Largely, these sources list key governmental programs, widely publicized awards and nationally advertised contests. Researchers have stated that no public library or public-record institution maintains information on every source of financial aid even school counselors have no way of knowing about all the funds available nationwide. The Council maintains a year-round staff working to locate and chronicle every college funding donor in the nation. Since 1979, the Council has centralized aid data from foundations, clubs, agencies, private groups, philanthropies, high schools, trusts, private-sector enterprises, colleges, municipalities and other organizations throughout the nation. There are now over 800,000 awards available to students in the College Aid Registry with new sources added and up-dated daily.
Special effort is made to identify non-publicized awards and unique grant programs.