Frequently Asked Questions

The fit score is Archway's confidence, on a 0–100 scale, that a scholarship is a strong match for this specific student's profile. It isn't based on eligibility alone — it weighs how well the student's story, background, goals, and activities align with the scholarship's stated mission and past recipient patterns. A score of 80+ means Archway found meaningful alignment across multiple dimensions. Scores below 60 are included because a partial match is still worth knowing about, but should be treated as lower priority.

The Fit Reason is the AI's plain-language explanation of why this scholarship made the list for this student. It tells you specifically which parts of the profile triggered the match — not just "you're eligible" but "your volunteer work in healthcare settings aligns with this fund's priority for community-based service." Use it to decide whether the match feels right before clicking through to apply.

No. Results are ranked by fit, and your time is finite. Focus on scholarships with a fit score above 70 and a Fit Reason that genuinely resonates. Verify the deadline and eligibility on the scholarship's own website before investing time in an application — Archway surfaces the opportunity, but the source page is the authority. Think of your results list as a curated starting point, not a to-do list.

Archway ranks each search with Claude AI against a scholarship database we expand through search-grounded discovery and review. The scholarships that surface depend on what we've recently found and verified, and what's currently open. Deadlines close, new cycles open, and the web changes — so two searches a few weeks apart for the same profile will often return different results. This is by design: it keeps results current rather than stale.

Some scholarships run on a rolling basis with no fixed deadline, and others simply don't publish one prominently enough for Archway to extract it reliably. In either case, click through to the source and confirm directly. Never assume "no deadline" means there isn't one — treat it as unknown until you verify.

Every scholarship card has a flag icon in the corner. Click it to open the report form, choose the issue type, and optionally add a note. You don't need to include details — even a one-click "broken link" report is enough to queue it for review. Reports are reviewed manually and the scholarship is either updated or removed from future results. Issue types: Broken link · Expired / no longer offered · Wrong award amount · Wrong deadline · Not a fit · Duplicate · Other

Results come from a database we refresh through search-grounded discovery and review, so they reflect what we've recently found and verified — not a live crawl at the moment you search. That said, Archway is not a real-time monitor — if a scholarship closes its application portal hours after your search, the card may still appear in your results. Always verify the deadline and status on the scholarship's own website before applying. The source link on every card takes you directly there.

Your report goes into a review queue. During beta, reports are checked manually on a regular basis. Confirmed issues are corrected or the scholarship is removed from future results. You won't receive a direct notification when a report is resolved, but the bad data won't keep surfacing for other users once it's been addressed. We appreciate every report — they're one of the primary ways the database improves.

Yes — use the Contact page and include the scholarship name and URL. If it meets Archway's criteria (active, publicly listed, with clear eligibility and award details), it can be added to the scout's source pool. We can't commit to a timeline during beta, but every suggestion is reviewed.

Archway reads the student profile you provide — grade level, intended major or field, state, extracurricular activities, financial need indicator, and any background context you include. It does not access external records, GPA databases, or financial aid systems. The quality of your results scales directly with the detail in your profile: a sparse profile gets generic results; a rich, specific profile gets targeted ones.

No. Archway identifies scholarships that are likely worth investigating based on your profile — it does not verify eligibility, confirm GPA requirements, or validate residency rules. Some scholarships have criteria that aren't publicly stated or aren't detailed enough for Archway to evaluate precisely. You are responsible for confirming your eligibility directly with the awarding organization before applying.

The AI makes probabilistic matches, not deterministic ones. Occasionally it surfaces a result where the connection is real but subtle — or where the eligibility criteria weren't fully legible from the source page. If a result feels off, use the flag to report it as "Not a fit." Those reports directly improve future results for everyone with a similar profile.

Archway generates a starting draft in the student’s own voice — never a finished essay. Add a writing sample to the student’s profile (an essay they actually wrote) and drafts will match how they write. Drafts use only facts from the profile, and where a real detail is needed they leave [bracketed placeholders] only the student can fill — so the final essay is genuinely theirs. Every account can try it: free accounts get one draft, and Scholar/Family plans include 10 drafts a month (revisions count).

Archway is free to start — no credit card. The free tier includes Claude-powered matching with modest caps (1 student, 3 Scout runs) to keep the service stable. When you're ready for more, paid plans are live now at early-access rates: Scholar $19/mo, Family $39/mo (up to 3 students), and Counselor Pro $149/mo — see the Pricing page.

Each scout run calls a live AI model to rank your matches — there's meaningful compute cost behind every result. The free tier limit is set conservatively during beta to keep the service stable. If you're hitting the limit and need more runs, reach out via the Contact page and we'll work with you.

During beta the free tier is limited to 1 student and 3 Scout runs to keep service stable. Need more than one student? The Family plan covers up to 3 students — see the Pricing page. Counselors managing many students should reach out via Contact and we'll raise the cap on your account.

Your account, search history, and saved applications carry forward when paid plans launch. Nothing gets wiped at the end of beta. If you choose not to subscribe at launch, your account moves to a read-only free tier — you can still see past results but won't be able to run new scouts without upgrading.