Scholarships for Freshmen

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions offers competitive, merit-based scholarships to incoming freshmen each year. You are selected for scholarships based upon your high school GPA (recalculated by admissions), SAT or ACT test scores and your residency classification. Some scholarships may have additional selection criteria.

Florida Resident Scholarships | Non-Florida Resident Scholarships

These admissions scholarships may be combined with other university scholarships as well as scholarships you may receive from outside sources. You are strongly encouraged to submit the 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you qualify for financial aid, you will receive additional correspondence from USF’s Financial Aid Office. All scholarship offers are counted as part of your financial aid package.

Requirements

• Apply for admission by January 2nd*. You do not need to submit a separate scholarship application for these scholarships but may for many of the privately-funded scholarships offered by USF. Refer to the admissions checklist to complete your application.
• Review your residency classification by checking OASIS. If necessary, please submit an updated residency affidavit by the priority date.
• Send updated credentials, including semester transcripts and SAT or ACT test scores.
• Check the mail! If selected, you will be notified by mail as part of the admission acceptance letter or a separate scholarship offer letter.
• To accept your scholarship(s), log onto OASIS and follow the links to the Financial Aid 'Awards by Term'.

*Due to a technical error with the USF application provided on FACTS.org, we have extended the priority application deadline to be considered for scholarships until January 19th.

Awarding Timeline

If you are selected for a scholarship, we will notify you between October and March. Your transcripts and test scores received within the awarding timeline will be used for consideration. Even after you have been admitted, you may receive an admissions scholarship or an upgraded scholarship offer based on improved test scores and/or official first semester grades. As scholarship funds are limited, you should send updated information as soon as possible. Final high school transcripts or test scores received after the awarding timeline will not be considered for scholarship selection.

Accepting Your Scholarship(s)

After you receive your scholarship offer in the mail, follow these steps to accept your award:

• Logon to OASIS
• Click on “Student and Financial Aid”, “Financial Aid”, “My Award and Loan Information” then “Awards by Aid Year”
• Select the “0910 (Fall 09, Spr 10, Sumr 10)” award year and click “Submit”
• Click on the “Terms & Conditions” tab and review the information then click “Accept”
• Go to the “Accept Award Offer” tab and accept each scholarship offer.

Accepting your scholarship(s) is not a binding commitment to attend USF. You must pay the non-refundable $200 admission deposit by May 1 to secure your space in the freshman class.

Scholarship Renewal Terms

Freshman scholarships offered by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions are renewable for up to eight (8) consecutive semesters (four years) of undergraduate coursework or receipt of a bachelor’s degree (whichever occurs first) as long as you maintain the renewal criteria:

• Maintain a minimum cumulative USF GPA of 3.0
• Enroll as a full-time undergraduate student (minimum twelve (12) USF credit hours per semester) in each term that scholarship funds are received. Funds are disbursed in the fall and spring semesters only
• Complete 30 USF credit hours per academic year. NOTE: Summer session courses completed at USF may count towards your scholarship renewal. Cross-enrolling (transient) at another college/university, repeating a course, receiving an incomplete grade or auditing a course are not considered as satisfying renewal criteria deficiencies. Additionally, credits earned through AP, IB, AICE or CLEP exams, dual enrollment or transfer credits from other colleges/universities are not considered toward your 30-credit-hour requirement.

International Students

International students may be eligible for non-need based scholarships. International students must provide appropriate visa/immigration documentation to the Office of International Services prior to receiving funds.

If you are a citizen of an eligible Caribbean or Latin American nation or resident of a U.S. territory (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands), you will be considered for in-state scholarships. If you are selected for a scholarship, you will be reclassified temporarily as a Florida resident for tuition purposes as long as you retain the scholarship.