Institutional and Endowed Scholarships Through Spelman
How do scholarships work for current Spelmanites and how do I apply?
Once a year, generally in March, applications are accepted for endowed and institutional scholarships available at Spelman. All current Spelman students with a 3.0 GPA or greater are encouraged to apply. More information about this process will be sent to your Spelman e-mail account in March. Once you have completed your application, The scholarship portal will automatically match students with eligible scholarships. Some scholarships may require additional application and/or materials; if so, you will be prompted to submit more information. The application will generally take you less than 15 minutes to complete.
The priority deadline to complete a Spelman College Scholarship Application is May 31, 2023. The Spelman College Scholarship Committee will notify students of first-round scholarship offers no later than June 30, 2023. Scholarship consideration is ongoing throughout the academic year. As new scholarship opportunities become available, they will be updated throughout the year. Applications received after May 31, 2023, will not be reviewed for first round scholarships.
What types of institutional scholarships are generally available?
We never know until we hear from the business office as to which funds are available that can be awarded each year and each scholarship has different criteria. Some may require students to be in certain majors and have certain levels of financial need.
What information is required to apply for endowed and institutional scholarships at Spelman?
Complete the online application on the scholarship application portal, once it is made available (again it isn’t available until March of each year and the link to complete it will be e-mailed to you). Also, you will need to have a completed FAFSA in the system prior to the end of the spring semester (this includes having all verification documentation in as well if applicable). We need to know what your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) is before we will be able to consider you for most scholarships available at Spelman.
Are all endowed and institutional scholarships at Spelman based on financial need?
No, not at all, but we still need a completed FAFSA on file for you in order to determine which scholarships you are eligible for, and which ones you are not.
If I am selected to receive an endowed or institutional scholarship through Spelman, how and when will I be notified?
Because the selection process is extremely time consuming and involves many different departments on campus, it is generally mid-June before scholarship decisions are made. Every applicant will receive an email regarding their status once the process is complete.
Scholarships Outside of Spelman
Learn About Outside Scholarships
It is VERY important that you apply for scholarships outside of Spelman. Even if you do extremely well while here at Spelman, there is no guarantee you will be offered an institutional and/or endowed scholarship; we simply do not have the funding to provide adequate scholarship support for every student that needs it and is deserving of it.
Many organizations and corporations provide scholarships for current college students. Please be aware that scholarships run in cycles and most scholarships open to applicants have deadlines between October through early May. Please DO NOT begin looking for a scholarship opportunity a few days before your final bill to Spelman is due. Scholarship application processes take time, and it can take up to six months for an organization to notify you. Additionally, there are very few scholarship opportunities available to apply for during the summer months.
Taking the time to complete scholarship applications will make a huge difference in how you finance your college education. You can never have too much scholarship money, so be sure to apply for outside scholarships.
I have applied for countless outside scholarships and I have not received any. What am I doing wrong?
Unfortunately, we don’t have any say in the decisions made by outside scholarship agencies. What we find often is that students simply are not applying for enough scholarships. You can’t put all your eggs in one basket. The more scholarships you apply for, the better your chances of securing funding. Additionally, your GPA does matter, so be sure you keep your grades as competitive as possible. Finally, DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. You will not receive every scholarship you apply for, and it doesn’t mean you should stop applying, so don’t give up and keeping reaching out for funding opportunities.
Scholarship Scams
Please remember that if something sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. Scholarships NEVER have application fees. Please do not give out your personal information. When in doubt talk to your high school counselor or other school official or take time to research the organization or company offering the scholarship to make sure the opportunity is legitimate.