarships you apply for, the greater your chances of getting awards. Don’t dismiss small awards, either. Several small scholarships can add up.
- Get second opinions on your essays and use Dormoney AI tool to write comprehensive scholarship essays: Ask a parent or school counselor to review your essays and give feedback before you submit them. Don’t forget that you can receive one-on-one specialized counseling with Dormoney.
- Stay organized: Make sure you meet deadlines and keep track of the scholarships you have already applied for so you don’t miss opportunities. In our courses, Dormoney provides many ways for you to choose from to help you stay organized so that you maximize your scholarship search and application time.
- Start early and keep looking: Start long before you need to make your first payment for school. Many scholarships become available once you’re in ninth grade. Once you’re out of high school, don’t stop searching for scholarships. Keep looking for opportunities while you’re in school.
- Use all available resources: To find scholarships that apply to you, use any resources you have available. Use multiple scholarship search engines, and check with your school’s financial aid office to see if any institutional or departmental scholarships are available. If you’re still in high school, ask your school counselor for help.