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How Student Search Service Works for You

One click can help you learn about colleges across the country without ever leaving home.

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Opt in to hear directly from colleges and scholarships

After joining Search, check your email and mailbox regularly for updates about degree programs, campus life, financial aid, or invitations to apply for scholarships.

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Share your interests to find your college match

Keeping your information and college list up to date helps colleges and scholarship programs send you more relevant communications so you can find the school that’s right for you.

Each school brochure I received after opting into Student Search Service was full of possibilities that I’d never considered for myself. As a first-generation student who knew higher education was the ticket to opportunity, it was so exciting to know that universities were interested in me.

—Catie H., Mount Holyoke College Graduate

Your Questions Answered

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After joining Search, it may take a few weeks for colleges and scholarship programs to start reaching out to you. Remember, keeping your information up to date is the best way to receive relevant communications from these organizations.

Yes. It’s free to join Search and to hear from colleges. While Student Search Service is always free for students, colleges pay to use the service.

Participating organizations pay a license fee to College Board to license (use) your information. College Board uses these license fees to help support its mission-driven work.

You can opt-out at any time here. Once you opt-out, we will immediately remove you from Student Search Service. Colleges who have already contacted you may continue to send you communications. If you’re continuing to hear from a program you’re not interested in, we recommend you opt out of that organization’s communications directly. You can typically opt out or unsubscribe from future mailings at the bottom of the college’s email or on their website.

Student Search Service is nearly 50 years old! We refreshed our website, but students have been using Student Search Service in their college journeys since 1972.

Student Search Service is only available to students over the age of 12.

Colleges and other eligible organizations may use your information to send you emails and mailings about their educational, financial aid, and scholarship opportunities. They are not allowed to share your information with others, except to their contractors such as direct mail service providers.

We share information that you provide to College Board, such as when you register for and take College Board assessments and when you create a college list on College Board’s college planning website. Participating organizations can also run searches using score ranges on the PSAT 10, PSAT/NMSQT, SAT and AP exams. College Board does not share disability or heath information, social security numbers, self-reported financial information or phone numbers. If you opt-in to Student Search Service, we may share information that you provided prior to and after opting-in Student Search Service, but we will not share any information until you opt-in, and you can opt-out at any time.

Only accredited colleges, universities, nonprofit scholarship programs, and nonprofit educational organizations are eligible to participate in Student Search. Participating institutions are not allowed to share your information with others, except to their contractors such as direct mail service providers.