What is a Scholarship?

Since the start of the 21st century, the average cost of attending a 4-year institution in the United States has nearly doubled. Due to these high costs, many students are unable to attend college at all, or if they do, have to take on huge amounts of debt. Luckily, scholarships can help reduce this financial burden and increase access to higher education.

On this page, students can learn about different scholarships and awards, browse Scholarships.com’s most popular categories, and learn what types of scholarships are the best fit for them.

Jump to:

• What are scholarships?
• Types of scholarships
  
  
  • Merit scholarships
  • Need-based scholarships
  • No-essay scholarships
  • Full-tuition scholarships
• Scholarships by characteristic
  
  
  • First-generation scholarships
  • Scholarships for adult students
  • Unusual scholarships
  • Scholarships for LGBTQ+ students
• Scholarships by grade level
  
  
  • Graduate school scholarships
  • Undergraduate scholarships
  • High school scholarships
    
    
    • Scholarships for high school seniors
    • Scholarships for high school juniors
• Minority scholarships
  
  
  • Hispanic scholarships
  • Scholarships for Black students
  • Asian/Pacific Islander scholarships
  • American Indian/Native American Scholarships
• Institutional vs. outside scholarships
• Scholarships by state
• Scholarships by major
• Frequently asked questions about scholarships
  
  
  • How do I know if a scholarship is legit?
  • What's the difference between scholarships and grants?
  • How do I improve my chances of getting a scholarship?
  • Are scholarships taxable?
  • What's the best way to keep track of scholarships I've applied for?
  • Once I win an award, is there anything I need to do to maintain it?

What are scholarships?

Scholarships are types of financial aid awarded to students to help fund their education. They are offered by schools, employers, communities, and other organizations and don’t need to be repaid. Scholarship funds may be given directly to the institution a student will be attending or to the student directly, along with rules for how the award money can be used.

To apply for these awards, students often have to write essays, provide letters of recommendation, attach academic transcripts, and submit financial information. However, each scholarship will have different requirements depending on the type of award.

There are many different kinds of scholarships, ranging from partial to full-tuition scholarships, merit-based to need-based scholarships, and institutional to outside scholarships. Applying to multiple types of scholarships gives students the best chance at winning the most money for college.

When students sign up for a free account on Scholarships.com and fill out their academic and demographic information, they’ll automatically match with all the awards they’re eligible for. From there, students can sort matches by amount or deadline and easily view scholarship descriptions, eligibility criteria, and application processes to decide what awards to apply to.

Types of scholarships

Every student has different strengths, goals, and financial backgrounds that affect their choices when it comes to which types of scholarships they’ll apply to. Awards on Scholarships.com are organized by category in the scholarship directory.

Merit scholarships

Merit scholarships are awards based on a student's achievements in a certain area. Although these scholarships typically focus on academic prowess, they may also consider other skills such as a student’s athleticism, artistic ability, or excellence in a particular club or organization.

Although there are some scholarships based strictly on merit, others require students to meet additional criteria. Financial need is usually not considered in merit scholarships; however, some awards have both merit- and need-based elements.

Need-based scholarships

Financial need-based scholarships are awarded based on a student’s or student’s family income. Many need-based scholarships only assess a student's financial background; however, others might also take their academics, ethnicity, or other factors into account.

Nearly all need-based awards require students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to apply. Submitting the FAFSA doesn’t mean students have to take out federal loans; it simply means that their financial information is available to scholarship providers. For renewable need-based scholarships, students must usually complete the FAFSA every year to keep their award.

No-essay scholarships

Writing a scholarship essay is one of the most time-consuming aspects of the application process, and may even dissuade students from applying. Luckily, Scholarships.com offers multiple no-essay scholarships that don’t require students to spend hours on end writing.

Some no-essay awards might encourage students to submit a video instead of an essay. This is not only more enjoyable than writing for some, but it can also help students stand out in a memorable way and connect to scholarship judges on a personal level.

Other no-essay scholarships are competition based and, instead of submitting essays, might require students to write elements of a code, create works of art, or even come up with an invention or idea.

Full-tuition scholarships

Full-tuition scholarships cover the entire cost of a student's tuition. These scholarships are offered by both institutional and external organizations and are often based on both merit and financial need and are usually highly competitive.

Even if a student’s goal is to cover all of their tuition with scholarships, that doesn’t mean that they should only apply for full-tuition scholarships. Small local scholarships are much easier to win and may even add up to cover their entire tuition. Applying to a mix of high- and low-competition scholarships offers the best chance to win the most scholarship money.

Another reason to apply to other types of awards is that, unlike full-ride or cost of attendance (COA) scholarships, full-tuition scholarships typically exclude expenses such as housing, meals, textbooks, and personal costs.

Scholarships by characteristic

Scholarships based on a student’s characteristics focus on what sets them apart from other applicants. These awards may take into consideration the struggles applicants have gone through that may have affected their life, beliefs, or worldview.

First-generation scholarships

First-generation scholarships are for students who are the first in their immediate family to attend a college or university. Because first-generation students often lack the resources to navigate higher education, many of these awards also provide mentorship to help recipients through college.

Scholarships for adult students

When a person thinks of a college student, they might picture someone in their late teens or early twenties. However, according to the National Center of Education Statistics, nearly 1 in 3 college students are 25 years or older.

Because adults make up a sizable amount of college and university students, and often have multiple financial obligations in addition to their educational expenses, there are various scholarship opportunities available to assist these types of students.

While students typically have to be 25 or older to qualify for these awards, the exact age requirements will vary. They may also have additional criteria, such as requiring applicants to be returning students or parents.

Unusual scholarships

Although many scholarships are based on elements such as financial need, minority status, or academic merit, other awards have more specific criteria. These “unusual” scholarships consider what makes an applicant stand out from the average student, and often focus on characteristics not mentioned in a traditional scholarship.

For example, Scholarships.com lists awards for twins, vegans, tall people, and even those interested in duck calling. Students with a unique skill, world-view, or experience are often the best fit for these kinds of scholarships.

Scholarships for LGBTQ+ students

LGBTQ+ scholarships are awards for those who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. These awards may be for anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+, or may also require students to be involved in LGBTQ+ activism.

Some of these awards have more specific requirements. For example, they may only be available to transgender students, or to LGBTQ+ students of a particular gender identity. Oftentimes, these students qualify for other awards as well. For instance, LGBTQ+ students may qualify students for other, more general minority scholarships; scholarships for women may also be open to those who are nonbinary.

Scholarships by grade level

Scholarships.com lists awards for a multitude of ages and grade levels. Some of these are for students attaining certain degrees— such as an associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees— while others target the year in school an applicant is currently in.

Graduate school scholarships

While the majority of college scholarships may be for undergraduate students, there are still many scholarships available for students in graduate school. Graduate school scholarships usually encompass Master’s and Doctoral degrees, although they may sometimes cover any type of education or additional training after a bachelor’s degree.

Undergraduate scholarships

Undergraduate scholarships are awards given to students to use to attain their bachelor’s degree. Each award will have different criteria; undergraduate scholarships may be available to incoming students, current students, transfer students, or a combination of the 3.

High school scholarships

High school scholarships differ from both graduate and undergraduate scholarships as only high-school-aged students are eligible to apply. These scholarships may be available to high schoolers of any age, or they may be specific to a particular grade or set of grades.

Scholarships for high school seniors

Out of every grade level, high school seniors have the most scholarship opportunities available to them. The sheer amount of awards available to these students may feel overwhelming.

However, once students have created their account on Scholarships.com, they can organize all of their matches from earliest to latest deadline to reduce stress and ensure they don’t miss out on any awards.

When it comes to deadlines, it’s important to remember that application cut-off dates range from the very beginning of a student's senior year to just a few months before they start their first year of college. Applications may also even close early if the scholarship provider has already distributed the maximum number of awards.

This is why it is a good idea to start applying early; if students wait until the second semester of senior year to begin their scholarship search, they may find that the deadlines for awards for which they would’ve liked to apply have already passed.

Scholarships for high school juniors

Although there may be fewer scholarships available to high school juniors compared to those for seniors, there are still many awards for juniors to choose from. Additionally, junior students can gain valuable experience applying to scholarships early to get a feel for what senior-exclusive awards they might want to apply to the following year.

There are also many scholarships that are available to both juniors and seniors. Applying to these scholarships during junior year can help students get an idea of the competition or even win the award and not have to apply in their senior year. If a junior applicant doesn’t win, they may be able to reapply next year, depending on that award’s rules.

Minority scholarships

Minority scholarships aim to level the playing field when it comes to education access. While the majority of these scholarships are race or ethnicity based, minority scholarships may have broader criteria. For example, factors such as sexuality, neurodivergence, or disability status could qualify students for minority scholarships.

When it comes to race and ethnicity based scholarships, some students will qualify for multiple categories. For example, a student who identifies as Afro-Latina will likely qualify for both Black and Hispanic scholarships, and a student whose ancestors are Native Hawaiian, for instance, may qualify for both Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian/Native American scholarships.

Hispanic scholarships

Hispanic scholarships are awards for students who are descended from Spanish-speaking countries. These scholarships sometimes have slightly-altered eligibility requirements, such as excluding students from Spain or including those of Brazilian descent.

Other times, these scholarships require more than just Hispanic or Latino heritage in order for students to qualify. For example, some may only allow students who are first-generation Americans or those who know how to speak Spanish to apply.

Scholarships for Black students

Scholarships for Black students are typically for any individual with African ancestry. These scholarships may be for any student who identifies as Black, or may require students to attend or plan to attend a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to qualify.

Asian/Pacific Islander scholarships

Asian and Pacific Islander scholarships encompass a broad range of ethnicities. This includes those with ancestry ranging from Chinese to Indian and from Filipino to Native Hawaiian. Because this category is so extensive, oftentimes scholarships in this category are broken up into subcategories, such as by country or region.

American Indian/Native American scholarships

American Indian and Native American scholarships are awards that are geared towards students who are descended of Indigenous people of mainland North, Central, and South America.

Some American Indian and Native American scholarships may have additional requirements, such as requiring students to live or have lived on a reservation or be a part of a particular tribe. They might also ask for proof of native heritage such as submission of their Tribal Enrollment, Certificate of Indian Blood, or Tribal ID.

Institutional vs. outside scholarships

All scholarships are either provided by institutions or outside organizations. While both of these types of awards are forms of financial aid that don’t need to be paid back, the application and use of these scholarships is often quite different.

Institutional scholarships may only be used at the college or university that provides them. Sometimes students are considered for these scholarships automatically when they apply to that institution. Other times, a separate application is needed.

Outside scholarships are provided by organizations, companies, individuals, or government agencies. While these awards can often be used at any accredited college or university, they may sometimes be limited to a particular institution or region in the United States.

Scholarships by state

Searching for state scholarships is a great way to find scholarships that draw from smaller application pools. There are 2 types of state scholarships: awards based on the applicant’s residence state and those based on the state in which a student does or will attend college.

Residence state scholarships are provided to students based on what state they live in. These scholarships often have guidelines to determine what makes a student a resident of a specific state. For example, some scholarships will only ask that students provide their address to qualify, while others require that students have lived in that state for a certain number of years.

Attendance state scholarships are based on the state in which you attend or plan to attend a college or university. These scholarships may require that you have been accepted to an institution in that state, while others ask that you are fully committed before applying. However, if you are not fully committed when you win one of these awards and ultimately decide to attend school in a different state, you will likely have to return the scholarship.

Occasionally, state-based scholarships will require students to both maintain permanent residence in and attend a college or university in that state. Since exact requirements can be confusing, it’s a good idea for students to contact the scholarship provider to understand what criteria they need to meet.

Scholarships by major

Major-specific scholarships are awards given to students pursuing a certain area of study. When a student creates an account on Scholarships.com and selects the majors they are interested in pursuing, they’ll be matched with all the major-based scholarships that they qualify for. Additionally, to see all of the scholarships specific to a particular major, students can use our scholarship directory to access all of the academic majors offered.

Students may be eligible for major-specific scholarships based on the category into which their major falls. For example, if a scholarship is for computer science students, those pursuing other related majors such as engineering or information systems might also be able to apply.

In other cases, although rare, students do not need to officially declare the major or category listed in these awards to apply. For example, if a scholarship is advertised to be for art majors, the scholarship may also be available to those who plan to minor in art or just enjoy art in general.

Frequently asked questions about scholarships

How do I know if a scholarship is legit?

All of the scholarships available on Scholarships.com have been carefully reviewed by our staff to ensure their authenticity. Here are some telltale signs we look for to ensure that a scholarship is safe to apply to.

Every scholarship you apply to should be 100% free. You should never have to pay an application fee, processing fee, or even provide your credit card or banking information. The scholarship website should also provide clear eligibility requirements and application steps, and be mostly free of grammatical errors or strange sentence structures.

It’s also important to trust your intuition. If a scholarship seems too good to be true or gives you a weird feeling, search online for the scholarship or scholarship provider. If you find that students report bad experiences or if you can’t find any information about the award or organization at all, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.

What’s the difference between scholarships and grants?

Scholarships and grants are both forms of financial aid that don’t need to be repaid. While these terms may occasionally be used interchangeably, they do have important differences.

First, scholarships are mainly awarded based on a student’s merit or identity. This could include factors such as academic performance, artistic ability, gender, or ethnicity. Grants, on the other hand, are primarily provided to students who demonstrate financial need.

Scholarships also tend to have more flexibility when it comes to how the funds can be used. Generally, you can use scholarships for any external academic expenses, such as a computer, food, or off-campus housing, in addition to tuition, fees, and room and board. Sometimes, there are no restrictions placed upon scholarship money at all. Grants often have stricter rules and generally can only be applied to tuition, room and board, and fees.

How do I improve my chances of getting a scholarship?

Although there is no sure-fire way to win scholarships, there are strategies you can employ to increase your chances. One method is to focus on what makes you unique. Plenty of applicants have strong grades or multiple extracurriculars; however, few students will have your exact experiences and talents. By focusing on your individuality, particularly in your essay or personal statement, you can connect with whoever is judging your application on an individual level.

Another strategy is to apply for scholarships that are small or have specific requirements. Even if you’re not a part of a minority or from a unique background, applying to awards specific to your major, state, or extracurriculars can decrease the applicant pool and increase your chances.

You can and should apply to larger scholarships as well, but remember not to skip out on smaller scholarships just because they don’t offer quite as much money.

It’s also important to apply to as many scholarships as you can. Although applying to a lot of scholarships can be tedious and frustrating, especially if you receive rejection after rejection, it’s imperative to keep on trying. While there’s never a guarantee that you’ll win scholarships, applying to a greater number of awards will increase your chances drastically.

Are scholarships taxable?

According to the IRS, scholarships are tax free and don’t need to be reported as taxable income as long as they meet the following criteria:

• Only used for tuition or course-related expenses (not used for room or board)
• Doesn’t exceed total educational costs
• No services (teaching, research, etc.) are required as a condition for receiving the scholarship

The IRS also provides a free Interactive Tax Assistant (ITA) which lets you answer questions regarding the type of educational assistance received. Once you complete the questionnaire, you’ll be told if you need to pay taxes on your scholarship.

What’s the best way to keep track of scholarships I’ve applied for?

When you go to your personal matches after creating an account on Scholarships.com, you’ll see a comprehensive list of all the scholarships you’re eligible for. From there, you can sort your awards into categories by selecting different icons:

• = Saved - Favorite the scholarship and apply to it later
• = Applied - Indicate you’ve applied for the scholarship
• = Won - Mark the scholarship as won
• = Hidden - Remove the scholarship from your list of matches

Once I win an award, is there anything I need to do to maintain it?

Whether or not you will need to take steps will depend on the type of award. Some scholarships, particularly ones that have few or no restrictions on what you can use them for, don’t require you to do anything to maintain the award.

On the other hand, for non-renewable scholarships that have stricter regulations around their usage, you’ll usually have to stay enrolled at an institution or remain in a certain major or program to keep the award.

If your scholarship is renewable throughout the entirety of your undergraduate or graduate years, there are often additional requirements for what you need to do to remain eligible. This may include maintaining a certain GPA, attending meetings or programs, and avoiding disciplinary action.

If you meet these requirements, your award may be automatically renewed, or you may have to reapply or resubmit paperwork such as the FAFSA each year to maintain your scholarship.