Financial aid options at Messiah University

Provost's Scholarship

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students Transfer Students

First-year students:

• TEST SUBMITTERS: Combinations of SAT or ACT or CLT score and high school GPA


• TEST OPTIONAL: Combination of high school GPA, difficulty of curriculum (e.g., college prep), and student performance (e.g., grades in core courses)


• $14,000 - $16,000, unlimited number of awards each year

Transfer students:

• Cumulative college GPA of 3.0 or higher


• $13,000 - $15,000 based upon cumulative college GPA (3.0 GPA required)

The Messiah University Scholarship and the Provost's Scholarship cannot be combined.

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Messiah University Scholarship

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students Transfer Students

First-year students:

• 
  

  $10,000 renewable scholarship awarded to qualified students based on application materials

  
  

Transfer students:

• $10,000 renewable scholarship awarded to qualified students based on application materials

The Messiah University Scholarship and the Provost's Scholarship cannot be combined

Dean's Visit Scholarships

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students Transfer Students

The Messiah University Dean's Visit Scholarship is a $1,000 scholarship, renewable for up to four years. This scholarship is awarded for attending an in-person campus visit with the Messiah University Undergraduate Admissions Office.

To qualify for the scholarship, accepted students may do one of the following:

• schedule and attend an in-person event or individual campus visit offered by the Undergraduate Admissions Office following your acceptance, OR


• provide details about a prior in-person campus visit experience with the Messiah University Undergraduate Admissions Office. Details about how to provide information about a prior visit experience will be shared with accepted students via email within two weeks of receiving their admission decision.

This scholarship combines with most institutional merit aid including the following:

• Provost's Scholarship or Messiah Scholarship


• Honors Program scholarships


• Multicultural Student Program scholarships


• visual and performing arts scholarships

Please note that the Dean's Scholarship cannot be combined with other institutional financial aid in cases where total institutional aid exceeds 100% of tuition. 

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Honors Program Scholarships

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students

• These scholarships are not available to transfer students and do not combine with any other institutional merit aid awards, except for the Provost's Scholarship and the Dean's Visit Scholarship


• All recipients of these scholarships will receive an invitation to participate in the Messiah University Honors Program


• Qualification for these scholarships is determined by a combination of SAT, ACT or CLT scores and high school GPA for students who submit test scores with their application. All other applicants will be holistically reviewed by a committee and invited to interview for the Honors Program on a case-by-case basis. To determine eligibility, see messiah.edu/honorsscholarships


• Students must complete the Messiah University application process by Feb. 1 to be considered


• Participation in an Honors Program Scholarship interview is required


• Recipients of these scholarships may also qualify for need-based financial aid

Trustees' Scholarship

Full tuition locked at first-year amount, 4 awards each year

President's Scholarship

Each student selected for this award receives a $5,000 renewable scholarship that is combined with the Provost's Scholarship, which is awarded upon acceptance - about 70 awards each year

Faculty Scholarship

Each student selected for this award receives a $1,500 renewable scholarship that is combined with the Provost's Scholarship, which is awarded upon acceptance - about 40 awards each year

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Multicultural Student Programs Scholarships

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students Transfer Students

• These scholarships are not available to international students and do not combine with any other institutional merit aid awards, except for the Provost's Scholarship or the Messiah University Scholarship, and the Dean's Visit Scholarship


• U.S. citizens and permanent residents only


• Transfer and first-year students are eligible


• All recipients of these scholarships will participate in the Martin Scholars Program or the R.H. Flowers Scholars Program


• These scholarships are open to all students of color, as well as any students who show a commitment to promoting racial and ethnic diversity and reconciliation


• Students must complete the Messiah University application process by Feb.1


• Participation in a Multicultural Scholarship interview is required


• Recipients of these scholarships may also qualify for need-based financial aid

Lloyd and Lois Martin Multicultural Scholarships

Full tuition locked at first-year amount, four (4) awards each year. Several $5,500 renewable scholarships will be awarded and combined with the Provost's or Messiah University Scholarship, which is awarded upon acceptance.

Rachel Helen Flowers Multicultural Scholarship

Students selected will receive a $3,000 renewable scholarship that is combined with the Provost’s or Messiah University Scholarship, which is awarded upon acceptance.

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Visual and performing arts scholarships

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students Transfer Students

These scholarships do not combine with any other institutional merit aid awards, except for the Provost's Scholarship and the Dean's Visit Scholarships. Recipients of these scholarships may also qualify for need-based financial aid. Not available for spring start students.

Vollmer Scholarship for the Arts

The Daniel Vollmer Scholarships in the Arts are awarded on the basis of talent in music, art, dance or the theatre. In the music department, and in the theatre and dance department, the award is based on the audition for acceptance to the department. For the visual arts, the award is based on a portfolio that must be presented to the department. Please contact these respective departments for information about audition dates, submission dates, and any other requirements for application. The awards are renewable each year provided students exhibit satisfactory academic progress in their area of study and meet any other requirements for the continuation of the award as defined by the respective department.

Amount

Each student selected for this award receives a $5,000 scholarship that is combined with the Provost’s Scholarship, which is awarded upon acceptance. One half of the award is applied to each semester of an academic year.

See Visual and performing arts departmental websites for details.

Shaffer-Goodling Scholarship for the Arts

The Shaffer-Goodling Scholarship for the Arts is awarded on the basis of talent in the visual arts, dance, theatre, or music based on the portfolio or audition used for acceptance to the department.  Please contact these respective departments for information about audition dates, submission dates, and any other requirements for application. The awards are renewable each year provided students exhibit satisfactory academic progress in their area of study and meet any other requirements for the continuation of the award as defined by the respective department. Recipients are selected from the same pool of applicants for the Vollmer Scholarships.

Amount

Each student selected for this award receives a $3,500 scholarship that is combined with the Provost’s Scholarship, which is awarded upon acceptance. One half of the award is applied to each semester of an academic year.

See Visual and performing arts departmental websites for details.

Dean's Scholarship for the Arts

The Dean’s Scholarship in the Arts is awarded on the basis of talent in the visual arts, dance, theatre, or music based on the portfolio or audition used for acceptance to the department.  Please contact these respective departments for information about audition dates, submission dates, and any other requirements for application. The awards are renewable each year provided students exhibit satisfactory academic progress in their area of study and meet any other requirements for the continuation of the award as defined by the respective department. Recipients are selected from the same pool of applicants for the Vollmer Scholarships.

Amount

Each student selected for this award receives a $1,000 scholarship that is combined with the Provost’s Scholarship, which is awarded upon acceptance. One half of the award is applied to each semester of an academic year.

See Visual and performing arts departmental websites for details.

Merit Scholar Recognition

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students

This $1,000 annual scholarship is available for up to four years of study to students who document that they are National Merit Scholarship finalists.  This scholarship can be added to all other Messiah University scholarships the student is eligible to receive.

ROTC Program Scholarships

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students

The Army ROTC Scholarship is a three or four-year, full-tuition scholarship awarded annually to a couple of thousand students across the country who show interest in becoming an officer in the U.S. Army. The successful candidate will demonstrate outstanding academic performance, athletic ability, leadership potential and a desire to be a physically fit, critical-thinking problem solver. In addition, the scholarship pays the student $600 per semester for books and a $420 per-month stipend.

 

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Compass Gap Year Scholarship

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students

Camp Cho-Yeh’s Compass gap year program is an intensive 9-month discipleship program, uniquely created to equip students for the challenges of life. Through an integration of spiritual development, leadership activities, and community living, Compass students deepen their faith, forge character and learn what it means to passionately follow Christ. 

Through partnership with Messiah University, Compass students earn up to 12 transferable college credits. Additionally, students who complete this 9-month program and apply to Messiah University as full-time, degree-seeking will receive a $2,500 scholarship, renewable for up to four year for a total of $10,000.

The Compass Scholarship may be combined with other merit scholarships and institutional aid up to full tuition. 

Pathway Partners Program Scholarship

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students

The Pathway Partners Program is a unique collaboration between Messiah University and K-12 educational organizations that share Messiah’s commitment to helping mentor students toward deeper intellect, professional competence, personal integrity and mature faith.

Students attending a partner institution are eligible for a $1,000 Pathway Partners Scholarship, $500 per semester, that is renewable for up to four years for a total of $4,000. Scholarship eligibility is determined based on a student’s affiliation with a partner institution at the time of their application and acceptance to Messiah University.

Pathway Partners Scholarships may be combined with other merit scholarships and institutional aid up to full tuition.

See our Pathway Partners Programs webpage for a full list of partnering institutions.

See the full list of partnering institutions

OneLife Gap Year Scholarship

This scholarship is for: Transfer Students

Alumni of the OneLife Institute who have successfully completed their gap year are eligible for a $2,500 scholarship per year of study at Messiah University. 

The OneLife Scholarship combines with need-based grants and most institutional merit aid including the Provost's Scholarship and the Dean's Visit Scholarship. The OneLife Scholarship does not combine with Honors Program scholarships, Multicultural Student Program scholarships, or visual and performing arts scholarships. 

Messiah University agrees to pre-accept the credits that OneLife students earn during the OneLife program, however, completion of the program does not guarantee admission to the applicant's academic program. Candidates are subject to the admissions process as described here www.messiah.edu/applynow. 

Additionally, children of Messiah University employees are eligible for a $2,000 scholarship if they choose to attend the OneLife Institute Gap-Year Program.

More details can be found here

Phi Theta Kappa

This scholarship is for: Transfer Students

Pittsburgh Promise Scholarship

This scholarship is for: First-Year Students Transfer Students

Messiah University is a Preferred College Partner of The Pittsburgh Promise. Accordingly, for the 2024-25 Academic Year (benefiting the high school graduating Class of 2024):

• Messiah provides full-time enrolled Promise Scholars who live on campus with a $5,000 award per year for up to four years.


• This award is calculated outside of the Promise Scholarship and is in addition to any other aid for which the student may be eligible and will be stacked with any additional institutional aid up to the full cost of attendance. Some exceptions could occur where adjustments to the recipient’s financial aid package may be required by federal or state regulation, or institutional policy.

 

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Scholarships for Continuing Students

Dean’s Scholarships for Continuing Students

Dean’s Scholarships for Continuing Students are awarded to current Messiah University students who have distinguished themselves as outstanding leaders in specific activities while attending Messiah University .

Applications for Dean’s Scholarships for Continuing Students are available in the Financial Aid Office on the third floor of the Kim S. Phipps Admissions and Welcome Center and can be downloaded from the forms page. (Note: This application is only available during the application period - approximately March 1 through May 15 each year.)

Fifteen $1,500 Dean’s Scholarships for Continuing Students are awarded each academic year.

The Dean’s Scholarships for Continuing Students candidate:

1. Must be a full-time student at Messiah University .


2. Must have completed at least 30 credit hours of work at Messiah University .


3. Must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or better.


4. Need not demonstrate financial need, but financial need will be taken into consideration. 

Since the Deans' Scholarship for Continuing Students is designed to recognize students who have distinguished themselves as outstanding leaders but are not already the recipient of a leadership scholarship, Messiah University students already receiving one of these academic/leadership scholarships are not eligible to receive Dean's Scholarships for Continuing Students:

• Trustees' Scholarship


• President’s Scholarship


• Lloyd and Lois Martin Multicultural Scholarship


• Vollmer Scholarship


• R. H. Flowers Scholarship

The application deadline is May 15.

Provost's Scholarships for Continuing Students

Recipients of the Messiah University Provost's Scholarships for Continuing Students will be selected from the fall and spring Dean's Lists from each academic year.

Up to 20 $2,000 Provost's Scholarships for Continuing Students will be awarded each year.

The Provost's Scholarships for Continuing Students candidate:

• Is required to make the Dean's List two consecutive semesters (fall and spring). The scholarship will be awarded for the following academic year in equal amounts each semester--$1000 each semester.


• Cannot be a current recipient of:
  
  
  
  • Provost's Scholarship for Academic Achievement (This is the scholarship awarded as a new student which will follow the student through all four years, assuming the minimum GPA requirement is maintained; this scholarship is often referred to as simply the Provost's Scholarship.)
  
  
  • Honor's Program Scholarships
  
  
  • Lloyd and Lois Martin Multicultural Scholarship
  
  
  • R. H. Flowers Scholarship
  
  
  • Vollmer Scholarship
  
  
  
  


• Must be a full-time student.


• Must have completed 30 credit hours or more at Messiah University to be considered.

If more than twenty Messiah University students meet the above requirements, the Provost's Scholarships for Continuing Students will be awarded to the twenty candidates with the highest cumulative grade point average for the academic year in question.

There is no application for the Provost's Scholarships for Continuing Students. Candidates will be identified from the Dean's List published by the Academic Office.

Messiah University has a policy of nondiscrimination in relation to gender, race, color, disability, and national or ethnic origin.