Is Fastweb Free, and What Scholarships and Aid Does It Cover?
Updated
Fastweb is a free scholarship search platform that connects students to college scholarships, trade school scholarships, and financial aid news and resources. It is designed for high school, trade school, college, and graduate students, and it also publishes guidance for parents and educators. The site describes its goal as helping students make college and trade school more affordable.
What Fastweb Covers
| Category | What you'll find |
|---|---|
| Scholarships | A searchable scholarship database, featured scholarships, scholarship news, scholarship winners, and a national scholarship directory |
| FAFSA & financial aid | FAFSA information, financial aid news, and student loan information |
| Internships & jobs | Internship listings, featured internships, part-time jobs, and internship news |
| Student discounts | Discount offers for students |
| Online learning | Online learning resources |
| Parents & educators | Parent resources and FAQs, educator resources, downloadable materials, a scholarship list builder, and scholarship provider tools |
The site positions itself as "the largest scholarship database" and states that it has more than 2,000,000 members.
How the Matching Works
Fastweb's process has three steps:
- Create your profile. After signing up, you answer a few questions to customize your profile.
- Get instant scholarship matches. Based on your strengths, interests, student activities, and skills, Fastweb generates a list of scholarships you qualify for.
- Apply. Each time you log in, you see new scholarship matches along with their total value, and you apply directly.
The key mechanism is profile-based filtering: instead of browsing a full directory, you receive a personalized shortlist that refreshes on each login. For example, a trade school student who lists a specific program and relevant activities should see matches tied to those details rather than general awards.
Who It's For
Fastweb targets high school students, trade school students, college students, and graduate students, plus their parents. Educators have a separate section with resources and a scholarship list builder for providers.
What to Keep in Mind
- The site describes itself as free; no pricing or payment details appear on the page.
- Scholarship matches depend on how completely and accurately you fill out your profile, so treat the profile as the main input that determines your results.
- Fastweb is a search and information platform. It points you to scholarships and aid resources, but the applications and award decisions happen with the scholarship providers.