CommonApp Scholarship Search & Scholarship Matching 2027: How It Works, Fee Waiver, and What Students Get
CommonApp Scholarship Search (matching) explained: 1,948+ scholarship programs, 8 median matches per student, free, plus the Common App fee waiver. How it works, eligibility and 2027 timeline.
Focus keyword: commonapp scholarship search
Quick answer: the “CommonApp scholarship search” is the free Scholarship Matching tool inside My Common Application. When you complete the Profile and Education questions, Common App matches you with scholarships you may be eligible for – on the 2025-26 cycle that was 1,948 scholarship programs and a median of 8 matches per student, with about 86% of listed scholarships being local (all 50 states + DC). Common App itself does NOT award money; individual programs do. The matching tool also pairs with the Common App fee waiver, which can waive college application fees (typically $60-$90 per school) at member colleges that accept it. There is no deadline on the matching feature itself – matches appear any time your profile is complete enough, including before you apply to college.
What Is the CommonApp Scholarship Search?
Two distinct tools share this name, and students searching “CommonApp scholarship search” usually mean the first one:
- Scholarship Matching – a free, in-app discovery tool that pairs a student’s My Common Application responses with eligible scholarship programs run by third-party providers (including local ones).Fee Waiver – a separate feature that waives college application fees at participating member colleges.
Common App (Common App, Inc., commonapp.org) has been operating since 1975 and spans 1,100+ colleges across ~210 countries. The Scholarship Matching tool is the one that drives the search-spike in “commonapp” during fall application season – students use the platform as a scholarship finder on their way to college applications.
Scholarship Matching: Numbers
| Metric | 2025-26 value |
|---|---|
| Partner scholarship programs | 1,948 |
| Students using the tool | ~1.5 million |
| Median matches per student | 8 |
| Local (home-state) share of listed scholarships | ~86% |
| Pilot impact (2024-25) | $4.8M awarded to low-income students |
| Lift in application likelihood | Students with in-app matches were 2x as likely to apply |
Two things to understand before you expect an award: (1) Common App does NOT pick winners and does NOT distribute money – every matched program has its own rules, its own essay, its own deadline, and its own award. (2) The matching tool is a funnel, not a scholarship. Completing your Common App profile is free, but you still complete each matched program’s real application to be considered for a real award.
How Scholarship Matching Works (Step by Step)
- Create a first-year (or transfer) Common App account at apply.commonapp.org/createaccount.Open the My Common Application section of the account.Complete the Profile and Education questions – the more you answer, the more matches you get.Answer Family and Testing questions to improve match quality (optional, but the pilot data shows students who complete these get better matches).Matches appear as notifications in the Financial aid section of your Common App account, each showing its deadline, award size, and eligibility criteria.Common App does NOT auto-submit your answers to any scholarship. For each match that interests you, follow that scholarship’s own application instructions.Common App does NOT share your name or contact information with scholarship programs you are matched with, and the matching tool is opt-in by default for US, Canada, and Mexico (Colorado requires explicit opt-in due to state privacy law).You can turn matching off at any time under Settings > Communication preferences.
If you want to add matching awards to your portfolio after you get your Common App matches, the Regions Riding Forward Scholarship is a free $8,000 quarterly essay program that pairs well with the Common App fall season.
The Common App Fee Waiver
A separate feature, the Common App fee waiver, waives the college application fee at any Common App member college that accepts it. Fees range by school but commonly $60-$90. You request it in the Profile section of My Common Application, answer “Yes” to the fee waiver statement, sign to certify, and your counselor confirms eligibility. The waiver works for both first-year and transfer applicants; international students may qualify depending on each college’s policy. Many colleges have their own fee-waiver programs; some accept neither.
Eligibility and Privacy
Fee waiver eligibility – you need at least one of
- Enrolled in or eligible for free or reduced-price lunch (FRPL).Received or eligible for a SAT/ACT fee waiver.Family income within the USDA Food and Nutrition Service guidelines.Family receives public assistance.Enrolled in a low-income aid program (e.g., GEAR UP, TRIO, Upward Bound).Live in federally subsidized public housing, a foster home, or are homeless.Are a ward of the state or an orphan.Have received or are eligible for a Pell Grant.Can provide a supporting statement from a school official, college access counselor, financial aid officer, or community leader.
Eligibility is based on the student’s own financial circumstances, not the school’s, and acceptance is decided college-by-college.
Privacy
- Common App does NOT share your name or contact information with scholarship programs.The matching feature is opt-in by default for US, Canada, and Mexico; Colorado requires explicit opt-in due to state privacy law.You can turn the matching feature off at any time from Settings.
2027 Timeline
The Scholarship Matching tool itself has no deadline – matches appear as your profile completes, at any point in the academic year, and can appear before you apply to college. Each matched scholarship has its own deadline, shown in your Financial aid notifications.
If you want to pair the Common App matching tool with a state or national program, our Alaska Performance Scholarship guide covers a state merit award with a hard June 30 FAFSA deadline – one of the deadlines the Common App tool will surface for Alaska students.
The fee-waiver request is made while your application to a given college is being prepared, before submission. There is no calendar deadline on the feature.
FAQs
Does Common App give out scholarships?
No. Common App itself does not award money. The Scholarship Matching tool surfaces third-party scholarships that students may be eligible for; each matched program runs its own selection and pays its own awards.
Is the Common App Scholarship Search free?
Yes. The Scholarship Matching tool and the fee-waiver feature are both free. There is no application fee and no enrollment fee for the matching feature itself.
How do students use CommonApp to find scholarships?
Complete the Profile, Education (and for stronger matches, Family and Testing) questions in My Common Application. Matches appear as notifications in the Financial aid section with each scholarship’s deadline, award amount, and eligibility criteria.
Does Common App share my information with scholarships?
No. Common App does not share your name or contact information with scholarship programs. You control opt-in/out from your Settings.
Is the Common App scholarship matching available to international students?
The tool is available to students residing in the US, Canada, and Mexico. International students outside those countries are not included in the matching pool. Colorado students require explicit opt-in.
Does the Common App fee waiver waive all application fees?
It waives fees at Common App member colleges that accept it. Some colleges run their own waiver programs, some accept neither. The waiver is based on your own financial circumstances, not your school’s.
Final Verdict
If you are a US, Canadian, or Mexican student starting college applications in fall 2026, the Common App Scholarship Matching tool is a free, privacy-respecting way to surface local and national scholarships you would not otherwise find. The 2027 cycle: complete your Profile and Education questions in My Common Application, watch for matches in the Financial aid section, and follow each program’s own application. Pair it with the Common App fee waiver if you qualify, and with state or national programs to round out the portfolio. No deadline, no essay at the Common App level – the tool does the discovering, and you do the applying.