Students searching for Going Merry Scholarships should know that the Going Merry scholarship platform is no longer operating as an active scholarship application service.
Going Merry announced that it would shut down at the end of March 2026. Students with applications already in progress were instructed to complete and submit them by March 5, 2027. After that date, users could no longer start new applications or edit unfinished submissions.
Current status: Going Merry Scholarships is closed. Students should not create a new account, begin an application, or rely on an old Going Merry scholarship listing.
Going Merry Scholarships overview
| Information | Current status |
|---|---|
| Platform name | Going Merry |
| Main service | Scholarship matching and online applications |
| Final application date | March 5, 2027 |
| Platform shutdown | End of March 2026 |
| New applications | No longer available |
| Existing application editing | Closed |
| Scholarship matching | No longer active |
| Current recommendation | Use another verified scholarship search platform |
What was Going Merry?
Going Merry was a scholarship search and application platform that allowed students to:
- Create a scholarship profile
- Receive personalized scholarship matches
- Apply for some scholarships directly through the platform
- Save reusable application information
- Track scholarship deadlines
- Manage multiple scholarship submissions
- Access financial-aid resources
The platform promoted a “Scholarship Quick Match” system that connected students with scholarships based on their profiles. It also offered college-planning and financial-aid tools.
Going Merry became popular because students could reuse information across different scholarship applications instead of entering the same personal and academic details repeatedly.
Did Going Merry shut down?
Yes.
Going Merry displayed an official notice stating:
- The platform would shut down at the end of March 2026.
- Scholarship applications in progress needed to be submitted by March 5, 2027.
- No new applications or edits would be permitted after March 5.
As of July 12, 2026, students should treat Going Merry as a discontinued scholarship platform.
Can students still apply for Going Merry Scholarships?
No.
Going Merry was not itself a single scholarship. It was a platform that hosted or connected students with many scholarship opportunities.
Because the platform has shut down, students can no longer:
- Begin a new Going Merry application
- Edit an incomplete application
- Use Going Merry Quick Match
- Create a new active scholarship-search account
- Submit an application through its former workflow
A scholarship previously listed on Going Merry may still exist independently. Students should search for the scholarship provider’s official website and determine whether the program is currently open.
What happened to applications submitted before the shutdown?
Applications successfully submitted before the final deadline may still have been sent to the responsible scholarship provider.
However, students should not assume that an incomplete draft was submitted automatically.
Applicants should check:
- Confirmation emails
- Saved application receipts
- Messages from the scholarship provider
- Their email spam folder
- The provider’s official website
- Any contact information included in the original scholarship rules
If a scholarship decision has not arrived, contact the scholarship provider rather than Going Merry.
Can students access their Going Merry accounts?
The platform’s shutdown announcement focused on completing applications by March 5 and closing at the end of March. Students should not rely on continued account access after shutdown.
Former users should search their email for:
- Application confirmations
- Scholarship names
- Submission dates
- Uploaded essays
- Recommendation requests
- Provider contact details
Any reusable essays, transcripts, recommendation letters, activity lists, or financial-aid documents should be stored independently rather than left inside a scholarship platform.
Was Going Merry legitimate?
Going Merry operated as a scholarship matching and application service and publicly offered scholarship searches, in-platform applications, financial-aid resources, and tools for schools and scholarship providers.
Its shutdown does not mean that every scholarship previously listed there was fraudulent.
Students should still independently verify every scholarship by checking:
- The organization offering the award
- Current official rules
- Application deadline
- Eligibility requirements
- Contact information
- Privacy terms
- Whether payment is requested
Legitimate scholarships generally do not require students to pay an application fee.
Best Going Merry alternatives in 2026
1. BigFuture Scholarship Search
College Board’s BigFuture Scholarship Search provides access to matches from more than 24,000 scholarship programs representing over $1.5 billion in annual scholarship funding.
BigFuture also runs its own no-essay scholarship drawings for eligible high school students.
Best for:
- High school students
- College planning
- No-essay scholarship opportunities
- Career and college-list tools
- Scholarship organization
2. Scholarship America
Scholarship America allows students to browse currently open scholarship programs by eligibility, education level, deadline, and program type.
Its categories include scholarships for:
- High school students
- Current college students
- STEM students
- Community college students
- Veterans
Best for students who want to apply directly to scholarships administered by a major nonprofit scholarship organization.
3. Scholarships.com
Scholarships.com provides free personalized scholarship matching and maintains a large scholarship and grant database. The platform states that listings are reviewed and expired opportunities are removed.
Best for:
- Broad scholarship searches
- Filtering by major
- Filtering by state
- Scholarship deadline searches
- High school, college, and graduate opportunities
4. Appily
Appily offers college search tools and an extensive scholarship database. Students can create a free account, receive matches, compare colleges, and explore opportunities based on their academic and personal qualifications.
Best for students combining scholarship research with college selection.
5. Scholly Scholarships
Scholly, now offered through Sallie, provides a free scholarship search tool with filters for scholarship type, deadline, and award amount. It also offers an Easy Apply scholarship form for selected opportunities.
Best for students who want a mobile-friendly scholarship matching and application experience.
6. Bold.org
Bold.org hosts scholarships across numerous categories and allows students to create profiles and apply for opportunities offered through the platform.
Students should prioritize scholarships closely connected to their background, major, location, experience, or career goals instead of applying only to highly competitive no-essay drawings.
7. Federal Student Aid scholarship resources
Federal Student Aid explains that scholarships can help pay for college or career school and generally do not need to be repaid. Its scholarship guidance directs students toward free search resources and encourages them to explore local, institutional, employer, community, and professional-organization awards.
How to replace your Going Merry workflow
Create a scholarship master spreadsheet
Track:
- Scholarship name
- Provider
- Official application page
- Award amount
- Deadline
- Eligibility
- Essay prompt
- Recommendation requirement
- Application status
- Result date
Do not depend entirely on one scholarship website.
Save reusable application materials
Maintain updated copies of:
- Transcript
- Résumé
- Activity list
- Volunteer history
- Employment history
- Awards
- Recommendation letters
- Personal statement
- Financial-need statement
- Career-goal essay
Customize every essay before submission.
Verify scholarships independently
Even when a scholarship appears on a trusted search platform, visit the scholarship provider’s official website.
Check the current:
- Deadline
- Award
- Eligibility
- Essay prompt
- Submission method
- Privacy policy
- Official rules
Third-party scholarship pages can contain outdated information.
Prioritize targeted scholarships
Highly specific scholarships often have smaller applicant pools.
Search using combinations such as:
- Major plus scholarship
- County plus scholarship
- Employer plus dependent scholarship
- Disability plus scholarship
- Professional association plus scholarship
- Community foundation plus scholarship
- College department plus scholarship
- Cultural organization plus scholarship
Search locally
Students should examine:
- High school counseling offices
- College financial-aid offices
- Local community foundations
- Credit unions
- Employers
- Professional associations
- Religious organizations
- Rotary and civic clubs
- Local businesses
Local scholarships may receive fewer applications than large national awards.
Going Merry alternatives comparison
| Platform | Personalized matching | Direct applications | College-planning tools | Free access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BigFuture | Yes | Varies | Yes | Yes |
| Scholarship America | Program dependent | Yes | Limited | Yes |
| Scholarships.com | Yes | Varies | Some | Yes |
| Appily | Yes | Varies | Yes | Yes |
| Scholly | Yes | Some | Limited | Yes |
| Bold.org | Profile based | Yes | Limited | Yes |
Features and scholarship availability can change. Review each platform’s current terms before creating an account.
Scholarship scam warning
Avoid any scholarship that:
- Guarantees that every applicant will win
- Requires a payment to release the award
- Requests banking passwords
- Demands a Social Security number before eligibility is established
- Uses an unverifiable email address
- Has no official rules
- Pressures applicants to act immediately
- Claims to be Going Merry after the platform’s closure
Never send payment to someone promising to recover an old Going Merry application.
Frequently asked questions
Is Going Merry still available?
No. Going Merry announced that it would shut down at the end of March 2026.
When did Going Merry close?
Applications had to be completed by March 5, 2027, and the platform planned to shut down at the end of March.
Can I submit an unfinished Going Merry application?
No. Editing and new application activity closed after the final submission period.
Was Going Merry a scholarship?
No. Going Merry was a scholarship search and application platform that connected students with many separate scholarships.
Are old Going Merry scholarships still available?
Some scholarship programs previously listed there may continue through their original providers. Search for the scholarship’s official organization and current rules.
What is the best Going Merry alternative?
BigFuture, Scholarship America, Scholarships.com, Appily, Scholly, and Bold.org are current alternatives. The best option depends on the student’s grade level, location, major, and preferred application process.
Is BigFuture free?
Yes. BigFuture provides free college, career, financial-aid, and scholarship-planning resources.
Should I use more than one scholarship website?
Yes. Different platforms contain different scholarships, and no single database includes every opportunity.
Final reminder
Going Merry Scholarships is no longer an active scholarship application platform. Going Merry required final applications to be submitted by March 5, 2027 and announced that the service would shut down at the end of March.
Students should move their scholarship search to active platforms, save application materials independently, verify every opportunity through its original provider, and track deadlines in their own spreadsheet or calendar.
2027 Update: Going Merry Status Verified on October 21, 2026
Going Merry scholarships are no longer available because Going Merry has shut down. The platform announced it would shut down at the end of March 2026, applications in progress had to be completed and submitted by March 5, 2027, and goingmerry.com is no longer operating as an active scholarship service. Students should not start a new Going Merry application, and they should move their scholarship search to a free alternative.
Students with saved or submitted Going Merry applications should keep their confirmation emails, saved receipts, essays and application materials, check messages from the scholarship provider, and contact the provider directly through its official website if a decision has not arrived. An incomplete draft should not be assumed to have been submitted.
Best Free Going Merry Alternatives
- BigFuture Scholarships — a free scholarship search and college-planning resource students can use to find scholarships.
- Fastweb — a free scholarship search platform students can use to look for scholarships that match their profile.
- Scholarships.com — a free scholarship search platform students can use to browse and search scholarship opportunities.
- Bold.org — a free scholarship platform where students can create a profile and apply for scholarships.
See also Grants vs Scholarships and 21 Full Scholarships To Pay Off Student Loans.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Going Merry still working?
No. Going Merry shut down at the end of March 2026 and is no longer operating as an active scholarship platform.
Is Going Merry free?
There is no working Going Merry service to use. Students should switch to a free alternative such as BigFuture Scholarships, Fastweb, Scholarships.com or Bold.org.
What happened to Going Merry?
Going Merry announced it would shut down at the end of March 2026. Applications in progress had to be completed and submitted by March 5, 2027, and no new applications or edits were permitted after that date.
What are the best Going Merry alternatives?
The best free alternatives named in this update are BigFuture Scholarships, Fastweb, Scholarships.com and Bold.org. Students can use these free scholarship search platforms instead of Going Merry.
Are my Going Merry applications safe?
Applications successfully submitted before the March 5, 2027 deadline may have been sent to the scholarship provider, but an incomplete draft should not be assumed to have been submitted. Keep your confirmation emails and contact the scholarship provider directly if you are waiting for a decision.