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Student guide

How college funding actually works.

No jargon. Here's how scholarships, grants, and financial aid each work, how to use Scholar Track to find yours, and where to go for the official forms.

Using Scholar Track

Five steps from sign-up to tracking the money you win.

  1. Build your profileAdd your GPA, test scores, grade, state, sport, and interests. The more complete it is, the better we can match you — and the higher your fit scores.
  2. See your matches, rankedWe rank every scholarship, grant, and aid program you qualify for by how likely you are to win it. Start at the top of the list.
  3. Check eligibility & deadlinesOpen any award to see the 'Am I eligible?' checklist, what to submit, and how many days are left. Apply to the urgent ones first.
  4. Apply on the sponsor's siteWe send you straight to the official application. Then mark it 'applied' so you can track it.
  5. Track what you winLog outcomes as offers come in. Your dashboard adds up the money you've won and what's still pending.

The three kinds of money

Almost all college funding is one of these. Scholarships and grants are free money you never repay — go after them first.

Scholarships

Free money you earn — based on merit, talent, identity, or an essay. You don't pay it back.

  • Come from schools, companies, foundations, and community groups.
  • Can be merit-based (grades/scores), talent-based (sport/art), or need-aware.
  • Most have a deadline and an application — some just need a short form.
  • You can win many at once; they stack on top of each other.
Browse scholarships →

Grants

Free money from the government or your school — usually based on financial need. You don't pay it back.

  • Federal grants: Pell, FSEOG, TEACH — awarded from your FAFSA.
  • State grants: your state's own need-based programs (e.g. Cal Grant).
  • Institutional grants: the college's own need-based aid.
  • Filing the FAFSA is what unlocks almost all of them.
Browse grants →

Financial aid

The full package a school offers you — grants, work-study, and (if you choose) loans — based on what your family can pay.

  • Starts with the FAFSA, which calculates what your family can contribute.
  • Need = cost of attendance − family contribution. Aid fills that gap.
  • Grants and work-study are 'gift aid' (no repayment); loans are borrowed.
  • You can accept some parts of an aid offer and decline others.
See financial aid →

When to do what

A simple rhythm for junior and senior year. Earlier is always better — money runs out.

Junior yearBuild your profile, start saving scholarships, take the SAT/ACT, research schools and their net price.
Summer before senior yearDraft your activities list, line up recommendation letters, knock out 'easy' scholarship applications.
October, senior yearFile the FAFSA the day it opens (Oct 1). File the CSS Profile if your schools need it.
Fall–Winter, senior yearApply to scholarships on rolling deadlines, submit college apps, watch state grant deadlines.
Spring, senior yearCompare financial aid offers, accept the best package, appeal if your situation changed.

Glossary

The words that show up on every aid form, in plain English.

FAFSA
Free Application for Federal Student Aid — the form that determines your eligibility for federal & state aid.
Cost of Attendance (COA)
The total yearly price of a school: tuition, fees, room, board, books, and living costs.
SAI / EFC
Student Aid Index (formerly Expected Family Contribution) — what the FAFSA estimates your family can pay.
Gift aid
Money you don't repay — scholarships and grants.
Self-help aid
Money you earn or borrow — work-study and loans.
Net price
What you actually pay after gift aid: cost of attendance minus scholarships and grants.

Official resources

Trusted, free government and College Board sources. Bookmark these — they're where the actual forms live.

FAFSA — studentaid.gov ↗The official free application for federal student aid. Start here — it unlocks federal & state grants and most need-based aid.Federal Student Aid — Grants ↗Official explainer of Pell, FSEOG, TEACH, and other federal grants and who qualifies.CSS Profile — College Board ↗Some private colleges use this extra form to award their own institutional aid. Check if your schools require it.Net Price Calculators ↗Every college must publish one — estimate your real out-of-pocket cost at a school before you apply.Federal Student Aid — Loans ↗If you need to borrow, understand subsidized vs. unsubsidized federal loans before private ones.Selective Service (if required) ↗Some aid requires registration. Check whether it applies to you.

Scholar Track isn't affiliated with these organizations — they're the official federal and College Board resources every student should use.

Ready to find your money?

Build a profile in about two minutes and we'll rank every scholarship, grant, and aid program you qualify for.

Book a demoOpen the FAFSA guide