Site review
ScholarshipOwl review 2026: one application for many, at a price
Short answer
ScholarshipOwl ranks 1 of 4 on our weights at 6.75 out of 10. It does the most of any scored site to cut repeat work, with one application reused for many scholarships and automatic reapplication. It charges a membership after a free trial, its prices are not on its public pages, and its privacy policy says it may sell some personal data.
By The Deadline Desk · Best Scholarship Sites · Published
Desk research from each site's public pages, app store listings and review profiles. Editorial assessment; we did not create accounts or apply for scholarships.
How does ScholarshipOwl score?
Rank 1 of 4 on our default weights
- EF
- Application effort saved: 9 / 10
- MQ
- Match quality: 8 / 10
- TR
- Transparency and scam protection: 7 / 10
- CO
- Cost to the student: 3 / 10
- PR
- Privacy and data sharing: 2 / 10
- HE
- Help along the way: 8 / 10
- RA
- Ratings from users: 7 / 10
- DB
- Database size, as stated: 4 / 10
| Criterion | Weight | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application effort savedHighest in set | 25% | 9 / 10 | One application is reused for many scholarships, with one-click apply on many listings and automatic reapplication to recurring awards. Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ |
| Match qualityHighest in set | 20% | 8 / 10 | Matches on GPA, major, background, interests and activities, uses registration answers as eligibility filters, and lets you sort, filter, favorite and hide matches. Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage |
| Transparency and scam protection | 15% | 7 / 10 | The app shows a credibility score on every scholarship and the site says premium does not raise your odds, but applicant counts were not visible on the public pages we read. Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store |
| Cost to the studentLowest in set | 10% | 3 / 10 | Paid membership after a free trial; plan prices are not on its public pages and the terms say payments are non-refundable with limited exceptions. Source: ScholarshipOwl terms of use |
| Privacy and data sharingLowest in set | 10% | 2 / 10 | The policy says it may sell identifiers and may sell certain sensitive personal information, such as ethnicity and citizenship, to third parties. Source: ScholarshipOwl privacy policy |
| Help along the wayHighest in set | 10% | 8 / 10 | Tracks applications in one place, sends smart daily reminders and offers a guided application wizard; essay review is listed only for the VIP plan, per Scholarships360. Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store |
| Ratings from users | 5% | 7 / 10 | Trustpilot 4.2 from 1,260 reviews (claimed, paid subscription) and App Store 4.7 from 228 ratings. Source: ScholarshipOwl on Trustpilot |
| Database size, as stated | 5% | 4 / 10 | States 10,000+ scholarships, far fewer than the millions Fastweb and Scholarships.com state. Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage |
At a glance
- Owner
- Scholarship Services, Inc. (d/b/a ScholarshipOwl), Wilmington, Delaware
- Cost
- Paid after free trial
Paid membership after a free trial. Plan prices are not on ScholarshipOwl's public pages.
- Database, as stated
- 10,000+ scholarships
- Applying
- One application for many scholarships, one-click apply on many listings, and automatic reapplication to scholarships that pick winners more than once a year.
- Own no-essay award
- $50,000 No Essay Scholarship: a monthly random draw for four students at $1,000 each, plus two extra winners in December. Signing up enters you automatically; no fee.
- Data sharing
- Policy says it may sell data
Policy says "we may sell Identifiers generally" and may sell certain sensitive personal information, like ethnicity and citizenship, to third parties.
- Ratings
- Trustpilot: 4.2 from 1,260 reviews (claimed profile since May 2015; the profile notes a paid Trustpilot subscription)
Source: ScholarshipOwl on Trustpilot
App Store (US): 4.7 out of 5 from 228 ratingsSource: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store
What does ScholarshipOwl do, according to its own pages?
What it says it does
"Get matched to scholarships you can actually win." Its algorithm compares your GPA, major, background, interests and activities "against 10,000+ scholarships".
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage
Applying
Its 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
Reapplying
The homepage says you are "automatically reapplied to scholarships that select multiple winners year-round".
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage
Matching
Matches come from scholarships you are eligible for, based on your registration answers. You can sort and filter matches and favorite or hide them.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ
Credibility score
The App Store listing says every scholarship shows award amounts, deadlines, requirements "and a credibility score".
Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store
Tracking and reminders
The app tracks bookmarked, in-progress and submitted applications and sends "Smart daily reminders". A guided application wizard walks you through applications.
Source: ScholarshipOwl on the App Store
Price
Exact plan prices are not stated on the homepage, FAQ or terms. The /upgrade page returns 404, and the only pricing page found is for organizations, not students. The FAQ says "introductory services" are free and the full range of services is premium.
Trial and refunds
The terms say you must cancel before the free trial ends "to avoid being charged" and that "All payments to us are non-refundable", with a refund on request of the most recent billing cycle fee under stated conditions. The first fee after the trial is non-refundable.
Source: ScholarshipOwl terms of use
Cancelling
You can cancel at any time from the membership tab in your account.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ
What it does not promise
Its disclaimer says 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
Applicant counts
Not shown on the homepage, FAQ or App Store listing. The public scholarships page showed no listings without a login.
Source: ScholarshipOwl scholarships page
Users
The homepage says "Trusted by 12 million students and parents"; the FAQ says "Nearly 6 million students have used the ScholarshipOwl platform".
Source: ScholarshipOwl homepage
Contact
Operated by Scholarship Services Inc., 831 N Tatnall Street Suite M #224, Wilmington, Delaware, with phone support at 800 494 4908.
Source: ScholarshipOwl FAQ
Where is ScholarshipOwl strong?
- Does the most of any site we scored to cut repeat work: one application reused for many scholarships, one-click apply and automatic reapplication.
- Shows a credibility score on each scholarship in its app, tracks applications and sends daily reminders.
What are ScholarshipOwl's limits?
- It charges for membership after the free trial, its plan prices are not on its own public pages, and its terms say payments are non-refundable with limited exceptions.
- Its privacy policy says it may sell identifiers and certain sensitive personal information, such as ethnicity and citizenship.
- Its stated database (10,000+) is far smaller than the millions Fastweb and Scholarships.com state.
- Applicant counts per scholarship were not visible on the public pages we read.
What does ScholarshipOwl cost?
Price
Exact plan prices are not stated on the homepage, FAQ or terms. The /upgrade page returns 404, and the only pricing page found is for organizations, not students. The FAQ says "introductory services" are free and the full range of services is premium.
Trial and refunds
The terms say you must cancel before the free trial ends "to avoid being charged" and that "All payments to us are non-refundable", with a refund on request of the most recent billing cycle fee under stated conditions. The first fee after the trial is non-refundable.
Source: ScholarshipOwl terms of use
| Plan | Price | Listed features |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $20 per month | Lists auto re-apply and a free 7-day trial |
| Quarterly | $15 per month, billed every 3 months | Lists auto re-apply and a free 7-day trial |
| Half Yearly | $10 per month, billed every 6 months | Lists auto re-apply and a free 7-day trial |
| VIP | $69 per month, billed monthly | Lists auto re-apply, one 500-word essay professionally reviewed each month, 6+ hours of content and a personal account manager |
Source: Scholarships360: ScholarshipOwl review · Third-party page
Check the price in ScholarshipOwl's signup flow before the trial ends.
How does ScholarshipOwl compare?
Frequently asked questions
Is ScholarshipOwl free?
It has a free trial and free introductory services, then a paid membership unless you cancel before the trial ends. Plan prices are not on its public pages. Scholarships360, a scholarship site, lists plans from $10 to $69 a month; those figures are not confirmed on ScholarshipOwl's pages.
Does ScholarshipOwl apply to scholarships for you?
Its FAQ says it uses your profile to apply to multiple scholarships on your behalf with one application, and its homepage says it reapplies you automatically to scholarships that pick winners more than once a year.
Can I get a refund from ScholarshipOwl?
Its terms say all payments are non-refundable, with a refund on request of the most recent billing cycle fee under stated conditions, and the first fee after the trial is non-refundable. Cancel from the membership tab before the trial ends if you do not want to be charged.