How we rate

What we show first

• Plain source type (for example scholarship sponsor, search platform, or local organization).
• Geographic coverage.
• Useful for: the supported audience, without claiming you qualify.
• One material limitation or access requirement.
• Review or current-cycle status when relevant.

Government financial aid

Sources labeled Government financial aid are adjacent to official student aid. They may cover grants or loans as well as scholarships. Use them alongside private scholarship hunting, and confirm eligibility on the official page.

The five factors

Trust

Official means the source is clearly accountable. Caution means it is legitimate but indirect. Risk means its ownership or provenance is unclear. Provenance is not an endorsement of every offer on the site.

Fresh

Current means the site looks actively maintained. Check means the cycle or link needs a look. Stale means the information may be dated. A page loading successfully does not verify its deadlines.

Fit

Clear means the source states who it serves. Mixed means you will need to self-filter. Limited means audience guidance is thin. Directory Fit is never a claim that you personally qualify.

Ease

Direct means you can reach useful information publicly. Account means a profile or extra navigation is involved. Friction means a wall or difficult path gets in the way. Browsing and applying are different steps.

Noise

LOW means little distraction. SOME means marketing or cross-sell is mixed in. HIGH means a specific observed issue such as heavy lead-gen, sweepstakes, spam, or user-content risk.