A scholarship app matches your grades, background and plans to scholarships and grants you're eligible for, then helps you apply or track what you've entered. Some focus on no-essay awards, some verify every listing and one rewards high school achievements. Ten apps follow, in no particular order.
Hunting for scholarships is mostly a filtering problem. There are thousands of awards out there, but each one has its own eligibility rules, deadlines and essays, and a generic search wastes hours on awards you'll never qualify for.
The apps below try to fix that by building a profile once and matching you from it. They're listed alphabetically and in no particular order, and every description comes from the app's own App Store listing, read this week. Many awards still want an essay, so my guide to writing a college essay on time is worth keeping open.
Scholarship apps at a glance
I checked the free plan column on each app's own App Store listing, as of Oct 2026. Yes means the listing names a free app, a free version, a free tier or free content. Trial only means a time-limited trial. Not stated means the listing I read named neither, even where there's a download button, so check the app's own page before you subscribe.
| Tool | Type | Good for | Free plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Awarded | Scholarship and award tracker | Keeping track of what you've entered | Not stated |
| Bold.org | Exclusive scholarship platform | Scholarships funded by named donors | Yes |
| Going Merry | Scholarship matching app | Scholarships, grants and aid together | Yes |
| Merit Match | Verified scholarship finder | Avoiding expired or fake listings | Yes |
| RaiseMe | Micro-scholarship app | Earning money for high school achievements | Yes |
| Scholarar | Global scholarship discovery app | Study abroad funding | Yes |
| Scholarly | Scholarship matching and essay helper | Drafting scholarship essays | Not stated |
| ScholarMe | Swipe-to-match scholarship app | Short-listing hand-verified awards | Not stated |
| ScholarshipOwl | Scholarship matching app | Applying to many awards faster | Not stated |
| Scholarships.com | Scholarship search database | Searching a very large database | Yes |
Ten scholarship apps worth a look
Awarded
Best for: Serial applicants entering lots of awards who want quick entry links and a simple wallet showing what they've entered and what's still open.
Bold.org
Best for: Applicants tired of shared databases, since its awards come from real donors and include no-essay scholarships, with a free profile.
Going Merry
Best for: Families who want scholarships, grants and financial aid matched in one free app that high school counselors also use.
Merit Match
Best for: Privacy-minded students who want every listing checked for a real award and current deadline, with no ads and no profile reselling.
RaiseMe
Best for: High schoolers who want to earn small scholarships for grades, AP courses, sports and volunteering before they even apply to college.
Scholarar
Best for: International students looking for undergraduate, master's or PhD funding to study abroad, with free matches one day a week.
Scholarly
Best for: Applicants who want eligible matches plus help drafting essays and tracking every application in one place.
ScholarMe
Best for: Busy students who'd like to swipe through a few hundred hand-verified awards rather than wade through a huge database.
ScholarshipOwl
Best for: Ambitious seniors playing the numbers game, with a personalised feed built to help them apply to more scholarships, faster.
Scholarships.com
Best for: Parents and teens who want to search a very large database of scholarships and grants, with the listing saying it's completely free.
Which app for which applicant
- You're still in high school: RaiseMe.
- You want to study abroad: Scholarar.
- You worry about fake or expired listings: Merit Match.
- You need help drafting essays: Scholarly.
- You want grants and aid as well: Going Merry.
A free government database to cross-check
Before you rely on any app's matches, it's worth knowing there's a free public option. CareerOneStop, backed by the U.S. Department of Labor, runs a Scholarship Finder that lets you search more than 9,500 scholarships, fellowships, grants and other financial aid awards, and you can sort them by closest deadline.
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That gives you a useful benchmark. If an app shows you awards you can't find anywhere else, great. If it asks you for money just to see a list of scholarships, walk away, because the basic search is available free.
No-essay awards versus essay awards
Several apps here push no-essay scholarships, which are quick to enter and easy to stack up. They're worth doing, but they tend to attract huge numbers of entrants, so treat them as a bonus rather than your plan.
Essay awards ask more of you and attract fewer applicants, which is why they're often the better bet. Reusing one strong personal essay, then tailoring the first and last paragraphs for each award, saves a lot of time.
A weekly scholarship routine
- Build one honest profile with your grades, state, intended major, background and any family or military ties.
- Once a week, check new matches and add every deadline to one calendar.
- Enter the quick no-essay awards in a batch.
- Pick one or two essay awards a week and give them real attention.
- Keep a simple record of what you've entered and when results are due.
Do you make scholarship search, college planning or student finance apps? Tool makers can ask to be considered for a featured place on this list.
My plain advice on scholarship apps
Use two apps at most, plus the free CareerOneStop finder, and give them the same honest profile so you can compare their matches. Then put most of your effort into a small number of essay awards you clearly fit, because that's where your odds are best.
Never pay to be shown scholarships, and be wary of any app that wants more personal data than the matching needs. If an essay prompt stumps you, my guide to ChatGPT prompts for essay planning can help you plan, though the words should always be yours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best scholarship app?
It depends on where you are in school: high schoolers may like a micro-scholarship app, while college applicants may want broad matching and essay help.
Are scholarship apps free?
Several apps here name a free app or a free profile on their listing, and the U.S. Department of Labor's CareerOneStop finder is free to search.
Are no-essay scholarships worth it?
They're quick to enter, so they're worth a few minutes, but they draw large numbers of entrants, so don't rely on them alone.
How many scholarships are in CareerOneStop's finder?
CareerOneStop says you can search more than 9,500 scholarships, fellowships, grants and other awards.
Can I get scholarships to study abroad?
Yes. Some apps focus on global undergraduate, master's and PhD funding for students who want to study in another country.
How can I spot a scholarship scam?
Be wary of anyone who asks you for money to find or claim a scholarship, or who promises a guaranteed award.
