Scholarships and grants for undergraduates
UA is committed to supporting you as you pursue your education.
Every year, UA students receive more than $260 million in financial assistance. More than 86% of our undergraduates receive some form of financial aid to lower tuition costs.
In addition to applying for scholarships, we encourage you to complete the FAFSA to determine if you are eligible for federal student aid, including grants, loans and federal work study. Use UA's school code: 003123.
Scholarship OPPORTUNITIES
ENROLLMENT REQUIREMENT: The scholarships listed below require students to enroll full-time (12 or more credits) each semester. Students who enroll at less than full-time are not eligible to receive these scholarships.
| SCHOLARSHIP/GRANT | AWARD RANGE | WHO IS ELIGIBLE? | HOW TO APPLY |
|---|---|---|---|
MERIT SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS |
Awards will vary | All incoming first-time, first-year students are considered for merit scholarship awards following a comprehensive review. Each review evaluates their academic transcripts, selected curriculum, and cumulative GPA. Test scores are not considered because students are not required to submit them. | You are automatically considered when you apply for admission. Your awarded amount is a commitment of the total merit scholarships you will receive during your four-years at the university. These scholarships will come from a variety of sources including alumni, donors, friends of the university, and the scholarships awarded by your college. |
WILLIAMS HONORS COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS |
$1,500 to $2,000 | First-year students, transfer students, and continuing UA students newly admitted to Honors, based on academic qualifications taken from admissions and honors application. | Williams Honors College application is required. Visit uakron.edu/honors. Deadline is April 1. |
THE PROVOST’S SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS |
$1,000 to $5,000 | Students transferring from another regionally accredited college or university in fall 2024 or later. | You are automatically considered when you apply for transfer admission. |
Choose Ohio First STEMM Scholarship Program |
Awards will vary up to $5,000 | New and continuing UA students who are residents of Ohio and majoring in a STEMM field | Apply at uakron.edu/oars/cof. Deadline is January 31. |
GOODYEAR DRIVING OPPORTUNITY SCHOLARSHIP |
Covers tuition and fees, approximately $13,000 annually for up to five years | First-generation college students, new and returning from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. | Separate application required at uakron.edu/finaid/scholarship-programs/ driving-opportunity-scholarship. |
INNOVATION GENERATION SCHOLARSHIP |
May cover tuition and up to $428.40 of the general fee annually after all other grants and scholarships are applied | Akron Public School Graduates with a 3.5 cumulative high school GPA or a 3.0 or higher cumulative high School GPA AND meet college-ready benchmarks. | Automatically determined by the University and APS. Must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). |
MAKING AKRON POSSIBLE (MAP) GRANT |
Covers the full tuition and general fee after the following resources are applied: University-administered scholarships, all other federal, state and institutional grants | Students from Summit, Stark, Medina, Portage, Cuyahoga and Wayne counties who have a family adjusted gross income of $85,000 or less, as determined from their FAFSA | Students must file the FAFSA to be considered for this award and accept all federal and state need-based scholarships and grants—but not loans—for which they are eligible. |
UA Institutional Grants |
Awards will vary | Students who complete the FAFSA will be considered for these additional grants | Apply to UA and complete the FAFSA. |
SMART CHOICE SCHOLARSHIP |
Awards will vary | Students who were previously admitted to UA as a first-year student, did not enroll and are re-applying for admission. | You’ll automatically be considered for this award when you complete your application. |
University-awarded scholarships can be applied to any charges on the student’s bill, unless otherwise noted. This may include:
- Tuition and general fee (called the Akron fee)
- Course fees
- All-in book bundle fees
- Residence hall fees
- Meal plan and dining dollars
Yes, if you have remaining, unused scholarship funds, you can use all, or a portion, of those funds for a meal plan and dining dollars. You can read the Guidelines for Use of Excess University Scholarship Awards to Purchase Meal Plans for more details.
Scholarships awarded at the time of admission require students to maintain good academic standing (2.0 GPA) and not be dismissed. Private/endowed scholarship (named scholarships) often have different GPA requirements that will be monitored by the Office of Student Financial Aid or the college that makes the award.
Scholarships awarded at the time of admission are usually awarded for four years (eight semesters), or until the student completes a bachelor’s degree. Private/endowed scholarships are awarded annually and are not automatically renewed.
The Merit Scholarship awarded at the time of admission is a commitment from the University to provide scholarships totaling the offered amount for up to four years at UA. All, or a portion, of the Merit Scholarship is provided through the generous support of donors, alumni and friends of the University. You will note that your merit scholarship award may change to a different name, but with the same total amount awarded. There is no impact on your overall award, only the name(s) will be different.
