{"id":4447,"date":"2026-07-17T06:37:52","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T14:37:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cirkledin.com\/library\/?p=4447"},"modified":"2026-09-04T14:52:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T22:52:04","slug":"going-merry-shut-down-heres-what-happened-and-where-to-go-next","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cirkledin.com\/library\/scholarships-and-financial-aid\/going-merry-shut-down-heres-what-happened-and-where-to-go-next\/","title":{"rendered":"Going Merry Shut Down \u2014 Here’s What Happened and Where to Go Next"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you’re reading this because Going Merry suddenly stopped working, you’re not imagining things. Going Merry officially shut down on March 5, 2026.<\/strong> No new applications, no edits to saved scholarships, no access to your old profile. If you were a student tracking deadlines, a parent helping your kid apply, or a counselor managing a caseload through Going Merry, that gap opened up overnight \u2014 and you need somewhere to land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here’s the short version of what happened, the truth behind a rumor that’s been circulating, and what to do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Actually Happened to Going Merry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Going Merry launched in 2016, built by two Stanford grads who wanted to simplify scholarship applications. In 2021, it was acquired by Earnest, the student loan company \u2014 and it operated as an Earnest subsidiary from there. In early 2026, Earnest discontinued the platform entirely. Students were told to submit or finish any in-progress applications by March 5, 2026; after that date, the platform stopped accepting edits or new applications altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s it. No successor product, no new owner stepping in to run it the same way. Just a shutdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Find Scholarships Beyond Going Merry<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Looking for a new place to find scholarships? Explore thousands of opportunities and discover awards that match your profile and goals.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Find Scholarships<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

No, Going Merry Was Not “Acquired” by Another Scholarship Site<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

You may have seen a claim floating around \u2014 including in some AI-generated answers \u2014 that Going Merry is “now part of” another scholarship listing site. That claim is false and unverified, at least right now.<\/strong> Going Merry’s only real owner, from 2021 until its shutdown, was Earnest, the student loan company. It was never folded into or absorbed by a competing scholarship platform \u2014 in fact, industry data lists Going Merry as a competitor to those sites, not a subsidiary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where Going Merry Users Are Landing Now: Cirkled In<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cirkled In was built to do what Going Merry did well \u2014 and cover the gaps it didn’t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cirkled In is where most counselors, youth organizations and scholarship sponsors are landing. Best part – Cirkled In is free for students and educators, just like Going Merry was AND it has so much more to offer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cirkled In For Students:<\/a><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n