NYU Alumna Elise Compares Scholarship Platforms

I spent 20+ hours researching top scholarship platforms to see which ones truly help students find the funding they need. To save students time and frustration, I evaluated their scholarship search tools, application processes, and scholarship databases.

Let's go over my criteria first, and then I'll explain my experience as a user and how I ranked each scholarship platform.

How I Reviewed Scholarship Platforms

With scholarships being highly competitive, the right platform can make a major difference in whether students successfully find and apply for funding. Usability, accessibility, and application processes are all important aspects that influence student engagement and application completion.

In my review, I assessed each platform based on the following key factors:

• Scholarship Availability: I want a scholarship database with a wide variety of scholarships to choose from.
• No-Account Accessibility: I want to be able to see scholarships without creating an account.
• Functional, Helpful Accounts: I want to see measurable benefits from creating an account that helps me find or win scholarships. I want proof that I'm not just giving my email and information for marketing campaigns.
• Search Tools: I want a scholarship platform to offer ways to narrow down my appropriate options so that I don't waste time looking at irrelevant scholarships.
• Easy, Streamlined Applications: I want to apply for available scholarships quickly and easily. Ideally, I don't want to create several accounts or navigate multiple pages. Applications should be simple forms and essays that I can fill out intuitively.

Here's what I did:

1. Searched through each platform's scholarships without an account
2. Created an account
3. Looked for scholarships with my new account
4. Filled out an application for at least one scholarship

Going through the motions of creating accounts and applying for scholarships helped me mine some useful data, like how long it takes to set up an account on each site, the number of scholarships available, accessibility, and overall effectiveness, which I share below.

The Best Option I Tried: Bold.org

• Scholarship Availability: Over 700 scholarships to choose from. Topics vary from general majors like biology to very niche categories, so there's a high chance you'll find something for you.
• No-Account Accessibility: I can see all the scholarships and browse them easily without making an account.
• Functional, Helpful Accounts: Creating an account auto-fills some parts of the application form when it's time to apply. This cuts down on the time spent applying.
• Search Tools: 52 different filters to help me find what I'm looking for. Also allows me to type in keywords. And I'm still able to see 100% of the available options if I want.
• Easy, Streamlined Applications: You don't need more accounts for applications. All applications can be filled out on the Bold.org platform.

I chose this as the best option overall, as Bold.org strikes a nice balance between the breadth of scholarship offerings, search aids, and intuitive applications.

What could be better: It's not the biggest scholarship database out there, but personally, I feel that what's available is enough to choose from. I'll explain what features were most important to me and where the other platforms lost points in the recap section at the end.

What I liked: The biggest plus for Bold.org is how easy it is to find and apply for scholarships. Often, this is the most time-consuming part of finding financial aid, and Bold.org does a great job helping students. Filters and targeted searches mean you can find scholarships you're eligible for easily, and the auto-fill profile means if you take the time to fill out the profile, you don't need to fill out the application forms each time.

Account creation: 6 minutes to create an intermediate Bold.org profile. This included basic information (name, address, etc..), some education information, and some hobbies/extracurriculars. The Bold.org profile is a little more like a resume than other platforms; they also asked for a short bio description and a headshot.

A Good Alternative: Fastweb

• Scholarship Availability: 1.5 million scholarships are available.
• No-Account Accessibility: I can see all the scholarships without making an account.
• Functional, Helpful Accounts: Creating an account supplies a list of scholarship matches I qualify for based on the information I provide. New scholarship and internship matches are delivered to my email so I don't miss deadlines.
• Search Tools: No direct search option. Scholarships are categorized into several topics, such as accounting, music composition, and college freshman, etc. This allows students to find scholarships based on major and other factors.
• Easy, Streamlined Applications: You need to apply with the scholarship provider, not scholarships.com. Clicking "apply" bounces you to another provider or organization that may or may not ask you to sign up.

This is another great option for students. The matching algorithm is pretty comprehensive, providing me with 50+ matches I'm eligible for. The intuitive interface is easy to use.

What could be better: Most applications take you to the provider's website. You may or may not need an account to apply for each individual scholarship.

What I liked: A huge perk of Fastweb is that they send new scholarship matches to your email, along with internships you can apply for. This is a great tool for students, as you don't need to open the platform to see new scholarships. Matching you with internships goes beyond what most scholarship platforms offer.

Account creation: 10 minutes to complete the profile. Users can stop after only a few basic questions, but there isn't really an option for an intermediate profile—it's either the bare minimum or a completed account.

Runner Up: Scholarship America

• Scholarship Availability: Only 40 active scholarships are available.
• No-Account Accessibility: I can see all the scholarships without making an account.
• Functional, Helpful Accounts: Creating an account allows you to access centralized applications hosted by Scholarship America.
• Search Tools: 18 search filters, mainly school types and grade levels. Since there aren't a lot of scholarships in the database, this is enough to help narrow down the choices.
• Easy, Streamlined Applications: Though the scholarships are funded by other organizations and companies, Scholarship America manages applications on their site. No need to open more accounts.

Though Scholarship America has a small selection of scholarships, it's clear they put a lot of work into only including reputable, useful scholarships.

What could be better: The lack of options means you may not find many scholarships you're eligible for.

What I liked: Most of these are high dollar-amount awards in the thousands, so they'll actually make a dent in your tuition. Winning one Scholarship America award is probably worth more than winning a single award from another platform.

Account creation: 4 minutes to complete the profile. Included basic personal and academic information.

Honorable Mention: Scholarships.com

• Scholarship Availability: 3.7 million scholarships are available, making it the largest database in this review.
• No-Account Accessibility: I can see all the scholarships without making an account.
• Functional, Helpful Accounts: Information on your profile is used to match you to scholarships that you're eligible for.
• Search Tools: No direct search option. Scholarships are categorized into several categories, such as accounting, music composition, college freshman, etc. This allows students to find scholarships based on major and other factors.
• Easy, Streamlined Applications: You need to apply with the scholarship provider, not scholarships.com. Clicking "apply" bounces you to another provider or organization that may or may not ask you to sign up.

This is the best alternative if Bold.org doesn't offer enough choices for you. Scholarships.com is easily the largest database and features a lot of niche scholarships that may have less competition.

What could be better: The application process is the most painful part of using Scholarships.com. Since most of these scholarships are funded by separate entities, the applications aren't centralized. Most scholarships require you to open an account with the provider, so each application has a different interface, which can be time-consuming.

What I liked: The matching algorithm is an easy, helpful way to narrow down your choices. Knowing where to focus your efforts helps save time.

Account creation: 4 minutes to create an intermediate profile. Included basic personal information, some academic interests, and some hobbies/extracurriculars.

Valuable Resource: Finaid

• Scholarship Availability: Links primarily to Fastweb, so the same amount as them—1.5 million
• No-Account Accessibility: I can see all the scholarships without making an account, but for details, I need a Fastweb account.
• Functional, Helpful Accounts: Not really much point setting up an account as you'll need Fastweb for any details or applications.
• Search Tools: Finaid organizes scholarships into categories.
• Easy, Streamlined Applications: You'll need a Fastweb account to view the scholarship details and potentially an account with the organization funding the scholarship to apply.

Finaid is a good resource for students who are starting their financial aid search. This platform helps you see what resources are broadly available and provides some guidance on FAFSA and other financial resources. However, it's not the best way to find and apply for scholarships.

What could be better: Linking everything to Fastweb isn't the best use of your time; it's easier to make a Fastweb account and look directly on their platform.

What I liked: Offers a comparatively better selection of financial aid guides on student loans and FAFSA. Tools like the student loan calculator might help you budget for school and set up a payment plan.

Account creation: Accounts are not necessary. Applications are filled out through Fastweb, so you'll need to make an account with them.

Ratings Recap: Why I Ranked Each Platform The Way I Did

When I started researching scholarship platforms, my criteria were as follows:

• Scholarship Availability
• No-Account Accessibility
• Functional, Helpful Accounts
• Search Tools
• Easy, Streamlined Applications

Of these points, the three that are probably the most important to me are scholarship availability, account functionality, and easy applications.

Scholarship Availability

A large database means little if students struggle to find relevant opportunities. While Bold.org isn’t the largest, it definitely offers unique, niche scholarships to ensure students access high-quality, lower-competition scholarships, increasing their chances of success.

Functional, Helpful Accounts

Let's talk about why Fastweb and Scholarships.com, the two largest databases, weren't ranked first, which brings me to the account functionality of each platform. There's nothing more annoying than being forced to make an account for a really simple task. If a site can't justify why it's making me sign up for an account, I don't want to use the platform at all.

The main issue with Fastweb and Scholarships.com is that they bounce users to the scholarship provider for applications. Since you can't apply on the platform, users may need multiple accounts, one for each application. That gets pretty time-consuming.

Easy, Streamlined Applications

Easy applications are where Bold.org really shines. One account for all applications already streamlines things nicely, and in addition, the profile auto-fills applications for you. Most of the time, you just have to focus on writing an essay to apply.

My Final Thoughts

Most students will need to rely on a combination of financial aid sources to afford college, including institutional support, federal aid, and private scholarships. While national databases offer broad listings, platform design and application processes can impact accessibility and success rates.

For those seeking a curated selection of scholarships with a streamlined, user-friendly application process, Bold.org provides a highly effective platform with minimal account barriers and a higher likelihood of securing funding.