Student Who Went to School for Free, Creates App to Help You Do the Same

A student who managed to fund his entire college education with scholarships wants to help students get money for college.

College is expensive and getting more so every year. Less than 20,000 students get offered a full ride to college each year. Loans are available, but increasingly risky. The student debt crisis is only getting worse, with the average debt now exceeding $35,000 per student when they graduate.

But for people who are willing to look there are ways to find money for college. Christopher Gray went to college for free and he can help you do the same.

Gray went to college for free on 35 scholarships. While he did receive some federal grants for low-income students, those capped at only $5,500 a year. For the rest of his funding, he had to find private money. His largest scholarship was from Coca-Cola, giving him $20,000.

Thanks to his diligence, he was able to attend Drexel University for free, where he graduated in the spring of 2014 and still has funds left over for grad school.

He told CNN Money,”For me, it was either I apply for financial aid or I don’t go. Scholarships were my only way out.”

Gray went on to launch his own app called Scholly, which helps students find scholarships. He says he has already helped students claim $15 million in scholarship money.

The app took off after Gray appeared on the hit show Shark Tank and got two investors.

Scholarships tend to be broad or specific. Some are as little as $500 dollars and others are worth tens of thousands of dollars.

All you have to do is look and now with this app, it is easier than ever.