Best Scholarships for College Students in 2023

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Top scholarships with upcoming deadlines

While many people agree that earning a college education is worth the time, effort, and money, becoming a college student and earning a degree has become increasingly difficult. With how expensive college is and the rising price of tuition, students are finding it more burdensome than ever to fund their education.

Whether you are a high school senior preparing for the financial stress of college, or a current college student actively looking for financial aid, there are opportunities for you to fund your education and related expenses. High school students nearing the end of their K-12 education will find it helpful to look ahead to the costs associated with college so they can begin to find scholarships that will make it easier for them to attend college. At the same time, undergraduate students and graduate students can find scholarship opportunities that provide financial aid for their current education.

College scholarships can help to significantly reduce the out-of-pocket costs students pay for college, allowing them to focus on their schooling rather than worrying about how to pay for school. In order to help incoming college students and existing college or graduate school students, this list gives college students a good starting point for finding scholarships.

For more resources on financial aid for college, create a free account on Bold.org to gain access to helpful insights, exclusive scholarships, and more!

Three college students sitting at a table in the library together

What Is a Scholarship?

Students new to the scholarship process often have questions about what scholarships entail and how they work, but the first question truly is: what is a scholarship? Scholarships are a type of financial aid that helps students fund their education. They are given primarily to students pursuing higher education, whether that's through college or career school. A scholarship is akin to 'free money' in that students do not have to pay the scholarship money back. They aren't loans - the scholarship money students win is theirs to keep.

But isn't there a catch? Don't scholarships sound almost too good to be true? There's no catch; students rightfully earn scholarships through their essay submissions, quality application, and engagement. Online resources, such as those on Bold.org, are designed to help students in high school, trade school, and college find free money, like a personal financial aid office.

Whether you are in college or career school, pursuing an education is expensive, which is why scholarships exist. Scholarships vary in how they are presented. Some are given to the student in the form of a check, while others are sent directly to the student's institution. Depending on the scholarship, the money might be reserved specifically for tuition or contrarily be available for students to use on all college expenses.

If you have questions about how specific scholarships work, reach out to guidance counselors and advisors at your school or talk to your financial aid office. Since college scholarships aren't all the same, pay attention to the details and ask questions when you have them.

undergraduate scholarships

Undergraduate Student Scholarships

Undergraduate students have many opportunities when it comes to financial aid since they are right in the midst of their education and have current costs that need covering. A quick search on the internet for college scholarships can be helpful, but it can also be overwhelming as it yields thousands of results, many of which are not credible.

Fortunately, Bold.org has many credible college scholarships and is easy to navigate. To find an even more extensive list, take a look at Bold.org's list of scholarships for undergraduate students. Additionally, use the "Education" filter on the scholarship search page to find exclusive college scholarships and new opportunities every week.