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Scholarship search Scholly

Scholarship search Scholly

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Category
Student
Money
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Eligibility
High school students (juniors/seniors), current undergrad and grad students, U.S. citizens or lawful residents, most scholarships require age 13+. No high GPA, transcripts, or recommendation letters needed for most listings.
Auto Summary
Scholly is a free scholarship search tool, owned by Sallie Mae since July 2023 and free for everyone (no payment, no app, no Sallie Mae loan or account required). Search thousands of scholarships by grade level, major, state, and award amount, or use Easy Apply to enter up to $13,000 in no-essay scholarships per month with one short ~2-minute form. Open to high schoolers (juniors/seniors), current undergrad and grad students, and U.S. citizens or lawful residents; most listings need no GPA, transcript, or essay. Awards range from a few hundred dollars up to $25,000. Tips: file FAFSA first (fafsa.gov) since it unlocks far more money, never pay a fee to apply, and expect some loan-marketing emails. Verified 2026-05-30.
Value
Up to $25,000 per scholarship; ~$13,000/month via Easy Apply
Espanol
Espanol: Búsqueda de becas Scholly
URL
https://www.sallie.com/scholarships/scholly
Last verified 2026-05-17. Scholly is now owned by Sallie Mae and is free to use at sallie.com/scholarships/scholly.

What Scholly is

Scholly is a free scholarship search tool. You filter thousands of scholarships by who you are and what you study, then apply. Sallie Mae bought Scholly in July 2023 and made it free for everyone. You no longer need to pay or download an app. The search lives on the Sallie Mae website. [Source: businesswire.com/news/home/20230726114303 (accessed 2026-05-17)]

Who can use it

  • High school students (juniors and seniors)
  • Current college students (undergrad and grad)
  • U.S. citizens or lawful residents
  • Most scholarships require you to be 13 or older
  • Some scholarships are open to parents searching for their kids
You do not need a high GPA, transcripts, or recommendation letters for most of the scholarships listed. Many are "no essay" sweepstakes-style awards. [Source: sallie.com/scholarships/scholly (accessed 2026-05-17)]

What you can get

  • Award sizes range from a few hundred dollars up to $25,000
  • Many monthly recurring awards ($1,000-$2,000 each)
  • Through "Easy Apply," you can apply to up to $13,000 in scholarships per month with one short form (about 2 minutes)
  • Filters: academic level, major, state, award amount, scholarship type, deadline
[Source: sallie.com/scholarships/scholly/easy-apply (accessed 2026-05-17)]

How to apply

  1. Go to sallie.com/scholarships/scholly
  1. Click "Search Scholarships" or "Easy Apply"
  1. Check the filter boxes that match you (state, grade level, major, etc.)
  1. Sort by deadline or award amount
  1. For Easy Apply: fill in one short form to enter ~18 no-essay scholarships at once
  1. For individual scholarships: click each one and follow its specific steps
You do not need a Sallie Mae loan or account to use Scholly. It is free even if you never borrow from them.

Common pitfalls

  • No-essay sweepstakes have low odds. They are real, but you are one of tens of thousands of entries. Apply to many to improve your chances.
  • Watch deadlines. Monthly scholarships reset; if you miss May, enter June.
  • Never pay a fee to apply. Real scholarships are free to enter. If a site asks for a credit card, leave.
  • Check the sponsor. Some "scholarships" exist mostly to collect your contact info for marketing (especially religious-college and home-improvement-brand awards). Decide if that trade-off is okay for you.
  • Sallie Mae is a student-loan company. Using Scholly does not obligate you to borrow, but expect marketing emails about loans.

Where to get help

  • Your high school counselor can flag local and California-specific scholarships not on Scholly.
  • California Student Aid Commission (csac.ca.gov) — Cal Grants and state aid, separate from Scholly.
  • Local library — Nevada County Library offers free internet and printing if you need to fill out forms.
  • Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) — fafsa.gov. Always file FAFSA first; it unlocks far more money than any scholarship search.

Background and recent news

Scholly was founded by Christopher Gray and appeared on Shark Tank in 2015. Sallie Mae acquired Scholly's key assets in July 2023 and made the service free. In 2026, founder Christopher Gray filed a lawsuit against Sallie Mae alleging wrongful termination and concerns about data handling; Sallie Mae denies the claims. The Scholly search tool continues to operate normally during the dispute. [Source: techcrunch.com/2026/04/28/founder-of-shark-tank-backed-startup-scholly-sues-his-acquirer-sallie-mae (accessed 2026-05-17)]

Sources