SmarterSelect vs SmartSimple Cloud for Scholarship Management

SmarterSelect is application-management software for scholarship, grant, award, and other programs. It helps organizations collect applications, manage applicants, evaluate submissions, and track awards. Forms support multiple question types and file attachments, with layouts for phones, tablets, and laptops. The platform can automate scoring and calculations, send email and text notifications and reminders, and track awards. Reviewers can use scoring and rubrics; administrators can create custom reports and export applicant or evaluation data as CSV or PDF files. Through Zapier, application data can be shared with more than 2,000 applications, including Salesforce and other CRM systems, without programming. Single sign-on lets users access the platform with credentials from a CRM or member-management system. Subscriptions include support, with hours of 8 AM to 6 PM Central US Monday through Friday. The no-credit-card trial has no time limit but is limited to ten users for testing. SmarterSelect says it does not sell or share personal information in providing its services and supports GDPR access, erasure, and portability requests. Plans start at $2,000 USD per year.

SmartSimple Cloud for Scholarship Management helps foundations and higher education institutions run scholarship, financial aid, and bursary programs, from applications through awards, payments, and reporting. Its configurable modules include Application Manager, Award & Financial Aid Manager, Fund Manager, and Review Manager. Organizations can configure application forms and role-based portals where applicants follow submission, approval, or payout status. Award Matching compares program requirements with candidate attributes and can suggest opportunities using profile information and academic merit. The Financial Aid Manager supports entrance awards, government loan programs, and scholarship opportunities in one place. Fund Manager tracks budgets and donations, schedules payments, automates disbursements, and generates financial reports. Review Manager gives reviewers access to assigned applications and lets administrators monitor status and scores. The product connects with campus systems, student information systems, financial institutions, and external systems for payment records. It runs on the web and offers an API. SmartSimple describes AWS hosting, role- and attribute-based access controls, SAML single sign-on, and multi-factor authentication. Pricing is proposed on request, with a one-time implementation fee and recurring subscription fees; exact prices are not published.