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NDSU

Freshman Scholarships

North Dakota State University is proud of the number of academically talented students who enter the university each year. Although the scholarship selection process is quite competitive, all interested students are encouraged to complete the scholarship application or contact the appropriate department for consideration. Decisions for freshman scholarships are based primarily on:

  • admission to NDSU
  • a recommended ACT composite score of 23 (SAT score of 1050)
  • a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.5
  • a high class rank

Scores received for tests taken after February 1, 2009, will not be considered for scholarship purposes. Competition for these scholarships is quite high often causing the minimum test score and GPA to be greater than the above criteria.



Freshman Scholarship Eligibility

Students entering NDSU for the first time are considered for freshman scholarships if any of the following criteria are met:
  • high school seniors who have or have not earned college credit
  • high school graduates who have not attended any post-secondary institution

Applicants must be either a U.S. citizen with a Social Security Number or be a permanent resident.


How to Apply for Freshman Scholarships

To be considered for freshman scholarships, it is necessary to submit your application by February 1, 2009. It is important to note that you also must complete your admission to NDSU by February 1, 2009. The scholarship application is available online at www.ndsu.edu/prospective_students/scholarships.

To request an Application for Admission, please call the Office of Admission at 1-800-488-6378 or 701-231-8643. You may submit the on-line Application for Admission at www.ndsu.edu.


When to Apply for Freshman Scholarship

The deadline for submitting an application and all supporting credentials for 2009-2010 freshman scholarships is February 1, 2009. Students must be admitted to NDSU prior to the scholarship deadline in order to qualify. We encourage you to apply early. Applications post-marked after February 1, 2009, may be reviewed on a funds-available basis.


Notification of Recipients

The Honors Scholarship Committee anticipates reviewing applications soon after the February 1 deadline. Award recipients are notified beginning in late March. Students not selected for scholarship awards are notified in May.



National Merit & Full Tuition Scholarships


NDSU NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP

  • Amount: Equivalent to North Dakota resident tuition, approximately $5,264 per year (four years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to National Merit finalists who have listed NDSU as their first college choice. Finalists must specify NDSU as their first college choice with National Merit Scholarship Corporation by June 1, 2008, to qualify.

NDSU FULL TUITION SCHOLARSHIP

  • Amount: Equivalent to North Dakota resident tuition, approximately $5,264 per year (four years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: By invitation only, awarded to five students who must be admitted by Feb. 1 with a minimum ACT score of 33 or 1460 SAT and a GPA of 3.5. If selected for this award, it will replace the NDSU Presidential Scholarship.


Presidential Scholarship Program

The NDSU Presidential Scholarship Program awards are among the most prestigious academic scholarships awarded to freshmen. Upon receiving a student's ACT composite score (or SAT equivalent), either from the official high school transcript or from the test company, NDSU automatically pre-awards a Presidential Program Scholarship to qualifying students. Awarding begins in September and continues until all scholarships are awarded. Presidential Program Scholarship recipients may file a separate Freshman Scholarship Application to be considered for a limited number of departmental scholarships. The college/department scholarship listing on page 4 shows if your intended major offers scholarships to freshmen.

Recipients of the Presidential Scholarship Program receive the opportunity to attend the Scholarsb Orientation and Registration Program. This session includes a recognition luncheon and is scheduled before all other Freshman Orientation and Registration sessions.


PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARSHIP

  • Amount: $3,000/year (four years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: The NDSU Presidential Scholarship is awarded to incoming freshmen with an ACT composite score of 32 or higher (or SAT equivalent of 1400) who have earned a minimum 2.5 GPA.

    The NDSU Presidential Scholarship award is disbursed $3,000 per year ($1,500 per semester) over four consecutive years of continuous full-time undergraduate study at NDSU, and requires recipients to maintain a 3.0 cumulative college GPA.

    Scores received for tests taken after February 1, 2009, will not be considered for scholarship purposes.

PRESIDENTIAL HONOR SCHOLARSHIP

  • Amount: $2,500/year (four years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: The Presidential Honor Scholarship is awarded to incoming freshmen with an ACT composite score of 29, 30 or 31 (or SAT equivalent of 1290-1390) who have earned a minimum 2.5 GPA.

    The Presidential Honor Scholarship award is disbursed $2,500 per year ($1,250 per semester) over four consecutive years of continuous full-time undergraduate study at NDSU, and requires recipients to maintain a 3.0 cumulative college GPA.

    Scores received for tests taken after February 1, 2009, will not be considered for scholarship purposes.

University Scholarships

ENTREPRENEURIAL SCHOLARSHIP

  • Amount: $2,000/year (four years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to students who have demonstrated a strong work ethic, leadership skills and scholastic achievement. The scholarship was established to encourage and support entrepreneurial pursuits by NDSU students. Recipients participate in an entrepreneurial work experience at the Technology Incubator, located in the NDSU Research and Technology Park.
  • For more information regarding entrepreneurial activities, visit www.ndsuresearchpark.com. Please note, question 4 on the scholarship application is used to select the five recipients.

FRESHMAN ACADEMIC AWARD

  • Amount: $500-$4,000 (non-renewable)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to incoming freshmen demonstrating strong academic achievement who have high ACT or SAT scores.

BISON ACADEMIC AWARD

  • Amount: $2,000 (non-renewable)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to incoming North Dakota freshmen demonstrating strong academic achievement, who have high ACT or SAT scores and declare a major in industrial engineering and management, zoology, business administration or agricultural economics.

NAMED SCHOLARSHIPS

  • Amount: $300-$2,000 (non-renewable)
  • Eligibility: Several named scholarships are available to incoming freshmen who demonstrate strong academic achievement and high ACT or SAT scores. Additional criteria vary among scholarships. Qualified students will be notified if a separate application is required.

NDSU DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION HONORS

  • Amount: $500/year (two years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to incoming freshmen demonstrating strong academic achievement, who have high ACT or SAT scores.

NDSU/FRATERNAL SCHOLARSHIP

  • Fargo Chapters of American Legion, Eagles and VFW
  • Amount: $300-$500 (non-renewable)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to incoming freshmen, transfer and returning NDSU students with strong academic achievement and demonstrated community service and leadership. Request a separate application from the Office of Admission to apply. March 15, 2009, deadline.

NORTH DAKOTA SCHOLARS PROGRAM

  • Amount: Equivalent to North Dakota resident tuition, approximately $5,264 per year (four years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: The North Dakota Scholars Program, a merit-based scholarship, provides approximately 25 to 30 new freshman scholarships to North Dakota's best and brightest high school graduates to encourage them to remain in North Dakota and obtain their post-secondary training. To be eligible, a high school junior must take the ACT Assessment between October and June of the junior year and score in the upper fifth percentile of all North Dakota ACT test takers. The numeric sum of the English, math, reading and science reasoning scores will be used as a second selection criteria. Student class rank at the end of the junior year will be used if a tie-breaker is needed.

    This is a full-tuition scholarship for students attending NDSU. The scholarship is renewable for up to three years, provided the recipient maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.5.

    Students receiving the North Dakota Scholars Scholarship may also qualify for NDSU scholarships.

    Persons interested in applying or who have questions about the program may contact the University System Director of Financial Aid at peggy.wipf@ndus.nodak.edu or (701) 328-4114.

NORTH DAKOTA INDIAN SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

  • Amount: Equivalent to approximately $800 year
  • Eligibility: The North Dakota Indian Scholarship, based on scholastic ability and financial need, assists American Indian students in obtaining a college education by providing scholarships of $800 per year to approximately 150 to 200 eligible applicants each year. To be eligible, applicants must:
    • either be a resident of North Dakota with one-quarter degree Indian blood or an enrolled member of a tribe now resident in North Dakota,
    • have been accepted for admission at an institution of higher learning or state vocational education program in North Dakota,
    • be enrolled full-time, and
    • may not have a GPA less than 2.0.
  • To apply, contact the North Dakota University System office at (701) 328-2960 or send an e-mail to ndus.office@ndus.nodak.edu. Or, contact the coordinator of multicultural education at (701) 224-2497 or rhonda.schauer@ndus.nodak.edu. The application is available online at www.ndus.nodak.edu/students/. Select the financial aid link.


EGGERT DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION HONORS

  • Amount: $1,000/year (two years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to North Dakota incoming freshmen demonstrating strong academic achievement, who have high ACT or SAT scores.


NDSU BOKSTORE TEXTBOOK SCHOLARSHIP

  • Amount: $700 (approximate) (non-renewable)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to high school students who show strong academic achievement, community service and leadership abilities. The NDSU Bookstore Textbook Scholarship covers up to $700 of textbooks for the student's first year.


NON-RESIDENT TUITION BENEFIT

  • Amount: Recipients pay 150% of North Dakota Tuition (value of approximately $6,258 per year)
  • Eligibility: Awarded to entering freshmen from Non-Resident States who demonstrate strong academic achievement. Students must be admitted to NDSU and complete the Freshman Scholarship Application by February 1, 2009.


CULTURAL DIVERSITY TUITION WAIVER

  • Amount: Equivalent to North Dakota resident tuition, approximately $5,264 per year (five years of eligibility)
  • Eligibility: Students who are members of a culturally diverse group, (African American, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic/Latino) may apply for a Cultural Diversity Tuition Waiver. The waiver covers the cost of North Dakota resident tuition for five consecutive years.
  • The 2010-2011 Cultural Diversity Tuition Waiver application is available through the office of Admission. Please click HERE to download the application, complete it, and turn it in to the office of Admission. Student Financial Services does not administer the Cultural Diversity Tuition Waiver but promotes students apply early for the waiver as the deadline is in April and the waiver, upon qualification, award is a first come, first serve basis and decided by the Admissions Office.


College/Departmental Scholarships



Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When will I find out if I have received an academic scholarship?
A:
The Honors Scholarship Committee will review applications shortly after the February 1, 2009, deadline. Award recipients will be notified in late March. Students not receiving scholarships will be notified in early May.


Q: What is the difference between scholarship and financial aid?

A: Freshman scholarships are awarded based on admission to NDSU, recommended ACT composite score of 23 (SAT score of 1050), cumulative GPA of 3.5 and high class rank. Financial aid is awarded based on completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), your familybs Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) and funds available through federal government grant and loan programs. Academic scholarships can impact the amount of federal aid awarded.


Q: How do I apply for academic scholarships?

A: Complete the NDSU admission process by February 1, 2009; complete the freshman scholarship application and mail to the Office of Admission by February 1, 2009.


Q: When is NDSUbs deadline for scholarship applications?

A: You must have completed the admission process and have your scholarship application postmarked by February 1, 2009.


Q: Does receiving a freshman academic scholarship mean I am not eligible for any other scholarship opportunities while at NDSU?

A: No. Many opportunities for current student scholarships exist. It is your responsibility to search and apply for other scholarships available through NDSU and your academic college.


Q: What are the latest dates I can take the ACT and still be eligible for an academic scholarship?

A: The last two ACT dates that are eligible for scholarship are October 29, 2008, and December 13, 2008.


Q: If I take my ACT a second or third time and my score is lower than my first score, what happens?

A: NDSU always takes your highest score.


Q: Does this application qualify me for all incoming freshman scholarships?

A: You will be eligible for a majority of the scholarships. Some academic majors require you fill out a separate application; refer to pages four and five of this booklet.



Application Checklist

If you wish to be considered for scholarships, complete the Freshman Scholarship Application on the following page.

Before you send us your application, please check the following:

  • Apply for Admission at North Dakota State University.
    You must be admitted to the university by February 1, 2009, to be considered for NDSU scholarships. An application, high school transcript, ACT or SAT test scores and $35 application fee must accompany the application prior to February 1, 2009. If you need an application for admission or wish to check your admission status, contact the Office of Admission at 1-800-488-6378 or 701-231-8643. You also can apply for admission by visiting www.ndsu.edu. Please note it can take two to three weeks to process an application.

  • Have your ACT (SAT) test scores sent to NDSU.
    Scores received for tests taken after the February 1, 2009, deadline will not be considered for scholarship purposes.

  • Check your declared major.
    Make certain your intended major on your application for admission and your scholarship application are the same so we may consider you for appropriate scholarships.

  • Complete and submit your scholarship application by February 1, 2009.
    Applications received after February 1 may be reviewed on a funds-available basis only. A high school transcript must be sent with your application for admission. Send your completed application materials to: Office of Admission, North Dakota State University, P.O. Box 5454, Fargo, ND 58105-5454.

  • Apply for financial aid.
    If you wish to apply for need-based financial aid or are applying for an academic scholarship for which financial need is one of the qualifications, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon after January 1, 2009, as possible. (To be eligible for most scholarships listed in this publication, you do not need to demonstrate financial need.) Contact the Office of Student Financial Services at 1-800-726-3188 or 701-231-7533 if you have questions regarding financial aid. More information and the FAFSA are available at www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Last updated: Friday, October 30, 2009 3:20:32PM

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