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You don’t need to pay for a fancy college-matching service. The best research tools are free, and most are run by the government or the colleges themselves. Here’s where to look — and how to use an AI chatbot without getting burned by it.
College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
FreeThe federal government’s free database — real numbers on cost after aid, graduation rates, and what graduates of each major actually earn. No marketing spin, just data. Start here when you want the honest financial picture, not a brochure.
Net Price Calculators (every college’s website)
FreeFederal law requires every college to host one. You enter your family’s income and it estimates what YOU would actually pay there — not the scary sticker price. Run it for every school on your list before you fall in love with one.
BigFuture by College Board
FreeA free search-and-compare tool with filters for size, location, major, and setting. Useful for casting a wide net early and discovering schools you didn’t know existed. Treat its “matches” as a starting list, not a verdict.
Your school’s Naviance / SCOIR / MaiaLearning
FreeIf your high school uses one, it shows where students with grades and test scores like yours got in from your own school — the most relevant data you’ll find anywhere. Ask your counselor whether you have access.
If someone’s charging you, pause
Paid “college matching” and “scholarship matching” services rarely find anything you couldn’t find free with the tools above. Some are outright scams. You should never have to pay to search for college or for scholarships.
AI tools (like ChatGPT or this kind of assistant) can genuinely help — if you use them as a thinking partner, not an oracle.
Good uses
Where it goes wrong
Any deadline, dollar amount, or requirement an AI gives you is a lead to check, not a fact to trust. Before you act on it, confirm it on the college’s official .edu page or the official scholarship site. AI is a great place to start a question and a terrible place to end one.
Put the tools to work: build a balanced college list, prep for a college fair, and learn to spot scholarship scams.