3 Hot Takes on AI in Scholarship Management

Everyone is talking about AI. Some are excited, some are skeptical, and some are just plain overwhelmed. But here’s the truth: AI is already here in higher ed—and scholarship management is next in line.

Here are three “hot takes” on what that really means for financial aid and scholarship teams.

1. AI Won’t Replace Reviewers—But It Will Expose Bias

The myth: “AI will take over human decision-making.”

The reality: AI is much better at revealing where humans are inconsistent or unfair.

Scorecards that look fine on the surface suddenly show wild scoring differences between reviewers. AI can highlight those discrepancies instantly—something humans miss all the time.

Hot take: AI will make reviewers better, not obsolete.

2. Students Are Already Using AI—So Pretending They’re Not Is a Waste of Time

Essays and personal statements? ChatGPT and other tools are in the mix, whether we like it or not.

Instead of wringing our hands about it, scholarship teams should focus on adjusting rubrics, training reviewers, and using tech to spot patterns. The question isn’t “if” students are using AI. It’s “how do we keep our process fair when they do?”

Hot take: AI in applications isn’t cheating—it’s the new baseline.

3. The Biggest Win Isn’t Speed—It’s Confidence

Yes, AI can save hours of manual work. But the real benefit? Confidence.

Confidence that reviewers are aligned.
Confidence that awards are fair.
Confidence that bias has been reduced.

Because when students and donors trust your process, everything else gets easier.

Hot take: AI’s value is emotional as much as it is operational.

Final Thought: Stop Waiting, Start Exploring

AI isn’t the future—it’s the present. And it’s reshaping scholarship management faster than many institutions realize.

That’s why we’re introducing SpringIQ, AwardSpring’s suite of AI-powered tools—SpringScore and SpringAward—to help teams improve reviewer consistency, reduce bias, and save time.

Check out our On-Demand Roadmap Webinar to learn more