Are scholarship search sites legit?

Some are. Some are not. A real scholarship does not charge you to apply, and no site can promise you will receive the money. This page uses the FTC and BBB rules, then explains what Next Scholar does and does not do.

Next Scholar is run by MAOMA Enterprises LLC. We list awards from official sponsor pages. We never write essays, and we do not submit applications.

Browse scholarships · How the finder works · What Verified means · Track deadlines

What the FTC says

The FTC’s guide, How To Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams, says:

• “Never pay to apply for a scholarship.”
• “The difference is that legitimate companies never guarantee or promise scholarships or grants.”

The same guide says to fill out the FAFSA yourself, never pay someone to file it, and never share your FSA ID. If you paid a scammer, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. ReportFraud.ftc.gov

What the BBB says

The BBB tip, Beware scholarship scams when searching for financial aid (updated May 29, 2025), says:

• “Remember, it is generally free to apply for scholarships.”
• “If you’re required to pay a fee to apply for financial aid, take that as a red flag for a scam.”
• “Avoid guaranteed scholarship offers. No one can guarantee you’ll receive money.”

The BBB also says to be careful of a prize you never applied for, a “processing fee,” or a check you are told to cash and send money back. Ask your school counselor or a college financial aid office before you pay anyone.

Signs to walk away

• A fee to apply, a processing fee, or a fee to “hold” an award.
• A promise that the award is guaranteed, or your money back.
• A caller who says you won a contest you never entered.
• A request for your credit card, bank account, or FSA ID.
• A seminar that tells you to pay today or lose the chance.
• A service that says it will do the FAFSA for you.

How Next Scholar checks awards

Every public listing links to an official page from the sponsor, the college, the state agency, or the foundation. We do not copy lists from other scholarship sites. We save the link and the day we last checked it.

A Verified mark means we checked that official page and kept the date. It is not verified eligibility. It is not accreditation. It is not a filed application, and it is not a promise you will receive the award. What Verified means

What is free, and what is paid

Search and matching are free ($0). Scholar is $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr. Achiever is $19.99/mo or $199.99/yr. Paid plans start with a 14-day free trial. We collect a card up front. You are not charged during the 14 days. The price is a flat subscription. We do not take a cut of an award, and we do not charge a fee to apply to a scholarship. See pricing

We never write essays or submit applications

• You write every essay. We never write it, and we never make up achievements.
• We can store essays you wrote and check your words against a prompt. Nothing is sent unless you send it.
• You submit each application the way the sponsor asks. Saving one here does not file it.
• If an award’s own rules ban AI help, follow those rules. The award’s rules win.

What the assistant does · Essay help · AI rules for scholarships

How can my child find scholarships?

Parents ask this a lot. A short way to help, without paying a stranger:

1. Ask the school counselor for the local scholarship list. Many awards are on paper only.
2. File the FAFSA. It is free. Do not pay a company to file it, and do not share the FSA ID. FAFSA on StudentAid.gov
3. Use a search that links to the sponsor’s own page. Start with awards for high school seniors, or run a free match. Scholarships for high school seniors 2026-2027 · Scholarship finder
4. Track deadlines together. Your child writes the essays. Next Scholar can store those essays and remind you about dates on file. We do not write the essays. Scholarship tracker
5. If someone asks for money up front, stop and read the FTC and BBB pages linked above.

Questions

Are scholarship search sites legit?

Some are, and some are not. A legit site lets you apply to the sponsor for free and does not promise you will receive an award. A site that charges a fee to apply, or says the award is guaranteed, is a scam pattern the FTC and the BBB both warn about.

Should I pay to apply for a scholarship?

No. The FTC says never pay to apply for a scholarship. The BBB says it is generally free to apply, and a fee to apply is a red flag.

Can a website guarantee I will get a scholarship?

No. The FTC says legitimate companies do not guarantee or promise scholarships or grants. The BBB says to avoid guaranteed scholarship offers because no one can guarantee you will receive money.

How does Next Scholar check scholarships?

Each listing links to an official sponsor page, and we save the day we last checked it. A Verified mark means we checked that page. It does not mean you qualify, and it is not a promise of money.

Is Next Scholar free?

Search and matching are free. Scholar is $9.99/mo or $99.99/yr. Achiever is $19.99/mo or $199.99/yr. The price is flat. We do not take a cut of an award, and we do not charge a fee to apply.

Does Next Scholar write essays or send applications?

No. We never write your essay or make up achievements. We do not submit applications. You send each one the way the sponsor asks.

How can my child find scholarships?

Start with the school counselor’s list, file the free FAFSA, and use a search that links to official sponsor pages. Track deadlines together. Your child writes the essays.

Checked October 12, 2026. FTC and BBB lines are from their pages linked above. We did not write those lines.

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