Shared Questions

Shared questions in GLM/SLM have specific behaviors regarding editability and form compatibility that affect how responses are managed across forms. 

Shared questions can be edited on any form where the required type is set to optional or required. When an applicant edits a shared question response on one form, that edit automatically updates the response on all other forms where the question is shared. To prevent applicants from editing responses, set the shared question's required type to read-only on forms where editing should be restricted. This is especially important when sharing questions from approval forms or questions originally answered by administrators to forms that applicants will complete.  

Questions cannot be shared from an evaluation form. This is because each question on an evaluation form for the same request could be answered multiple times by multiple evaluators. If evaluation responses for each request are being compiled, consider building an evaluation report instead. 

Questions cannot be shared to or from an installment form. This is because a singular installment form can be used for multiple installments on a request. If a question was shared from an installment form, the form with the shared question would not know which response to pull and display if there were multiple installments with multiple answers. 

Shared questions in Universal Application allow you to display question responses across multiple forms within a universe, but they behave differently than shared questions in GLM or SLM processes. Understanding these differences helps you configure shared questions correctly for scholarship cycles. 

In Universal Application, any application question can be added as a shared question to an evaluation or decision form. Shared questions retain their question type relationships across forms. For example, if a shared question is a common question on the application, it remains a common question on the evaluation or decision form. Shared questions from the application to the decision form will update in both directions. Evaluators cannot edit shared questions, so the shared question can only be updated on the application.

Shared Questions on Follow Up Forms

Shared questions on follow up forms in Universal Application only update when edited on the application. These questions cannot be edited on the follow up form itself. Common questions from the application form can be shared to common follow up forms. Opportunity specific questions can be shared from the application form to the related opportunity specific follow up form only. Shared questions cannot be added to pseudo-common follow up forms. Questions shared from decision forms are considered opportunity specific questions and can only be shared to opportunity specific follow ups.

The table below shows which question types from which source forms can be shared to which follow up forms in Universal Application, and how updates flow between forms.

To add a shared question to a form in your process, navigate to the form and select the question to be shared.

1. Click Tools on the upper navigation bar, and then click Process Manager.
2. Click the process name.
   
    
3. Navigate to the form where a shared question will be added and click the pencil icon next to it.
   
    
4. Click Shared.
    
5. Select the question from the list, and then click Add Selected Question.
   • If the question already exists on this form, it will be grayed out in the pop-up indicating that it cannot be shared to this form.
   • The Shared On column shows forms to which each question is already shared.
     

• The icon pointed out below indicates that this question is shared on other forms in the process.
  • If editing an approval or denial form, the default questions will have the shared question icon even if they are not shared yet.
    

The following changes to a shared question are reflected across all forms where the question is shared.

• Label
• Maximum text length
• List items

The following changes to a shared question are not reflected across forms where the question is shared.

• Instructions
• Visibility
• Required type

Changes to a shared question can be monitored from the Question Change Log.