Getting a scholarship, in five steps
One free application. No Social Security number. English or Español. And the money goes straight to your child's school — never through your bank account.
What it costs to apply
Nothing
Applying is free. You never pay a fund, ever.
Who can apply
Up to 3× local median income
Not one national number — the cutoff depends on where you live. Check yours.
Available in
English & Español
The form, the help, the emails, and your portal.
Three steps are yours. Two are not.
You find a fund, fill out one form, and show what you earn. After that it is out of your hands — and so is the money.
Find your fund
Pick the scholarship fund that serves your state. Your child's school may already have the link.
You · 2 minFill out one form
Household size, income, and your child's school. It saves as you go, so you can stop and come back.
You · ~20 minShow what you earn
One tap to let a payroll service check it, or upload a pay stub. No Social Security number, either way.
You · 5 minThey decide
Your school confirms your child is enrolled. Then a committee reads the applications and picks the awards.
Your school + the committeeThe school gets paid
Tuition goes straight to the school. Approved books and supplies ship to your door.
The fund paysWhat it looks like on a calendar
One family, start to finish. Maria has a son in sixth grade and wants help with next year's tuition.
An illustration, not a promise. Every fund sets its own calendar — some decide monthly, others once a year — and yours publishes its dates before you apply. The federal credit that pays for all of this starts January 1, 2027, and only in states that have opted in.
- SaturdaySaturday
Maria finds the fund that serves her state and fills out one application for her son — at the kitchen table, in Spanish.
Her · about 20 minutes
- Same sittingSame sitting
She taps "verify my income" and authorizes the payroll check. Nothing to scan, nothing to mail.
Her · 5 minutes
- TuesdayTuesday
Her son's school opens its portal and clicks "yes, he's enrolled." That is all the school sees — his name and his grade.
The school · one click
- 3 weeks later3 weeks later
The scholarship committee meets, reads the eligible applications, and decides the awards on need.
The committee
- That eveningThat evening
The award appears in Maria's family portal. She can see the amount, what it covers, and what is left.
She just reads it
- Before AugustBefore August
Tuition is paid straight to the school. Approved books are ordered on the fund's account and shipped to her house.
The fund pays
Three things that never change
Applying is free, and it always will be. There is no cost to your family at any point.
The money never touches your bank account. The fund pays your school or the vendor directly.
No donor can pick a child. A committee decides every award on need — that is federal law, not fund policy.
Common questions
Does my family qualify?
If your household earns up to three times the median income for your area, yes. Because it is measured locally, the dollar cutoff is different in a rural county than in an expensive city — there is no single national number. Our eligibility checker at /resources/scholarship-eligibility gives the figure for any county, adjusted for your household size.
Do I need a Social Security number?
No. Scholarship funds on this platform do not store Social Security numbers. Income is confirmed either by a payroll service you authorize, or by documents you upload.
Can I apply in Spanish?
Sí. The questions, the help text, the emails, and your family portal all run in English and Spanish.
Who sees my pay stubs?
Only the fund's reviewers. Your school sees your child's name and grade so it can confirm enrollment — never your income and never your documents.
Does the money come to me?
No, and that is on purpose. Tuition is paid straight to your school, and approved supplies are ordered on the fund's account and shipped to you. Keeping the money out of family hands is what keeps the program clean.
What if we got a scholarship last year?
Many funds consider returning students first, so families are not left guessing. You still reapply, and it is still not a guarantee — but you are usually looked at first.
Talk it through before you decide.
Tell us about your organization and we’ll set up a consultation on your formation path, your state, and the timeline. It costs nothing and there is nothing to sign — and if it’s useful, we’ll walk through the platform on the same call.
What happens next
We read your submission and respond within one business day
A working session, typically 45–60 minutes — your situation, not a sales pitch
Which of the three paths fits, what your state requires, and what the timeline is
You leave with a clear recommendation — including when the answer is to join an SGO rather than form one, or to wait