CollegeScholarships Site Review

CollegeScholarships.org

http://www.collegescholarships.org

We found this site easy to navigate and contained valuable information on scholarships, grants, and student loans, in addition to useful links. We love the way this site blends information and links on every page. Click on any of the tabs running along the top of the page to locate this information. The left sidebar allows you to “Browse Scholarships,” locate “Resources,” “Browse Grants,” and learn more about “Student Loans.”

We suggest you begin by reading their Home Page because it’s packed with important information on how to best use their website and provides quick links to save you time. They also have a search engine powered by Google that only includes “reputable websites” so “you won’t have to worry about arriving at any questionable websites or resources.” We gave it a test drive and used “scholarships for women” for our search. It returned a whopping 210 million results. We scrolled through pages of returns and couldn’t find a single spammy link. We like this search engine so much we plan to incorporate it into our own website. Each return has a link to the scholarship’s funding organization, where you can learn more about the scholarship, eligibility requirements, and deadlines, and access their online application.

Looking over the “Minority Categories,” you may discover you just might be a minority! There are categories for Asian, Black, Hispanic, Interracial, LGBTQ, Native American, White Male (yes, it’s listed), and Women. Let’s click on “Women.” Here you’ll find scholarship information and links for women by college major, professional organizations, minority women, and non-traditional students.

Now let’s check out the “Browse Scholarships” links in the left sidebar. Clicking on “Athletic” will take you to a page of excellent links to reputable scholarships as well as provide you with valuable information. Unlike other websites that claim to have athletic scholarships, this one delivers on that promise. No spam. No fees. No wasted time. It even provides scholarship links by sport.

Clicking on the “Minority” link takes you to a page with Types of Scholarships, Minority Scholarships Resources, as well as individual sections for Black and Hispanic, Asian, Native American, Women, and LGBTQ students and links to scholarship funding organizations.

Searching by “Degree Level” allows you to quickly scan for scholarships for undergrads with special links for adults, non-traditional, and returning students. There is a “Best Scholarship Selections for Undergraduates” heading that provides scholarship links for students with disabilities, foster children, military dependents as well as a “Popular Scholarships for Women and Minority Undergraduates” that includes links for women, African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Hispanic-Americans, Native Americans, and LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer/Questioning) students, and by major. You’ll also learn strategies for finding scholarships to fund Graduate-level study and doctoral programs along with links.

Two other links worth exploring under the “Browse Scholarships” sidebar are “By Subject” and “By State.” These will allow you to quickly search for scholarships being offered in the state you plan to attend college and your major. Again, we’re very impressed by the detailed information and quick links embedded throughout these pages.

Also under “Browse Scholarships” is the link for “By Student Type.” This will take you to a page with nearly three dozen, student-specific scholarships including those for disabled students, non-traditional, first-generation, at-risk, firefighters, and military. There are even categories for vegans, left-handed, and tall students.

The last link in this section directs you to “Our Scholarships,” a page of scholarships sponsored by this website. They provide numerous scholarships for students who blog, design websites, use Twitter, those who major in Library and Information Sciences, engage in political blogging, or who are a minority or a woman. You can also contact them for more information at info@collegescholarships.org.

Scroll down the Home Page and take a look at the “Browse Grants” quick links in the left-hand sidebar. Click on “Overview” and you’ll find information designed to help you find the right funding sources, locate Federal and State grants, and understand grant categories and non-government grants. There are grants listed for non-traditional students, low-income and disadvantage students, minorities, women, and grants for military students and their families. Subject-specific (major) grants and degree-level grants are also covered.

Clicking on the “101 Grants” link will bring up a page of…you guessed it, “101 College Grants You’ve Never Heard Of.” You will also be coached on how to conduct grant research and where to start. Grants on this page are organized by Federal Grants (need-based, merit-based, study abroad); State Grants; grants by College/University; Course- and Career-Specific Grants; Grants by Student Type (minorities, women, disabled, non-traditional, students with severe medical conditions/diseases); and Unique Grant Programs.

The “Athletic” link under “Browse Grants” provides additional information beyond what was covered under their “Browse Scholarships” “Athletic” link. Here you’ll find links to grants from the Federal government, colleges and universities, and general athletic grants for a variety of sports and activities.

Select the “Housing” link and you’ll learn about ways to cover your on-campus housing costs, including grants from Federal and State governments as well as a few colleges and universities. Sadly missing are links to cover housing expenses for off-campus and non-traditional students.

The last link under the “Browse Grants” is “Minority.” This page discusses how minority grants work, the types of minority grants, the best and next-best sources of grants, FAFSA, and State grants. Again, links abound on this page.