Class of 2027: The BigFuture Scholarship Steps Due October 31 and November 30

If you are a high school senior aiming for a Fall 2027 start, you may be able to earn free entries into $500 and $40,000 scholarship drawings just by doing things you already need to do. The College Board's BigFuture Scholarships for the Class of 2027 reward steps like building a college list, filing the FAFSA, and applying to colleges. There is no essay and no minimum GPA. The program closes on November 30, 2026, and the last drawing is December 1, so the window to collect entries is short.

This guide explains each step, which dates matter, how the drawings work, and how to fit this into a bigger scholarship plan. One honest note up front: these awards are chosen by random drawing, so treat them as a bonus on top of your main plan, not the plan itself.

What are the BigFuture Scholarships for the Class of 2027?

BigFuture Scholarships are a College Board program that gives away money through monthly random drawings. Each time a student completes a qualifying step while logged in to a College Board account, the student earns one entry in both the $500 and the $40,000 drawings.

According to the official rules for the Class of 2027, the program started on December 2, 2024 and ends on November 30, 2026. A student qualifies if their high school graduation date is 2027 and they attend a public, private, or home school in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, or a U.S. Department of War Education Activity school abroad. Juniors and sophomores have their own versions for later classes, so check BigFuture's scholarship page for the one that fits your grade.

Which steps count, and when is each one due?

There are six steps. Some windows have already closed, so the first job is to log in and see what your dashboard shows as complete.

• Career list: Save three or more careers. Open through November 30, 2026.
• College list: Build a list of three or more colleges. This window closed on June 30, 2026, but entries you earned earlier still count.
• Scholarship list: Save three or more scholarships. Open from July 1 through November 30, 2026.
• Strengthen your college list: Include at least one safety, two match, and three reach colleges. Open from July 1 through October 31, 2026.
• FAFSA: Submit the FAFSA, a state aid application, or attest that you are not eligible. Open from October 1 through November 30, 2026.
• Apply to colleges: Apply to two or more colleges, or to one binding Early Decision school. Open from October 1 through November 30, 2026.

Two dates are close. October 31 is the last day for the strengthened college list and the end of the October drawing period. November 30 closes everything else.

How do the drawings work?

Winners are picked by random drawing within about 15 business days after each qualifying month ends. Your odds depend on how many eligible entries are in the pool, which the College Board does not publish ahead of time. Entries that are not selected roll over to the next drawing until the final one on December 1, 2026.

The prizes, per the official rules:

• $500 scholarships: 45 winners each month, plus 45 more each month chosen from students in the lower income group described below.
• $40,000 scholarships: One winner every two months, plus one more every two months from the lower income group. A student can win only one $40,000 award but can also win a $500 award.

Winners are notified by email, and they have 60 calendar days after notice to send in the required documents. Funds go directly to a college that is eligible for federal student aid, not to the student, and are paid out in summer 2027 once paperwork is complete. That means checking your email, including spam, matters if you enter.

Is there an extra chance for students from lower income households?

Yes. The rules set up separate, additional drawings for students who meet any one of three conditions: they qualify for an SAT fee waiver, they attend a school district where 75 percent or more of students get free or reduced-price lunch, or their family adjusted gross income is $60,000 or less. The $60,000 figure is a way into the extra drawings, not a prize amount, and the College Board may ask winners who qualify this way to verify income.

If you already know you qualify for an SAT fee waiver, you may also qualify for application fee waivers. Our guide to college application fee waivers and free campus visits walks through how to request them.

How do these steps fit with what you already have to do?

This is the real reason to pay attention. Most of these steps are tasks a senior should finish anyway.

• The FAFSA is the form that opens the door to federal grants, work-study, and loans, plus many state and school awards. The 2027-28 form is open and uses 2025 tax information. Our FAFSA filing checklist covers the documents and accounts each person needs.
• Applying to colleges is the whole point of fall of senior year. If you are thinking about a binding Early Decision application, read our Early Decision and Early Action aid timeline first, because that choice limits your ability to compare aid offers.
• A balanced college list with reach, match, and safety schools is good advice whether or not a drawing is attached. A safety school you can afford is a real financial plan, not a fallback.

If you have not started, the order that makes the most sense is: strengthen your college list by October 31, then file the FAFSA and submit applications before November 30. That order lines up with both the BigFuture dates and the real deadlines many colleges set.

What should you watch out for?

Three things deserve a moment of thought before you click.

It is a lottery. Winning is possible, and some students will, but with random drawings you should not count on the money when you build your budget. Plan around aid you can verify and award letters you can compare.

Read the rules and privacy choices. You are logging in to a College Board account and sharing information about your college and career interests. Look at the Official Rules and the program's privacy information so you know what you are agreeing to. If you are under 18, talk it over with a parent or guardian.

Do not pay anyone to enter. This program is free. If a website, text, or email asks for a fee to "claim" or "process" a scholarship, stop. Our guide on how to spot a scholarship scam lists the warning signs.

What other scholarship deadlines are coming up this fall?

Because BigFuture is a drawing, the awards you can actually plan around are the ones with applications and judged criteria. Many national scholarships close in early and mid November, and some state and local ones follow in the winter. Listing sites such as Access Scholarships' November list show several national awards closing in November, with eligibility rules that vary a lot. Always confirm the date and requirements on the sponsor's own site before you apply.

Local awards are often the best odds for the time you spend, because fewer students apply. See local scholarships: the awards most students miss and our complete guide to finding and winning scholarships for a step-by-step search method.

A simple plan for the next six weeks

1. This week: Log in to your College Board account and check which BigFuture steps are already complete.
2. By October 31: Make sure your college list has at least one safety, two match, and three reach schools.
3. Early November: File the 2027-28 FAFSA if you have not yet, and check your state's aid deadline.
4. By November 30: Submit at least two applications (or one binding Early Decision), save three careers and three scholarships, and confirm every step shows complete.
5. All fall: Keep applying to scholarships with real applications, and keep a spreadsheet of dates.

Want help comparing what each college on your list will really cost after aid? Create your free CollegeLens plan and line up your options side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to write an essay for the BigFuture Scholarships?

No. The College Board states there is no essay and no minimum GPA. You earn entries by completing steps in your account.

What is the deadline for the Class of 2027 BigFuture Scholarships?

The program ends November 30, 2026, and the final drawing is December 1, 2026. The strengthened college list step closes earlier, on October 31, 2026.

Does filing the FAFSA count as a step?

Yes. Submitting the FAFSA, a state aid form, or attesting that you are not eligible counts as one step, with an entry window from October 1 through November 30, 2026.

Are my chances of winning good?

Winners are chosen at random, and odds depend on how many entries are in each drawing. Treat it as a possible bonus, not a source of money to build your budget around.

-- Sravani at CollegeLens