One of the best ways to search for scholarships and grants is to use a personalized search that compares your background with a database of awards. Only those awards that fit your profile are identified as matches for you to review. There are several free scholarship databases available online. Reputable ones are listed below. If you supply an email address, they will notify you when new awards that match your profile are added to the database. You can even submit electronic applications to many scholarships listed in the databases — saving you time and money.

CollegeAnswer.com  — a free search that will provide access to an award database that contains more than 2.8 million scholarships worth over 16 billion dollars, and is expanded and updated daily. Click on "Paying" then "Free Money for College" and then "Free Scholarship Search."

FastWeb.com – another free search that will provide access to 1.3 million scholarships worth over 3 billion dollars.

Petersons.com - Peterson's free scholarship search connects you with more than 1.68 million scholarships, grants, and awards worth 7.69 billion dollars. Under Quick Links, click "Undergraduate Scholarship Search" then under Peterson's Services, click on "Scholarship Search."

CollegeBoard.com – free scholarship search

BlackExcel.org – free minority scholarship search

BrokeScholar.com – free scholarship search

CollegeNet.com – database of over 600,000 awards totaling over $1.6 billion.

CollegeTreasure.com – free scholarship search

FinAid.org – information about scholarship process, financial aid, scholarship scams, and links to FastWeb.com scholarship base.

FinancialAidFinder.com – list of scholarships and financial aid information

HSF.net – Hispanic Scholarship Fund

IEFA.org – International Education Financial Aid offers financial aid, college scholarships, grants and awards search for international students studying abroad.

InternationalScholarships.com – information on financial aid, college scholarships and international scholarships for students wishing to study abroad.

NAACP.org – NAACP scholarship information and application