Scholarship and College Resources

Helpful local, government and national resources

FEATURED RESOURCE

Create Your Road Map

The key to college planning is to start early. The College Board's Big Future site includes action plans to help parents and students navigate the road to college starting in middle school.

These organizations and websites may help you find resources to assist you on your path to a college education. The listing here, however, does not imply the Foundation's endorsement. Use at your own discretion.

Beware of scholarship scams. Use caution when a company guarantees to find you a scholarship, requires a processing fee, asks for your credit card or bank account number, or promises to match you to millions of dollars in unclaimed grants and scholarships. Your eligibility for financial aid is based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which you can complete and submit for free.

  • Big Future - Provides comprehensive college planning resources for students and parents.
  • College Preparation Checklist – Provides lists of steps students and parents should be taking in elementary, middle, and each year of high school to prepare students for college. Published by the Federal Student Aid.
  • Guide to the College Admission Process – Guides students through the college admissions process. Published by the National Association for College Admission Counseling.
  • Strive for College – Provides college-bound students with free one-on-one online mentoring through the college application process.
  • KnowHow2Go – Provides tips by grade level for middle and high school students to prepare for college.
  • College Navigator – Search for colleges and view side-by-side comparisons of schools.
  • Educational Opportunity Center - Free academic, vocational, career and financial aid information for first generation college students wishing to pursue a college degree. Provided by the Virginia Tidewater Consortium for Higher Education (VTC).
  • Questbridge – Connects high-achieving low-income high school students with elite universities that offer full scholarships.
  • StudentMentor.org - Matches you with a mentor who can help you determine your academic and career goals, as well as give you advice about interviewing, time management and applying for financial aid.
  • Virginia Education Wizard – Explore careers, take a career assessment, find college majors that match student interests and look into college costs.
  • Off-to-College Checklist – A general list of item to take to campus. Check the specific requirements and features of your college and housing placement to find out what you do and don't need.

  • ACT, Inc. – ACT preparation and general college and financial aid information
  • CollegeBoard.com – SAT preparation and general college and financial aid information
  • Kaplan – SAT and ACT test preparation and registration
  • Khan Academy – online courses and SAT test preparation
  • Peterson’s – SAT and ACT online preparation, college search, and financial aid information
  • Princeton Review – SAT and ACT preparation and online tests, college search, application information, and financial aid information

  • Federal Student Aid – The U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid program ensures all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded financial assistance for education beyond high school. Students must file a FAFSA each year to determine their eligibility for federal aid.
  • FASTWEB – A comprehensive source of financial aid information, advice and tools.
  • FinAid - has a wealth of useful information about funding your education with scholarships, loans and savings accounts. It also offers tools to calculate college costs, loan payments, savings and expected family contribution.
  • Going Merry - This site allows students to create a profile, be matched to scholarship opportunities, and apply to participating scholarships.
  • Scholarship America - The nation’s largest nonprofit, private-sector scholarship and educational support organization. It offers a resource center with information about test preparation, financial aid, admissions and career exploration. It also provides links to open scholarship opportunities.
  • Scholarships.com - Search more than 2.7 million college scholarships and grants worth more than $19 billion. The College Directory has information about more than 7,000 colleges nationwide, including admission statistics, tuition and fees, and scholarships.

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