Manage and renew your scholarships

Think back to when you received your letter of admission. If you were notified that you would receive scholarship money as part of your admissions package, you have admissions-based scholarships.

You can renew those scholarships for up to four years (eight semesters) of undergraduate study, not including summer sessions, if you continue to satisfy eligibility requirements.

What are the eligibility requirements?

To keep your admissions-based scholarships, you must:

• Enroll full time (12 or more credit hours) each semester
• Complete 24 credit hours each academic year
• Maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA

The decision about whether or not to drop a class is an academic issue; however, it is your responsibility to understand the financial implications of this decision. Dropping a class may impact your aid eligibility for the current and future semesters. 

 
Many scholarships have an enrollment requirement and your scholarship may not disburse to your student account if you are not enrolled in the correct number of credit hours for that funding 

What if I don’t meet the eligibility criteria?

If you have not met the criteria to receive your admissions-based scholarship for another year and believe you have extenuating circumstances that explain the situation, you can submit an appeal.

Students can receive multiple scholarships from Indiana University and external sources. If your scholarships, grants, or fee remissions come from IU, they cannot exceed your official cost of attendance. If your financial aid comes from an external source, you will still receive it. Note: external funding might affect eligibility for loans and Federal Work-Study. 

What if my scholarships can only pay certain charges? 

If a scholarship stipulates that it can only be applied toward a specific type of expense (such as tuition and fees only or housing and food only), it cannot be refunded to you. 

If the specific charge is already covered by a grant or scholarship, you cannot "stack” with another scholarship that covers only those expenses. 

What if my scholarships are more than my Cost of Attendance? 

If your scholarships, grants, or fee remissions come from IU, they will be reduced to equal your official cost of attendance. If your financial aid comes from an external source, you will still receive it. 

Adjustments will be made on an ongoing basis. It is possible that you will be asked to repay some of your scholarship funding, if it has already disbursed to you as a refund. 

Why can’t my institutional scholarships exceed my Cost of Attendance? 

Your Cost of Attendance, in general, encompasses all the expenses you, as a student, might expect during your periods of enrollment. As such, there should not be a need for funding that exceeds your Cost of Attendance. 

However, as noted, the Cost of Attendance is not specific to your costs. If you believe that you have additional education-related expenses, you can submit a Special Circumstances form to have your specific expenses reviewed. If approved, your Cost of Attendance might be increased, which could allow for more room for scholarships. 

What if I didn't meet the renewal criteria for my institutional scholarship?