There are some great college scholarships for eligible students who plan to transfer. Many accredited four year colleges offer them so it’s easier for students to make a change. Some schools may award scholarships for community college transfer students and even out of state admitted students. In addition, many promising students receive scholarships from other sources. These may include university departments, nonprofits, honor societies and private companies.
University of Denver says 70% of undergraduate students who transfer in get some type of merit financial aid. Transfer college students may receive a merit scholarship ranging from $5,000 to $21,000. If you keep up good standing, the amount you receive is renewable for all 4 years. Eligibility is based on your high school GPA and test scores.
Students transferring from a community college may also find scholarship opportunities. University of North Florida offers several Community College Transfer Scholarships. It is open to accepted state residents who have an associate’s degree from an accredited two year college in Florida. Eligible applicants must also have a 2.5 GPA or higher.
How Do You Qualify for a College Transfer Scholarship?
As a college transfer student, you may qualify for college scholarships based on financial need or merit. For need based awards, you must file a FAFSA. You must apply by a priority deadline. Merit scholarships are about academic excellence. For these, you must meet the school’s grade point average and test score range.
Eligible applicants may also need a certain number of completed college credit hours, earned at an accredited institution. Criteria might also include full time enrollment. This may equal from 12 to 15 semester hours per academic year, depending on the school.
Some scholarship application might also ask for the following info:
Letter of acceptance
School Transcripts
Letters of recommendation
Copy of visa if you’re a non U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident card
Essay
10 Transfer Student Scholarships You Should Apply for in 2021
Here are 10 scholarships for transfer students who plan to switch schools. If you meet eligibility rules, apply soon before the deadline.
University of Denver Merit Scholarships for Transfer Students
McMurry University Transfer Scholarship
DePaul University Transfer Scholarship
Aquinas College Transfer Scholarship
Concordia College of New York Fortress Grant for Transfer Students
Concordia College of New York Scholarship for Transfer Students
North Park University Academic Scholarship for International Transfer Students
University of Louisiana at Lafayette Associate Degree Academic Transfer
Stevenson University Honors Scholarship for Transfer Students
Drury University Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholarship
Which Colleges Offer Transfer Scholarships?
Many accredited colleges like University of Maryland and University of Miami offer scholarships to students transferring in. Some awards may cover partial or full tuition and fees. You may also receive full ride scholarship awards. They typically pay tuition, fees, housing and a monthly sum for living costs or travel.
The Maryland Transfer Scholarship provides partial tuition awards ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. It is granted equally over four consecutive semesters. Only in state students transferring to the University of Maryland from a two year or four year college are eligible.
All transfer applicants are automatically considered for the President’s Scholarship at University of Miami. Award amounts range from $10,000 to $15,000 annually if you have a competitive GPA of 3.5 or higher. The school also strives to maximize need based financial aid for eligible students making the move. Their goal is to meet 100% of unmet need.
Can You Transfer Your Scholarship to a Different College?
Scholarships don’t usually transfer from one college to the next. So if you received a scholarship from college A, it won’t transfer to college B. The new school you transfer to may calculate financial aid from scratch. However, if the scholarship for transfer students comes from a nonprofit or outside source, you may be able to transfer the award as long as you continue to meet their terms.
Why Do College Students Transfer Between Schools?
Students transfer colleges for a variety of reasons and it’s more common than you might think. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, there were over 1.3 million transfer in students at some 3,420 schools in the U.S. as of 2019. One of the main motivators is to save money. The average cost of a public two year college, cites the NCES, was $9,400 vs $14,600 at a four year school.
As a result, many students start by enrolling in an associate’s degree program. This gets some of the general college coursework out of the way. The transferable credit hours then reduce the time and cost of a bachelor’s degree from a four year college. For others, the reasons may be less about finances and more about school fit or switching majors. Many students may also transfer due to life and academic challenges because of COVID.
This undergraduate award is for U.S. community college students who have completed 45 credit hours, and have a 3.0 grade point average or higher. The student must enroll in Auburn University in Alabama.
This undergraduate award is for U.S. students who reside in Alabama and are current members of Phi Theta Kappa. The student must a have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, as well as a minimum of 36 transfer credit hours, and plan to enroll in Athens State University in Alabama immediately after completing coursework at the two-year college level.
This award is for U.S. and international students transferring to Point Park University in Pennsylvania. The student must have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher and must have completed at least 12 credit hours.
U.S. students who are members of Phi Theta Kappa who plan to transfer to Stevenson University in Maryland are eligible for this award. Students must have completed 12 or more credit hours of college coursework.
This award is for U.S. students who are transferring to the University of Louisiana Lafayette after earning an associate’s degree. Students must be residents of Louisiana and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
U.S. students who have earned 28 or more college credit hours and plan to transfer to Stevenson University in Maryland are eligible for this award. Students must have a grade point average of 2.8 or higher.
This award is for U.S. undergraduate students who have earned an associate’s degree and are planning to transfer to Columbia College of Missouri. The student must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.0 or higher.
This award is for U.S. and international students who are planning to attend Columbia College of Missouri as a new freshman or transfer student. The student must be a Disciples of Christ member and be nominated by his/her minister.
U.S. students who have completed one semester of college with an SAT score of 1150 and in the top 20 percent of their class are eligible for this award. Students must transfer to Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania.
