College Board Surprises High School Students with More Than $1 Million in BigFuture Scholarships for Taking College Planning Steps

New York — College Board today awarded more than $1 million in scholarships through BigFuture, its online guide that helps students plan for life after high school. Twenty-five high school seniors from across the country each earned a $40,000 scholarship toward their education by completing key steps to plan, prepare, and pay for college. In addition, four students from the class of 2023—current high school juniors—each earned a $40,000 scholarship by building a college list on BigFuture^® or practicing for the SAT^®.

BigFuture will recognize two $40,000 scholarship winners from the class of 2023 each month through February 2023 and will also select hundreds of $500 winners every month.

“Now more than ever, students need simple and credible tools to help them choose the college and career that’s right for them,” said Tarlin Ray, College Board senior vice president of BigFuture. “We’ve integrated these scholarship steps into BigFuture so every student—no matter where they are on their journey to college—can take the small actions these 29 students have taken to raise their hands and earn themselves a big future.”

Two years into the pandemic, life has largely returned to normal for many of this year’s high school seniors, but they’ve faced many challenges on the path to college. Many faced a year or more of remote learning during the middle of their high school careers, were unable to socialize with friends or participate in the extracurricular activities they love, and didn’t have a chance to visit college campuses or meet with their school counselors.

To encourage class of 2023 students to complete college planning steps on BigFuture to earn scholarships, visit bigfuture.org.

Powered by College Board, BigFuture simplifies the path to life after high school by recommending small steps that all students—no matter their high school—can take at just the right time to explore career interests, identify potential majors, find colleges and scholarships, and access financial aid. It rewards the effort students take by providing chances at scholarships.

All class of 2023 students are eligible to win $500 and $40,000 scholarships they can use at two- or four-year institutions. There are no essay, test score, citizenship status, family income, or minimum GPA requirements. Drawings for $500 and $40,000 are held every month. Students whose families earn less than $60,000 per year have extra chances at scholarships and earn double the entries for every drawing. The sooner students complete the following steps and the more steps they take, the more entries they’ll earn:

1. Build a College List: Students search for colleges and add 6 or more to their list.
2. Practice for the SAT: Students use Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy^® to get ready for test day.
3. Explore Scholarships: Students explore a list of scholarships personalized for them, based on their background, achievements, and future plans.
4. Strengthen Their College List: Students make sure their list has a mix of reach, match, and safety schools.
5. Complete the FAFSA^®: Students complete the free government form to apply for financial aid.
6. Apply to Colleges: Students apply to at least 2 colleges they want to attend.

College Board has dedicated $25 million to the program that lays out six simple steps all students can take to get to college. More than $14 million in scholarships have been awarded to more 15,000 students since the program launched in December 2018. Class of 2023 students with College Board accounts in the United States and U.S. territories will be automatically entered into monthly drawings for $500 and $40,000 by completing specific steps on BigFuture.