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VERDICT

Should I use Scholarships?

Free College Scholarships 2026-2027 - scholarships.com

Depends. A free, long-running scholarship search that works as a starting point for US students, but a 2013 EPIC FTC complaint over student-data practices means guard your personal info. Privacy-conscious or international students should start with BigFuture, Bold.org, or IEFA instead.

Confidence

Medium. Based on ~15 public sources; most review snippets truncated and no direct user ratings found.

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of useNo direct user ratings found
  • Feature depth
  • Support qualityOnly a support FAQ visible; no ratings evidence
  • Security posture

Pricing

$0

Scholarship search

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierYes

Best for

  • US high-school students starting scholarship hunts
  • Parents building a financial-aid shortlist
  • Cybersecurity and STEM majors using major-specific directories

Not for

  • Privacy-sensitive students — 2013 FTC complaint over data practices
  • Anyone asked to pay for 'guaranteed' scholarships — that's a scam pattern
  • International students; site is US-centric — use IEFA instead

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

2013 EPIC FTC complaint alleged improper student-data handling; expect marketing email after sign-up.

medium

Scholarship-scam lookalikes are common; never pay fees for 'guaranteed' awards.

low

Scale claims ('one of the largest') are self-reported; verify database relevance yourself.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Free scholarship search with profile-based matching
  • Large directory filterable by major, state, and year
  • Listed among top scholarship search services by third-party reviewers
  • Publishes a security page and support FAQ

Cons

  • 2013 EPIC FTC complaint over student-data practices
  • No independent user-rating evidence found; reviews are roundups only
  • Category riddled with scam lookalikes; verify you're on the real site

Sources & method

Analyzed 10/02/2026 - 8 sources - Publishes a security page; 2013 EPIC FTC complaint over student-data practices is the main red flag.

official x5review x1security x1news x1
  • EPIC FTC complaint (2013), EPIC asked the FTC to act on's student-data practices.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 5/5

    Rating

  • $0

    Starting price

  • 8

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 5/5. Free search; costs data attention instead
  • Ease of use. No direct user ratings found
  • Feature depth: 3/5. Profile matching plus major/state directory filters
  • Support quality. Only a support FAQ visible; no ratings evidence
  • Security posture: 2/5. Security page exists, but 2013 FTC privacy complaint
  • Free Price No paid tier advertised
  • Dec 2013 Privacy complaint EPIC FTC complaint over student-data practices
  • Published Security page Dedicated product security page on site

Pricing

Scholarship search

$0

  • Profile-based matching
  • Directory by major, state, academic year

Security

Publishes a security page; 2013 EPIC FTC complaint over student-data practices is the main red flag.

  • EPIC FTC complaint (2013)EPIC asked the FTC to act on's student-data practices.⁴

What users say

Direct user reviews are absent from the sources; a third-party roundup places Scholarships.com among the best scholarship search services.

Alternatives

Compare Scholarships with each alternative.

  • BigFuture (College Board)

    College Board's free scholarship search and financial-aid planning

  • Bold.org

    Free scholarships matched by major, year, and background

  • ScholarshipOwl

    Matching algorithm that automates repeated scholarship applications

    Scholarships vs ScholarshipOwl
Full analysis

Based on ~15 public sources; most review snippets truncated and no direct user ratings found.

Free, legitimate scholarship search — but data-privacy history means sign up with care.

Methodology

Based on ~15 public sources; most review snippets truncated and no direct user ratings found.

Sources

  1. Free College Scholarships 2026-2027 | Scholarships.comscholarships.com
    official
  2. Product security pagescholarships.com
    official
  3. Cybersecurity Scholarships directoryscholarships.com
    official
  4. In re Scholarships.com, LLC — EPIC FTC Complaintepic.org
    news
  5. A Complete Review of the Best Scholarship Search Servicescollegescholarships.org
    review
  6. Common Scholarship Scams and How to Avoid Themfinaid.org
    security
  7. Find College Scholarships by State, Major, or Academic Year — Bold.orgbold.org
    official
  8. ScholarshipOwlscholarshipowl.com
    official

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