How to Find Scholarships (Without Getting Scammed)

Where to look (best places first)

1. Your college. Most schools have their own scholarships. Some are automatic. Others need a separate application. Ask the financial aid office and your department.
2. Your state. Every state has an agency that runs grants and scholarships. Many use your FAFSA. Some have early deadlines.
3. Local groups. Community foundations, employers (yours or your parents’), unions, clubs, faith groups and local businesses. Local awards usually have fewer applicants.
4. Your high school or community college. Counselors often keep a list of local awards.
5. Free search tools. The CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder (U.S. Department of Labor) lists more than 9,500 scholarships, grants and other awards.

Search by what makes you different

Many scholarships are for a certain group. Search using words that describe you:

• Your major or career goal (nursing, teaching, engineering)
• Your state, county or city
• Your situation (adult learner, single parent, first in your family to attend college, military or veteran family)
• Your activities (sports, music, volunteering)
• Your school level (high school senior, community college transfer, graduate student)

How to apply well

• Keep a list with each scholarship’s name, amount, deadline and what it asks for.
• Read the rules twice. Apply only if you meet every requirement.
• Reuse your essays. Write 2–3 strong essays and change them to fit each question.
• Ask for recommendation letters early, at least 3 weeks before the deadline.
• Apply to small awards too. Several $500 awards add up, and fewer people apply.
• Apply every year. Many awards are open to current college students, not just freshmen.

How scholarships affect your other aid

Tell your school about every outside scholarship. Your school may then change your aid package. Often it lowers loans or work-study first, but rules differ by school, so ask.

A new rule started in 2026–27: if non-federal grants and scholarships cover your full cost of attendance, you cannot also get a Pell Grant.

Red flags: how to spot a scam

• You must pay a fee to apply or to “hold” the award.
• They promise the scholarship is “guaranteed or your money back.”
• They say you won a scholarship you never applied for.
• They ask for a bank account or credit card number to “hold” the award or “confirm” you qualify.
• They say you “can’t get this information anywhere else.”

Real scholarships do not charge you money. More in Scholarship Do’s and Don’ts.

Still short after scholarships?

Use federal aid next. Read How to Apply for Financial Aid and Student Loans in 2026.