Gen Z Students Turn to TikTok for Scholarships Amid Rising College Costs
A growing number of Gen Z college students are using TikTok to search for scholarships, despite concerns about misleading information on the platform. According to a survey by Sallie, 1 in 5 Gen Z students search for scholarships on TikTok weekly, with 1 in 3 encountering potentially misleading content. The average cost for private nonprofit colleges has risen to $60,920 for the 2025-2026 school year, while public in-state colleges cost $25,850. Legislative changes have made federal student loans more restrictive, increasing the importance of scholarships, which do not require repayment. Experts advise students to verify scholarship legitimacy and use official college financial aid pages and government scholarship search tools. 
