Scholarships for Event Registrations (via Discount Codes)

Offer partial or full scholarships for any paid event by issuing discount codes. This keeps accounting clean—recipients register like everyone else, but enter a code at checkout to reduce (or eliminate) the price. Pair it with an optional application form if you want to review requests first.

Contents

• How it works (quick overview)
• Create a scholarship code
• Share the scholarship
• Recipient experience
• Manage and track scholarships
• Optional: collect scholarship applications
• Best-practice playbook

How it works (quick overview)

• Create one or more discount codes under Events → Discount Codes.
• Choose the discount type (dollar/percent off, per participant vs total, use a 100% discount for a full scholarship).
• Limit codes to specific event(s), set validity windows, and (optionally) usage limits.
• Share codes directly, or generate unique single-use codes automatically when emailing/texting recipients from Connection Card Pro.
• Recipients enter the code during registration; if a payment plan is used, the discount is applied first and the remaining balance is split across scheduled payments.
• One code per registration. You can’t apply a code to a completed registration, but admins can apply a manual discount after the fact if required.

Create a scholarship code

1. Go to Events → Discount Codes → Add New.
2. Enter a Name (internal label) and choose one of the following setups:
   • Dollar Amount off Total — e.g., $50 off the whole registration.
   • Dollar Amount off each Participant — e.g., $25 off per attendee.
   • Percentage off Total — e.g., 50% off the whole registration.
   • Percentage off each Participant — e.g., 30% off each attendee.
3. Code options
   • Shared code: Leave Generate unique codes unchecked, then enter a code (e.g., CAMP50).
   • Unique codes: Check Generate unique codes for each use. A unique, single-use code will be created automatically when you send an email/text that includes the discount-code dynamic keyword.
4. (Optional) Configure limits:
   • Maximum Uses (e.g., 20 scholarships total).
   • From/Until validity dates.
   • Minimum Pre-Discount Total (only allow the code above a minimum amount).
5. Select Which Events the code can be used for (recommended: event-specific).
6. Click Save.

Share the scholarship

• Manual share (shared codes): Email or message the code to recipients.
• Auto-generated (unique codes): Email or text recipients from Connection Card Pro and include the discount code dynamic keyword; each recipient gets a one-time code.
• Security basics: Treat codes like vouchers—anyone with the code can use it. Keep codes event-specific, set usage limits, and expiration dates that align with your registration window.

Recipient experience

1. Visit the event registration link.
2. Enter the discount code on the payment screen.
3. If a payment plan is selected, the system applies the discount first, then divides the remaining balance according to the plan.

Manage and track scholarships

• View usage and remaining allowances under Events → Discount Codes.
• Need to help after someone already registered? Open the registration from the event’s Registrations page and apply a manual discount; discount codes cannot be attached post-registration.

Optional: collect scholarship applications

• Build a Custom Form to gather requests (e.g., need, amount requested, household info).
• Review submissions, approve recipients, then issue either a shared code or send unique codes via bulk email/text.
• Use the Review and Status features to mark once applications have been reviewed, are being considered, accepted, or denied, or when an application has been awarded a scholarship. 

Best-practice playbook

• Keep codes scoped to one or a few events; avoid a single “global” scholarship code.
• Use unique codes for tight control (single-use per recipient).
• Combine with payment plans to lower upfront costs; the discount applies first, installments handle the rest.
• Communicate clearly: include deadlines, what the code covers (percent vs. dollar), and whether it’s per participant or per registration.
• Audit regularly in Events → Discount Codes to confirm redemption count match approvals.
• Track source of event traffic - Outside of scholarships, using various discount codes for various places help you better understand where event traffic is coming from and how they're hearing about the event.