As seen on Shark Tank! The developer behind a scholarship-matching app has announced a strategic partnership with CommonBond.
Yes, this is an easy way to find scholarships!
The creators of Scholly — a web and mobile application that has helped students secure more than $35 million in college scholarships — have formed a partnership with CommonBond, a technology-driven lender focused on making student loans more affordable. This collaboration extends Scholly’s mission: not only to help students find funding for college, but also to support their financial success after graduation.
Through a dedicated Scholly referral, students can quickly match with relevant scholarship opportunities and also explore refinancing options through CommonBond. Refinancing can reduce overall loan costs and monthly payments; Scholly members who refinance through the program receive an exclusive $100 bonus toward their first payment. On average, borrowers may save thousands over the life of a refinanced loan while benefiting from more competitive interest rates.
“CommonBond shares our commitment to helping students reach their goals,” said Scholly founder Christopher Gray. “While our primary focus is matching students with scholarships, we recognize that loans remain a reality for many. Partnering with CommonBond helps reduce that burden for students and alumni.”
CommonBond, based in New York City, emphasizes transparency, affordability, and simple online access to student lending solutions. The company uses data and technology to offer streamlined refinancing with lower interest rates and fewer administrative hurdles. Their approach aims to free up funds so former students can pursue life goals such as buying a home, saving for retirement, or starting a business. CommonBond also operates with a social mission: for every loan funded, the company contributes to educational opportunities for children in need.
Scholly combines an intuitive mobile and desktop interface with an extensive scholarship database that includes both need-based and merit awards. The platform simplifies a once time-consuming process by delivering individualized scholarship matches in minutes, based on a compact set of targeted parameters. It also offers practical support for applicants: guidance on the application process, examples of successful essays, and a dashboard to save deadlines and track submissions.
There was not always an easy way to find scholarships
Founder Christopher Gray developed Scholly from his own experience. Growing up in an underserved community in Alabama and raised in a low-income household by a single mother, Gray faced limited access to computers and relied on public resources and his mobile phone to search and apply for scholarships. That persistence paid off: he earned $1.3 million in scholarship awards to fund his education.
Gray built Scholly to eliminate the tedious search and application work he endured. The app’s adaptive matching engine produces focused scholarship lists that save users significant time and increase their chances of finding relevant awards. Scholly launched while Gray was a student at Drexel University and has since become a widely used tool for students navigating college funding.
About Christopher Gray, Founder & CEO, Scholly
Christopher Gray is the founder and CEO of Scholly, the scholarship search platform he created while an undergraduate at Drexel University. Raised in an inner-city school system and a low-income household, Gray spent countless hours searching for scholarships on limited devices. His persistence resulted in substantial scholarship awards and inspired him to build a tool to help others.
While at Drexel, where he completed a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship, Gray worked as a co-op intern and was active in student-led initiatives that promote entrepreneurship and investment in student startups. His experience as a student founder helped shape Scholly’s user-focused design and mission-driven approach.
Helping others to find an easy way to find scholarships was key
Scholly and Gray gained national exposure after appearing on the television program Shark Tank, where Gray secured support from prominent investors. Since that appearance, he has continued to grow the platform and work closely with his investors as Scholly expands its services and partnerships.
Gray’s work has received recognition from a range of organizations. He has been included on Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in recognition of his social impact, and he has received regional and national awards for entrepreneurship. Scholly has collaborated with initiatives such as the My Brother’s Keeper program to provide free access to hundreds of thousands of students annually, and the app has received endorsements from scholarship foundations that support college access.
Scholly’s goal remains simple: make it easy for students to discover awards, streamline the application process, and reduce financial obstacles so more students can pursue higher education and post-graduate success.