FAQs about SmarterSelect

Program managers for scholarships, grants, awards, and more come to SmarterSelect because they are looking for ways to streamline and simplify the process running their programs. From seeking out applicants to filtering the list to the most qualified candidates to assigning awards and notifying the award recipients, SmartSelect makes program management less daunting.

Still, we understand that there may be a number of questions you have when debating whether or not to try our software. With that in mind, below you will find many of our frequently asked questions, and the answers you seek.

When we refer to a program, what do we mean?

The term program can be utilized in relation to anything you are seeking applicants for. Common examples of programs include, but aren’t limited to:

• Grants
• Scholarships
• Recognition awards
• Surveys
• Certifications
• Exams
• Reports
• Contests and more

The idea behind a “program” is that it’s something you are creating an application form for. This form will then be available online and used to find a qualified recipient.

I’ve never launched a program before. Can you help me with that?

In our community forum, you have access to program managers just like you that can answer a wide variety of questions, help you come up with application questions, make decisions on rubrics, evaluations and more. We also have a Program Library with over 200 real programs from other clients you can use as a starting point to develop application forms quickly and easily. In the event you need additional assistance, you can contact us for a quote for managing select administrative services for you.

How much does it cost to launch a program?

We believe in honest and fair pricing. You can read our full pricing terms here.

Our prices were developed to be fair. That said, we offer non-profit pricing for every organization regardless of whether your institution is large or small.

What qualifies as a user?

Users are the individuals who log into the SmarterSelect platform with their own email address. Each unique email address utilized for accessing your application forms and your program itself counts as one user. An administrator, the team members evaluating applicants, and each applicant are all counted as users. Even if an applicant applies for multiple programs, their unique email address is still only counted as one user. 

What if a user doesn’t complete their application? Can I remove them from my user count?

Unfortunately, no. A user’s email address counts from the moment they sign up as we need to provide the infrastructure to handle any and all applicants to your program irrespective of completion status. 

How does the billing and the annual pricing work?

When you sign up, you are billed for a 12 month subscription period on an annual basis for the pricing plan you select. At the end of each year, your number of users will be reset to zero. You can sign up for a single year with no commitments for future years as we want to earn your business every year.

What if I need to upgrade my plan in the middle of my subscription?

Contact our support team, and we’ll get you taken care of. Please note, we can not downgrade your plan during a 12 month period. You will need to wait until the next billing cycle to downgrade, and you may lose account features as a result.

What is the fee for setting up my program?

There is no fee for setting up your program. In fact, you don’t have to pay additional fees for maintenance, software updates, or support either. These items and all of the features for your selected plan are included in one annual price.

The only exception to this is our SMS/text messaging feature. If you opt to use this feature, there is a local number fee for set up. If you need international text messages, please Contact our support team for availability, pricing, and instructions.

Is support really included?

Yes! We have free tutorials, a support widget, a community forum, a knowledge bank filled with common questions, and more. We also offer support hours from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central Time Monday through Friday with the exception of United States national holidays. Customers who have purchased our Enhance and Enterprise packages can also enjoy live chat online during support hours for instant assistance.

If you choose to submit a support ticket, please allow up to one business day. Though most issues can be handled in a few hours or less.

What forms of payment do you accept?

You can pay by check, all major credit cards, and through Bill.com. If you choose to, ACH transfer payments are also possible. 

I want to try this before I buy it. Is that possible?

Absolutely! You can get a free trial, and test out our features for yourself without using a credit card. We allow this so you can kick our tires without any risk. There is no time limit on our free trials. However, you will be limited to 10 users.

If the features you are seeking aren’t available in the free trial, contact our support team for assistance.

To create your free account we’ll just need a little information, and you can get started in a few minutes. Click here to start your free trial now!