Earning Scholarships With AI

ScholarshipOwl conducts a survey every month to more deeply understand what Gen Z students care about. In August, we asked students about their experience with artificial intelligence (AI), and how they see the future of AI when it comes to scholarships. We were impressed to see that 96% of respondents are interested in leveraging AI to assist them in the scholarship search and application process.

Who participated in the survey?

In August 2023, ScholarshipOwl surveyed high school and college students on the ScholarshipOwl scholarship platform to learn more about their experience with AI. We were particularly interested in finding out how they feel AI can assist them with scholarships. A total of 6,845 students responded to the survey.

Among the respondents, 63% were female, 36% were male, and 1% identified themselves as other. Nearly half (43%) were Caucasian, 25% were Black, 18% were Hispanic/Latino, 7% were Asian/Pacific Islander and 6% identified as other.

More than one-third (38%) of the respondents were high school students, with the vast majority high school seniors; over half (53%) were college undergraduate students, primarily college freshmen and college sophomores; 7% were graduate students and 2% identified themselves as adult/non-traditional students.

Survey questions

The first survey question was “Have you tried using ChatGPT or other generative AI tools?” Over two-thirds (67%) said that they have tried using generative AI tools, with the rest of the respondents (33%) saying they had not. While AI is still an emerging technology, clearly Gen Z students are early adopters.

We then asked, “If yes, how would you describe your experience with these tools? Check all that apply.”

Most respondents selected several options from the list. Nearly 40% felt that the AI tools they’ve tried are really fun and exciting. More than one-third (35%) indicated that AI tools enabled them to complete their work/project/task faster and easier, and over one-third (37%) said that they have lots of ideas for how AI can make a difference for them. Just 11% said that they felt that AI is fun to play with, but they don’t see how it will help them, and 8% said that their experience with AI tools made them feel anxious or scared. Nearly one-fifth (19%) said they haven’t yet tried using generative AI tools.

For the final survey question, we asked students, “What do you wish AI could help you with when it comes to scholarships? Check all that apply.” Most respondents selected several options. The overwhelming majority (92%) said they wished that AI would help make the scholarship application process faster and easier. Over three-quarters of the respondents (76%) said that they would like AI to help find scholarships that are  truly a great match for them. Nearly two-thirds (61%) would like AI to help them find really unusual/rare scholarships that they happen to be uniquely qualified for. The same percentage of respondents (61%) would like AI to help them to avoid fake scholarships and scholarship scams. More than half the respondents (56%) wish that AI could help show them which scholarships they have the best chance of winning. Nearly half (44%) would like to be able to use AI to help track their applications in real-time and notify them of changes, and nearly that amount (41%) would like to use AI to make it easy to write application essays. More than one-third (37%) wish that AI would help them find scholarships with similar requirements so that they could re-use their documents. One-quarter of respondents (25%) would like AI to actually apply for scholarships on their behalf, so that they don’t really have to do anything to apply for them. Just 4% of respondents said that they were not interested in having AI help them with scholarships because they are uncomfortable with AI.

Key takeaways for Gen Z students

The survey results indicate that the overwhelming majority of Gen Z students (96%) are excited about generative AI, and are interested in leveraging AI tools to assist them in the scholarship search, match, and application process. At ScholarshipOwl, we know that applying for scholarships can feel overwhelming, and it can also be very time-consuming. As a result, many students give up early in their scholarship search process, leaving them to turn to student loans as an alternative. But students should focus on applying for scholarships, not loans. And AI can combat “scholarship search fatigue” by empowering a faster, easier and more accurate search, match and application process.

Did you know? AI for scholarships is already here

Most students, parents and guidance counselors don’t realize that ScholarshipOwl has already integrated AI, machine learning, and other proprietary technologies into the ScholarshipOwl platform! With ScholarshipOwl Pro, students can access each of these exciting features:

Customized scholarship recommendations

Students can apply for AI-powered scholarship recommendations that are right-fit for them, based on their profile, interests, and other factors that help to increase their odds of winning.

Quickly apply for similar scholarships

Students can maximize their opportunities by submitting one essay to multiple scholarships with a similar requirement or theme. The AI-powered ScholarshipOwl Similarity Engine suggests similar scholarships every time a student applies for a scholarship.

Magic Sorting

Students often find it frustrating to scroll through scholarship lists. Even websites that help match students to scholarships often lack the accuracy that students are seeking. But with ScholarshipOwl Pro, students can access our AI-powered Magic Sorting to bring their most relevant matches to the top of their match list.

Credibility Scores

Based on the survey results, the majority of Gen Z students are concerned about scholarship scams. With ScholarshipOwl Pro, students can access credibility scores, enabling them to focus their time and energy on highly rated scholarships.

View Number of Applicants

Students are always interested in finding scholarships that they have a better chance of winning. One of the best ways to do that is to apply for scholarships with fewer applicants. With ScholarshipOwl Pro, students can see how many other students on the platform have applied for each scholarship, enabling them to focus on applying for low-competition scholarships to boost their odds.

Automatically reapply for scholarships

With ScholarshipOwl Pro, students can be automatically reapplied for scholarships with year-round winners, even when they aren’t logged in to the platform. This saves time, and also boosts their chances of winning.

Application Status

ScholarshipOwl Pro subscribers can also track the status of their applications in real-time. This is so helpful to students, who really want to have greater insight into where each of their applications is in the review process.

All of these tools are just the beginning – AI is an emerging technology with so many opportunities to assist students. ScholarshipOwl is already developing product updates to build on what we’ve already accomplished. The results of this survey will be used to guide and support our efforts, ensuring that students have an unparalleled experience on our platform.

Brands can get ahead of the AI curve

The ScholarshipOwl for Business platform enables brands to authentically connect with Gen Z students through the creation and launch of scholarship campaigns. Through our use of AI, machine learning, and other proprietary technologies, brands can reach the millions of Gen Z students who apply for scholarships on ScholarshipOwl, the leading scholarship platform. This benefits both students and brands, enabling businesses to build relationships with Gen Z in support of their marketing and communication goals.

To find out more about creating and launching a scholarship campaign, visit business.scholarshipowl.com.