Willie Said:

Does anyone know any good scholarship search engine sites?

We Answered:

http://www.collegeanswer.com

Allison Said:

Essay-Free scholarship search engine?

We Answered:

C:

I hope you're not thinking that there are scholarships out there that you can have just for asking for them. I see the questions, every year, from students who heard that "there are tons of scholarships that no one applies for, and you just have to ask for the money and the organization is happy to give it to you."

That one is closely related to the equally inaccurate claim that "There are scholarships for everything. You can find scholarships for yo yo and scholarships for banana split eating and scholarships for being a left-handed Catholic with Eskimo heritage."

Yes, there are some oddball scholarships that draw attention - perhaps the most famous is the "Stuck at Prom Duck Tape Scholarship Contest" - the company that makes Duck Tape really does award a scholarship to 10 lucky students who design a prom outfit entirely out of Duck-brand tape..

Don't get your hopes up - there aren't a lot of those.

Scholarships are used by organizations to reward talent, accomplishment, commitment and potential. The vast, vast, vast majority of scholarships are awarded on the basis of MERIT - you've either done something, or shown the potential to accomplish something in college. There is no such thing as a scholarship that's just sitting there, waiting for someone to come along and ask for it.

If you earned great grades, if you scored a really good score on your SAT or ACT, if you were a star contributor to your band, your school athletic team, or the drama program - there may be a scholarship for you.

If you overcame adversity to make it this far - maybe you have a genetic disorder or a disability - there may be a scholarship for you.

If you are a member of an ethnic or cultural group that has been under-represented in college, there may be a scholarship for you.

If you've donated hundreds of hours to your community and made a difference in people's lives, there may be a scholarship for you.

If you really, really, really need money for school, but you haven't DONE anything to make yourself stand out - then you're just wasting your time hoping and praying that someone is going to hand you a big fat check, just for asking.

Don't spend too much time looking for "do nothing" scholarships - your time will be far better spent completing your FAFSA. Contrary to sometimes mistaken belief - most financial aid money comes in the form of "need-based aid", not merit-based scholarships.

I'm sorry for the disappointing news, but I hope my advice saves you some time. Good luck!

Kimberly Said:

What is the best scholarship search engine?

We Answered:

For electronic tools to help you plan your college costs and to find scholarships and grants for which you can consider applying, the very best and most reliable is through College Board (who publish the College Blue Book and administer the SAT.) They do not sell your email address to other sites which will send you a lot of spam. The College Board is the most reputable in my estimation.

Go to: http://www.collegeboard.org
Click on the For Students link
On the next page, click on the Pay for College link (green tab)
On the Pay for College pay are links to a number of useful electronic tools:
Financial aid planning
Scholarship Search
You will need to register for free for the best results, but they are excellent electronic tools

US NEWS AND WORLD REPORT (a well-respected magazine) has good info (not a search engine, tho') on its Paying for College web page:
http://www.usnews.com/sections/education…
Keep in mind there are numerous paid advertisement "links" on this page, too.

When you do find scholarships/grants for which you may be eligible, be sure to follow the application rules to the letter.

Be aware there are scammers on the Internet trolling with info about college loans and disreputable college "scholarship" sites!

Also, be sure to speak (via phone or in person) with the financial aid counselors at the colleges/universities in which you are interested in applying,

Kristen Said:

What are the odds of getting a scholarship from a scholarship search engine? and why?

We Answered:

Private scholarships are very specific, often merit-based and comparatively small amounts.

How you research them makes no difference in terms of being awarded one.

There are books at the bookstore and at the library reference desk on available scholarships that give info on target audience, requirements, restrictions, application info, deadlines and contacts.

A search engine might first gather info and try to match you, but in the process would miss a lot, too.

Marsha Said:

What is the BEST scholarship/ grant search engine to be on?

We Answered:

fastweb.com or scholarships.com

Warren Said:

Is there a scholarship search engine with which I can do a keyword search?

We Answered:

try fastweb.com