Office of Student Financial Aid

New Undergraduate Scholarships

Most new students don't pay full price. 94% of new undergraduates receive scholarships or other state and federal aid.

If you’re a new international undergraduate student, check here for scholarship information.

Types of Scholarships

UToledo Scholarships

These are sometimes called institutional scholarships. They can be:

• Merit-based – based on grades
• Need-based – based on your financial need

Donor Scholarships

Generous donors provide hundreds of scholarships. Many of the scholarships are specific to certain colleges and majors. Donors decide the eligibility criteria.

Outside Scholarships

These are scholarships you receive from non-UToledo sources:

• Banks and credit unions
• Employers
• Churches
• Civic groups, like the Kiwanis or Knights of Columbus

Special Scholarships

Choose Ohio First. This state scholarship program awards scholarships to students majoring in STEMM fields. Scholarships are based on merit. Learn more about eligibility and the application process.

Emergency funds. You can apply for additional aid if you experience a financial emergency. All you need to do is fill out a Rocket Aid application.

Study abroad. Learn about a variety of ways to fund a study abroad experience.

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How to Find Scholarships

Find your merit or Out-of-State aid

I Live out of state

Most out-of-state students pay an out-of-state tuition surcharge of about $9,360 a year. Depending on your GPA, you may be eligible for additional aid to help offset that surcharge — either in-state tuition or a scholarship. Both can be combined with the other merit scholarships listed above.

GPA 3.5 and above	In-state tuition (with a $100 per semester fee
GPA 3.0-3.49	Rocket Nation Scholarship	$8,000

The Rocket Nation Scholarship helps offset the out-of-state surcharge for student who do not qualify for in-state tuition. Residents of Monroe County, Michigan, are considered in-state students. If your residency changes to in-state or Monroe County, Michigan, the Rocket Nation Scholarship will be rescinded.

I'm a new transfer or adult undergraduate

See your merit scholarship information here.

Scholarship database

Search our database for donor scholarships and scholarships offered by your program or department. You can customize searches using a variety of criteria, review scholarship eligibility requirements and access applications.

Search the scholarship database

School counselor

Check with your high school counselor to see if they have lists of scholarships for which you can apply.

Outside scholarship resources

Take advantage of institutions you or your parents do business with or organizations you may belong to. Many offer scholarships to members or their children.

• Your bank or credit union
• Employers
• Churches
• Civic groups like The Elks or Kiwanis clubs

We also recommend the following websites:

• Fastweb
• Scholarships.com
• College Board
• Peterson’s

NOTE: Scholarship applications should never require a fee.

TIP: Start searching and applying for scholarships as early as possible.

• An increase in GPA can translate to hundreds of dollars more in merit aid when you start college. The earlier in high school you start looking at the numbers, the more time you give yourself to boost your GPA.
• The earlier you apply for scholarships, the more money there is in the pot to be awarded.

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How to apply for scholarships

Merit Scholarships

• No separate application necessary
• Awarded automatically  if you qualify when you apply for admission

Need-based scholarships 

Fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). This serves as your application and is required for any need-based scholarships and other federal need-based aid like loans, grants and work-study.

Step-by-step fAFSA guide

Donor scholarships

When you search the UToledo scholarship database, you’ll be given links to scholarships for which you may be eligible. Follow the directions for the easiest ways to apply.

The first two applications on the Scholarship Application list will allow you to apply for hundreds of scholarships in one fell swoop. You’ll get the most bang for your buck by filling out these apps:

• Office of Student Financial Aid General Scholarship application
• The general application for the college you’re entering

IMPORTANT NOTES:

• Pay attention to the deadlines. They vary by scholarship.
• Some donor scholarships are need-based. You may need to fill out a FAFSA for those.
• Fulfill all the requirements as directed for the scholarship. Each scholarship has its own requirements and may include:
  • Recommendations from teachers, employers, etc. Be sure to ask people well ahead of the scholarship deadline to fill out an online Scholarship Recommendation Form. If you need a recommendation for more than one scholarship, they’ll have to fill out a separate recommendation form for each scholarship.
  • Essays. Writing a good scholarship essay is an art. See our helpful tips before writing yours.

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Timeline

• October: Scholarship applications open
• December: FAFSA available
• Early January: Priority scholarship application deadline for new undergraduates.
  Submit your application by the priority date in January and you’ll be competing for scholarships only with other new undergraduates. If you wait till March, the applicant pool will include all continuing students as well.
• February-March:
  • Deadline for most scholarship applications. NOTE: Deadlines vary. Doublecheck the dates in the scholarship database.
  • Financial aid offers for new undergraduates are posted to myUT.
• June 1: Donor Scholarships are typically awarded by June 1.

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How Scholarships are awarded and paid

How do I know if I earned a scholarship?

• Merit scholarships are awarded automatically if you qualify when you apply for admission to UToledo.
• Merit scholarships and donor scholarships also are listed in your financial aid package. We post your aid offer in myUT in mid-March. Most donor scholarships are awarded by June 1. To view your aid package:
  Go to myUT → Student tab → My Financial Aid → My Financial Aid Dashboard → Award Offer

NOTE: Since scholarship deadlines vary, not all donor scholarships may be listed in your aid package. If you receive scholarships after we post your package in myUT, we will update your offer and notify you by email.

• As additional funds become available, scholarships may be periodically re-awarded throughout the school year. Notifications may occur at any time, so be sure to regularly check your Rocket email account.

Scholarship funds are used to pay tuition and other charges on your account.

TIP: It’s always good form to send a thank you note to a scholarship donor. We’ll email you if you received a donor scholarship and remind you to fill out an online Thank You Form. You submit the form. We make sure your thank you note gets to the donor.

Outside scholarships

If you receive scholarships from a source other than The University of Toledo, follow these steps to make sure the funds are credited to your account:

• Notify the Office of Student Financial Aid of any outside scholarships you expect to receive. There is no deadline for this step. But the earlier you let us know, the better.
  • Make a copy of your award letter from each scholarship sponsor. Include your name, Rocket number and the amount awarded.
  • Email it to FinancialAidScholarship@utoledo.edu or mail it to The University of Toledo Scholarship Services, Mail Stop 314, 2801 W. Bancroft St, Toledo, OH 43606.
• Ask sponsors to send all scholarship checks to Scholarships Services at The University of Toledo Scholarship Services, Mail Stop 314, 2801 W. Bancroft St, Toledo, OH 43606. Your name and Rocket number and/or birthday should be recorded on each check or included on an attached letter. This will help us apply the funds to your correct account in a timely manner.
  
  Scholarship checks may also be submitted in person at Rocket Solution Central in Rocket Hall, Room 1200.
  
  If the check is made out to you and The University of Toledo, you must endorse the check in order for us to apply it to your account.
  
  If the check is made payable to you, it is your responsibility to notify the Office of Student Financial Aid that you received the scholarship money and to use it to pay any outstanding balance on your student account, before using it toward additional costs.

• Outside scholarship checks are deposited and applied to student accounts weekly, or more frequently during peak times. You can view updates to your financial aid through myUT.
  Go to myUT → Student tab → My Financial Aid → My Financial Aid Dashboard →  Award Offer
  
  Unless we receive specific instructions from you or the sponsor, scholarships of less than $500 will be applied in full to your fall semester; scholarships of $500 or more will be divided evenly between fall and spring semesters.
  
  We list scholarships as refundable if:
  • The accompanying documentation states the funds can be used for supplies or room and board
  • No instructions are included with the scholarship check

     The scholarship will be marked as nonrefundable if the donor states the check is to be:

• Used for tuition only
• Used for tuition and books
• Returned if there are any unused funds
  
  For non-refundable scholarships that may be used for books in addition to student account charges (tuition/general fee), donors must designate a specific dollar amount to be transferred to the student’s Rocket card for use at the book store. The remainder will be applied to the student’s University charges.
• My donor needs verification that I am enrolled at UToledo.
  Many donors just need a copy of your UToledo bill or class schedule. Or you can get official enrollment verification through the Office of the Registrar.

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How to maintain scholarships

• Most scholarships automatically renew as long as you meet the renewal requirements. Many require you to maintain a specific GPA and earn a specific number of credit hours each year.
• Make sure you review your scholarships’ terms and conditions here or on your original award notification. Terms and conditions vary from scholarship to scholarship.
• If you don’t fulfill your responsibilities as listed in the terms and conditions, you may lose all or a portion of your scholarships. 

Scholarships Frequently Asked Questions