SCHOLARSHIPS

What are Scholarships?

Scholarships are designed to reward, encourage, and assist students in pursuing academic excellence and leadership roles. Academic achievements, leadership positions, campus or community activities, work experience and financial need, are considered during the scholarship selection process. Financial need is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

List of Scholarships

There are a host of scholarships available to assist students with their educational expenses. Below is a list of scholarships by category that may be helpful to you in funding your college education.

FAU FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Academic achievements, leadership positions, campus or community activities, work experience and financial need, are considered during the scholarship selection process. Additionally, some scholarships are awarded based on financial need or other specific criteria such as major, class level, first generation or city of residence. Financial need is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Apply With Scholarship Universe

FAU Foundation Scholarships will be available in Scholarship Universe. Create your application now to receive notifications and view other scholarships via Scholarship Universe.

Florida Atlantic University Office of Student Financial Services is excited to introduce Scholarship Universe. Scholarship Universe is a scholarship matching tool for students that makes finding and applying for scholarships easier.

Scholarship Universe is Florida Atlantic University’s online application and search portal for prospective and continuing FAU students in which students can apply or connect to various internal and external scholarships. Internal scholarships refer to scholarships directly awarded by Florida Atlantic, and external scholarships refer to any scholarships awarded by an outside source.

Scholarship Universe saves time with results best suited for you. Only apply for scholarships to which you qualify and apply early as application selection is limited! Some opportunities require additional information such as reference letters (on official letterhead) or supporting documentation. Review our Scholarship Tips for best practices on applying and maintaining a scholarship!

All scholarships require a separate application. Please note that meeting the minimum criteria does not guarantee a scholarship award.

If selected to receive any scholarship, the applicant will receive an email to his/her FAU email by mid-August.

 

FAU Foundation Scholarships

Find the scholarships that are best for you.

Important Note Regarding Concurrent/Consortium/Study Abroad Enrollment

Due to limited funding, all FAU scholarships will ONLY be calculated and disbursed for FAU credits. Consortium and concurrent enrollment will not be considered when calculating required credits for scholarships.

ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS

Athletic Scholarships

Athletic scholarships are determined and offered to students by the Athletic Department. Grant-in-Aids are signed by the student and the coach before the academic year begins, serving as the agreement and providing guidelines of the scholarship.

Total aid received in an academic year may never exceed the student-athlete's total cost of attendance. A student-athlete on partial scholarship may receive both institutional and outside aid as long as the total of aid received within an academic year does not exceed the cost attendance calculated by the University's Financial Aid Office. Student-athletes on full athletic scholarships can only receive Pell Grant, if eligible (NCAA Bylaw 15.1.1).

Athletics aid may not be awarded for a period greater than one year or for a period of less than one year. An athletic scholarship may be renewed (or reduced or canceled) at the end of the year.

During the period of the award, an athletics scholarship may not be increased, decreased or canceled on the basis of athletic ability, performance, contribution to team success, injury, or any other athletic-related reason. Institutional athletics aid may be reduced or canceled during the year if the recipient:

  • Renders himself or herself ineligible for intercollegiate competition;
  • Fraudulently misrepresents any information on an application, letter of intent or financial aid agreement;
  • Engages in serious misconduct warranting substantial disciplinary penalty;
  • Voluntarily withdraws from a sport at any time for personal reasons.

A determination on the renewal of athletics aid will be made by the Athletic Department. Once notified by the Athletics Department, the Financial Aid Office will send notifications to each student-athlete of his or her renewal determination on or before July 1 before the next academic year.

If a student-athlete's athletic aid is being reduced or canceled during the year, or reduced or not renewed for the following year, upon request from Athletic Department, the student-athlete will be entitled to a hearing through established procedures outside of the Athletic Department. The student-athlete will be provided written notification of the opportunity for a hearing. The student-athlete must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing requesting the appeal hearing by the deadline specified on the notification letter.

COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

Community Foundation Scholarships

EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Start your scholarship search today with Scholarship Universe! Check out a wide range of external scholarships now and follow along for more updates. FAU Scholarships will be available starting January 2023!

External Scholarship Mailing Instructions

In order to expedite the processing of funds, it is important to follow the instructions if you are receiving any external scholarship(s). If you have any questions, please contact Shaveta Dabas – External Scholarship Coordinator.
Click for instructions on how to send External Scholarships.

FAU COLLEGE/DEPARTMENT SCHOLARSHIPS

FAU Business and Professional Women’s Scholarship House

The FAU Business and Professional Women's Scholarship House (BPWSH) was established to provide campus housing for women with strong academic promise and substantial outside financial assistance in order to attend FAU. The BPWSH is a cooperative living/learning facility where 16 women share leadership experience, develop life skills, and community responsibilities.
To Apply for the FAU Business and Professional Women’s Scholarship House, Click Here.

FAU FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
This page is intended for informational and viewing purposes only. Applications are not accepted on this page. If you are interested in submitting an application, please go to Scholarship Universe (https://fau.scholarshipuniverse.com/)
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INTERNATIONAL STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS

International Student Scholarships

The websites listed below may be a good source for scholarships and/or funds for international students.

MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

TheDream.US Scholarship

TheDream.US, is a nationwide scholarship program for undergraduates that have DACA, TPS status or came to the U.S. before November 1, 2019 and otherwise meet the DACA eligibility criteria (DREAMers). Click HERE for all the details

Merit Scholarships

National Merit Scholarships

National Merit Scholarships are awarded to students who have been designated as Finalists by the National Merit Corporation. Visit National Merit Scholarships at FAU for details.

These scholarships do not require an application. FAU will automatically select candidates based on prior academic performance along with other criteria.

Spirit of Atlantic Scholarship

The Spirit of Atlantic Scholarship is a four year merit based scholarship. Disbursement of fund requires full time enrollment each semester (Fall/Spring). Annual renewal criteria include maintaining a 3.0 FAU institutional GPA and a minimum of 30 earned credits at the end of the academic year for each year that payment was received (example: if you have received payment of the scholarship for the past 2 years, to renew in the third year, you must have 60 or more earned credits at the end of the second year). Students attending Honors College are excluded from receiving this scholarship. To view scholarships for the Honors College, visit Honors College Scholarships.

FAU 100 Scholarship

The FAU 100 Scholarship is a four-year merit-based scholarship. Enrollment in 12 or more credits is required for disbursement of this scholarship each semester (Fall/Spring). Renewal requirements include a 3.0 FAU institutional GPA and a minimum of 30 earned credits at the end of the academic year for each year that payment was received.

HOOT Scholarship

The HOOT scholarship is for non-FLORIDA-resident students only. Enrollment in 12 or more credits is required for disbursement of this scholarship each semester (Fall/Spring). Renewal requirements include a 3.0 FAU institutional GPA and a minimum of 30 earned credits at the end of the academic year for each year that payment was received.

 

Scholarship Tips

We've put together some best practices to help you get the scholarships you want.

Maximize Scholarship Opportunities
Here are a few tips to maximize your scholarship opportunities:

  • Apply early: The peak time to apply for scholarships is January through July for the upcoming school year. Remember the early bird gets the worm!
  • Check for scholarships frequently: Check your department, college, and the Scholarship List for updates to scholarships.
  • Get Involved: While some scholarships do not require involvement, it does help showcase who you are as a person. Also, being involved helps identify your involvement within your community i.e. campus, local, church, sports.
  • Complete Your FAFSA: ALL FAU specific scholarships require a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application to be submitted online.

Write an Award-Winning Scholarship Essay
Many times students do not apply for scholarships that involve writing essays. However, scholarships that require essays do not usually have many applicants which may increase your chances of earning a scholarship. Please note that all FAU scholarships do require an essay between 250 and 300 words.

Here are a few tips to write your award-winning essay:

  • Tailor your essay for your intended audience: While writing your essay, it is important to stay focused on the topic and specifically address the essay question. Also, make sure you are addressing the specific scholarship to which you are applying.
  • Target your audience by using keywords: Identify the goals of the donor as well as identifying why you should be selected for the scholarship.
  • Stand out: Make the committee interested in who you are by grabbing their attention. Give the committee something different, so brainstorming will be very important before you begin writing your essay. Grab the reader’s attention with your essay and make the reader want to learn more about you.
  • Introduce yourself: Explain who you are, what your goals are, and how receiving the scholarship will help you accomplish your educational objectives. Scholarship committees often make decisions on awarding scholarships and want to know more about you, so using the essay is a good way to introduce yourself to the committee. Examples also include campus and community involvement as well as any hobbies you may have.
  • Avoid negative messages: Don’t assume that a sad story will make the committee sympathize with you. Many use this method in hopes of being selected for a scholarship. However, it may have the opposite impact and not accomplish the intended message.
  • Write positive messages: In keeping with the theme of tailoring and targeting your audience, it is important to do so with positive messages. Positive messages are important when discussing negative situations. It gives great insight to you as a person, i.e., how you have overcome difficult situations.
  • Proofread: Essays should be proofread several times over to ensure that there are no typing or grammatical errors. Utilize your resources at the FAU Writing Center.

Manage Your Scholarship Award
Most students entering college encounter their first real-world situations with large amounts of money. We’ve compiled information on budgeting your money, as well as other financial literacy tips.

The Office of Student Financial Aid offers financial aid packages in accordance with federal, state, and institutional regulations. Financial aid offers may not exceed a student’s estimated cost of attendance. Students who are recipients of other need based aid may not be eligible for the full amount of a scholarship that they receive. Contact your financial aid counselor if you have questions about how a scholarship might impact your financial aid package.

Avoid Scholarship Scams
If you believe you have encountered a fraudulent scholarship, visit the Federal Trade Commission website for help.

  • Do not pay for scholarship searches: You have many options for free scholarship search engines as well as campus resources. FAU offers a list of external scholarships you can freely apply for listed as “Other Scholarships”.
  • Avoid Scholarship Guarantees: Be wary of scholarship organizations that guarantee you will receive a scholarship based upon a small application fee. No one can guarantee you will receive a scholarship by paying an application fee.
  • Avoid Giving Personal Information: Do not provide personal information such as bank account numbers and credit card numbers.
  • Money-Back Guarantee: Avoid scholarships that promise your money is guaranteed to be refunded if you do not receive a scholarship.

Write a Thank You Letter
Letters of appreciation from scholars encourage our donors to continue funding deserving students like you. We ask that you prepare a brief letter describing how their contribution will help you reach your educational and personal goals.

Here are some other suggestions for your thank you letter:

  • Type your thank you letter: Typed letters are preferred over handwritten letters as not all handwriting is legible.
  • Address the donor: Be sure to address the donor of the scholarship and not the scholarship committee.
  • Proofread: Letters should be proofread and you should have someone else proofread it as well. Again, the FAU Writing Center is a good place to ask for help.
  • Introduce Yourself: You should let the donor(s) know something about yourself and the impact their generosity has had on your education and life. You should also indicate what your future goals may be.

Feel free to come into the Office of Student Financial Aid if you have trouble writing your thank you letter and a staff member will assist you. You can also visit the FAU Writing Center for assistance.