KU Scholarships

Chancellor  - $20,000 ($5,000/yr)

32 ACT  or 1420 SAT + 3.85 GPA

Traditions - $16,000 ($4,000/yr)

31 ACT  or 1390 SAT + 3.75 GPA

Crimson & Blue - $8,000 ($2,000/yr)

28 ACT  or 1300 SAT + 3.5 GPA

Rock Chalk - $4,000 ($1,000/yr)

25 ACT  or 1200 SAT + 3.5 GPA

Jayhawk $4,000 ($1,000/yr)

24 ACT  or 1160 SAT + 3.75 GPA

National Merit Finalist, National Hispanic Scholar - $40,000 ($10,000/yr)

Must be a National Merit Finalist or National Hispanic Scholar. Must select KU as No. 1 college choice with the National Merit Scholarship Corp

KU Pell Advantage - Up to $44,664 ($11,166/yr)

22 ACT or 1100 SAT + 3.25 GPA

Must file the FAFSA by December 1 each year and be Pell Grant eligible. Combination of scholarships & grants to fund tuition & fees. 

These scholarships are offered to Kansas freshmen who enroll for the semester immediately after completing high school. Students can only receive one of these scholarships at a time.

If your overall GPA improves after your seventh semester, or if your ACT/SAT score improves with the December ACT or SAT, simply update your application by Feb. 1. Updated information must be reported by Feb. 1 to be considered.

Renewal criteria

To renew the scholarship, you must complete 30 KU hours per year and earn a cumulative 3.25 KU GPA. Renewal criteria for the KU Pell Advantage is different and is listed here.

KU Excellence - $67,472 ($16,868/yr)* 

30 ACT or 1360 SAT + 3.75 GPA

(Equivalent to paying in-state tuition)

KU Distinction - $57,380 ($14,345/yr)*

28 ACT or 1300 SAT + 3.5 GPA

KU Achievement - $47,288 ($11,822/yr)*

24 ACT or 1160 SAT + 3.25 GPA

*Partial tuition waiver. Amount varies based on tuition. Tuition for the 2020-21 school year is contingent on Kansas Board of Regents approval in summer 2020.

If your overall GPA improves after your seventh semester, or if your ACT/SAT score improves with the December ACT or SAT, simply update your application by Feb. 1. Updated information must be reported by Feb. 1 to be considered.

These scholarships are available to out-of-state freshmen who enroll for the semester immediately after completing high school. Students can only receive one of these scholarships at a time.

Renewal criteria

To renew the scholarship, you must complete 30 KU hours per year and earn a cumulative 3.25 KU GPA.

Renewable scholarship - $6,000 ($2,000/yr)

3.5 cumulative college GPA

Renewable scholarship - $3,750 ($1,250/yr)

3.25 cumulative college GPA

All-state Kansas Academic Team - $1,000 (non-renewable)*

3.5 cumulative college GPA

Phi Theta Kappa - $500 (non-renewable)

3.5 cumulative college GPA

There's no separate application for these scholarships.

Transfer scholarships are offered to qualifying students who enroll during any semester. These scholarships may be renewed for up to three years. Students can only receive one of these scholarships at a time.

*If you are named to the All-State Kansas Academic Team or are a Phi Theta Kappa scholar, the one-time scholarship can be combined with other scholarships. The Phi Theta Kappa scholarship is only available for transfer students.

Eligibility requirements

To receive the scholarship, you must

• submit a complete admission application (by May 1 for fall semesters and Nov. 1 for spring semesters)
• students who start in the summer will receive their scholarship in the fall 
• submit an official transcript (by June 30 for summer and fall semesters or by Jan. 6 for spring semesters)
• have completed 24 transferable college credit hours
• the last 12 credit hours earned by the student must be at a community college
• not have earned a bachelor's degree previously
• ask your Phi Theta Kappa advisor to submit a PTK Membership Verification Form by July 1 (if seeking the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship)
• not have previously attended KU as a degree seeking student

Renewal criteria

To renew the scholarship, you must complete 30 KU hours and earn a cumulative 3.25 KU GPA.

Renewable scholarship - $6,000 ($2,000/yr)

3.5 cumulative college GPA

Renewable scholarship - $3,750 ($1,250/yr)

3.25 cumulative college GPA

Midwest Student Exchange Program - $35,466 ($11,822/yr)

3.25 cumulative college GPA and live in a participating Midwest state

Phi Theta Kappa - $35,466 ($11,822/yr)

3.25 cumulative college GPA 

There's no separate application for these scholarships.

Visit scholarship detail pages for more specific requirements on the Midwest Student Exchange Program.

Transfer scholarships are offered to qualifying students who enroll during any semester. These scholarships may be renewed for up to three years. Students can only receive one of these scholarships at a time.

The Phi Theta Kappa scholarship is only available for transfer students.

Eligibility requirements

To receive the scholarship, you must

• submit a complete admission application (by May 1 for fall semesters and Nov. 1 for spring semesters)
• students who start in the summer will receive their scholarship in the fall 
• submit an official transcript (by June 30 for summer and fall semesters or by Jan. 6 for spring semesters)
• have completed 24 transferable college credit hours,
• the last 12 credit hours earned by the student must be at a community college
• not have earned a bachelor's degree previously,
• ask your advisor to submit a PTK Membership Verification Form by July 1 (if seeking the Phi Theta Kappa scholarship)
• not have previously attended KU as a degree seeking student

Renewal criteria

To renew the scholarship, you must complete 30 KU hours and earn a cumulative 3.25 KU GPA. These scholarships may be renewed for up to three years.

Students who qualify for a scholarship don't have to jump through hoops — we'll automatically put you into the highest tier possible. After that, it’s up to you to maintain an academic track record — often 30 credit hours at a 3.25 GPA, except for Pell Advantage students — that will allow you to keep (or “renew”) the assistance for up to four years.

To be considered for a higher tier, you only have two things to do: improve your test score or GPA to meet its requirements, and then let us know the good news by Feb. 1.

Visit the application update page

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is a form issued by the U.S. Department of Education. To obtain aid, you’ll need one on file, so this step is important. For early notification of aid, file your FAFSA by Dec. 1; otherwise, Feb. 1 is the priority FAFSA deadline. FAFSA filing begins on Oct. 1.

Start your online application

Your financial aid counselor is your personal resource for any question related to affording KU, including scholarship access.