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Scholarships

Buena Vista University offers several types of scholarships and gift assistance:

Academic Merit Awards
Recognition Awards
Transfer Scholarships
Other Awards
Federal Scholarships & Grants
State Scholarships & Grants
Employment
Low-Interest Loans

ACADEMIC MERIT AWARDS

Students may receive only ONE award for Academic Merit.

Award	Minimum Criteria (Must meet 2 of 3)	Amount
Exceptional Merit Awards:
TRUSTEE SCHOLARSHIP	3.85 GPA, 29 ACT or Top 5% of High School class	Full Tuition
MULTI-CULTURAL SCHOLARSHIP	Students of diverse population who demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and possess strong leadership skills	Full Tuition, Room & Board
In addition to meeting the minimum criteria, the above referenced awards require the student to complete the Buena Vista University Scholarship Application and participate in Scholars Recognition Day.
PRESIDENT’S SCHOLARSHIP	3.75 GPA, 26 ACT or Top 10% of High School class	$9,000
MERIT SCHOLARSHIP	3.50 GPA, 23 ACT or Top 25% of High School class	$8,000
HERITAGE SCHOLARSHIP	3.00 GPA, 20 ACT or Top 50% of High School class	$7,000
ARCH AWARD	2.75 GPA, 18 ACT OR Top 50% of High School class	$5,500

RECOGNITION AWARDS

Students may receive only ONE Recognition Award.

Award	Minimum Criteria (Must meet 2 of 3)	Amount

DEAN’S FELLOWSHIP	3.0 GPA, 26 ACT or Top 10% of High School class	Travel Stipends:
Students must submit a completed Buena Vista University Scholarship Application form. The Committee on Academic Excellence reviews applicant materials and makes selection		$1,000 International $500 Domestic
SCHOOL AWARD	3.0 GPA, 20 ACT or Top 50% of High School class	$2,000

TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIPS

Award	Minimum Criteria (Must meet 2 of 3)	Amount

PRESIDENT'S TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP	3.75 GPA or higher	$9,000
BUENA VISTA MERIT TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP	3.5 to 3.74 GPA	$8,000
BVU HERITAGE TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP	3.0 to 3.49 GPA	$7,000
ARCH TRANSFER SCHOLARSHIP	2.75 to 2.99 GPA	$5,500
PHI THETA KAPPA SCHOLARSHIP Download application	Must have earned an associate's degree and enroll full-time at BVU immediately following community college experience. Students with a previous bachelor's degree are not eligible. 3.5 GPA or higher.	The award will be added to the student's BVU transfer scholarship, making the total $9,000-$10,000

OTHER AWARDS

SIBLING GRANT (eligible for each year of simultaneous enrollment SL)	$500
OUT-OF-STATE GRANT Two of Three requirements: 3.00 GPA, 20 ACT or Top 50% of High School class	$1,000
MULTICULTURAL INCENTIVE GRANT	up to $1,000
NATIONAL PRESBYTERIAN SCHOLARSHIPS	up to $1,400

Students may receive one Academic Merit Award AND a Recognition Award as well as Other Awards depending on criteria met, financial need and the total amount of BVU assistance that has been awarded. All Buena Vista University Financial Assistance requires full-time enrollment.

FEDERAL SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

Pell Grant - will range from $890 to $4,731 for eligible students for a full-year, full-time award. Individual awards are determined based on federal formula. Payment is calculated for full-time enrollment (12 or more hours per semester), ¾ time enrollment (9-11 hours per semester), or half-time enrollment (6-8 hours per semester). Students enrolled less than half-time may also be eligible. To be considered for a Federal Pell Grant, the results of your valid application must reach us while you are still enrolled.

Academic Competitiveness (AC) Grant/National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant - may be available to students who show exceptional financial need. Full-time enrollment, U.S. citizenship and Pell Grant eligibility are required for both programs.

AC Grants of $750 will be available to first year students who meet the criteria above and who have also graduated from a rigorous high school program after January 1, 2006. The award is renewable at $1,300 for a student's second year, provided the student earns a 3.0 cgpa after the first year and continues to be Pell Grant eligible.

SMART Grants of $4,000 are available for each of the third and fourth academic years if the student is enrolled in a program leading to a degree in physical or life sciences, computer science, technology, math or certain foreign languages, has met the requirements above, and has earned, and continues to maintain, a 3.0 or better cgpa.

Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant - Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) are available to students who show exceptional financial need and, normally, who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. These grants are partially federally funded, but awarding is controlled by the University. Because funding is limited, priority is given to students who complete the FAFSA by June 1 and list Buena Vista University on the application.

Robert C. Byrd Scholarship - Robert C. Byrd Scholarships of up to $1,500 are made available by the federal government in the form of grants provided to the state. Students can apply for this scholarship through the Iowa College Student Aid Commission. Evidence of financial need is not a requirement.

Iowa National Guard Educational Grants are available to Iowa residents who are members of an Iowa Army or Air National Guard unit while enrolled in higher education. The individual award amount will not exceed the average tuition rate for full-time students at Iowa Regents Universities.

Other gift aid programs, such has the Iowa Education & Training Voucher Grant, All Iowa Opportunity Foster Care Grant and the All Iowa Opportunity Scholarship, are available from the State of Iowa in limited amounts. These funds currently help Iowa students who have been in foster care, TRIO programs, alternative high schools or are homeless.

STATE SCHOLARSHIPS & GRANTS

Iowa Tuition Grants are awarded, based on need, to Iowa residents who attend Iowa private colleges and universities and submit their FAFSA by the July 1 deadline. The award is $4,000 in 2007-08. Awards are made for full-time, part-time and less than part-time attendance.

Iowa Grants, up to $1,000 a year, are funded by the State of Iowa to the neediest Iowa students attending an Iowa college or university. All students will be considered by applying for federal aid. Selection will be made by the university from eligible financial aid applications. Funding is limited.

EMPLOYMENT

College Work-Study awards provide on-campus and off-campus employment opportunities to students with demonstrated financial need. Awards are made as part of the financial aid package. Priority will be given to those students who apply for financial aid by June 1. Most student work contracts call for four to ten hours of work per week. Whenever possible, students are assigned to positions in their major field of interest, thereby adding support to career goals. Student wages are paid every two weeks. Work-study earnings are intended to be used primarily for miscellaneous expenses, but some students use them to help pay tuition costs. Click here for more information.

BVU provides referrals for a wide variety of part-time, non-work-study jobs in the community. These jobs are open to all students and notices are posted at the Office of Financial Assistance.

LOW-INTEREST LOANS

Federal Perkins Loans are available at BVU to students demonstrating financial need. Priority is given to students who apply for financial aid by June 1. Funding is provided by both the federal government and BVU, with the university acting as the lender. These loans vary in amount and are interest-free while the student is in college. Repayment begins nine months after the student is no longer enrolled at least half-time in college; interest at 5 percent will normally begin nine months after graduation or withdrawal. Students may take up to ten years to repay. Click here for more information.

Federal Stafford Loans are available to students enrolled at least half-time in college. The federal government offers loans with an interest subsidy for those students who show financial need, and loans without an interest subsidy for those students who do not show need or who show a limited amount of need. If eligible for the interest subsidy, the government will pay the interest on the loan for the student borrower until six months after the student graduates, withdraws from college or enrolls less than half-time. If eligible for an unsubsidized loan, the student will be responsible for the interest while in college as well as after they are no longer enrolled at least half-time. A FAFSA must be submitted to determine the eligibility for the subsidized Federal Stafford Loan. First-year students will be eligible for a total of $3,500 a year, sophomores $4,500 a year, and juniors and seniors $5,500 a year. The totals represent the maximum that a dependent student can borrow in a combination of the subsidized and unsubsidized loans. The interest rate is currently 6.8 percent. Borrowers will normally be allowed 10 years to repay the loan. Click here for more information.

Federal and Private Loans are available to parents who have dependent children in college. Eligibility is based on the cost of education minus other financial aid. Extended payment periods and deferment options enhance the attractiveness of these programs. You can receive further information on these options from the Office of Financial Assistance. Click here for more information.

Loan funds from the following sources may replace or supplement other loans in a student's aid award: Mabel E. Sherman, McElroy or BVU Loans. Contact the Office of Financial Assistance concerning the availability of these loan funds.