Universities use student IDs to match incoming payments to the correct student account. Because many students share similar names and even date of birth, a student ID is the most reliable identifier for a school to route your payment accurately. Without one, there is a risk that the payment could be applied to the wrong student. This is why this information is required at the time of submission to help ensure faster processing and fewer errors.
If you don't have a student's university ID, here are your options:
Reach out to the student and ask for their student ID so that you can complete the submission yourself
Ask the student to submit the scholarship, along with all their information Students have direct access to their own school information, so they're best positioned to enter it accurately. When the student submits they will be given the option of sending your organization a payment link, which has instructions to review and complete the payment, with no data entry required on your end.
This workflow is built into Backpack for exactly this situation. It reduces back-and-forth, helps ensure the payment details are correct, and gets funds to the student faster.