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Introduction
In the world of scholarship management, nobody goes into the creation of a program hoping to spend endless nights and weekends devoting every free moment to it. The goal wasn’t to toil and agonize over all of the decisions and rack up hundreds of man hours debating who was a worthy recipient let alone hand checking the countless applications that came in. No, the goal was to create a simple form that people could fill out, and make a difference in the lives of the people who were selected to receive the scholarship funds.
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Unfortunately, too many scholarship program managers are spending more time than they can afford to in the act of running their programs. Their teams are exhausted, and every program period feels like an uphill battle. Maybe they have considered scholarship management software in the past, but for one reason or another they didn't make the investment. Sound familiar?
If so, you might be in the market now because you’re hoping to save the time and money it takes to actually run your program. Perhaps you’ve looked into free scholarship management software or tried to create a system on your own only to be left with more headaches than you had before. The good news is, you don’t have to go about this alone. We’ve rounded up the best scholarship management software options on the market, and in this guide, we’ll break down their features, pricing, and what to look for as you’re considering which one is best for your organization.
CHAPTER 1
Why Do You Need Dedicated Scholarship Management Software?
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When it comes to scholarships, the process of tracking, managing, and sorting the applications that come in for them can be daunting. This is where dedicated scholarship management software comes in handy.
Software like this can help you keep track of deadlines, manage your applications, and even help you sort and filter the applications as they come in. It can also make the process of sending rejections and acceptance letters easier by allowing you to automate your correspondence and drip messages at chosen times.
If you're looking for a way to make the scholarship application and selection process easier, then dedicated scholarship management software is a great option to consider.
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CHAPTER 2
9 Best Scholarship Management Software to Choose From
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There are dozens of scholarship management software on the market, but as we explained at the beginning of this guide, we’ve narrowed our selection to the best available. They are:
- SmarterSelect
- Good Grants
- Blackbaud Award Management
- SurveyMonkey Apply
- WizeHive
- AwardSpring
- Evalato
- Reviewr
- Submittable
Now, let’s break each of them down and help you determine which one is the best option for your unique needs.
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1. SmarterSelect
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Like many of the options on this list, SmarterSelect scholarship management software makes it easy to make decisions regarding offering grants, scholarships, and other awards. What makes it stand out however, is its fair pricing for both small and large organizations. The software also comes with a helpful community forum that connects program managers so they can collaborate and share ideas.
Who is it most suitable for?
SmarterSelect is most suitable for:
- Community foundations
- Private organizations
- Non-profit organizations
- Schools, and
- Any association who would like to set up an application and review process to give away funding for scholarships, grants, and other monetary awards
What are its strengths and limitations?
Where SmarterSelect shines is in its ability to simplify the application creation and review process. With templates and plug and play forms your organization could have a brand new program up and running in less than a day. The scoring rubrics and disqualification settings also make it much faster and easier to find the exact candidates that are deserving of your awards. SmarterSelect also offers a free trial that allows you to test out many of its features to ensure it’s what your organization is looking for from available scholarship management systems.
Perhaps one of its few flaws is that it doesn’t offer customer support by phone. However, it does make up for this by providing responsive stellar in-app chat support, email and live web-based training that can solve nearly any issue that may come up. The learning curve is minimal, and most users find they can quickly understand its features and begin using it right away.
For more information about SmarterSelect pricing and answers to many of our frequently asked questions, visit our pricing page.
2. Good Grants
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Good Grants is a comprehensive software solution for managing scholarships. It can help you track and manage every aspect of your scholarship program, from applications to administration to reporting. This software can make your scholarship program more efficient and organized, but it also has some potential drawbacks.
Who is it most suitable for?
Good Grants is most suitable for organizations that manage large scholarship programs with many different types of scholarships. If you have a small scholarship program or only a few scholarships, Good Grants may be more than you need, and you may find that the features are too complex and difficult to use.
What are its strengths and limitations?
Where SmarterSelect shines is in its ability to simplify the application creation and review process. With templates and plug and play forms your organization could have a brand new program up and running in less than a day. The scoring rubrics and disqualification settings also make it much faster and easier to find the exact candidates that are deserving of your awards. SmarterSelect also offers a free trial that allows you to test out many of its features to ensure it’s what your organization is looking for from available scholarship management systems.
Perhaps one of its few flaws is that it doesn’t offer customer support by phone. However, it does make up for this by providing responsive stellar in-app chat support, email and live web-based training that can solve nearly any issue that may come up. The learning curve is minimal, and most users find they can quickly understand its features and begin using it right away.
Why should you look for an alternative to Good Grants?
The cost and complexity are the biggest reasons you should consider an alternative to Good Grants. For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on Good Grants pricing and features.
3. Blackbaud Award Management
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Blackbaud Award Management is a scholarship management software designed to streamline the process of awarding scholarships and keeping track of all of the elements related to your program. It is a cloud-based solution that offers a variety of features, including online applications, tracking of payments and deadlines, and reporting.
Who is it most suitable for?
Blackbaud Award Management is ideal for schools, universities, colleges, non-profits, and other organizations that are looking to streamline their scholarship management process. This software makes it easy to manage applications, keep track of payments and deadlines, and generate reports.
What are its strengths and limitations?
Some of the strengths of Blackbaud Award Management are that it’s easy to use, cloud-based, and seamlessly integrates with many CRM systems. It also features comprehensive reporting and automated reminders all from a secure platform. Where you’ll find the program is limited however, is in the limited customization options and the lack of public information on their pricing. Though some scholarship reviews websites have indicated the pricing begins at $119 per month, you’ll actually have to contact the company to get hard numbers.
Why should you look for an alternative to Blackbaud Award Management?
Simply put, any company that chooses not to be transparent in their pricing makes us wonder what else they are holding back on? Even when you request pricing on their website, their contact form states “Let us find a price that fits your organization.” We believe in fair pricing for all - not custom quotes that can change from one organization to the next. For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on Blackbaud pricing and features.
4. SurveyMonkey Apply
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SurveyMonkey Apply is a great option for businesses or organizations that want to use software to manage their scholarship programs. It provides everything that you need to track applications, communicate with applicants, and award scholarships. The app also makes it easy to keep all of your data secure and available, so you can focus on getting the best applicants without worrying about managing technology. With that said, there are some potential drawbacks to using SurveyMonkey Apply that you should be aware of before making a decision.
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Who is it most suitable for?
SurveyMonkey Apply is best suited for businesses or organizations that need a robust scholarship management solution. The software makes it easy to track and communicate with applicants, as well as award scholarships in an efficient and secure manner. However, it may not be the right choice for smaller organizations or those that do not have the resources to take full advantage of all of the features and capabilities that the software offers.
What are its strengths and limitations?
Some of the key strengths of SurveyMonkey Apply include: Robust set of features and capabilities, it’s easy to use, keeps data secure, and helps you to automate your workflow. Despite these strengths, there are a few limitations that you should be aware of such as the cost. The annual plans begin at $7,000! This can be quite the budget buster for small and nonprofit organizations. There were also complaints on scholarship reviews websites that customer support could take a few days to fix problems.
Why should you look for an alternative to SurveyMonkey Apply?
The biggest reason to consider an alternative to SurveyMonkey Apply is the cost. While the features are commendable, the company’s fees are quite large. That coin could go towards your team members or more scholarships funds! For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on SurveyMonkey Apply pricing and features.
5. WizeHive
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WizeHive scholarship management software is a comprehensive platform that makes it easy for organizations to manage the scholarship application process. WizeHive grants all the necessary tools for scholarship administrators, including an applicant tracking system, automated review of applications, award notification management and funds management.
Who is it most suitable for?
This software is perfect for Private foundations and corporations, educational institutions, and businesses and groups that want to set up a scholarship program that seeks applicants and reviews them to give away scholarship funds.
What are its strengths and limitations?
WizeHive was built to save program managers and teams time. Its biggest strength is that when using WizeHive the application process is streamlined from application creation to recipient selection. While their pricing is not publicly available, Capterra indicated the pricing begins at $3995 per year. Like other options for scholarship management software in this list, this number could be a limitation for small and nonprofit organizations. Unfortunately, there’s no indication as to how many users that fee limits you too or if you can run multiple programs at that cost either.
Why should you look for an alternative to WizeHive?
Perhaps one of the biggest reasons you should look for an alternative to WizeHive is you prefer working with companies who are transparent in their pricing structures. You shouldn’t have to play a guessing game or waste your valuable time speaking to a pushy sales rep to get the information you need. For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on WizeHive pricing and features.
6. AwardSpring
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AwardSpring scholarship management software is a comprehensive software solution that helps you manage your scholarship program and process submissions from applicants. It simplifies the tasks of accepting and awarding scholarships with ease by tracking the necessary information for each scholarship and providing an online application process that doesn't require any additional materials.
Who is it most suitable for?
AwardSpring is best suited to scholarship programs that only have one scholarship that they are giving away funds for. If you have multiple programs running at the same time, you’ll be faced with additional fees.
What are its strengths and limitations?
In terms of strengths, AwardSpring, like many of the scholarship management software options in this guide, is easy to use. Just like several of the options mentioned, it helps you manage your scholarship program, makes it easy to create an online application, and streamlines the review process as well. Where it is lacking however, is in the ability to run and give away multiple scholarships concurrently. The fees begin at $99 per month, but that is only for the first scholarship. On AwardSpring’s “NOW” plan, you are limited to five total scholarships, and you’ll pay $29 per month for each additional scholarship on top of your $99 fee for the first one. While their PRO plan solves this problem offering 25 scholarships, the cost balloons to a base price of $4500 per year with no indication as to how many users you will be limited to.
Why should you look for an alternative to AwardSpring?
As we’ve mentioned with many options in this guide, the two largest reasons for seeking an alternative to AwardSpring are their large fees, and lack of transparency in pricing. For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on AwardSpring pricing and features.
7. Evalato
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At its core, Evalato is a powerful scholarship management software that is designed to help non-profit and for-profit organizations, and everyone in between, to manage their scholarship programs. This software provides a wide range of features such as customizable applications, unlimited files and storage, and a wide array of review tools.
Who is it most suitable for?
Evalato is an ideal software solution for organizations that manage scholarship programs. This system can be used to manage a wide range of scholarships, from small private scholarships to large government-funded programs. Additionally, Evalato is also suitable for managing other types of financial aid programs, such as contests, incubator programs, and grants.
What are its strengths and limitations?
A few of Evalato’s strengths include the fact that all features it offers are included at every price point. Additionally, it has a user-friendly interface, and many of the in demand features scholarship program managers need to streamline their processes. The limitations come into play with the number of programs you can run with your subscription. For starters, at the lowest priced tier, you are limited to just 100 applications and one program. While their highest priced tier allows for unlimited applications, you can still only have two programs for that fee.
Why should you look for an alternative to Evalato?
If you plan on running multiple programs and can’t afford the $7000 price tag required to run them, you should look for an alternative to Evalato. Furthermore, some scholarship reviews of this program indicate setting up an account with it can be complicated, and their customer support can leave something to be desired. For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on Evalato pricing and features.
8. Reviewr
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Reviewr scholarship management software makes it easy for you to collect, manage, and review submissions from your applicants. However, that’s not to say Reviewr is without its drawbacks.
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Who is it most suitable for?
This scholarship management software is ideal for organizations that need a way to collect and manage online submissions, and are okay with the learning curve that may be required to fully utilize all of its functionality.
What are its strengths and limitations?
As with many solutions in this guide, Reviewr provides program managers with everything you need to collect and manage as well as review and filter your scholarship applications from candidates. However, as scholarship reviews websites have indicated, the platform is not always the easiest to use, and it’s quite limited in terms of customization without customer support. As one user explained, nearly every customization they attempted to complete required contacting support. Another shared that the backend dashboard for administrators could be perceived as quite intimidating. Then again, once you get past the learning curve and setup, it should be smooth sailing.
Why should you look for an alternative to Evalato?
If you’re shopping for scholarship management software, the biggest reason you should look for an alternative to Reviewr is they don’t offer public pricing. The second is its functionality and learning curve. Most scholarship managers are busy - that’s the whole reason they are seeking software assistance in the first place. Therefore, if you need to get your program online quickly and don’t want to play pricing games, an alternative to Reviewr may be the better choice for you. For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on Reviewr pricing and features.
9. Submittable
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You made it to the final option in our best scholarship management software guide! Unfortunately, this is yet another option that doesn’t offer public pricing. However, the reason people like Submittable is that it provides a flexible management system for collecting and reviewing then reporting on scholarship applications.
Who is it most suitable for?
Submittable is most useful for organizations that receive a large volume of scholarship applications. The software makes it easy to review submissions, organize applicants into categories, and manage payments. Additionally, Submittable provides tools for managing deadlines and communications with applicants, making it an ideal choice for organizations that need to process a high volume of submissions.
What are its strengths and limitations?
Some of Submittable’s strengths include the fact that it allows users to upload more than 50 different types of files making it easy to deliver video essays, transcripts, letters of recommendation, etc.. The program also features easy to customize forms for branding purposes and smart review options that help you streamline the filtering process. Aside from the lack of public pricing though, another drawback is that it doesn’t offer automated screening of applications that can help to prevent unqualified applicants from applying for your scholarship.
Why should you look for an alternative to Submittable?
According to scholarship reviews websites, the biggest reasons to look for an alternative to Submittable include: limitations on the number of evaluators and additional seats can get quite pricey, it’s not as intuitive as the company claims it is, and some of the search functionality can make it difficult to locate files that have been uploaded. For a more detailed analysis, you can read this SmarterSelect blog on Submittable pricing and features.
CHAPTER 3
Conclusion And Next Steps
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There are many application management software products on the market today, and it can be difficult to decide which one is the best option for you. We hope that as you consider the strengths and limitations of each software, and weigh them against what SmarterSelect has to offer, you will find that SmarterSelect offers everything you need and at much more value for money.
Why choose SmarterSelect? First, our application management software is web-based, so there is no need to install anything on your computer. Second, our application management software is very user-friendly; even users with no technical background can easily create and manage applications. Finally, our application management software is very affordable compared with the competition. Because we believe in transparent, non-profit pricing for all, there are no surprises or upcharges based on your budget.
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If you're looking for scholarship management software, look no further than SmarterSelect. We are the industry leaders in providing scholarship administrators with the tools they need to manage their programs more effectively. Our software is easy to use and helps keep track of all the important details related to scholarships. Plus, we offer a variety of features that other scholarship management solutions simply don't have - the biggest of which being our amazing community forum that gives you unfettered access to your fellow scholarship program managers. Imagine being able to talk to other managers just like you and ask for their opinions on your forms, essay questions, and rubric scoring. And, with our templates and customization options you can have your program online in less than a day - all without ever having to deal with a pushy sales team pressuring you into more than you need!
Bottom line - Scholarship program administrators need SmarterSelect to streamline their scholarship application process and make it easier for candidates to apply. If you're looking for scholarship management software, SmarterSelect is the obvious choice. See for yourself why nearly two million people worldwide have chosen SmarterSelect for the creation, management and evaluation of online scholarship applications. Click here to start your free trial today!
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