Bellarmine University Scholarships: A Comprehensive Guide to Requirements and Opportunities

Bellarmine University strives to enroll a freshman class with diverse talents and backgrounds. To support this commitment, the university offers a variety of scholarships and financial aid programs. Understanding the requirements and opportunities available is crucial for prospective students seeking to make a Bellarmine education more affordable. This article provides a detailed overview of Bellarmine University's scholarships, grants, and other financial aid options, along with their respective requirements.

Bellarmine's Approach to Financial Aid

Bellarmine University's Financial Aid Program aims to recognize superior academic achievement and provide assistance to qualified students who, without such aid, would be unable to attend college. All aid given through Bellarmine is intended to supplement the resources of the student and their parents. One hundred percent of incoming first-year students receive institutional gift-aid assistance. Bellarmine invests more than $23 million for entering students.

Bellarmine closely measures what matters most - student success. Each year, graduate data confirms that Bellarmine’s liberal arts curriculum - coupled with a strong emphasis on experiential, hands-on learning - nets results like no others.

Types of Financial Aid at Bellarmine

Bellarmine University offers a range of financial aid options, including:

Institutional Scholarships and Grants: These are scholarships and grants provided directly by Bellarmine University.
Federal Scholarships and Grants: These are scholarships and grants provided by the Federal Government, such as Pell Grants.
State Scholarships and Grants: These are scholarships and grants provided by the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Loans: Federal, state, and private loans are available to help students cover the cost of attendance.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Scholarships for new freshmen are awarded based on the admission application. Students are reviewed based on all facets of the application and awarded appropriate scholarships and/or Bellarmine grants. Merit awards serve to recognize individual students for their academic talent, service, or leadership achievements. Award amounts are determined on an individual basis and celebrate the strength and achievements of each admitted student, in and out of the classroom.

Bellarmine is a test-optional university. If you have a test score that enhances the review of your application, you may choose to submit your test scores. Each application is reviewed individually. Typically, admitted applicants will have at least a 2.5 high school GPA. The median GPA of admitted students is a 3.7, with 50% of our admitted students falling between a 3.3 and 3.9 cumulative GPA. For those who choose to submit test scores, the middle ACT range is 22-27 and SAT range is 1060-1260.

Specific Merit Scholarships

Scarlet Scholarships: Bellarmine awards Scarlet Scholarships to entering first-year students based on the admissions application. There is no separate application process. These scholarships are based on the strength of a student's application, with minimum credentials including a strong academic profile and extracurricular involvement.
Trustee Scholarship: Bellarmine awards a $1,500 annual scholarship to incoming first-year students who complete an official campus visit and file their FAFSA before May 1st. This award is renewable for 4 years of undergraduate enrollment.

Premier Scholarships: Bellarmine Scholar and Fellow Awards

The Bellarmine Scholar and the Bellarmine Fellow scholarships, awarded to entering first-year students, are Bellarmine’s most prestigious academic scholarships. These scholarships require a separate application process, including essays and interviews.

The Bellarmine Scholar Award recognizes first-year students with a four-year, full-ride scholarship.
The Bellarmine Fellow Award includes full tuition with a study abroad stipend.

To compete for these awards, students must demonstrate intellectual curiosity, ambitious goals, and a commitment to self-discovery and lifelong learning.

Need-Based Financial Aid

Bellarmine offers Need-Based Grants to entering first-year students who have unmet financial need as determined by the FAFSA. To be considered for need-based aid, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.gov as soon as possible after October 1 of their senior year in high school. List Bellarmine as a school to receive your information. Bellarmine’s school code is 001954. There will be opportunities to make adjustments if your circumstances change.

Understanding the Student Aid Index (SAI)

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a number that colleges use to determine how much financial aid a student may qualify for. The SAI, a formula-based index number ranging from -1500 to 999999, is calculated using information from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and is based on a student’s family’s financial situation. The SAI is not a dollar amount, and it doesn’t indicate how much a family is expected to contribute.

Read also: Bellarmine University Bookstore

Matching State Flagship University Costs

For qualifying students, Bellarmine will match the current direct cost of your state’s flagship university. The amount you will pay to attend Bellarmine will not exceed tuition, fees, room and board at your state's flagship university.

Kentucky-Specific Scholarships and Grants

Bellarmine University participates in several Kentucky state-funded scholarship programs.

HOPE Kentucky Scholars Program: This program covers 100% of tuition and most fees - including textbooks - for traditional first-year and transfer students in Kentucky.
Kentucky Governor Scholarships: Bellarmine awards a $32,000 Governor Scholars Scholarships to entering first-year students who completed the GSP, GSE, or GSA program. Available for full-time enrollment during fall and spring semesters and renewable with a 2.5 cumulative GPA.

Louisville Promise Scholarship

Bellarmine University partners with the Louisville Promise to provide scholarships to graduates of select Jefferson County Public Schools. This scholarship is available to cover tuition for full-time enrollment during fall and spring semesters. Students must file a FAFSA each year for continued eligibility. The scholarship is available for a maximum of 8 semesters of full-time enrollment if a student maintains the scholarship program requirements and applies to Bellarmine by the priority deadline of January 15th.

Scholarships for Specific Student Populations

Bellarmine University also offers scholarships tailored to specific student populations.

Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship: The Bellarmine University Alumni Board of Directors awards Alumni Legacy Scholarships to entering first-year legacy students (child, grandchild, or step-grandchild of a Bellarmine or Ursuline graduate) based on the admissions application and financial need.
Lincoln Foundation - Whitney M. Young Scholarship Program: Bellarmine University and the Lincoln Foundation's Whitney M. Young Scholars Program have partnered to offer The Whitney M. Young Scholars Award to cover full Bellarmine tuition (excluding room, board, and fees).

External Scholarships

Students can use outside scholarships to supplement their financial aid package at Bellarmine. Outside scholarships are awards offered by private and non-profit organizations separate from their college. Bellarmine strives to provide users with the most up-to-date information and source data from publicly available sources, including the College Scorecard and directly from the colleges.

Read also: Tuition at Bellarmine

Additional Scholarship and Grant Opportunities

Music Scholarships: Available to students who major in music; entrance audition required.
Athletic Scholarships: Awarded based on athletic performance, as evaluated by a college coach. Scholarship sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, track, field hockey, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, lacrosse, volleyball, swimming, and wrestling.

Important Considerations for Scholarship Applicants

Application Deadlines

Priority consideration is given to students who submit their admission application by stated deadlines (fall and spring semesters only). Many schools with rolling admissions have priority deadlines, which means that students that submit their application before these dates have a better chance of receiving financial aid.

Renewal Requirements

Merit scholarships are automatically renewed each year provided you maintain the requirements. Students must file a FAFSA each year for continued eligibility for need-based aid.

Impact of Outside Scholarships

Outside scholarships do not replace the Student Aid Index. Instead, they must be counted as financial aid and deducted from the amount of aid eligibility from other agencies.

Financial Aid for International Students

Only United States citizens and eligible non-citizens can file the FAFSA to apply for federal and state need-based aid. International students on an F1 or F2 student visa are ineligible. However, Bellarmine University does offer some financial assistance to international students through Bellarmine's Office of Admission. International students are indeed eligible to apply for our Honors scholarships. Interested students must complete the standard application form online. International students must also submit documented evidence of English language proficiency. This can be met through testing (TOEFL, MELAB, Duolingo English Test, ACT, SAT), language training at an approved center, or prior educational experiences in TOEFL Exempt Countries.

Additional Resources and Payment Options

Bellarmine offers several payment options to fit your need and financial situation. You can pay your bill off all at once or at the beginning of each semester.

Avoiding Scholarship Scams

Bellarmine discourages students from participating in any search that requires a fee for an agency to find scholarships or grants. You could locate on your own.

tags: #bellarmine #university #scholarships #requirements