• Submit a complete application by May 1
• Be a domestic transfer student enrolling for the summer or fall semester
• Have earned at least 24 college credit hours
• Have not, or will not have, earned a bachelor’s degree by the time you enroll at KU
• Have not previously attended KU as a degree-seeking student
• To be eligible for the one-time Phi Theta Kappa scholarship, you must have your PTK counselor submit the membership form by July 1.

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• If you choose to take a gap year and do not enroll in any college courses during the 2020-2021 academic year but you return to KU for fall 2021, you will be eligible to receive your freshmen scholarship.
• If you're unable to attend KU for fall 2020 but plan to attend KU for spring 2021, you will be eligible to receive your freshmen scholarship regardless of whether you choose to enroll at another college/university in the fall. If you attend another institution (two or four-year) for fall 2020, you must earn at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA for the semester to receive your freshmen scholarship for spring.
• When you're ready to return to KU, you will need to be readmitted and if you attended another school you will need to provide transcripts showing you achieved a 3.25 cumulative GPA. Contact your financial aid counselor when you're ready to return and they can assist you.

• Freshman scholarships will expire after four years of undergraduate study or graduation, whichever occurs first.
• Transfer scholarships will expire after three years of undergraduate study.
• Scholarship recipients who are admitted on or after summer/fall 2013 must successfully complete a minimum of 30 KU hours each academic year (fall, spring, summer) and maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative KU GPA.
• After spring grades have posted, our office will verify that students have met the renewable criteria. Students are notified of their scholarship status for the upcoming academic year via their registered KU email address.
• If your scholarship is not renewed after year one because of grades and/or hours, it is possible to earn the scholarship after a future term or academic year.
• We will monitor your grades and hours, and will notify you if you have achieved the renewal criteria

Freshmen and transfer applicants who have met the scholarship-awarding criteria will receive written notification of the scholarship within 7 to 10 days of being admitted to the University of Kansas. If you do not receive written notification within this time frame, please contact Financial Aid & Scholarships at 785-864-4700 or financialaid@ku.edu.

No. Essays and co-curricular summaries are not required for KU renewable scholarship consideration. However, individual school and department scholarship procedures may vary; be sure to search departmental scholarships to review the requirements.

We will use the overall GPA on a 4.0 scale that most benefits you at the time you apply.

Yes. If your overall GPA improves after your seventh semester, or if your ACT/SAT score has improved with either the February ACT or March SAT, simply update your application by April 1.

February ACT and March SAT. To use your February ACT/March SAT scores, you must have submitted a complete admission application by the Dec. 1 deadline. Updated scores must be received by April 1 to be considered.

Yes, starting with students admitted for fall 2021 KU will super score ACT or SAT scores.

As with all nonresident scholarships, a change in residency or a change to resident tuition rates may impact your eligibility for this scholarship.

If you’re an incoming freshman or transfer student who is offered a scholarship for the fall, you can defer your scholarship as long as you do not attend another college, university, or community college during this deferment year. Defer your FAS scholarship.

If you are current FAS scholarship recipient, please email us at financialaid@ku.edu to discuss scholarship deferral.

The time and energy you spend conducting a successful scholarship search can be well worth the effort if you are awarded a scholarship to help fund your higher education.

Start looking for scholarships early, and prioritize. Scholarship deadlines vary, so plan your application efforts by the due date to meet deadlines.

To ensure the best application possible, reserve a block of time to work on scholarship applications regularly, and stick to it. Be sure to apply for scholarships that inspire you, because the applications will feel less like work. You’ll also want to be sure to write tailored essays for each scholarship; avoid copying and pasting without careful revisions.

Finally, if a letter of recommendation is required, brief your reference on the scholarship and provide him/her with a copy of your application and your resume. Give your reference at least two weeks to write the letter for you.

The best ways to find scholarships:

• Use our Scholarship Search to find scholarships for which you may be eligible
• Talk with your high school counselor, faculty, academic advisors, and financial aid counselors for ideas
• Ask your/your parents’ employers or organizations with which you/they are affiliated
• Search fastweb.com for national scholarships

WARNING: The following could be signs of a scam. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

• You are required to pay money to receive a scholarship (Note: The State of Kansas Student Aid Application requires a small application fee)
• You are guaranteed to win the scholarship
• The sponsors say things like, “Everyone is eligible,” or “You are guaranteed free money”
• You are advised you have been selected for a scholarship for which you did not submit an application
• More information on scholarship scams

FAQs

What are outside/private scholarships?

Any scholarship that is not awarded from KU is considered an outside/private scholarship.

Can my scholarships affect my eligibility for financial aid?

In some cases, yes, they may. It is your responsibility to report all scholarships/fellowships/sponsorships to the Financial Aid & Scholarships (FAS) office. We encourage you to report early to avoid repaying financial aid at a later date.

How do I report outside/private scholarships?

You may report these scholarships in Enroll Pay (Student Center>Accept/Decline Awards, Page 2) or by using the scholarship reporting form.

How will I receive my outside/private scholarships?

The donor may provide you with a check or send a check to KU. Please encourage donors to send scholarship checks directly to the Financial Aid & Scholarships office. If we receive outside scholarship funds and the check does not require your signature, the funds will be applied to your KU account within three to five business days. You’ll be notified if a check requires endorsement.

Where should I send my outside/private scholarship check if it is provided directly to me?

Please submit outside/private scholarship checks to our office. Please attach the check(s) to a statement indicating the scholarship name, amount, and term (fall/spring/summer) as well as your first and last name initials, KU ID number, and phone number. If the check is made out to you — or to you and KU — please endorse the check before mailing.

Will the outside/private scholarship be applied to my eBill?

Outside/private scholarships that have been received and processed by us will be applied to your eBill. These scholarships will be listed on the eBill as “Outside School/SFA Payment,” and the amount will be subtracted from the amount owed. Sometimes donors do not send the funds to our office until after the fee payment due date. If the check will not be processed by the due date, you will need to select another payment option to avoid late payment fees.

Awards will be determined based upon our scholarship grid and your official college transcripts. To be eligible for a transfer student scholarship, you must: