Platform facts · Read 15 October 2026
ScholarshipOwl facts: cost, features, privacy and ratings
Quick answer
By The Fit Desk · Scholarship Match Finder · Published
Sources: public platform pages, app store listings and review sites, read 15 October 2026.
What is ScholarshipOwl?
ScholarshipOwl is an apply-for-you service with some platform-run award features.
Operator: Scholarship Services, Inc. (d/b/a ScholarshipOwl), Wilmington, Delaware
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
Matches come from your registration answers (GPA, major, background, interests, activities); application questions double as eligibility criteria. You can sort and filter matches and favorite or hide them.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Promise: "Get matched to scholarships you can actually win."
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage · Read 15 Oct 2026
- One-click: "Apply to scholarships with one click."
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Operator: Scholarship Services, Inc., 831 N Tatnall Street, Wilmington, Delaware, with phone support listed in the FAQ.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
What does ScholarshipOwl cost?
Paid membership after a free trial. ScholarshipOwl's FAQ says introductory services are free of charge and the full range of services is offered on a premium level, priced by the range of services.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
Not published on ScholarshipOwl's public pages. The homepage, FAQ and terms give no plan prices, the /upgrade page returned "404 NOT FOUND", and prices appear only in the signup flow, which we did not open.
Source: ScholarshipOwl /upgrade page (returned 404) · Read 15 Oct 2026
As listed by a third party
As listed by Scholarships360, a scholarship site, read 2026-10-15; not confirmed on ScholarshipOwl's pages: Monthly $20 a month; Quarterly $15 a month billed every 3 months; Half Yearly $10 a month billed every 6 months; VIP $69 a month billed monthly. Scholarships360 lists automatic reapplication and a free 7-day trial on the three non-VIP plans, and on VIP one 500-word essay professionally reviewed each month and a personal account manager.
Source: Scholarships360: ScholarshipOwl review · Read 15 Oct 2026 · Third-party page
Not confirmed on the platform's own pages.
Trial, refunds and promises
- Free trial. The terms say you must cancel before the free trial ends "to avoid being charged". Scholarships360 lists the trial as 7 days.
Source: ScholarshipOwl terms of use · Read 15 Oct 2026
- The terms say "All payments to us are non-refundable", with one exception: on request, a refund of the most recent billing-cycle fee under stated conditions. The first fee charged after the free trial is non-refundable.
Source: ScholarshipOwl terms of use · Read 15 Oct 2026
- You can cancel at any time from the membership tab in your account section.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
- ScholarshipOwl states that it does not guarantee any scholarship and that "Upgrading to premium membership does not increase your chances" of winning a specific scholarship.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
What does ScholarshipOwl say it offers?
- Stated on the platform's pages
- Partly stated
- Not on the pages we read
- One application, many scholarshipsStated
The FAQ says you can apply to multiple scholarships "at once with ONE application" and that it uses your profile to "apply to multiple scholarships on your behalf".
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Automatic reapplicationStated
The homepage says you are "automatically reapplied to scholarships that select multiple winners year-round".
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Runs its own no-essay awardStated
Runs the "$50,000 No Essay Scholarship": a monthly random draw with four students receiving $1,000 each and two extra winners in December. Signing up enters you, with no fee.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Tracking and remindersStated
The homepage says "Track all your applications in one place"; the App Store listing tracks bookmarked, in-progress and submitted applications and sends "Smart daily reminders".
Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Essay helpPartly
The homepage says "One essay, multiple personalized applications". Essay review is listed only by a third party (see the price box).
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage · Read 15 Oct 2026
- States scholarships are vettedStated
The homepage calls it a "one-stop platform for vetted scholarships", and the App Store listing says every scholarship shows award amounts, deadlines, requirements "and a credibility score".
Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Do-not-sell or privacy choices linkStated
The site links "Do not sell or share my personal information".
Source: ScholarshipOwl privacy policy · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Mobile appStated
iOS app by Scholarship Services Inc., rated 4.7 out of 5 from 228 ratings (US store). The listing says "Many scholarships are one-click apply".
Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store · Read 15 Oct 2026
How many scholarships does ScholarshipOwl list?
The homepage says its algorithm checks your profile "against 10,000+ scholarships".
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage · Read 15 Oct 2026
The homepage says "Trusted by 12 million students and parents"; the FAQ says "Nearly 6 million students have used the ScholarshipOwl platform". The two figures measure different things and we quote both.
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage · Read 15 Oct 2026
For scale, the stated figures on this site range from 10,000+ (ScholarshipOwl) to over 3.7 million (Scholarships.com); platforms count in different ways.
What does ScholarshipOwl do with your data?
Data: policy mentions sellingScholarshipOwl's privacy policy (last revised December 23, 2025) says "we may sell Identifiers generally" and "We may also sell certain Sensitive Personal Information, like ethnicity and citizenship, to Third Parties". It does not sell text-message opt-in data, and it shares your information with third parties to apply for scholarships when you direct it to.
Source: ScholarshipOwl privacy policy · Read 15 Oct 2026
The site links "Do not sell or share my personal information".
Source: ScholarshipOwl privacy policy · Read 15 Oct 2026
What do public ratings say?
Trustpilot: 4.2 out of 5 from 1,260 reviews · Claimed profile since May 2015 · Paid Trustpilot subscription · Read 15 Oct 2026
Source: ScholarshipOwl on Trustpilot · Read 15 Oct 2026
App Store (US): 4.7 out of 5 from 228 ratings · Read 15 Oct 2026
Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store · Read 15 Oct 2026
Ratings are public opinions on the date we read them. Some profiles are claimed or paid for by the company, and small samples say little.
Can you see how many students apply?
Not shown on the public pages we read. ScholarshipOwl's scholarship list needs a login.
What are ScholarshipOwl's strengths and limits?
- StrengthOne profile and one application sent to many scholarships, with ScholarshipOwl applying on your behalf.
- StrengthAutomatic reapplication to recurring scholarships, plus application tracking and daily reminders in the app.
- StrengthA credibility score on every scholarship in the app.
- StrengthIts own $50,000 No Essay Scholarship, entered by signing up, with no fee.
- StrengthPublic ratings at read time: 4.2 on Trustpilot from 1,260 reviews and 4.7 on the App Store.
- LimitIt charges a membership after the free trial, its prices are not on its own public pages, and the terms say payments are non-refundable except in limited cases.
- LimitIts stated database, 10,000+ scholarships, is far smaller than the figures Fastweb (1.5 million) and Scholarships.com (3.7 million) state.
- LimitApplicant counts per scholarship are not visible on its public pages.
- LimitIts privacy policy says it may sell identifiers and certain sensitive personal information, like ethnicity and citizenship.
Who does ScholarshipOwl fit?
Fits if
You have little time, are willing to pay after a free trial for a service that applies for you, and want reminders handled.
Look elsewhere if
You want to stay free, you want the largest possible list, or you do not want any of your data sold.
Where does ScholarshipOwl come up in the match quiz?
In our eight example profiles, ScholarshipOwl is in the first group for: a senior with a few hours a week who will write essays, a senior who wants to reuse one essay and needs reminders and a busy senior who wants no-essay awards and will pay to save time.
It is moved to the paid box for: a senior who wants no-essay awards and free tools only, a college student with time to write, free tools only, a younger student who does not want data sold and a 10th grader exploring no-essay awards.
Take the quiz with your answersIs ScholarshipOwl a scam? What the public record shows
Many students ask this, often because ScholarshipOwl charges for a service in a field where scam offers also ask for money. We cannot vouch for any company, but these points can be checked on public pages:
- Who runs it: Scholarship Services, Inc., d/b/a ScholarshipOwl, with a Wilmington, Delaware address and phone support listed in its FAQ.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
- What you pay for: a membership after a free trial, for applying on your behalf, reapplying and tracking. You do not pay any scholarship to apply. Prices are not on its public pages.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
- What it promises and does not: it says it does not guarantee any scholarship and that upgrading to premium does not increase your chances of a specific scholarship.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ · Read 15 Oct 2026
- How to stop paying: cancel from the membership tab, before the free trial ends to avoid being charged. Payments are non-refundable except in limited cases.
Source: ScholarshipOwl terms of use · Read 15 Oct 2026
- Public ratings at read time: Trustpilot 4.2 out of 5 from 1,260 reviews on a claimed profile with a paid Trustpilot subscription; App Store 4.7 out of 5 from 228 ratings.
Source: ScholarshipOwl on Trustpilot · Read 15 Oct 2026
- What it may do with your data: its privacy policy says it may sell identifiers and certain sensitive personal information, like ethnicity and citizenship.
Source: ScholarshipOwl privacy policy · Read 15 Oct 2026
A paid service is a choice, not a red flag on its own. What matters is that you know the price before the trial ends, read the refund terms and decide whether the time it saves is worth it to you. Our scam red flags checklist covers the warning signs that apply to any scholarship offer.
How does ScholarshipOwl compare with each other platform?
Frequently asked questions
Is ScholarshipOwl free?
No. Paid membership after a free trial. ScholarshipOwl's FAQ says introductory services are free of charge and the full range of services is offered on a premium level, priced by the range of services. Not published on ScholarshipOwl's public pages. The homepage, FAQ and terms give no plan prices, the /upgrade page returned "404 NOT FOUND", and prices appear only in the signup flow, which we did not open.
Does ScholarshipOwl apply to scholarships for me?
Yes, by its own description. The FAQ says you can apply to multiple scholarships "at once with ONE application" and that it uses your profile to "apply to multiple scholarships on your behalf".
Does ScholarshipOwl sell my data?
ScholarshipOwl's privacy policy (last revised December 23, 2025) says "we may sell Identifiers generally" and "We may also sell certain Sensitive Personal Information, like ethnicity and citizenship, to Third Parties". It does not sell text-message opt-in data, and it shares your information with third parties to apply for scholarships when you direct it to.