Scholarships and Types of Aid

We're pleased to award nearly $4 million in scholarships annually to students enrolled full-time at BU. Priority consideration is given to grades and extracurricular activities.Scholarships are available in many academic programs of study as well as in the arts and athletics. Awards are also offered to students who reside in certain communities or who meet other special criteria.

View the complete list of BU Scholarships.

First-year and transfer students: Most scholarships are awarded by the Admissions office. Students who apply prior to January 15 are given priority consideration. Students who are awarded a scholarship will receive an award notification, and the scholarship will be posted to the student's financial aid record.

Current students: Applications are available after January 1 and the deadline to apply is March 1.

The BU Emergency Scholarship is available to provide funding for qualified students who are confronted with an emergency financial need that, if not met, could result in an inability to complete classes. Please note: poor use of financial aid funding, credit card debt, enrollment in summer/winter, or receiving a small amount of grants does not constitute an emergency. This scholarship is for true emergencies only and is not meant as a supplement to your financial aid package. Deadline varies based on funding availability.

To be considered for this scholarship, your emergency situation should fall into one of these categories:

• Exhausted all financial aid resources (including student and parent loans) and an outstanding balance still remains on your account.
• Confronted with an unexpected personal crisis causing the inability to meet college financial obligations (examples: change in family income/support, loss of a job, death of an immediate family member, pending eviction or home foreclosure, burglary, or fire). For loss of income, you must also submit a Special Condition form to have your financial need reviewed.

Eligibility Requirements

• GPA 2.0 or greater
• Meet Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Complete a FAFSA 
• Complete a PA State Grant application (If a PA resident) 
• Accept your Federal Direct Student Loans
• Apply for additional funding such as Federal Direct Plus Loan or Private Alternative Educational Loan.

Apply

Various scholarships are available through the PASSHE Foundation.

Learn more

The Army ROTC Scholarship is available on a competitive basis for two-year, three-year, and four-year periods. It pays tuition and fees and offers a semester stipend for materials and books (approximately $300), plus a monthly allowance for the duration of the scholarship.  For more information, call the Army ROTC Office on the Bloomsburg campus, 570-389-2123, or contact the Army ROTC Instructor Group at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, at 570-577-1013/1246.  

The Air Force ROTC program also offers financial aid opportunities.  For more details, contact the Air Force ROTC Office on the Bloomsburg campus 570-389-2196 or in Wilkes-Barre 1-800-945-5378, ext. 4860.
 

Your high school guidance office personnel is often very knowledgeable about scholarships though local sources such as service and fraternal clubs, industry, religious organizations, teachers' associations, foundation, PTAs and more. We encourage you to explore the myriad of scholarship opportunities available from your high school, as well as religious, civic, and community organizations.

Already received a scholarship? Congratulations! Make sure to let us know and submit your scholarship checks and award letters to the:
Bursar’s Office
Waller Administration Building
400 E. Second St.
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Phone:570-389-4013
Fax:570-389-3898

• Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to apply. No separate application is required.
• Be an undergraduate student who is pursuing your first bachelor's degree.
• Meet general eligibility requirements.
• Available for the equivalent of twelve full-time semesters.
• Eligibility may differ from year to year.

For Pennsylvania Residents

• Complete the FAFSA by May 15. You can apply for PHEAA grants immediately after completing the FAFSA through a link on the confirmation page or by visiting the PHEAA website and creating an account.
• Visit the PHEAA website for eligibility requirements.
• PHEAA Grants are also available for summer. Visit the PHEAA website for more information, instructions, and to apply.

PHEAA Website

For Non-Pennsylvania Residents

State grants may be available to out-of-state students from your home state. We encourage you to investigate the availability of such financial assistance.

Subsidized and Unsubsidized

The federal government pays the interest on a subsidized student loan during in-school status, authorized deferment periods, and the grace period. The student is responsible for paying the interest on an unsubsidized student loan during all periods. Learn more information about Federal Student Loan Basics for Students.

Process

Application: Apply for Federal Direct Student Loans. You'll also need to complete the Federal Direct Student Loan Master Promissory Note Application (MPN) and Entrance Counseling.  

Deadline:  Applications must be certified by the Office of Financial Aid by the last day of the semester. To be disbursed, the student must accept the loan, complete the master promissory note (MPN), and complete entrance counseling before the last day of enrollment for the term in which the loan is processed. The student must be enrolled at least half-time at the time of disbursement.

Eligibility: You must meet general eligibility requirements to receive Federal Direct Student Loan assistance. In addition, you must be enrolled on at least half-time basis (undergraduate: 6 credits, graduate/doctoral: 5 credits) in the semester for which the loan is disbursed.

Loan Reductions/Cancellations: You may request the Federal Direct Student Loan be reduced or canceled by emailing the Financial Aid Office. 

Loan Limits per Academic Year  
Information about Interest Rates/Fees, Repayment and Counseling 

The Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is available to parents of dependent undergraduate students who want to borrow funds to help pay for educational costs.

Deadline: Federal Direct PLUS Loan applications must be certified by the Office of Financial Aid by the last day of the semester. In order for the loan to be disbursed, the parent borrower must complete all steps of the PLUS Application Process at least one day prior to the end of semester. The student must be enrolled at least half-time at the time of disbursement.

Loan Limits per Academic Year:  The maximum amount parents may borrow in Federal Direct PLUS Loan per academic year is the difference between cost of education minus other financial aid received.

Interest Rate/Fees:  Rates vary depending upon when the loan was first disbursed. Current rate information.

Loan Reductions/Cancellations:  Parents may request the Federal Direct PLUS Loan be reduced or canceled by emailing us. Make sure to include the following information: 

• Parent borrower's name
• Student's name
• Student's Bloomsburg University ID Number
• Amount you want the loan reduced to

If the request is made prior to disbursement of funds, please send the request to the Office of Financial Aid. Once disbursement of funds has been made, parents have 30 days to request the Bursar's Office to return funds. 

Federal Direct GradPLUS Loans are available to graduate and doctoral students who have exhausted their Federal Direct Student Loan eligibility in an academic year.

Information about Interest Rates/Fees, Repayment and Counseling

Deadline: Federal Direct GradPLUS Loan applications must be certified by the Office of Financial Aid by the last day of the semester. In order for the loan to be disbursed, you must complete all steps of the GradPLUS Process at least one day prior to the end of the semester. You must be enrolled at least half-time at the time of disbursement.

Loan Limits per Academic Year: The maximum you may borrow in Federal Direct GradPLUS Loans per academic year is the difference between cost of education minus other financial aid received.

Loan Reductions/Cancellations: You may request the Federal Direct GradPLUS Loan be reduced or canceled by emailing us. Include your name, Bloomsburg University ID Number, and amount you want the loan reduced to. If the request is made prior to disbursement of funds, please send the request to the Office of Financial Aid. Once disbursement of funds has been made, you have 30 days to request the Bursar's Office to return funds.

Check with your state's Higher Education Agency for any loan programs that may be available to you.
 

• Pennsylvania
• New Jersey
• All States

It is recommended that students exhaust all other sources of funding before borrowing a Private Educational Alternative Loan. 

Bloomsburg University does not have a preferred-lender listing for private educational alternative loans. We recognize that you have many choices when considering a loan. To assist you we have provided information on lenders who have made twenty or more loans to Bloomsburg students in the past three years. The lenders are listed in random order. This is not an all-inclusive listing and you are not in any way required to use any of the lenders listed. You may choose a lender that best meets your needs and requirements. We may not recommend lenders. The list of lenders may be found at ELMSelect.

Applying With the Correct Loan Term
When applying for a state or private educational alternative loan, please make sure you are applying with the correct loan term. In most cases loans funds will be split evenly between the semesters based on the loan term that is requested. For instance, if you submit a loan for $10,000 and indicate the term of the loan as August 2020 to May 2021, $5,000 will be disbursed in Fall 2020 and $5,000 will be disbursed in Spring 2021. Please note that the loan funds may be possibly split unequally between semesters based on other aid you are receiving and differences in enrollment between semesters.

If the loan application is submitted with the wrong loan term, the loan borrower must immediately email our office and inform us what loan term they wish to receive the loan for. If the borrower is the student, the email must be sent from their university email account. If the school has not yet certified the loan, we can update the term of the loan. Once the loan has been certified by the university, we will not change the term of the loan or move monies between semesters. In this case the borrower may request that we cancel the loan that was certified and then reapply for a new loan with their lender using the correct loan term.

Vocational rehabilitation provides training and services for physically or mentally disabled or handicapped persons. Students who are enrolled in an educational program may be eligible for financial aid when their disability or a handicap interferes with their vocational goals. Information is available from the Wilkes-Barre District Office of Vocational Rehabilitation at 570-826-2011 or 800-634-2060 or 570-826-2023 (TTY) or 888-651-6117 (Toll Free TTY).

Veterans Benefits may be available to veterans of the armed services who qualify for educational assistance under the Veterans Administration's programs. Contact a local Veterans Administration Office for more information.

The Pennsylvania National Guard offers scholarship and loan opportunities. Information is available from a local National Guard representative.

The Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program, created by Act 16 of 2019, seeks to remove barriers in accessing a postsecondary education for youth who are or have been in foster care. It allows eligible foster youth to complete their studies, graduate with less debt, and have the opportunity to build a network of support.

Key Facts

• Program begins in the Fall 2020 semester 
• Waiver cannot be used for room and board, only applied toward tuition
• Waiver may be used for up to five academic years, whether or not consecutive, or until the age 26

Eligibility

• Pennsylvania resident under the age of 26
• Received a high school diploma or equivalent approved credential
• Eligible for services under Pennsylvania’s John H. Chafee Foster Care Program for Successful Transition to Adulthood
• Identified as a youth in foster care or a youth discharged from foster care at age 16 or older
• Exited foster care on or after age 16 to adoption or permeant legal custodianship
• Enrolled as an undergraduate, at least half time in a postsecondary institution such as BU that is approved by the U.S. Department of Education for Title IV student assistance programs
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress, as determined by the postsecondary institution.
• Not be in default on a federal student loan

How to Participate/Apply

1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
2. Submit a Chafee ETG Application  
3. Enroll at BU or another eligible PA postsecondary institution 

Contact/Help at Bloomsburg University

For assistance with admissions, obtaining verification of eligibility and referral assistance for on and off campus resources including support services.
Rona Anderson – Assistant to the Dean
College of Liberal Arts
Phone – 570-389-4806
Email - randers3@bloomu.edu

For assistance with financial aid applications and financial literacy.
Marla Kane – Associate Director
Office of Financial Aid
Phone – 570-389-4495
Email - mkane@bloomu.edu

Part-time employment is a great way to earn some extra money and so much more!

Work-Study Benefits

• Experience
• Flexible Hours
• Networking (Making friends)
• Time Management

Work-Study Facts

• You are permitted to work a maximum of 20 hours per week during enrollment If classes are not in session, you're able to work up to 37.5 hours per week
• You cannot work more than 8 hours a day.
• You aren't able to work during your scheduled class time.
• Employment awards may change.
• Available for summer but must be enrolled at least half-time for next semester.
• Earnings are not deducted from your bill; you get a paycheck!
• Federal work-study may be available for students with financial need
• There may be institutional state work-study for other students
• View other general eligibility requirements 

To Apply

• View available positions and contact information.  Apply directly with the hiring supervisor.
• Other employment opportunities may also be available for eligible Pennsylvania residents.  Contact the Center for Leadership and Engagement Office to learn more.