Celebrating Another Year of BigFuture Scholarship Winners

College Board helped more than 3,000 students prepare and pay for postsecondary education after high school in the 2023-24 school year with BigFuture® Scholarships. Representing all 50 states, students won more than $2.36 million in scholarships, automatically qualifying for drawings by taking steps to prepare for their future. Since 2018, College Board has awarded nearly $19 million in BigFuture Scholarships to more than 21,000 students nationwide.

BigFuture simplifies the path to life after high school by recommending small steps that all students — no matter whether they intend to enroll in a two- or four-year college or university — can take at just the right time to explore career interests, identify potential majors and colleges, and access financial aid and scholarships. When students take key steps to plan, they automatically qualify for $500 and $40,000 scholarships awarded every month during the school year. More than half a million students started their post-high-school plans at BigFuture during the 2023-24 school year.

Students nationwide have been awarded $500 BigFuture scholarships and there have been $40,000 BigFuture scholarship winners in more than half of the 50 states to date. Just as important, BigFuture aims to provide support to students who need it most; about two-thirds of all BigFuture scholarship winners are from low-income households, and about 50% of BigFuture scholarship winners were African American, Latino, or first-generation students.

“This scholarship means the world and back to me and my family because as a soon-to-be first-generation college student, my parents and I have so many great things prepared for me, but we were worried about how we would actually get there. With this scholarship, we now have more security and peace of mind for the journey ahead,” said 2024 $40,000 winner Christian S., from Maryland. “Additionally, it will contribute to my growth and success after high school because it will ease or eliminate my student debt.”

Qualifying for BigFuture Scholarships is simple for students. Students don’t have to submit an essay or test score, and eligibility is not tied to citizenship status, family income, or GPA requirements.

The more steps that students take toward exploring and planning—and the earlier they begin—the more chances they have to win scholarships via monthly drawings for the $500 and $40,000 scholarships. To ensure that the scholarships support students who need them the most, students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year earn double the entries for every drawing.

There are six steps students can complete and the more steps they take, the more entries they’ll earn:

1. Start Your Career List: Students explore careers that match their interests. 
2. Build Your College List: Students find two- or four-year colleges that interest them.
3. Start Your Scholarship List: Students find other scholarships to help them pay for college.
4. Strengthen Your College List: Students make sure their college list has a mix of reach, match, and safety schools.
5. Complete the FAFSA®: Students fill out the free government form to apply for financial aid.
6. Apply to Colleges: Students apply to the schools they want to attend.

“BigFuture Scholarships celebrate the initiative that millions of students are taking to own their future,” said Amy Reitz, Senior Vice President, BigFuture. “With clear actions, future goals feel within reach. It's why last year, over 650,000 students completed 1.2 million steps to qualify for scholarship. The scholarships successfully drive students to plan and we're proud to offer a program where all students benefit, even students who don't win.”

For the student winners, the tools on BigFuture and the scholarships have helped them plan for future success.

“This scholarship means a lot to my family and me,” said Georgia student Yadhira A., from the class of 2025 and a $40,0000 winner in 2024. “As someone with parents who are constantly working and barely being able to see them in the afternoon, it means a lot to know that they have help in funding my education. This scholarship not only gives me the financial aid needed but connects me to people who will help me, especially when during these years it's not easy to navigate on your own.”

“The Explore Career tool has helped me discover careers I wasn't even aware I could aim for,” said 2024 winner of $500 Sullivan H., from Pennsylvania. “The Career Quiz tool has helped me find close matches of careers that might suit me well, based on my interests. The College Search tool has helped me to further research the colleges.”

Please visit BigFuture Scholarships to learn more!