Frequently Asked Questions

To better answer your question, take a look at some of our frequently asked questions. These are some of the most common questions, but if the solution to your problem is not listed below, please feel free to email us with your question.

• What is Scholarships.com?
• Do I have to register to view the scholarship opportunities in your database?
• Why can't I create an account for a second child using the same email address?
• I lost my password - How can I log in?
• How do I go about changing my password?
• I recently changed my email address. How do I update this information in my Scholarships.com profile?
• What is my scholarship ID? My security key?
• Why do you need my personal information?
• What is the difference between the scholarships in your database and those listed on other sites?
• How can I be sure that the scholarship offers listed on Scholarships.com are not scams?
• I noticed the NACAC and NSPA icons at the bottom of your page. What do these organizations do and what is your association with them?
• Does Scholarships.com have scholarship opportunities available for average students?
• I'm a grad student – do I qualify for a scholarship?
• Is there any way a parent can get information, and be able to view and share it with their child?
• If I receive a scholarship, will I receive a check or does the money go to the school?
• Does Scholarships.com offer scholarships for students who live outside of the United States?
• Are there scholarships or financial aid available to undocumented students?
• I'm a scholarship provider, and I have a scholarship offer that I want to list on your site. How can I submit my scholarship?
• How can I apply for a scholarship that has filtered in my search results but is not currently available on a sponsoring organization’s site, no longer accepting applications, or the application period has ended?
• Do I have to be currently enrolled in a university before I begin applying for scholarships?
• Why is my disability, ethnicity and/or other characteristic not listed as a profile option?
• How can I remember whether I've inquired about a scholarship I found on Scholarships.com?
• Is it possible to get a scholarship if I file my own taxes but do not have my parents' tax information?

What is Scholarships.com?

Scholarships.com is a free scholarship search website that helps students locate and apply for scholarship opportunities. Many parents and students are unsure of how to find money to cut tuition costs. Frequently, many are unaware of the numerous resources available. All of the services at Scholarships.com are free: we encourage you to take advantage of our scholarship database, use our college search tool, and read through our helpful articles. Don't delay - begin funding your college career today.

Do I have to register to view the scholarship opportunities in your database?

Yes. It is the only way we will be able to deliver the most relevant scholarship opportunities in your direction. Registering allows you to store your search results and revisit the scholarships you wish to pursue when you return. If you don't already have an email address of your own, contact your internet service provider to find out how to create one or visit a sites such as Gmail.com or Yahoo.com to set up an email account, free of charge.

Why can't I create an account for a second child using the same email address?

When you create an account, your email address serves as a unique user ID; therefore, each user must have a separate email address. In order to create another profile, you will need to enter a different email address. If you need assistance with this, contact your internet service provider for more information. You may also register for a new email address at one of the many free email services such as Gmail.com or Yahoo.com.

I lost my password - How can I log in?

At the upper-right corner of our homepage, click on the "Login" page and you will find a Forgot Your Password? link beneath the Continue button. Click on the link, and you will be taken to a page where you can submit your email address to reset your password. Once you have entered your email address in this field and clicked on the "Submit" button, you will be able to reset your password. Please follow the instructions to reset your password. Once redirected, you will be asked to enter your user account email address and a new password. To ensure this and other valuable information from Scholarships.com makes it to your inbox, be sure to "white list" Scholarships.com with your ISP and/or email filters. Please click here for more information.

How do I go about changing my password?

To change your password, go to www.scholarships.com/login and log in using your current email address and password. Once you have logged in, click on the "Profile" tab at the top of the page to view the summary of your profile information. You will see a link in the top section titled “Account Settings.” Click on that link, and you will be taken to a page where you can change your password. Once you have done so, click the "Change password" button. From now on, you will be able to log in at Scholarships.com using your new password.

I recently changed my email address. How do I update this information in my Scholarships.com profile?

Log in using the email you used to create your Scholarships.com profile. Click “Account Settings " at top of your screen. It will ask you to create a new email address and retype it. Once you have changed it, click the button "Change email address." From now on, you will be able to use this new email address.

What is my scholarship ID? My security key?

A scholarship ID is a unique number assigned to a specific scholarship that is used by scholarship providers to log in and review/edit their scholarship listing. If you are offering a scholarship that is listed on Scholarships.com and need your scholarship ID, please contact us here with the full name of the scholarship in question. The scholarship submission department will receive your inquiry and assist you.

If you are a student looking for financial aid, you do not need a scholarship ID or security key. When you create an account, your email address serves as your unique user ID. To log in to your personal account at Scholarships.com, click on "Login," located on the top right of the main Scholarships.com page, and enter your email address and password. If you have already created a profile at Scholarships.com, but have forgotten your password, click here to reset it.

Why do you need my personal information?

At Scholarships.com, we want to provide you with the most relevant opportunities and in order to accomplish this, we need certain personal information. The information you provide helps us find the best scholarship matches for you. Ultimately, this process will save you a great deal of time as you will only receive scholarship opportunities for which you qualify.

What is the difference between the scholarships in your database and those listed on other sites?

Whereas many sites rent an outdated list of scholarships with little information, our database contains scholarships submitted by the providers themselves. At Scholarships.com, we create and foster a relationship with the providers of scholarships listed in our database and offer them the ability to manage their listings with free online access. We update and add scholarships to our database regularly and review them, checking for errors and soliciting updated information when necessary. If a scholarship is discontinued, we are typically notified by the scholarship provider, in which case we respond promptly. Our methods ensure the best experience for all involved and an accurate database of scholarships with the most current information possible.

How can I be sure that the scholarship offers listed on Scholarships.com are not scams?

Scholarships.com's expert staff reviews and approves each scholarship offer submitted to our database. Many steps are employed to make sure the more insincere offers are not posted. The URL of each scholarship is investigated, and we never allow a scholarship to be listed in our database unless we are confident the award is legitimate. If it is discovered that an award in our database is of a questionable origin or intent, we immediately deactivate that listing until we are able to confirm its legitimacy. If this cannot be confirmed, the award is permanently removed from the database. Similarly, we do not accept scholarships that require an application fee or charge of any sort.

I noticed the NACAC and NSPA icons at the bottom of your page. What do these organizations do and what is your association with them?

NACAC: The National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), founded in 1937, is an organization of professionals from around the world dedicated to serving students as they make choices about pursuing postsecondary education. The Seal of Approval program is designed to help students and families make choices about the growing number of available admission counseling resources as they consider options beyond secondary school. The Seal of Approval is solely awarded to products and services that meet the NACAC Mission Statement and NACAC standards of utility, accessibility and integrity. Granting the Seal of Approval does not indicate NACAC's exclusive approval of one program, product, or service over another. A review panel of association members carefully evaluates each application as a part of the Seal of Approval process. For more information about NACAC, please visit http://www.nacacnet.org

NSPA: The National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA) is an organization that supports scholarship providers. Since 1999, NSPA has grown to include over 150 organizational members, with 220 individuals from across North America. NSPA's members are diverse and include small and large private foundations, community foundations, public charities, two and four-year colleges, universities, associations, government agencies, and organizations that offer services to scholarship providers. Together, the NSPA membership awards over $450,000,000 in scholarships to more than 200,000 students each year.

Does Scholarships.com have scholarship opportunities available for average students?

Absolutely. We provide information about scholarship offers available to all students, regardless of GPA or test scores. Many of these scholarships offer rewards that are as lucrative as merit scholarships. Essay and community service scholarships are a great place to begin since many do not include transcript submission in the application criteria.

I am a grad student - is it too late to receive a scholarship?

No, you are in luck. There are a list of the scholarships listed exclusive for graduate students. We understand that graduate students require financial assistance to continue their education. Conduct a free scholarship search for more information.

Is there any way that a parent can get information, and be able to view and share it with their child?

A parent may complete a Scholarships.com profile for his or her high school child. When completing the Scholarship Search, denote you are a "Parent/Guardian" when asked "Are you a parent conducting this scholarship search for your child?" This can be found under the "Background Information" section. You can then review a list of filtered scholarship opportunities, based on the information you provided about your child. If you plan to share the account with your child, you can even favorite scholarships so that he or she knows where to look first.

If I receive a scholarship, will I receive a check or does the money go to the school?

Whether the money goes to you or to the school at which you have enrolled/plan to enroll is entirely up to the scholarship provider. Typically the provider will specifically note the method of scholarship payment on their website or application. For thorough instructions, contact the provider directly.

Does Scholarships.com offer scholarships for students who live outside the United States?

Absolutely. If you are a student from a country outside of the United States and plan to study at a college or university in the U.S., or if you are a U.S. citizen who plans to study abroad, there are a number of the scholarships listed on our website available. When applying for scholarships, make sure you read the eligibility criteria thoroughly, as it will provide necessary information as to who can apply.

If you are enrolled at a school in the United States but plan to study abroad, in many cases you will be able to apply your regular financial aid towards a study abroad program as long as the program is sponsored by your school. There are also many scholarships specifically intended for study abroad students. However, individual scholarships and study abroad programs may have different rules, so verify the rules for each award before applying.

Are there scholarships or financial aid available to undocumented students?

Yes. Scholarships definitely exist for students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, so make sure you read the scholarship details carefully before applying. Please conduct a free scholarship search to find out which of the aforementioned scholarships you or your student might qualify for.

I'm a scholarship provider, and I have a scholarship offer that I want to list on your site. How do I submit my scholarship?

Listing your scholarship is simple. Simply select the List Your Scholarship link at the top of the Scholarships.com homepage. This link will take you to an online form. Once there, select the blue "List Your Scholarship" link. Now you can begin the scholarship submission process. Simply fill out the entry form provided and give a detailed description of your scholarship. Please be as thorough as possible and do not hesitate to email us if you have any questions. At the bottom of the form is a designated section for qualifications that a student must meet in order to view your scholarship. It is crucial that you select all the appropriate criteria so that we can properly filter the information and ensure that only qualified students will be made aware of your scholarship when they conduct a scholarship search at Scholarships.com.

I want to apply for a scholarship in my search results, but, when I visit the sponsoring organization’s website, they are no longer accepting applications/ the application period has ended. How do I apply?

Many scholarship providers only accept scholarship applications within a few months of the deadline. It may be too early to submit an application for the upcoming cycle and you will have to wait until they start accepting applications. Additionally, if the scholarship provider shows that applications are no longer accepted or that the date has passed, they may be referring to the previous year’s scholarship application period. The provider of the scholarship and the staff at Scholarships.com update the information from each scholarship regularly, so if a scholarship does happen to get discontinued, it is removed from the database.

If the deadline for a scholarship offer has passed, why hasn't it been removed?

The short answer mirrors the answer to the one above - scholarships are typically renewed annually. If it's too late for this year, you might be able to apply next year. Read through the details of the scholarship. If the scholarship provider will not accept applications for next year before a certain date, record information about the scholarship, and return to it at a later date.

Do I have to be currently enrolled in a university before I begin applying for scholarships?

No. You don't have to be officially enrolled in a university to begin your quest for scholarships. However, you should begin applying. If you do receive a scholarship, the sponsor may ask for eligibility verification. This may include, among other things, proof of college enrollment.

Why is my disability, ethnicity and/or other characteristic not listed as a profile option?

Scholarships.com strives to acknowledge the uniqueness of each user, but sometimes there are so many varying demographic factors, which makes inclusion difficult. To simplify the profile creation process, we list only those traits specifically named in the scholarships listed in our database. If the option you are searching for is not listed, we encourage you to select one that is more general or one closest to your preference.

How can I remember whether I've inquired about a scholarship I found on Scholarships.com?

To keep track of the scholarships for which you have applied or inquired, we recommend creating a spreadsheet or other document with relevant information for each award, then saving it on your computer, such as Microsoft Excel. You can also use tools on our website to supplement your organization system. We encourage you to mark your top scholarship choices as favorites, then remove them from your list once you finish applying. If you have questions about your application status for a specific scholarship, we recommend reviewing the rules for that award, then contacting the provider if necessary.

If I file my taxes independently, do I need my parents' tax information for scholarship application?

It depends on the scholarship. Awards that don't require a financial need typically will not require you to submit tax records, but you will need to provide this information for many need-based scholarships. While not every scholarship will ask for tax information from you and your parents, you will need your parents' taxes to complete the FAFSA (unless you meet the criteria for "independent status" listed on the application) and a number of scholarships require you to do this to apply. Read the rules for the scholarships you're interested in and if you cannot obtain your parents' tax information or have further questions, you may want to contact the provider directly.