Build Your College List

About the Scholarship

Students who build a college list with six or more colleges on BigFuture will earn monthly entries for $500 and $40,000 scholarship drawings. The earlier you build your list, the more chances you'll have at winning.

It’s never too early to begin looking for the college that's best for you. There are thousands of colleges in the United States. BigFuture can help you find the one for you.

Dates and Deadlines

Scholarships for $500 and $40,000 are awarded monthly until February of your senior year. Completing any step enters you in the drawings on the first day of every month. For $500 scholarships, we select 150 winners from the class of 2024 and 150 from the class of 2025 every month. For $40,000 scholarships, we select a total of two monthly (one from class of 2024 and another from class of 2025). Drawings occur on the first day of every month.

How to Qualify for Drawings

Log into your College Board account
Click Build Your College List above.
Search for colleges on BigFuture.
Add 6 or more schools to your list.

Tips for Building Your List

What's a college list?
Your college list is the start of your journey to college. Consider adding schools that match your interests for the future. Consider adding schools close to home and schools that are in different cities or states.
How can I build a strong list?
On BigFuture, you can filter schools by location, major, type, and campus life. You can also search for schools based on affordability. Save schools that match your interests, goals, and what’s important to you.

Increase Your Chances

As soon as you build your list, you’ll be entered into every monthly drawing for $500 and $40,000.

Because there are monthly drawings, the earlier you build your list, the better your chances.
Whenever students whose families earn less than $60,000 a year build a college list, they’ll earn an extra entry in monthly drawings and have double the chances at a scholarship. Half of all awards are reserved for students who meet the income criteria.

FAQ

How will I know when I've earned an entry?

After you build your college list, you’ll be automatically entered in monthly drawings unless you opt out of participation. You’ll see an update on your dashboard on BigFuture when you earn entries for $500 and $40,000. You’ll also get an email to confirm your drawing entries.

What if I already built college list on BigFuture before the scholarship drawings began?

If you already built a college list and were signed into the same College Board account, you’ll automatically earn drawing entries unless you opt out of participation. No further action is required. This step will be marked as complete on your dashboard on BigFuture.