BigFuture Scholarships Class of 2027: Win $500 or $40,000 by Completing College Planning Steps

BigFuture Scholarships Class of 2027: Win $500 or $40,000 by Completing College Planning Steps

The College Board’s BigFuture Scholarships program gives students in the high school class of 2027 a way to turn ordinary college-planning tasks into entries for scholarship drawings. There is no essay, minimum GPA, test-score threshold, or purchase requirement. A student creates or uses a College Board account, completes an eligible step in the BigFuture dashboard, and is automatically entered into drawings for a $500 scholarship and a larger $40,000 scholarship.

This is not a guaranteed award and it is not a traditional merit scholarship. Winners are selected at random from eligible entries. That distinction matters: the practical value is that the qualifying work can also help a student plan for college, but there is no promise that completing a task will produce money. The official rules say the program ends on November 30, 2026, at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time for the class of 2027. Some steps have earlier deadlines, while the FAFSA and college-application steps begin in the senior year.

The opportunity is worth checking because several class-of-2027 steps are still available on August 12, 2026. The deadline for starting a college list passed on June 30, 2026, but students can still work on the career list, scholarship list, and balanced college list. The FAFSA and college-application tasks open October 1 of senior year and close November 30, 2026. Completing an available step early gives an entry for the applicable drawing period and avoids relying on a last-day dashboard update.

Key details

What the scholarship offers

The program has two award sizes. The official rules provide for forty-five $500 winners per month from February 2025 through December 2026, plus an additional forty-five winners per month selected from eligible lower-income students. The rules also provide for one $40,000 winner every two months from February 2025 through November 2026, plus an additional winner every two months from a lower-income drawing on the schedule described there. A student may win more than one $500 scholarship, but may receive only one $40,000 scholarship. The rules allow a student to win both types.

The numbers are drawing structure, not a personal award guarantee. The odds depend on the number of eligible entries received, and College Board selects potential winners by random drawing. Potential winners are then subject to eligibility and entry verification. A student is not considered a winner until the required verification is complete and College Board confirms the award.

The money is intended for undergraduate study. The official rules say funds are issued as one or more checks payable to a Title IV eligible institution named by the winner. College Board does not promise to deposit the money into a student’s personal bank account. A $40,000 award can be disbursed in installments in consultation with the institution and must be used within the time limits in the official rules. The class-of-2027 rules state that funds for verified winners are distributed during summer 2027, subject to the program’s disbursement conditions.

The lower-income provision is also important. The rules define a lower-income student as someone who qualifies for an SAT fee waiver, attends a high-poverty school district as defined in the rules, or has family adjusted gross income of $60,000 or less. These students have access to separate and additional drawings. College Board may request income or other documentation if a student is selected through one of those additional drawings.

Who is eligible for Class of 2027

The central eligibility requirement is a high school graduation date in 2027. The student must attend a public school, private school, or home school located in one of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or a U.S. territory or possession. The official rules also include U.S. citizens or residents who attend a U.S. Department of War Education Activity school outside the United States and its territories.

The student must use a College Board account to complete dashboard activities. The account is not just a sign-in convenience: the rules require the student to be logged in when the relevant list is saved or the activity is recorded. Families should create only the account the student will actually use and keep the account information consistent. The rules prohibit attempts to gain extra entries through multiple identities, email addresses, logins, or other methods.

The program is designed for students pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree. If selected, the student must identify a Title IV eligible institution for payment. The rules do not state that every postsecondary program qualifies, so students should confirm that their intended college or university is eligible before treating a potential award as part of a financial plan.

Children or wards of College Board employees, officers, trustees, affiliates, agents, representatives, and the program’s advertising or promotion agencies are excluded under the official rules. Household members of those people are also excluded. That restriction is easy to miss because it appears in the formal rules rather than in the short program summary.

Which steps are still available

The class-of-2027 program uses six steps. As of the current 2026 cycle, the earliest college-list step is closed, but most of the remaining steps are either open or upcoming.

1. Start Your Career List: Save at least three careers to a BigFuture career list by November 30, 2026. This is useful for students who have not settled on a major or career direction.
2. Start Your College List: Save at least three colleges. The class-of-2027 deadline was June 30, 2026, so a student who did not complete it by then should not assume it can still generate an entry.
3. Start Your Scholarship List: Save at least three scholarships on BigFuture between July 1 and November 30, 2026. This is an active step and is especially practical because the saved list can become a starting point for real aid research.
4. Strengthen Your College List: Save a list containing at least one safety, two match, and three reach colleges by October 31, 2026. The categories must be recorded through BigFuture’s list tools.
5. Complete the FAFSA: Submit the FAFSA between October 1 and November 30, 2026, then record the completion in the dashboard. A student who is legally unable to complete the FAFSA may use a state financial-aid form if available, or attest to the applicable ineligibility circumstances described in the rules.
6. Apply to Colleges: Apply to at least two colleges between October 1 and November 30, 2026, and update their statuses in the BigFuture college list. A student who applied binding Early Decision to one college may use the special option described in the rules.

Completing a task earns one entry for the applicable $500 and $40,000 drawings. Unselected entries roll forward to later drawings until the final drawing date described by the rules. The official deadline page is the best place to confirm any dashboard changes before acting.

How to enter

Start at the BigFuture Scholarships Class of 2027 page, sign in or create a College Board account, and open the dashboard. Choose a task that is still available for the class of 2027. For the scholarship-list task, search BigFuture’s scholarship database and save at least three scholarships to the student’s scholarship list. For the career task, save three careers. For the strengthened college list, assign the required reach, match, and safety categories and save the list.

The FAFSA and college-application tasks require more than clicking a dashboard checkbox. A student must complete the underlying action during the relevant window, then report it through BigFuture. Keep confirmation records. The official rules say selected students may have to provide a FAFSA or state-aid submission confirmation, or proof of college applications. A screenshot or printout of the confirmation page can be useful if it is readable and shows the student’s submission details.

Students who prefer not to use the website can request an alternate-entry form by calling 844-298-3554. The form is mailed to the student, so a P.O. Box cannot be used for that request. The rules allow up to six mail-in entries, with one entry per stamped outer envelope, and explain where to mail completed forms. Use the address and current instructions in the official rules rather than relying on an old flyer or a third-party summary.

What to prepare before the deadline

The best preparation is simple record keeping. First, confirm the graduation year in the student’s school records. A student in the wrong graduating class cannot fix that mismatch by completing more dashboard tasks. Second, use one College Board account and verify that the student’s name and contact information are current. College Board uses email to notify potential winners, so an inaccessible inbox can create a serious problem.

Next, put the deadlines on a calendar. The active list tasks have different close dates: October 31 for the strengthened college list and November 30 for the career list and scholarship list. The FAFSA and college-application tasks are tied to the senior-year window beginning October 1. Do not wait until November 30 to complete several tasks if a school counselor, parent, financial-aid office, or college portal must supply information.

For the scholarship-list task, save scholarships that the student may genuinely be able to pursue. The program does not require an essay for its own drawing, but the saved scholarships may have their own essays, transcripts, residency rules, or recommendation requirements. A useful list is better preparation than three random entries.

For the strengthened college list, use realistic categories. The required six-college mix is a qualification condition, but it should also reflect admission likelihood, cost, location, program availability, and the student’s willingness to attend. BigFuture’s category definitions control for this program, so students should follow the tool’s instructions and keep a record that the list was saved before the deadline.

How winners are selected and paid

College Board selects potential winners through random drawings from eligible entries. The rules say the drawing occurs within 15 business days after the end of the qualifying month, and potential winners are notified by email within 30 business days of the applicable drawing. Those timeframes are not a promise that every student will receive a message immediately after completing a task.

A potential winner must complete the required affidavit and releases, with a parent or legal guardian also signing when the student is a minor. The student may need to verify the entry. Career-list, college-list, scholarship-list, and strengthened-list entries do not require extra proof under the published rules. FAFSA entries may require a submission confirmation, and college-application entries may require confirmation pages for the applications claimed.

The institution payment rule should be part of any family budget. College Board sends scholarship funds to a Title IV eligible institution indicated by the winner; it does not simply pay the student in cash. The winner must provide the institution information within the time period in the rules. If the student changes institutions, defers enrollment, or takes a qualifying leave, the rules describe procedures and limits for moving or retaining remaining funds. Read those provisions before accepting an award.

Common mistakes to avoid

Confusing an entry with an award. Completing a task creates a drawing entry. It does not create a guaranteed scholarship or a promise of admission.

Using the wrong class year. The class-of-2027 rules require a 2027 high school graduation date. Do not use instructions for the class of 2026 or 2028 interchangeably.

Missing a step-specific deadline. The final program date is November 30, but the strengthened college list closes October 31 and the initial college-list step closed June 30.

Failing to save the list. The rules describe saved lists, not merely searches or temporary selections. Confirm that the dashboard shows the completed requirement.

Reporting an action without keeping proof. FAFSA and college-application entries may require documentation if the student is selected. Preserve confirmation emails and application receipts in a safe folder.

Assuming a $40,000 award is paid directly. The scholarship is paid to a Title IV eligible institution under the official rules. Ask the intended institution how it handles an outside scholarship and whether additional documentation is required.

Creating duplicate accounts or entries. The rules prohibit attempts to gain extra entries through multiple identities or logins. One accurate account is the safer approach.

FAQ

Is this a guaranteed scholarship? No. BigFuture Scholarships are random drawings. Completing a qualifying step earns an entry, not an award.

Is an essay required? The BigFuture drawing itself does not require an essay. A separate scholarship saved in the BigFuture search tool may have its own requirements.

Can a student outside the United States apply? The ordinary eligibility rule covers schools in the United States and U.S. territories. It also covers qualifying U.S. citizens or residents attending DoWEA schools abroad. The program is not a general international scholarship.

Can a lower-income student receive extra chances? Yes. The official rules provide separate additional drawings for students who meet one of the listed lower-income definitions. College Board may request proof if a student is selected through that route.

What if a student cannot complete the FAFSA? The rules allow a qualifying student to use a state financial-aid form if available. If the student is legally unable to complete both the FAFSA and an available state form, the rules describe an attestation route. Use the dashboard instructions and retain evidence of the applicable situation.

Can a student win both awards? Yes. The rules allow a student to win a $500 scholarship and a $40,000 scholarship. They limit each student to one $40,000 scholarship, while a student may win more than one $500 scholarship.

Where should a student begin? Start with the official Class of 2027 program page, then read the complete official rules. The rules control if a short summary and the formal program terms differ.

Official links and next steps

This opportunity is a good fit for a U.S.-based student in the class of 2027 who is already doing college planning and wants a no-essay route into legitimate scholarship drawings. It is less suitable as a standalone financial-aid plan because the result is random and the money, if awarded, goes to an eligible institution rather than directly to the student.

The practical next step on August 12, 2026 is to sign in to BigFuture, verify the student’s graduation year, and complete the scholarship-list and career-list tasks if they remain available. Then review the strengthened-college-list requirement before October 31. In October, prepare for the FAFSA and college-application steps instead of treating the November 30 cutoff as extra preparation time. Keep the confirmation records, monitor the account email, and read the full rules before relying on any potential award.

• BigFuture Scholarships Class of 2027 overview
• Official Rules for Class of 2027
• College Board eligibility FAQ
• College Board deadline FAQ