Avand Prep

Opportunities List

Ready to dive in? Here’s a list of scholarships and other opportunities for all students, especially first-gen or disadvantaged students, to succeed. Furthermore, we’ve compiled research on the disparities between groups in higher education.

Scholarships

  • BigFuture
    • Simple yet effective, BigFuture is Collegeboard’s centralized scholarship search website
    • Lots of breadth, but not always depth
  • US Career Onestop
    • Another reputable website hosting a multitude of scholarships & grants
    • Best for finding scholarships missed by other search engines (BigFuture)
  • QuestBridge
    • Matches low-income and disadvantaged students with partner college programs offering full rides and scholarships
    • Fantastic value, but very competitive and rigorous
  • Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
    • Has merit-based scholarships for disadvantaged & low-income students
    • Incredibly competitive, but very prestigious
  • Pell Grant
    • Need-based federal grant given to students who complete the FAFSA
    • Read this guide to the Pell Grant for more information
  • Hispanic Scholarship Fund
    • Merit- and need-based scholarships for Hispanic & Latino students
  • UNCF
    • Merit- and need-based scholarships for Black & African-American students
  • MALDEF
    • Creates a yearly Scholarship Resource Guide, especially for Hispanic & Latino students
    • Many of these are tailored to undocumented and non-citizen students
  • Fastweb
    • Large and free scholarship search database
    • Has breadth, but can lack depth at times
  • Niche
    • Has a matching system for applying to partner colleges, alongside scholarships and prizes
    • Also great for researching colleges & programs

Opportunities

  • A Better Chance
    • Matches students with member high schools after an application process
    • Tailored for talented students of color
  • SEO
    • Has a variety of programs ranging from high school to college
    • Generally, they provide disadvantaged and underrepresented students with career training, college prep, and grants
  • College Possible
    • Coaching program for disadvantaged high school and college students
    • Provides test prep, college application help, and career training

Research

  • Inside HigherEd Report
    • A 2019 report detailing trends in minority and first-generation student standardized testing
    • Inside HigherEd in general is great for further reading
  • ACT Research Report
    • 2016 report on first-generation students who are taking or already took the ACT