Purdue University Scholarship Opportunities: A Comprehensive Guide
Purdue University recognizes the importance of scholarship support in enabling students to achieve their academic goals and make a significant impact on the world. To that end, Purdue offers a wide range of scholarship opportunities to attract and support talented students from diverse backgrounds. These scholarships are designed to reward academic excellence, leadership potential, and financial need, ensuring that deserving students have access to a world-class education.
Merit-Based Scholarships
Purdue University awards freshman merit scholarships based on a holistic review of all information provided via the admission application. Exceptional academic achievement, leadership skills, and service to the school and community are all considered. Purdue's Presidential Scholarship is one such merit-based award, with the dollar amount varying based on residency. This scholarship is renewable for four years, contingent upon maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Both U.S. nationals and international students are eligible for merit-based scholarships.
The Purdue Engineering Student Council (PESC) also offers the Industrial Scholarship, a merit-based award for students who demonstrate a significant commitment to their education and community. This scholarship is sponsored by companies participating in the Industrial Roundtable, one of the largest student-run career fairs in the nation.
Need-Based Scholarships
In addition to merit-based scholarships, Purdue also offers financial aid based on need. For maximum consideration, students must meet admission and financial aid deadlines. The College of Engineering, for example, awards around $3.8 million in scholarships annually to undergraduate students, with some scholarships specifically designed to address financial need as defined by the FAFSA.
Scholarships for Engineering Students
Purdue Engineering students have access to numerous scholarship opportunities within their school, financial aid office, and from external sources. The College of Engineering awards millions of dollars in scholarships annually to undergraduate students. These scholarships are funded by generous alumni, friends, and corporate partners.
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A $20,000 gift from the Carter Foundation supports three students (sophomores or juniors) participating in Purdue University's Women in Engineering Program or Purdue's section of the Society of Women Engineers, as well as Latinos in Science and Engineering and/or the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
Students experiencing financial hardship can apply for a temporary, one-time scholarship from the College of Engineering.
Experiential Education Scholarships
The Office of Experiential Education (ExEd) offers scholarships for students participating in experiential education opportunities offered by Purdue University. These experiences can include internships, study abroad/away programs, co-ops, field experiences, student teaching, practicums, service-learning, undergraduate research, and co-curricular opportunities. To qualify, students must be Purdue West Lafayette or Indianapolis undergraduate or Pharm D students in good academic standing, enrolled full-time or part-time during the semester of participation, and meet the financial aid citizenship requirements.
External Scholarship Opportunities
Purdue students can also explore external scholarship opportunities. The MTI Educational Foundation Scholarship Program is open to students interested in careers in metallurgy, materials, engineering, industrial, or mechanical sciences. Applicants must be enrolled as full-time or part-time students in a nationally accredited college or technical school in these fields.
Two academic merit award winners will receive financial support and grants for collegiate STEM research and educational programs. College students pursuing degrees in science, technology, and engineering fields can apply for the Discrete Automation Scholarship. Every year, the merit-based award recognizes two ambitious problem solvers with a scholarship each, eligibility for an Emerson internship, and research grants to enhance their schools’ engineering programs.
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The Indiana Chapter of the Society of Maintenance & Reliability Professionals (SMRP-Indiana) offers a scholarship to a student currently enrolled in a maintenance, reliability, or engineering degree in the State of Indiana.
International Student Scholarships
Purdue University's International Master Program MS^2 (Mechanics of Sustainable Materials and Structures) has received Erasmus Mundus Joint Master funding from the European Commission. This allows the program to provide scholarships to the best students each year. Other financial aid options may be available for students who do not receive the EMJM scholarship.
Research Funding
The Office of Undergraduate Research (OUR) offers Undergraduate Research and Professional Development Grants of up to $500 for undergraduate students or student organizations conducting, presenting, or planning group events related to research. The Engineering Undergraduate Research Office (EURO) also offers Undergraduate Travel Grants. The Office of Experiential Education provides funding for student service-learning projects.
Purdue Fort Wayne Scholarships
Purdue Fort Wayne (PFW) offers a variety of annual scholarships based on academic achievement and financial need. Academic scholarships are awarded to incoming undergraduate students who meet specific criteria, with no separate application required.
Eligibility requirements for students beginning fall 2022 and on include:
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- Undergraduate student status
- Full-time enrollment (first-time or transfer)
- Minimum 2.5 GPA
Scholarship amounts for first-time beginner students per year vary based on GPA and residency.
PFW also offers the Purdue Fort Wayne Scholarship Plus to international and non-citizen students who qualify for the Purdue Fort Wayne Scholarship and meet all required deadlines. This is a one-time benefit awarded during their first semester.
Additional Scholarship Resources
Purdue offers resources to help students find and apply for scholarships:
- Scholarship Universe: A matching system that connects students with internal and external scholarship opportunities.
- Community Foundations: Many community foundations offer scholarships for students from or living in their geographic focus.
Thank You Letters to Donors
Purdue provides guidance on writing thank-you letters to scholarship donors. These letters should:
- Be free of spelling and grammar errors
- Include an appropriate salutation
- Identify the scholarship received
- Include information about the student's classification, major/minor, hometown, Purdue activities, special interests, future plans, family history, and what the scholarship means to them personally
- Be signed
Purdue Alumni Club Scholarships
Many Purdue Alumni Clubs offer scholarships to incoming freshmen and current Purdue students. The Purdue for Life Scholarship Application is used by many clubs.
Additional Financial Aid Options
In addition to scholarships, Purdue offers other forms of financial aid, including:
- Grants: Need-based aid that does not need to be repaid.
- Loans: Borrowed funds that must be repaid with interest.
- Work-Study: Opportunities to earn money through part-time jobs.
- Summer Aid: Financial aid for summer courses.
Overcoming Financial Hurdles
Purdue is committed to ensuring that cost is not a barrier to obtaining a degree. The university offers a variety of financial aid options to help offset the cost of education.
Resilience Scholarship
The PESC Resilience Scholarship recognizes students within the College of Engineering who have faced adversity and exhibited resilience. The PESC Resilience Scholarship is open to all undergraduate engineering students at Purdue who will be graduating in December 2023 or beyond.
The Lenora M. Green Scholarship
The Lenora M. Green Scholarship supports students pursuing higher education.
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