Undergraduate Scholarship Awards - First Year

Students applying for admission (www.admissions.eku.edu) into EKU as a first-year freshmen are encouraged to apply for academic scholarship opportunities. A completed application must be made in order to be considered for these awards. Award offers are based on academic credentials, including: GPA, ACT or SAT scores, as well as school and community involvement.

First year freshmen are required to submit a seven-semester high school transcript, standardized test scores, an essay, and two letters of recommendation along with the completed application. The application deadline is February 15th. All required materials must be submitted to the Scholarship Office by that date in order to be considered for any award. Late applications will be accepted, however priority will be given to those applicants that applied prior to the deadline. Initial offers are made by April 1 and will continue until scholarship funds are exhausted. All applicants will be notified by mail, regardless if they are awarded a scholarship.

Unless noted otherwise in the specific description, each scholarship is awarded for eight consecutive fall/spring semesters of full-time undergraduate work, provided the required grade point average conditions have been met.

Eastern Kentucky University does not make multiple institutional awards. Recipients who qualify for an academic scholarship in a different category will receive the scholarship with the highest monetary value.

To download a copy of the scholarship application form (in PDF format), click here.

The types of scholarships that are available through this application include the following:

• Alumni Endowed Scholarship
  ELIGIBILITY: Must be incoming freshman with an ACT score of at least an 18 and a minimum of 3.0 GPA in high school. Students that demonstrate financial need to the University through the official FAFSA application process shall be given priority when evaluating applicants. Applicants must be involved in at least three extracurricular activities.
  CONDITIONS: Must maintain 3.0 GPA and be enrolled full time for renewal
• Commonwealth Scholar Award
  ELIGIBILITY: Awarded automatically to National Merit Finalists and National Merit Scholars
  BENEFITS: In-state tuition, activity and technology fees, double-occupancy residence hall, 15-meal-per-week board plan, and books on loan
  CONDITIONS: Must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and be enrolled full time. *Must reside on campus and enroll in a campus meal plan to receive housing & board allowance of the scholarship award.
• Dr. Rodney Gross Scholarship
  ELIGIBILITY: Must be black U.S. citizen, Kentucky resident and be admitted to EKU with intention of pursuing either an undergraduate or graduate degree; must have 2.5 high school GPA with extracurricular support in athletics, community and/or student government services OR a 3.0 GPA without extracurricular activities
  BENEFITS: Awards will range from $1,000-$3,000 per year, and will be applied to student’s tuition and fees
  CONDITIONS: For renewal, students must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA, enroll full-time, participate in the Academic Monitoring Program in the University Diversity Office and reapply annually.
• Excellence Award
  ELIGIBILITY: Awarded automatically to National Merit Semi-finalists. Students with an ACT composite of 32 or higher and a minimum of a 3.75 high school grade point average will be considered on a competitive basis.
  BENEFITS: In-state tuition, activity and technology fees, double-occupancy residence hall, and 10-meal-per-week board plan
  CONDITIONS: Must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and be enrolled full time. *Must reside on campus and enroll in a campus meal plan to receive housing & board allowance of the scholarship award.
• Founders Award
  ELIGIBILITY: Awarded on a competitive basis to students with a 29-31 composite ACT and a 3.75 high school GPA.
  BENEFITS: In-state tuition, activity and technology fees, double-occupancy residence hall
  CONDITIONS: Must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and be enrolled full time. *Must reside on campus to receive housing allowance of the scholarship award.
• Honors Program Book Award
  ELIGIBILITY: Students accepted into the University Honors Program
  BENEFITS: Books on loan for up to eight (8) semesters
  CONDITIONS: Must remain in Honors Program to receive award
• Honors Program Scholarship
  ELIGIBILITY: In order to participate in the Honors Program, students must make a separate application. For additional information please call 859-622-2924 or visit the website at: www.honors.eku.edu/application.htm.
  BENEFITS: One-half of the equivalent of in-state tuition and activity and technology fees
  CONDITIONS: Must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA and be enrolled full time.
• J. W. Thurman Alumni Scholarship
  ELIGIBILITY: Must be a child of an EKU graduate, score at least an ACT composite of an 18, and have a minimum of 2.8 GPA in high school. This is competitive based and not all applicants are awarded a scholarship
  CONDITIONS: Must maintain 2.8 GPA and be enrolled full time for renewal
• Presidential Scholarship
  ELIGIBILITY: Automatically awarded to high school valedictorians that have a minimum of 23 ACT. Competitive for other high school seniors based on class rank, GPA and ACT composite scores.
  BENEFITS: One-half of the equivalent of in-state tuition and activity and technology fees
  CONDITION: Must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA and be enrolled full time.
• Regents Scholarship
  ELIGIBILITY: Competitive scholarship; must have ACT composite of 25-28 and 3.75 GPA. Automatically awarded to Governor’s Scholar participants with a minimum composite ACT of 25 and 3.75 GPA. Not all applicants that meet the criteria receive this scholarship.
  BENEFITS: In-state tuition and activity and technology fees
  CONDITIONS: Must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA and be enrolled full time.