scholarship

study grant

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 15, 2026

Quick Summary

Scholarships are forms of financial assistance designed to help students pay for their education. Unlike loans, scholarships do not need to be repaid and are generally tax-free when used for educational expenses. They can significantly reduce a student's reliance on loans and future debt.12

Scholarships can be categorized as:
* Need-based: Awarded based on a student's financial situation.2
* Merit-based: Granted based on accomplishments such as academic performance, athletic ability, or leadership skills.2
* Essay and contest-based: Awarded through writing competitions or random selection.2

A "full scholarship" covers all tuition costs. The growth of student-aid programs has greatly fostered higher education opportunities worldwide, making them more accessible to students from diverse economic backgrounds.31

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

4 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

American football
Scholarships and the student athlete
” College football’s other post-World War II crisis, regarding professionalism, reached a flash point in the late 1940s and early 1950s over athletic scholarships. Subsidizing athletes had been common since the 1920s but was not officially sanctioned and was entirely unregulated,…
Read More
” College football’s other post-World War II crisis, regarding professionalism, reached a flash point in the late 1940s and early 1950s over athletic scholarships. Subsidizing athletes had been common since the 1920s but was not officially sanctioned and was entirely unregulated,…
Read More