Before getting started with AwardSpring, we were running our applicant process with a homegrown application that we built ourselves. We had a limited ability to filter and show students the scholarships that they were actually qualified for, and students had to upload all of their own documents.

Because we had to take PDF files, print them out, and manually send them to committees, it was a lot of work, and the way that it functioned was clunky at best. We knew that we had to move to a different scholarship management platform, and we looked at several to find the right fit.

Some platforms advertised lots of bells and whistles, but when we actually demoed them, the functioning was far from seamless. Plus, when we checked references, we heard a lot about customer service concerns.

Then, we found Awardspring. One of the most amazing things they did was that they took the data and sources that we had, such as websites listing scholarship opportunities, and they built the application for us.

It was absolutely invaluable. There’s always a time crunch with scholarships, and I only had one person working with me in the office, so the way that AwardSpring took on that initial lift and built the application was a huge relief.

The results were outstanding. We doubled our application pool with qualified applicants, and we majorly increased our fund utilization.

We told AwardSpring that we had some scholarships with criteria so specific that it was hard to find applicants, and they showed us how we could run a report to help find those students. They also helped us increase the amount of money that we were able to utilize, which is important both to the students and to the institutions.

The process that AwardSpring created allows us to have alternate qualified applicants at the ready in case a selected student withdraws from an opportunity. AwardSpring has also saved us an incredible amount of time and work in administration.

Initially, I was using a color-coded spreadsheet to try and match students to scholarships. AwardSpring’s system saved me two weeks of work on that aspect alone.

Looking more broadly, they’ve likely even saved me from having to hire for a whole new position given the amount of work the platform has done for us at the price. We also spend so much less time helping students with technical issues because the platform and service is easy to use on their side.

AwardSpring has been an uplevel for us in so many ways, but if I had to pick the number one standout feature, it’s their unmatched customer service. They work through difficult situations with patience and attention, they consistently respond to our questions with speed, and they are always there for us when we need it.

AwardSpring has been an absolute gamechanger.