The Wonaride blog
We have opinions about paying for college.
Who owns your scholarship app matters. So does how it makes money. Here's our view as students building one, with sources where we're talking about someone else's business.
Working on an application? Head to the practical guides.
Our take
The choices we're making at Wonaride, and why.
Scholarship search shouldn't end in a loan pitch
We're building scholarship tools, and we have no plans to add loan products. Here's why we're keeping those businesses separate.
We'd rather answer to the students paying for this
Wonaride is built by students, without college or VC funding. Our subscription model means the application tools have to be worth paying for.
Going Merry
The acquisition, the reported closure, and the questions still open.
Going Merry closed. Here's what to check if you used it.
Going Merry's March 2026 closure was reported by GoBursar. What we can source, what remains unclear, and how to check on work you started there.
Why did Going Merry shut down? We won't make up a reason.
The closure reporting doesn't establish why Going Merry shut down. Our take on the unanswered question—and what scholarship platforms owe their users.
Going Merry became part of a lender. That matters.
Earnest acquired Going Merry in 2021. Our view on why ownership belongs in the conversation when students choose a scholarship platform.
Comparisons
What we'd check before trusting a scholarship platform with our work.
Replacing Going Merry? Ask who's paying for the platform.
Our checklist for choosing a Going Merry alternative: follow the business model, check what you can export, and try a real application before paying.
Going Merry vs. Wonaride: here's where we stand
A first-party comparison of Going Merry and Wonaride: who pays, our position on loans, and what Wonaride's current preview can actually do.