By tamaraIn a few weeks, high school students will be heading back to school! For seniors, working on college applications will become a top priority. Students may feel bombarded with advice about how to write a college admission essay, how to decide on a college major, and where to find free money for college. For the most part, things haven’t changed too much; students can still find available scholarships and financial aid through the traditional resources, such as their guidance counselor, parent’s employers, and free online scholarship search tools. But there’s a new kid on the block who’s making a lot of noise in the world of college financial aid – Pinterest! The website that is best known for great recipes and do-it-yourself projects now offers a fun and easy way to find free money for college. Unlike a traditional scholarship search, which usually gives you a list of eligible scholarships, Pinterest entices users with clever photos and short tag lines. Think of it as window shopping for money; you pick the programs that interest you and save them for later. Or in this case, pin them to your boards. As with any social media platform, though, you’ll come across your fair share of people trying to lead you astray, so it’s important to know which sources may be more reliable than others. Over the last several months, I have found the following ‘Pinners’ to have credible links and interesting content for anyone interested in college planning and financial aid. 1. Monica Matthews This mother of three helped her son find $100,000 in scholarships for college. She’s an author and also hosts a website. Her boards, ‘College Scholarships’ and ‘Scholarships/Financial Aid Articles,’ should definitely be on your watch list. 2. Upward Bound JWCC Upward Bound is a Federally Funded TRIO program that assists high school students in grades 9-12 who are preparing for college. Their page includes several useful boards, such as ‘Scholarships,’ ‘Financial Literacy‘ and ‘Test Prep.’ 3. HBCU Lifestyle Students who are considering a historically black college or university will definitely benefit from following this page. Their boards include information on ‘College Admissions,’ ‘College Life,’ ‘Scholarships,’ and so much more. New content is posted frequently, so be sure to follow all their boards to ensure you don’t miss anything! Of course, this list would not be complete without our page. If you want to find the ultimate one-stop shop for scholarships, pay a visit to ScholarshipGuru on Pinterest. We currently have more than 350 scholarships posted, as well as information on ‘College Planning,’ ‘Dorm Ideas‘ and advice on ‘College Admissions.’ Move over, Twitter and Facebook, there’s a new kid in town! Happy pinning!