The scholarship search fatigue report

Searching for scholarships can feel overwhelming fast. Between essays, deadlines, and figuring out which opportunities are even worth your time, it's easy to feel stuck before you've really started.

To understand what students are experiencing, Sallie surveyed 505 college undergraduates and analyzed scholarship search trends and online conversations. This report breaks down what's happening and shares practical ways to make the process feel less stressful and more productive.

Key takeaways

• Among those who did apply, 3 in 4 college undergrads have completely given up on scholarships because the process feels too exhausting.
• 79% have not applied for a scholarship they are eligible for because it doesn't feel worth the effort.
• 3 in 4 won zero scholarships in the past 12 months, despite spending an average of 9 hours searching and applying.
• Nearly 1 in 5 college undergrads who abandoned applications (17%) believe they missed out on $5,000 or more in scholarship money.
• 53% of college undergrads said concerns about scams have prevented them from applying for scholarships, and 45% believe they encountered a scholarship scam in the past year.
• Nearly 1 in 3 college undergrads (29%) are turning to AI tools like ChatGPT to help with scholarship tasks.

Where students get stuck in the scholarship application process

• Nearly 1 in 2 students (48%) said scholarship challenges have influenced their college choices, whether to attend a particular school, stay enrolled, or transfer. Women are more affected compared to men (53% vs. 41%).
• Over half of students (55%) have skipped applying altogether because they were too busy working, and this figure rises with class year, from 47% of first-year college students to 61% of fifth-year+ students.
• Seniors burn out hardest: 85% have given up entirely, compared to 66% of first-year students.
• 41% of first-year students won at least one scholarship they applied for, as did 13% of fifth-year+ students, a gap that likely reflects application drop off rather than lower success rates. 

Navigating scholarships with new tools

• Among the 8% who paid for help, the most common services were consultants/coaches (2%), application help services (2%), essay/resume services (2%), and scholarship search platforms (1%).
• Over 3 in 5 (61%) describe the overall scholarship experience as more demoralizing than empowering.
• 29% of college undergrads have used AI tools for scholarship tasks, including:
  • Brainstorming essay topics: 15%
  • Editing or improving grammar or style: 14%
  • Finding scholarships or search suggestions: 12%
  • Outlining an essay: 12%
  • Drafting an essay: 12%
  • Tailoring essays to specific prompts: 9%
  • Writing short answers or application text: 9%
  • Summarizing eligibility requirements: 9%

Where scholarship search interest is highest

Top 10 states searching for scholarships (per capita)

1. Texas


2. California


3. Georgia 

4. Louisiana


5. New York


6. Maryland

7. Illinois


8. Florida


9. North Carolina


10. Mississippi

Bottom 10 states searching for scholarships (per capita)

50. Montana
51. Alaska
52. Vermont
53. Wyoming
54. New Hampshire
55. Idaho
56. Wisconsin
57. South Dakota
58. Iowa
59. Maine

Most-searched scholarship-related terms

1. "scholarships"
2. "college scholarships"
3. "scholarships for high school seniors"
4. "no essay scholarships"
5. "full ride scholarships"
6. "local scholarships"
7. “international student scholarships”
8. “how to apply for scholarships”
9. “scholarship essay examples”
10. “scholarship finder”

Common themes that came up in online discussions about scholarship fatigue

To better understand what scholarship fatigue looks like in real life, we reviewed 687 scholarship-related posts from Reddit communities like r/scholarships, r/ApplyingToCollege, r/FinancialAid, and r/college, where students openly share their experiences. The chart below highlights the most common themes that came up in those conversations.

• Overwhelm or anxiety was the most common theme, appearing in 30% of analyzed posts.

• Essay fatigue showed up in 23% of posts, making it the second most frequent concern.

• Frustration or anger appeared in 18% of discussions, followed by concerns about concerns about time or effort (12%).

How to make the scholarship search work for you

If you've felt overwhelmed, discouraged, or ready to give up on scholarships, you're not alone. The data makes that clear. But feeling stuck doesn't mean you're out of options. With Scholly Easy Apply Scholarships, one quick application lets you apply to multiple scholarships, cutting through the fatigue that causes students to quit.

Here are a few ways to make your scholarship search more manageable:

• Start with trusted, free search tools. Use reputable platforms like Sallie to find scholarships for free that match your background, major, interests, or location.

• Review eligibility before you apply. Double-check scholarship deadlines and requirements, so you spend time only on opportunities that are a real fit.

• Look beyond national awards. Local and smaller scholarships often have fewer applicants, which can improve your chances.

• Watch for scam warning signs. You should never have to pay to apply for a legitimate scholarship or share sensitive financial information upfront.

• Create reusable materials. Build a strong core essay that you can adapt for multiple applications instead of starting from scratch each time.

Applying for college scholarships takes some time and effort, but even a few focused applications can make a real difference. Start with a clear plan, use trusted resources, and take it one step at a time.

Methodology

A survey conducted by Fractl on behalf of Sallie surveyed 505 U.S. college undergraduates in February 2026 about their experiences with the scholarship application process. Respondents were asked about scholarship search behavior, application abandonment, process overwhelm, scam encounters, AI tool usage, and demographics. The gender breakdown was 56% women and 41% men. The generational breakdown was: 71% Gen Z (ages 14-29), 23% millennials (ages 30-45), and 6% Gen X (ages 46-61). Some percentages in this study may not total 100% due to rounding.

We also analyzed Google Trends search volume data from February 2025 to February 2026 to identify which states are searching for scholarship-related terms the most per capita. Our analysis included search volume for more than 250 terms across all 50 states. To ensure accurate comparisons, we calculated each state's difference from the mean search volume. This normalization method adjusts for variations in population size and overall search activity, allowing us to pinpoint where interest in specific breeds is relatively higher or lower than the national average.

Additionally, we collected 881 posts from four scholarship-focused Reddit communities using both recent post feeds and targeted keyword searches for fatigue-related language (e.g., "burnout," "gave up," "exhausting," "scam"). After filtering to 687 scholarship-relevant posts, we applied VADER sentiment analysis to score each post and classify them into eight fatigue themes using keyword matching. VADER is a lexicon-based tool widely used in social media sentiment research, designed to handle the informal tone, slang, and punctuation patterns common in online forums.

About Sallie

Sallie is an education-solutions company that helps guide students and families through the entire higher-education journey with trusted tools, free-money-first support, and clear guidance from day one to done. Sallie helps students find scholarships, navigate financial aid, plan for college, and feel more confident about the steps ahead.

Fair use statement

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