When you submit a scholarship through the Backpack Scholarship Portal, you can choose from three payment options: Pay Now, Send a Payment Link, or Manual ACH.
Backpack recommends Pay Now or Send a Payment Link whenever possible. These options keep the scholarship submission and payment connected, which helps the school automatically reconcile the payment to the correct student, ensuring they get the funds the quickest.
Manual ACH is available for organizations that must initiate payments from their own bank, ERP, or accounting system. However, a scholarship submission is still required before payment is sent. Without a submission on file, the school may not be able to match the payment to the correct student, which can delay processing and may prevent the student from receiving the funds on time.
TL;DR: Use Pay Now if you are ready to pay during checkout. Use Send a Payment Link if someone else on your team needs to complete the payment. Use Manual ACH only if your organization is only able to initiate the ACH transfer from its own system, and only after submitting the scholarship through the portal.
Option 1: Pay Now
What it is
Enter your bank account and routing number during the submission flow and complete the payment in the same session. The submission and the payment are bundled into one step.
How it works
You complete the scholarship details, student details, and provider information.
On the payment step, you select Pay Now.
You enter your bank account number and routing number.
You authorize the debit and submit.
Backpack initiates the ACH debit from your account. Once the funds settle, we send them to the university.
When to use Pay Now
You're submitting and paying yourself, in the same session.
You have authority to authorize ACH debits from your organization's bank account.
You have your account and routing numbers available.
When NOT to use Pay Now
Your finance team or accounting department needs to approve or process payments separately. Use Send a Payment Link instead.
Your organization normally initiates payments from its own bank portal, ERP, or accounting system. If possible, use Send a Payment Link so your finance team can complete payment through Backpack. Use Manual ACH only if your organization cannot complete payment through the secure payment link.
You don't have your bank details with you. Don't guess. Use one of the other options.
Option 2: Send a Payment Link
What it is
Send a Payment Link is the recommended option when your finance or accounting team handles payments. The scholarship details are submitted first, then the payment link allows the appropriate person to review the details and complete payment securely.
How it works
You complete the scholarship details, student details, and provider information.
On the payment step, you select Send a Payment Link.
Backpack emails you a secure link.
You open the link, enter banking details, and authorize the payment.
When to use Send a Payment Link
The person submitting the scholarship is different from the person who pays. This is the most common pattern in organizations of any meaningful size.
Your finance team needs to log payments into your accounting system, get approval, or batch ACH runs on a specific schedule.
You don't have your organization's bank details handy, but someone else on your team does.
What the payment link recipient sees
The recipient receives an email from [email protected] with a link to a Backpack-hosted payment page. The page shows the scholarship details (student, amount, term, university) so you can verify the payment before authorizing it. You enter banking info, click pay, and that's it.
When NOT to use Send a Payment Link
Your organization initiates ACH from your own bank or ERP rather than entering bank details into vendor portals. Use Manual ACH instead.
You're submitting and paying yourself. Use Pay Now for fewer clicks.
Option 3: Manual ACH
What it is
Manual ACH allows your organization to initiate a direct ACH transfer from your own bank portal, ERP, or accounting system.
Manual ACH should only be used when your organization cannot complete payment using Pay Now or Payment Link. Backpack recommends Pay Now and Payment Link because they keep the scholarship submission and payment connected, which helps the school reconcile the funds correctly.
How it works
You complete the scholarship details, student details, and provider information through the school’s Scholarship Portal.
On the payment step, you select Manual ACH.
After your submission is complete, Backpack sends a confirmation email with a secure payment link.
Open the payment link to request access to bank information, if your organization has not already been approved.
Your finance team initiates the ACH transfer through your bank, ERP, or accounting system.
Include the Reference Code from your submission in the payment description or memo field.
Once the funds are received and matched to the submission, Backpack sends them to the university.
Important requirements for Manual ACH
Submit before sending payment. Do not send an ACH payment before submitting the scholarship through the school’s Scholarship Portal. The school needs the submission details to match the payment to the correct student.
Use the Reference Code. Include the Reference Code from your submission in the payment description or memo field. This helps the school reconcile the payment correctly.
Do not request bank details through support. Backpack does not provide bank account or routing details over chat or email. After submitting the scholarship, use the secure payment link in your confirmation email to request access to bank information.
When to use Manual ACH
Use Manual ACH only if:
Your organization is required to originate payments from its own bank portal, treasury system, ERP, or accounting system.
Your accounts payable process requires a Backpack University to be set up as a vendor before payment can be sent.
Your internal controls require dual approval, batch processing, or payment windows that cannot be handled through Pay Now or Payment Link.
When NOT to use Manual ACH
Do not use Manual ACH if:
You have not yet submitted the scholarship through the school’s Scholarship Portal.
You are trying to get bank account or routing details before submitting scholarship information.
You can complete payment through Pay Now or a secure Payment Link.
This is your first time using Backpack and you only have one or two scholarships to send. Use Pay Now or Send a Payment Link instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Backpack charge providers a fee for any of these payment options? Backpack does not charge any fees for scholarships submitted and paid through the Backpack portal.
Can I change the payment method after I've submitted?
If you selected Send a Payment Link and the link hasn't been used yet, you can still choose to send an ACH. If you selected Pay Now and the payment is already processing, it can't be switched. Contact support immediately if you need to stop a payment.
I didn't receive the payment link email. What do I do?
Check your spam and trash, and make sure to whitelist [email protected]. If you still can't find it, contact Backpack Support and we'll resend the link.
Can I use a credit card?
Backpack only supports ACH from US bank accounts. We do not accept credit card payments for scholarships at this time.
Can I pay from a non-US bank account?
Backpack supports US ACH only. If you're an international scholarship provider, email [email protected] and we'll let you know when international support is available.
Once I pay, when does the university apply the funds to the student's account? Posting is controlled by the university's bursar office. Timing varies by school. Contact the university directly for posting timelines if you need to know when funds will hit the student's account specifically.