Site review

Scholarships.com review 2026: the largest stated database, free

Short answer

Scholarships.com ranks 4 of 4 on our weights at 5.10 out of 10. It is free and states the largest database here, over 3.7 million scholarships and grants, about half of them location-based. It offers no application shortcuts on the pages we read, and there are too few ratings to judge it.

By The Deadline Desk · Best Scholarship Sites · Published Sep 14, 2026

Desk research from each site's public pages, app store listings and review profiles. Editorial assessment; we did not create accounts or apply for scholarships.

How does Scholarships.com score?

5.10 / 10

Rank 4 of 4 on our default weights

EF: Application effort saved: 3 / 10
MQ: Match quality: 5 / 10
TR: Transparency and scam protection: 6 / 10
CO: Cost to the student: 10 / 10
PR: Privacy and data sharing: 4 / 10
HE: Help along the way: 4 / 10
RA: Ratings from users: 3 / 10
DB: Database size, as stated: 10 / 10

Each column is one criterion, scored 0 to 10. More filled holes means a higher editorial score on that criterion, not a better chance of winning.

Scores by criterion, compared with the other scored sites.
Criterion	Weight	Score	Why
Application effort savedTied lowest	25%	3 / 10	No auto-apply, one application for many or reapplication is stated on the homepage, About page or App Store listing. Source: Scholarships.com about page
Match qualityLowest in set	20%	5 / 10	Free search for every student level, with about half the database location-based; how matches are made is not described. Source: Scholarships.com on the App Store
Transparency and scam protectionLowest in set	15%	6 / 10	Describes a verified, continuously updated database and links a Trust Center; per-listing vetting details and applicant counts are not stated. Source: Scholarships.com homepage
Cost to the studentTied highest	10%	10 / 10	States "100% free". Source: Scholarships.com homepage
Privacy and data sharingTied highest	10%	4 / 10	The policy says it may sell or share personal information for marketing and advertising; sharing with colleges and education partners is with consent. Source: Scholarships.com privacy policy
Help along the wayTied lowest	10%	4 / 10	Sends scholarship alerts; essay help and application tracking are not stated. Source: Scholarships.com privacy policy
Ratings from users	5%	3 / 10	App Store 5.0 from only 5 ratings and Trustpilot 2.9 from 2 reviews: too few to tell much. Source: Scholarships.com on the App Store
Database size, as statedHighest in set	5%	10 / 10	States over 3.7 million scholarships and grants worth about $19 billion, the largest figure in the set. Source: Scholarships.com homepage

At a glance

Owner: Scholarships.com, LLC (since 1998)
Cost: Free
Free. The homepage says "100% free".
Database, as stated: Over 3.7 million scholarships and grants totaling about $19 billion
Applying: Search and scholarship alerts; no auto-apply or one application for many stated.
Own no-essay award: None stated
Data sharing: Policy says it may sell data
Policy says "We may sell or share personal information", including for marketing and advertising; sharing with colleges and education partners is with consent.
Ratings: App Store (US): 5.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings
Source: Scholarships.com on the App Store
Trustpilot: 2.9 from 2 reviews (claimed profile since March 2021)
Source: Scholarships.com on Trustpilot

What does Scholarships.com do, according to its own pages?

What it says it is
"100% free" with "Vetted scholarship opportunities"; says it has "helped over 26 million students and families".
Source: Scholarships.com homepage
Database
A "verified and continuously updated scholarship database" of "over 3.7 million scholarships and grants totaling about $19 billion".
Source: Scholarships.com homepage
Local awards
The App Store listing says "Nearly 50% of our database is location-based".
Source: Scholarships.com on the App Store
Who it serves
Free search for high school, college, graduate and non-traditional students, since 1998.
Source: Scholarships.com about page
Privacy
"We may sell or share personal information", including for marketing and advertising. With your consent it shares with "education-related partners" and provides information "to colleges and universities". It sends scholarship alerts. Policy updated April 17, 2026. The footer links "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information".
Source: Scholarships.com privacy policy
Not stated
Auto-apply, essay help, applicant counts and an own no-essay award are not stated on the homepage, About page or App Store listing. The parent company is not stated.
Source: Scholarships.com about page

Where is Scholarships.com strong?

The largest stated database here: over 3.7 million scholarships and grants, about half of them location-based.
Free, with scholarship alerts.

What are Scholarships.com's limits?

Too few ratings to judge: 5 on the App Store and 2 on Trustpilot.
No application shortcuts are stated, and how matches are made is not described on the pages we read.
Its privacy policy says it may sell or share personal information for marketing and advertising.

How does Scholarships.com compare?

Frequently asked questions

Is Scholarships.com free?

Yes. Its homepage says "100% free".

Is Scholarships.com the same as Fastweb?

No. Scholarships.com, LLC has run its site since 1998; Fastweb was founded in 1995 and sold to Monster Worldwide in 2001. Both are free search sites with large stated databases.

Does Scholarships.com find local scholarships?

Its App Store listing says nearly 50% of its database is location-based.