BigFuture Scholarships: No-Essay Awards

About the BigFuture Scholarships

Applications for BigFuture Scholarships are open now, and the program runs on rolling monthly drawings throughout the 2026 cycle. This means you can enter at any point and still qualify for upcoming draws. What sets the BigFuture Scholarships apart is simple: you earn chances to win money for college by completing practical college-planning steps, not by writing an essay or hitting a grade cutoff.

BigFuture rewards the work you already need to do to reach college. Each planning action you finish counts as an entry into a monthly drawing. As a result, students who often get overlooked by traditional merit awards get a fair shot.

Who Runs BigFuture Scholarships?

BigFuture is run by College Board, the nonprofit best known for the SAT and Advanced Placement programs. BigFuture is its free college-planning platform, built to guide high school students through choosing, applying to, and paying for college. The scholarship program sits inside that platform and connects directly to the planning tools students use there.

Study Level and Eligible Fields

These awards are aimed at high school students in the United States who are preparing for college. Because the money supports your transition into higher education, there is no restriction on which field or major you plan to pursue. You can use the funds toward any accredited college path you choose after high school.

How Many BigFuture Scholarships Are Offered?

The program uses monthly drawings, so awards are given out on an ongoing basis rather than in a single batch. The exact number of scholarships and the value of each drawing are set by BigFuture and can change over time. For the current figures, check the official website before you enter.

Who Can Apply?

The BigFuture Scholarships are open to high school students who live in the United States or its territories. Because entries come from finishing college-planning steps, the program is designed for students actively working toward college enrollment. There is no academic gatekeeping, so students across a wide range of backgrounds and grade levels can take part.

What the BigFuture Scholarships Cover

Winners receive cash awards to help pay for college costs such as tuition, fees, and other expenses tied to enrollment. Because the awards come through drawings, the amount depends on which drawing you win. The core benefit stays the same: real funding earned without an essay, a GPA threshold, or a test score.

Eligibility Requirements for BigFuture Scholarships

• You must be a high school student in the United States or a U.S. territory.
• You must be planning to attend college.
• No essay is required to enter.
• No minimum GPA is required.
• No test score is required.
• You earn entries by completing college-planning steps on the BigFuture platform.

Each completed step, such as building a college list or comparing costs, adds another entry. So the more steps you finish, the more chances you have in the monthly drawings.

Application Process for BigFuture Scholarships

There is no formal application form to fill out for a fixed deadline. Instead, you enter by completing college-planning actions on the BigFuture site during the rolling monthly drawings for the 2026 cycle. Because drawings happen each month, finishing steps earlier means you are entered in more draws.

1. Create a free BigFuture account as a U.S. or U.S. territory high school student.
2. Complete college-planning steps, for example building your college list, exploring careers, and comparing college costs.
3. Each completed step earns you an entry into the relevant monthly drawing.
4. Continue finishing steps to gather more entries across future monthly draws.

Keep your account information current so BigFuture can reach you if you win. For questions about entries or drawings, use the help and contact options available on the College Board and BigFuture websites.

Official BigFuture Scholarships Website

To create your account and start earning entries, visit the official page here: BigFuture by College Board.