How we rate scholarship sources

The four score types

How to compare scholarship sites yourself

To compare two scholarship sites, look at the same four areas we score. Good signs point toward a higher score and warning signs toward a lower one.

Each listing also shows a price label, Free, Freemium, Membership Required or Paid, based on what we saw on the site. Price does not change the score by itself. Size is shown as a range, never an exact count, and a bigger list does not earn a higher score on its own.

A rating reviews the website. It does not predict that you will win an award or confirm that you qualify. Never pay a fee just to apply for a scholarship.

How a score is calculated

• Each score type has three checks. A researcher grades each check from 1 to 5 against written descriptions of what each grade looks like.
• The score for each type is calculated from those grades, on the same 1 to 5 scale in half steps, lowered only by a stated cap. Nobody types a score in by hand.
• The overall score is the weighted average of the scores for the four types, shown to one decimal.
• An overall score stays below 4.0 until we have checked the source on a second date.
• Each published score includes the scores for all four types and an overall score, and we do not reweight the other types to cover a gap.

Price and accounts

A source's description says what it costs and whether you need an account, when that matters. The price label does not change a score by itself. Features behind a paywall are scored on what a free user can see. Only deceptive or coercive billing, such as hidden auto-renewal or a free claim that is not free, counts against Privacy & Marketing.

What a source page shows

• Card: a short description (acronyms spelled out, and the exact area covered for state, regional, local and provincial sources), Best for, Limitation, and the scores for the four types.
• Details page: a longer description of what the site is, who runs it and how it works; the same Best for and Limitation; the score box; What our research found, with two to four points per score covering the main strengths and weaknesses in one list, each said once; and How we rate, with a short definition of each score type and what a 5, a 1 and the middle look like.
• Points state general findings. We name a specific search only when it is a clear example anyone can repeat.

How we check matching

Matching is the most important score type. We look at how a student on the site can narrow its scholarships by where they live, financial need, merit, major, the college they plan to attend and their high school. We search as students in different situations would, look closely at the first results and trace some back to the sponsor's own rules. If a site has no filter for something, that gap is the finding.

Problems we commonly look for include location filters that stop at the state, need-based awards shown to merit-only students, identity filters that do not exclude, wrong-major results, wrong grade level, ignored GPA, citizenship or membership requirements, expired deadlines, duplicates, and sweepstakes presented as matches. These are examples, not a checklist.

What people say publicly

Where it is relevant, we also look at what people say about a site in public places such as Reddit, Facebook groups and forums, looking for repeated patterns. This can support a point, but it never replaces our own checks and never sets a score on its own. We never publish people's names or handles.

How we research

• No applications: we do not submit scholarship applications, fabricate documents or accept awards. Features available only on a paid plan are scored on what a free user can see.
• Two people: one researcher gathers the evidence and proposes grades; a second person checks the evidence against the grades. Disagreements are settled by re-checking the disputed result, not by averaging.

Our research records

Every published score comes from our own research and site checks, and each point on a source page is backed by our internal research records. Those records and screenshots stay internal. Source pages show scores and short points, not source links, and a month-and-year line showing when the listing was last updated. That Updated line shows when the listing last changed, not a check date.

Changes to scores

Every score change is recorded with the date, the reason, and the old and new values. A corrected factual error, a change to our method, and an improvement to the site itself are recorded as different kinds of change.

Corrections

If a listing or score looks wrong, use Report an issue on the source page, or Claim this source if you represent the organization. You can also email admin@wheretofindscholarships.com. Owners can send corrections and a response, but cannot edit scores or pay for a better rating. Always confirm eligibility and deadlines on the official sponsor page.

FAQ