Unlocking Opportunities: A Guide to Elmhurst University Scholarships

Elmhurst University is dedicated to making college education accessible and affordable for all students. One of the primary ways they achieve this is through a comprehensive scholarship program designed to recognize and reward academic excellence, talent, and specific affiliations. Scholarships are essentially "free money" for college, gift aid that doesn’t need to be paid back. All students who apply for admission are automatically considered for scholarships, so there is no need to submit a separate application.

Scholarships for Incoming High School Students

Elmhurst University awards scholarships to incoming high school students based on a holistic review of their academic achievements. Key factors considered include:

A student’s weighted GPA.
Grade patterns.
Level of curriculum.
Strength of the core curriculum.
Dual credit earned throughout their high school career.

In addition to the high school transcript, demonstrated writing skills or test scores play a role in the evaluation process. Students can further strengthen their application by submitting a well-written personal statement or a graded English assignment.

Presidential Scholarship

The Presidential Scholarship is a prestigious award available to incoming freshman students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievement. To qualify, students must have excelled in a challenging high school curriculum, including a number of advanced placement and honors courses.

Dean's Scholarship

The Dean's Scholarship is another merit-based award for entering freshman students. Eligibility requires a high level of performance in advanced placement and honors courses within a strong high school program.

Read also: Navigating the Elmhurst Portal

Founders Scholarship

The Founders Scholarship is available to entering freshmen who have strong academic credentials.

Scholarships for Transfer Students

Elmhurst University recognizes the unique experiences and academic accomplishments of transfer students and offers several scholarships tailored to their needs.

Transfer Achievement Scholarship

The Transfer Achievement Scholarship is awarded to students transferring to Elmhurst University who have a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Transfer Recognition Scholarship

The Transfer Recognition Scholarship is available to entering transfer students who have strong academic credentials and a minimum GPA of 2.5.

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship

This scholarship is specifically for students transferring to Elmhurst University who are members of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Beyond academic merit, Elmhurst University offers scholarships based on specific criteria such as affiliation, talent, or field of study.

Angeline Gale Scholarship

The Angeline Gale Scholarship supports female undergraduate students who reside or attend school in DuPage, Will, Kendall, or Kane County.

United Church of Christ Scholarship

This scholarship is available to freshmen and transfer students who are members of a United Church of Christ congregation. To apply, select “United Church of Christ” under the Religious Affiliation question on the admission application and list the name of your congregation.

Enrichment Scholarship

The Enrichment Scholarship is available to full-time freshmen and transfer students.

Music Scholarship

The Music Scholarship is specifically for music students.

Read also: Elmhurst Roots at Carthage

Post-Baccalaureate Recognition Scholarships

Post-Baccalaureate (second-degree or licensure only) students are only eligible for the Post-Baccalaureate Recognition Scholarships. Elmhurst University financial aid cannot be refunded and cannot exceed tuition charges in combination with other tuition-restricted aid.

Scholarships for Graduate Students

Elmhurst University provides various financial aid options for graduate students, including scholarships, grants, and loans.

Merit-Based Scholarships

A limited number of merit-based scholarships are offered to academically outstanding applicants pursuing their master’s degree at Elmhurst. Applications completed after May 1 are reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Elmhurst Graduate Grant

The Elmhurst Graduate Grant is a need-based award. Eligibility is determined by the Office of Student Financial Services based on information received from the student’s FAFSA.

Program-Specific Scholarships

Excellence in Multilingual Personnel in Illinois Schools (EXCEMPILS) Training Project: This scholarship is designed for graduate students pursuing careers as special educators, speech-language pathologists, and occupational therapists with specialized training.
Marketing and Consumer Insights Scholarship: This scholarship is offered to one graduate student enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Marketing and Consumer Insights and one graduate student enrolled in the Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Marketing and Consumer Insights. Completed applications must be received by July 1 to be considered.
Scholarships are available for graduate students who have been admitted to the Master’s Entry in Nursing Practice program and have fulfilled all prerequisite requirements.
Scholarships are available for graduate students who have been admitted to the Master of Occupational Therapy program and have fulfilled all prerequisite requirements.

Graduate Assistant Positions

Graduate students admitted to select degree-seeking programs may be eligible for consideration for a graduate assistant position that correlates with their area of study.

Alumni Advantage

Alumni who have received their undergraduate or a graduate degree from Elmhurst University may have the opportunity to take their first course for free upon enrollment to a graduate degree-seeking program.

International Student Scholarships

Graduate students who are eligible to study on an F-1 visa may be granted a scholarship upon enrollment to a graduate degree program for up to two years of graduate studies.

External Scholarship Opportunities

Many students receive scholarships from nonprofits, civic organizations, and other institutions. Here are a few examples:

The Elmhurst branch of AAUW offers Returning Student Scholarships.
The Naperville branch of AAUW offers the Angeline Gale Scholarship and the STEM Scholarship. Eligibility requirements vary slightly between the two, but generally, applicants must identify as female or non-binary and reside in or attend school in DuPage, Will, Kendall, or Kane County.
Citizens offers a scholarship sweepstakes for students pursuing higher learning. Current undergraduate/graduate students pursing a degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics are encouraged to apply.

Financial Aid for Undocumented and Mixed-Status Families

Elmhurst University is committed to supporting students from all backgrounds, including undocumented and mixed-status families. The admission and financial aid teams are available to guide these families through every step of the process.

City Colleges of Chicago Partnership Scholarship

Elmhurst University is a proud partner of the City Colleges of Chicago. With a common goal of accessibility to higher education they work together to ensure a seamless transfer from the City Colleges of Chicago to Elmhurst University while keeping affordability in mind. Elmhurst University offers a transfer scholarship program, plus admission counselors and financial aid staff to help you reach your goals. The scholarship will cover 50% of tuition costs for up to four years of undergraduate study at Elmhurst University. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must have graduated from a Chicago Public School and must meet the academic requirements for admission to Elmhurst University. There is no additional action required by the student to apply for this scholarship.

Noyce PRIDE Scholarship

The Noyce PRIDE application is submitted prior to a student’s third year in a college/university. Applicants must pursue a major in biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics with the goal to teach STEM in secondary schools or grades 5-12 in mathematics. This is a competitive scholarship. Applicants are judged and interviewed by a committee that will review all Noyce PRIDE applications.

Federal Student Loans for Graduate Students

Graduate students may also apply for federal student loans to cover the cost of their graduate study. To apply for a federal student loan and to be eligible for the Elmhurst Graduate Grant, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

How to Apply for Federal Student Aid

Submit your FAFSA online at studentaid.gov and add Elmhurst University’s code, 001676.
Once available, you can review and accept your loan(s) on Self-Service in the myElmhurst Portal.
Students must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Federal Direct Loans.

Types of Federal Direct Loans

Direct Unsubsidized Loans: These loans are available to graduate students and are not based on need. Principal payments are deferred until six months after the student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment, but interest accrues while the borrower is in college. Direct unsubsidized loans have a fixed interest rate and are subject to change each year. There are limits on the amount of direct unsubsidized loans that students may be eligible to receive each academic year (annual loan limits) and total amounts for graduate study (aggregate loan limits).

Requirements for First-Time Borrowers

If a student has not previously borrowed a Direct Loan, they must complete a Master Promissory Note, Entrance Counseling, and Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment at studentaid.gov.

Loan Fees

Direct unsubsidized loans have loan fees that are a percentage of the total loan amount. The loan fee is deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement you receive while enrolled in school. Fee amounts are subject to change each year.

Alternative (Private) Loans

Alternative, or private, loans are offered by private lenders to assist with educational and living expenses not covered by other financial aid. It is important to carefully review your expenses before deciding if you need to borrow. Alternative loans are generally more expensive than federal student loans and therefore should not be considered until after you have exhausted all federal loan options. Alternative loans are credit based, often require co-signers, and cannot be consolidated with your federal student loans. If you are choosing an alternative loan, you should compare the terms offered by different programs in order to choose the best fit for your situation. Please note that you are not limited to lenders listed in the ELMSelect tool; you can borrow from any lender of your choosing.

Important Information Regarding Financial Aid Disbursement and Payments

The Office of Student Financial Services sends award notices to students after they are admitted to a degree program and have filed the FAFSA. Payments are due on the 15th of each month. A late fee is charged for payments not received on time. Accounts not enrolled in a payment plan and not paid in full will be charged a 1% service fee each month. Payments returned due to insufficient funds will be assessed an NSF fee. For more information, please contact the Office of Student Financial Services at (630) 617-3015.

Tuition Reimbursement Plans

Some employers reimburse employees for tuition costs at the end of the term. To participate in a tuition reimbursement plan, students must submit an approval letter from their employer to the Office of Student Financial Services for each term of registration. When your employer or other agency authorizes direct tuition payments to Elmhurst University, service charges related to the payment may be waived or removed provided the payment is received within six weeks after the end of the term.

Scholarship Stacking

Federal aid is dispersed in the Fall and Spring Terms only. Students who are eligible for multiple scholarships may only receive the highest award offered.

Changes in Student Status

A student must be enrolled at least half-time to borrow Federal Direct Loans.

tags: #elmhurst #university #scholarships #requirements