Scholarships FAQ
How do I apply for scholarships?
Are there scholarships for out of state students?
What are the eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship at the university?
How much are the scholarships offered from the university worth?
Why was I not awarded a scholarship?
How and when will I be notified if I was selected for a scholarship?
Why is the scholarship a different amount from last year?
Why did I not receive the same scholarship as last year?
Are university scholarships available for spring semester?
Why has the money not paid to my account?
I am graduating after fall semester, may I have the full amount in the fall?
How do scholarship funds work?
I received a scholarship from an agency outside the university, where should it be sent?
Why is my outside scholarship split between fall and spring?
Should I pay someone to find a scholarship for me?
My scholarship requires a verification of enrollment, where do I get one?
My scholarship requires an academic transcript, where can I get one?
How do I apply for scholarships?
Each department or school has its own application and awarding procedures. Identify the scholarships in which you are interested and contact the appropriate area. Some scholarships have an application process while other scholarship recipients are selected based on university records.
- UNCW's Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid awards named scholarships each year. The OSFA Named Scholarship Application is available on the OSFA website from November 15 through April 1 of each year. Students may complete the on-line application to apply for named scholarships for the upcoming academic year.
- UNCW's Admissions Office and Alumni Association have on-line scholarship applications as well. Students may link to these applications from OSFA's scholarship website.
Many of the departments and schools at UNCW award scholarships including Admissions, Alumni Relations, Anthropology, Art and Art History, Biology and Marine Biology, Chemistry, Communication Studies, Computer Science, Creative Writing, English, Environmental Studies, Film Studies, Foreign Languages and Literatures, Geography and Geology, Health and Applied Human Sciences, History, Mathematics and Statistics, Music, Philosophy and Religion, Pre-Med, Psychology, Public & International Affairs, Social Work, Sociology and Criminal Justice, Theatre, Cameron School of Business, Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, Graduate School, Honors Program, International Programs, School of Nursing, Center for Leadership, and The Watson School of Education.
Are there scholarships for out-of-state students?
Yes. Refer to the university catalogue for a complete listing of descriptions and eligibility requirements for scholarships.
What are the eligibility requirements to receive a scholarship at the university?Scholarships are set up by generous donors who fund the scholarships. Donors may specify criteria for the funds they donate. The GPA can range from 2.50 to 3.67. Some scholarships are based on state and county residency. Some scholarships are based on academic performance, while others require the student to meet financial need requirements as well. Please refer to the university catalogue for a listing of scholarship descriptions and criteria.
How much are the scholarships offered from the university worth?
This depends on the scholarship itself. If the scholarship is an annual scholarship, the same amount is available each year. Endowed scholarships are based on annual earnings. Most awards are between $500 and $5000. The average award is $1500 per student.
Why was I not awarded a scholarship?
Competition for scholarships is intense. Scholarships are usually available only to the most outstanding new freshmen and continuing students, as determined by the award authority. In some cases, scholarships are renewed and funds may not become available until the current recipient graduates. For specifics of why you were not selected contact the award authority for the scholarship in question.
How and when will I be notified if I was selected for a scholarship?
This depends on the award authority (department) for the particular scholarship.
- For scholarships offered by Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, notifications are sent via e-mail the first week of May.
- For scholarships awarded by other departments or organizations, the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid posts scholarship awards to the student's SeaNet account within 7-10 days after OSFA is notified.
- Some award authorities may send out written notifications to students separately.
Why is the scholarship a different amount from last year?
Some scholarships are endowed and generate annual income. The value of the scholarship is determined based on annual earnings.
Why did I not receive the same scholarship as last year?
Just as new scholarships are created each year, a few scholarships become inactive due to lack of funding. When you are awarded a scholarship, you may or may not be eligible in future years. Some scholarships are for freshmen only, and a new recipient is named each year. Many scholarships require a student to meet certain criteria or re-apply to be considered for future years; other scholarships are automatically renewed. Stay in contact with the award authority regarding eligibility and renewal procedures.
Are university scholarships available for spring semester?
University scholarships are awarded for the academic year. Very few are awarded for spring semester only. Contact the scholarship award authority to check availability.
Why has the money not paid to my account?
Scholarships are processed in the order they are received.
- If scholarship funds have been received, they pay against the student's account 10 days prior to the beginning of class.
- Typically, it takes a scholarship 7-10 days to be processed and show on the student's award information. However, for scholarships received during the first weeks of the semester, processing may take longer.
I am graduating after fall semester, may I have the full amount in the fall?
It depends on the scholarship. Some are able to be awarded all in one semester and others are not. Contact the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid to ask if it is possible to receive all of your funds in one semester.
How do scholarship funds work?
Scholarship funds are posted against any charges at the university. If the student's account is paid in full, scholarship funds are refunded to the student.
I received a scholarship from an agency outside the university, where should it be sent?
- Outside scholarship checks should be sent to the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403-5951.
- When possible please send the check prior to August 01, for fall semester and December 01, for the spring semester, to allow enough processing time for funds to be available the first day of classes.
- Make sure the student’s information accompanies the check. The student’s name and identification number (850xxxxxx) allows for faster processing.
Why is my outside scholarship split between fall and spring?
- Outside scholarships are automatically split between fall and spring semester, unless the Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid is instructed otherwise. Our intent is to help the student throughout the academic year.
- If the scholarship is to be for “fall only”, please include information with the check to indicate how it is to be disbursed to the account. Example: This check is for fall semester, or This check is for the academic year.
Should I pay someone to find a scholarship for me?
No. There are many scholarship searches available. Most information you pay for can be found free of charge. Please see our scholarship search page.
My scholarship requires a verification of enrollment, where do I get one?
If a student receives a scholarship from outside the university, and it requires a verification of enrollment, please visit the Office of the Registrar to obtain the proper documentation.
My scholarship requires an academic transcript, where can I get one?
If a student receives a scholarship from outside the university, and it requires an academic transcript, please visit the Office of the Registrar to obtain the transcript.
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