Quinnipiac University
Student studying in the library.

Types of Aid

Scholarships and Grants

We realize that financing your education is expensive. With that in mind, we are committed to helping you find the resources necessary to complete your education, regardless of your personal financial situation.

We know you’ve worked hard and we’re happy to acknowledge your many academic and athletic achievements. We also evaluate financial applications for need-based grant eligibility. Your financial aid award notification may include a variety of gift aid from various sources.

Academic Scholarships

Through the admission application process, academic scholarships are awarded to incoming students by the Office of Admissions, provided certain requirements are met. The university considers scholarships to incoming students automatically with no separate forms to complete. A scholarship reduces the out-of-pocket cost to attend the school and therefore, does not need to be repaid. Learn more about applying to Quinnipiac

Students are notified of their scholarship in their letter of acceptance. The amount of the scholarship remains the same each year, provided the eligibility requirements outlined in your acceptance letter continue to be met and you remain enrolled full-time.

First-Year Student Academic Scholarships

$18,000-$33,000 | Quinnipiac University

Scholarship

Academic scholarships are considered by the admissions office based on a student's overall academic achievements and are renewed each year at the same amount, provided the student continues to be enrolled as a full-time undergraduate and meets the renewal criteria as stated in the letter of acceptance.

International Student Scholarship

Various Amounts | Quinnipiac University

Scholarship

Quinnipiac offers a small pool of scholarship funds which are awarded to international students who demonstrate strong academic achievement.

Transfer Student Academic Scholarship

$18,000-$28,000 | Quinnipiac University

Scholarship

Transfer candidates are automatically reviewed for academic scholarship, including Phi Theta Kappa awards, during the admissions process.

Athletic Scholarships

Various Amounts | Quinnipiac University

Scholarship

Athletic scholarships are available to qualifying athletes as determined by their coach, athletic director and NCAA bylaws.

Quinnipiac Town Scholarship for Hamden Residents

75% of full-time tuition | Quinnipiac University

Scholarship

Select admitted students who are residents of the town of Hamden may be offered this award during the admissions process, in place of other academic scholarships.

Quinnipiac Town Scholarship for North Haven Residents

75% of full-time tuition | Quinnipiac University

Scholarship

Select admitted students who are residents of the town of North Haven may be offered this award during the admissions process, in place of other academic scholarships.

All academic scholarships are awarded by the admissions office and are not available to students who do not receive them in their initial year.

Students who drop below full-time, or fail to meet the minimum cumulative grade point average, will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid if their academic scholarship will be discontinued.

Students who lose their academic scholarship can appeal this decision and may be re-evaluated after an additional semester to have their academic scholarship reinstated.

View the full policy

Grants

Grants are need-based and considered “gift aid.” Repayment is not required.

Federal Pell Grants

Up to $7,395 per year | U.S. Department of Education

Grant

Students who do not already have a bachelor’s degree with an eligible Student Aid Index (SAI) and enrollment status may qualify for the funding.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)

Avg. $500 to $2,000 | U.S. Department of Education.

Grant

Students who are Pell eligible are considered for SEOG funding.

Quinnipiac University Grant

Various Amounts | Quinnipiac University

Grant

Full-time students who complete the FAFSA and who show financial need are considered for grant funding.

Roberta B. Willis Scholarship/Grant

Up to $5,250 | State of Connecticut

Grant

This need-based scholarship is awarded to Connecticut residents who file a FAFSA and meet a certain expected family contribution (EFC) threshold that is determined annually.

CT Health Horizons for Nursing Grant

$10,000 | Quinnipiac University

Grant

The CT Health Horizon’s grant will allow Quinnipiac to provide $10,000 per student per year in tuition assistance for qualifying accelerated bachelor of science in nursing (ABSN) students.

Multiple Sibling Award

$2,000 per year, per eligible sibling | Quinnipiac University

Benefit / Credit

Quinnipiac Multiple Sibling Awards are available to full-time, undergraduate and graduate siblings concurrently enrolled paying two or more full-time tuitions. The multiple sibling award is a tuition-only award, therefore it may not be used on top of other tuition benefits or toward housing, fees or indirect expenses.

Outside Scholarships

We have seen many students lower their out-of-pocket educational costs by applying for outside scholarships. Here are some resources to help you make the most of your scholarship search efforts.

Students are encouraged to research outside scholarship opportunities that may include private sources such as your high school, local businesses, civic groups, national companies, church groups, charitable foundations, associations, etc. Below are links to free search engines to help you navigate the outside scholarship application process.

Free Scholarship Searches

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

National Scholarships

Accredited Schools Online
Various scholarships open to all students across a variety of majors.

Amazon Future Engineer
The Amazon Future Engineer scholarship program assists high school seniors who have completed a computer science course and plan to continue their education by attaining a bachelor’s degree in computer science, software engineering, computer engineering or other computer science related field of study from an accredited 4-year college or university.

Citizens Bank
Citizens wants to honor the dedication of students and families pursuing higher learning. They will award a grand prize of $15,000 to use towards school expenses and a monthly prize of $2,500. It takes less than 60 seconds to apply. Additionally, each quarter a student who meets the required criteria for the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Scholarship prize will be eligible to win a $2,500 prize for use towards school expenses.

Earnest Scholarship Fund
To give back to the community, Earnest launched a scholarship fund that will help 50 students take on less debt. The Earnest Scholarship Fund awards $5,000 to 50 deserving students. There are no essays to write and no fees, to ensure every student has the opportunity to enter the scholarship. There are no minimum GPA, residency, or major requirements. Applicants can be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (including DACA students).

Healy Foundation
Students entering junior or senior year at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States, a GPA above 3.0, and existing financial need combined with unexpected hardship

Hispanic Fund
Open to all students with a focus on those of Hispanic backgrounds

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Two types of scholarships: One for high school seniors going into college and the other for college transfer students

Sallie Mae & Thurgood Marshall Fund
Open to minority students and those from marginalized or underserved communities, including Black, Hispanic, Pacific Islander, Indigenous, LGBTQ+, low income, first generation, and students from rural communities, among others. You do not need to have a Sally Mae loan or be a customer of theirs to be eligible.

Sallie Mae Bridging the Dream Scholarship
The Sallie Mae Fund and Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) are proud to offer financial assistance to forty (40) current high school seniors who plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university, or continuous education program. Selected students will receive a scholarship up to $10,000 for the 2024-2025 academic school year.

Sallie Mae Completing the Dream Scholarship
The Sallie Mae Completing the Dream Scholarship program is available to current students from underserved communities who are in their final year of study and may be facing financial hardships in completing their post-secondary education program. Sallie Mae will be awarding up to 200 $2,500 scholarships through August 31.

Scholarship Guide for First Responders and Their Family Members
Study.com maintains a comprehensive guide for first responders and their families to provide them with critical information about how they can find financial aid and scholarships especially intended for them. The scholarship guide for first responders and their family members was designed with the goal to make sure first responders can afford their college education. This guide offers in-depth information in several areas, including: specific scholarships for firefighters and EMTs; other scholarships for children of first responders; alternative ways to finance a college degree.

Scholarship Guide for Nontraditional College Students
This scholarship guide for nontraditional college students, provided by Study.com, offers scholarship advice to students who have returned to college as adults, taking time off, or are military veterans.

SoFi
SoFi is giving away $2,500 scholarships for school every month. Open to SoFi members who are 18+ US residents attending a 4-year college in 50 U.S. states (+ DC). Every month, you can get another shot at the SoFi Scholarship Giveaway.

Study.com Student Scholarships
Explore the student scholarships offered through Study.com, including a wide variety of academic awards and scholarships for current and prospective students.

UNICO Foundation Scholarship Program
For US citizens of Italian decent who reside in or have a UNICO Chapter/District sponsor from one of the following states: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, or Wisconsin. (Exception: The Maria and Paolo Alessio Southern Italy Scholarship is open to applicants from all 50 states.​)

United Negro College Fund, Inc. (UNCF)
UNCF offers various scholarships open to all students across a variety of majors.

Regional and Connecticut Scholarships

American Association of University Women, Shoreline Branch
Open to local women who have completed at least 60 college credits with a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

American Savings Foundation
An independent charitable foundation that serves 64 towns in Connecticut, with a core focus on New Britain and Waterbury.

Christian A. Herter Memorial Scholarship
For Massachusetts residents with difficult circumstances, financial need, and a minimum 2.5 GPA, among other requirements

Connecticut Association of Professional Financial Aid Administrators (CAPFAA)
The organization will award six (6) non-renewable $1,000 scholarships to three (3) eligible undergraduate and three (3) eligible graduate students in pursuit of higher education in the State of Connecticut.

Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA)
Connecticut residents with an Student Aid Index (SAI) of $6,000 or less, enrolled and attending an eligible Connecticut state or non-profit, degree granting institution of higher education.

Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
For students who live in Connecticut or Rhode Island.

Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Various scholarships to apply for students from the Greater New Haven area.

Community Foundation of Greater New Britain
Various scholarships to apply for local public high school seniors from Berlin, New Britain, Plainville and Southington. A small number are awarded to graduating seniors from Farmington, Newington and Wethersfield.

Connecticut Community Foundation
Various scholarships to apply for. Students must be from Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills, Connecticut.

Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
More than 60 scholarships, most of which are geared to students from the Greater Hartford region.

Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford
Scholarship for Jewish students currently residing in the Greater Hartford area.

Main Street Community Foundation
The majority of scholarships require you to be a resident of Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington or Wolcott, Connecticut or require that you are attending a high school in one of those towns. However, there are a few scholarships that do not, so please read the eligibility criteria carefully before applying.

New England Society Scholarship
A scholarship for incoming freshman to an eligible New England college or university. Applicant must live and attend high school in one of the five boroughs of NYC and have a demonstrated need of financial aid.

New Haven Promise
For students who attended New Haven Public Schools.

SBM Charitable Foundation, Inc.
Students who are full-time residents of Hartford, Tolland, or Windham Counties.

The Stephen Phillips Memorial Scholarship Fund
A scholarship for permanent residents of New England states, with financial need, who display academic achievement, a commitment to serving others, a strong work ethic and leadership qualities.

Scholarship Steps to Follow
  • Mark deadlines on your calendar early!

    • Most scholarships have deadlines early in your senior year of high school (there are some for continuing college students, too!). Research early and mark the deadlines so you have time to prepare.

  • Include letters of recommendation and a student resume

    • Make sure to give the person writing the letter all the necessary details to paint an accurate picture by including your student resume, and give them enough time to write the letter.

    • Have your student resume handy when completing applications to remind yourself of relevant accomplishments.

  • Create a designated scholarship email

    • Make a great first impression with your email address — no one should deny you scholarships if you have a silly or out-of-the-ordinary email address, but we recommend keeping it professional.

    • You will be receiving a lot of emails during your search, so it is helpful to have them sorted into a separate email address to not bog down your main email inbox.

Scholarship Practices to Avoid
  • Don’t disregard lower award amounts

    • Scholarships with larger amounts are sure to have more competition than those with lower amounts.

    • Decreasing your competition will be in your favor and increase your chance of getting the scholarship committee’s attention.

    • There’s no limit to how many scholarships you can win or apply for, so applying for many smaller awards can be to your benefit.

  • Don’t be disheartened if you don’t triumph right away

    • The more scholarships you apply to, the better your chances of success. Apply for however many you qualify for.

  • Don’t steer clear of applications that require essays

    • Many essays can be re-utilized and applied to future applications to save you time.

Tips for Success
  • Apply early and often

    • Some scholarships have earlier application dates than others, so make sure to apply early.

  • Be organized and aware of deadlines

    • Be sure to complete applications before the deadline so you have time to make changes if any issues occur.

    • Keep a calendar to stay on track with application deadlines — these deadlines are final.

  • Create a schedule and stick to it!

    • Take a specific time each day to focus on applying to scholarships (ex. one night a week, one hour a day, whatever works for you).

  • Notice scholarship and financial aid scams

    • Here are a few of the red flags for scams:

      • Guaranteed scholarships/fees

      • Asking for personal information or credit card/banking numbers. Scholarship applications are always free.

    • If in doubt about scholarship legitimacy, reach out to your school counselor

Access the Financial Aid Self-Service Portal
Visit Self-Service

Changes and delays for the 2024-2025 FAFSA
Learn more

Federal student loan cancellation and repayment pause
Learn more