The Scholarship File
Twenty years of scholarship research, gathered into one free PDF — yours no matter which college you choose.
Everything I wish someone had handed me
I started this file in 2006 because students kept asking me the same question at college fairs: where do I even start looking?
- Hundreds of scholarships — national and local, with working links
- Scholarship search sites worth your time, and a note on the ones that aren’t
- Scam warning signs, so you never pay a fee to apply for free money
- A recommended reading list on paying for college without loans
- Counselor tips gathered from hundreds of guidance offices over three decades
- Application and essay advice from people who actually judge these things
Three steps, starting tonight
Start earlier than feels necessary
Sophomore and junior year are not too early. The students who graduate debt free are almost always the ones who started before senior spring.
Go local first
National scholarships get thousands of applicants. The $500 award from a local civic club might get eleven. Both spend the same at the bursar’s office.
Treat it like a part-time job
A few hours a week through senior year adds up fast. If you win $4,000 for forty hours of work, that is $100 an hour.
Get the file
Free, and free forever. Tell me where to send it.
Get The Scholarship File
Hundreds of scholarships and college-planning resources in one PDF.