Fueling Their Future: New Survey Reveals Strategies for Motivating Students to Scholarship Success

Wondering how you’ll manage to afford college without the crushing weight of student loan debt? You’re not alone. The cost of college has skyrocketed, leaving many families feeling the squeeze. While federal and state grant aid can help students with the most significant financial need, it rarely covers all costs, leading many to turn to student loans to bridge the gap. But loans aren’t a “solution” – they simply delay the problem, adding financial stress that can overshadow your post-graduation achievements and future plans. That’s why scholarships are a vital lifeline to an affordable, debt-free education. Unfortunately, far too many students either apply to just a few scholarships, or don’t apply to many at all. That’s why it’s so important to motivate students to scholarship success.

At ScholarshipOwl, we wanted to know more about how students feel about scholarships, to truly understand why some students focus their time and effort on applying for scholarships, while others don’t. We also wanted to arm parents, counselors, teachers, and mentors with the information they need to help encourage students to apply for scholarships rather than relying on student loans to cover their out-of-pocket college costs.

In June 2025, we surveyed 11,453 students on the ScholarshipOwl platform to find out more. The insights are powerful, and can help parents, educators, and mentors understand how to motivate students to pursue scholarships rather than turning to loans to pay for college.

Why Students Are Chasing Scholarship Dollars

When we asked students, “Why are you looking for scholarships?”, their responses painted a clear picture of both pressing financial need and personal aspiration:

• Financial Imperative

The overwhelming majority of Gen Z students are driven by direct financial need. Well over three-quarters of respondents 85% simply said they need money for college, and nearly that same amount (82%) want to reduce the financial burden for themselves or their family. More than half of respondents (57%) said they want to avoid taking out student loans. Nearly half (47%) feel that scholarships are the only way they can afford the college(s) they’re targeting.

These numbers underscore the real economic pressures students face.

• Personal Achievement & Confidence

While financial need dominates, students are also seeking something more profound. Nearly half (44%) said that earning a scholarship would be an achievement they can be proud of. Another 16% were motivated to build their confidence, and 8% see applying for scholarships as a way to boost their resume and/or LinkedIn profile.

This shows that scholarships are also a powerful validation of hard work and potential – and the numbers also illuminate some potential strategies that can motivate students to scholarship success.

• The Power of Encouragement

Nearly one-quarter (23%) of students shared that their family urged them to look for scholarships. This highlights the significant role that family support and encouragement play in motivating students to take that crucial first step.

These findings show that while seeking financial relief is paramount, students are also deeply motivated by the sense of accomplishment, pride, and boosted self-assurance that comes with earning a scholarship.

What Earning a Scholarship Truly Means to Gen Z Students

We then asked students, “What would it mean for you if you are able to earn scholarships for college?” Their answers illuminated the profound impact these awards can have on their lives:

• Freedom from Debt is a Top Priority

The overwhelming majority  (81%) said that earning a scholarship would mean they would be able to reduce their reliance on student loans or avoid loans completely. This clearly illustrates the strong desire among today’s students to escape the seemingly endless cycle of student debt.

• Unlocking Educational Access & Choice

Nearly half of students (48%) said that without scholarships, they don’t think they would be able to go to college at all. On the other hand, over one-third (38%) said that if they could earn a scholarship, they would be able to attend the college of their choice.

So scholarships aren’t just making college easier to afford; for many, they’re making it possible and enabling them to pursue their academic goals in ways that will have significant positive impact on their future.

• A Deep Sense of Achievement and Pride

Echoing their motivations, students expressed significant emotional benefits: Nearly half (44%) said that earning a scholarship would make their family proud. And nearly that number (39%) said they would feel that they had really achieved something worthwhile. One-third (33%) noted that earning a scholarship would make them feel more confident in themselves.

These results show that earning a scholarship is a powerful validation of a student’s hard work and potential, instilling a sense of accomplishment that goes far beyond the dollar amount.

• Financial Freedom and Future Possibilities

Nearly three-quarters (71%) of students said that a scholarship would give them greater financial freedom. This speaks to their understanding that reducing college costs opens doors for future investments, career choices, and overall life flexibility.

These responses confirm that scholarships are truly transformative, offering not just financial relief, but also agency, pride, and the ability to shape one’s own future.

How Supporters Can Help Ignite the Scholarship Spark

If you’re a parent, school counselor, teacher, or mentor, you have an incredibly powerful role to play in a student’s scholarship journey. Your encouragement matters, and understanding the motivations that are most powerful can help you to guide students more effectively.

• For Parents & Family

Your active encouragement can be the push your child needs to prioritize scholarships. Nearly one-quarter (23%) of the Gen Z students surveyed said their family urged them to look for scholarships. Here are some strategies you can try:

• • Encourage your kids to focus on the most affordable path to college possible. Community college is a smart choice, and one that all students should consider.
  • Talk openly about college costs and the value of debt-free funding. Discuss how much you’ve been able to save towards your children’s education. And if you haven’t been able to set funds aside, you’re not alone.
    • So many families have not been able to save for their children’s education due to the cost of housing, increasing inflation, periods of unemployment or underemployment, etc.
    • Parents often try to shoulder their financial stress on their own, shielding their kids from these concerns, which is understandable. But this may have led to your kids’ expectation that there is money set aside for their education.
    • Help your kids to research and plan an affordable path to college – a plan that prioritizes applying for scholarships.
  • Set your kids up for success by partnering with them in the scholarship application process. Get them going by helping them start their free 7-day trial with ScholarshipOwl, a technology platform that matches students with scholarships best-fit for them.
  • Celebrate every application submitted and every scholarship earned, no matter the size, reinforcing that scholarships are an achievement they can be proud of.
  • Help your kids create a realistic plan for applying consistently, aiming for 3 applications per week, year-round. Explore ScholarshipOwl together, and help your kids to focus on scholarships that they are more likely to win, by prioritizing scholarships with fewer applicants, and scholarships with higher credibility scores.

• For School Counselors, Teachers & Mentors

You can uniquely connect scholarships to both financial benefits and personal growth.

• • Educate your students about the pitfalls of student loans. Encourage them to focus on a debt-free path to college. Make sure they understand the importance of staying on top of financial aid, scholarship, and college application deadlines. Our checklist can help!
  • Emphasize that the effort involved in essays or projects builds valuable skills in communication, critical thinking, and perseverance. These are skills that will serve them both in college and in their career.
  • Highlight how scholarships validate your student’s talents and boost their confidence.
  • Provide resources and guidance, recognizing that students often feel overwhelmed by the process, and point them towards streamlined platforms like ScholarshipOwl. Your encouragement can make a monumental difference in helping them persist.
  • If you are a school counselor, join the ScholarshipOwl School Counselor Program to get special access for your students!

Focus on making the process manageable and celebrating their progress. Highlight that every essay, question answered, and “click to submit” is a step towards a more affordable future.

The Debt-Free Imperative

In today’s economic climate, college costs continue to rise and the student loan landscape is constantly shifting. With the recent “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” legislation impacting higher education, accessing debt-free sources for college isn’t just an option – it’s a strategic imperative.

Our survey overwhelmingly shows that students want to avoid loans. In fact, 57% are looking for scholarships specifically for this reason. Furthermore, 81% would reduce/avoid loans if they won! This desire is well-founded. Loans can delay major life milestones like buying a home, starting a family, or pursuing dream careers. Scholarships provide true financial freedom, allowing students to start their post-college lives on solid ground. Students want to be ready to invest in their future, not have to pay back past debts.

Scholarships Lead to True Financial Freedom

Our survey confirms what we’ve always believed. Students are incredibly motivated to pursue scholarships, not just out of financial necessity, but also from a deep desire for personal achievement, confidence, and the freedom to choose their educational path.

This journey requires persistence, but the payoff is immense – financial freedom, the college of your dreams, and a powerful sense of accomplishment. Guidance and support from  parents, educators, and mentors can ignite a student’s motivation and propel them towards a debt-free future. With strategic effort and the right tools like ScholarshipOwl, earning those scholarships is well within reach!