We have all read the headlines featuring a fortunate college-bound student who received $100,000 or more in scholarship awards. Assuming that the scholarships were renewable annually, this amount could easily pay for four years of college at any American college or university. However, these success stories are the exception, not the rule. They are aberrations among the pool of millions of aspiring college students who submit scholarship applications to the hundreds of companies, foundations, and non-profit groups that offer them. The reality is a much different, and sobering, picture. According to Lending Tree, as of the summer of 2024, 46.2 million borrowers have federal student loan debt. The average student loan debt balance is $29,400, including both federal and private student loans.

Borrowers owe $1.74 trillion in student loan debt in the United States alone. 101 Scholarship Applications: What It Takes to Obtain a Debt-Free College Education was written specifically to address the issue of college loan debt, and help students and their parents identify scholarship opportunities, as well as develop strategies for submitting applications and winning awards. This book's author, Gwen Richardson, is a parent who has spent six years carefully researching scholarship sources for her teenage daughter, who entered college debt-free as a freshman and graduated in May 2018 with zero college loan debt. The highlight of this book is a comprehensive listing of more than 300 scholarship sources, including award amounts, eligibility requirements, and direct website links. All sources have been vetted and researched for accuracy.