According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, more than one third of college students will transfer to another college. While students will transfer for many reasons, some students are transferring to save money. Regardless of why you are transferring, there are some great scholarships for transfer students that are available!
These scholarships for transfer students are generally applicable for students who intend to transfer to four year colleges or universities. Also note that some states will have special scholarships for community college students who are transferring to an in-state university. You can check with the financial aid office at your in-state university!
You can also keep on reading to learn everything you need to know about scholarships and financial aid as a transfer student.
How to win scholarships for transfer students
Like any type of scholarship, transfer student scholarships are highly competitive and the vast majority of opportunities receive way more applications than they can give awards to. For this reason, it’s important to put together compelling applications in order to maximize your chances of winning. One of the best ways to do this is doing some research into the organization offering the scholarship, and giving the scholarship listing a close read. Try to find what values and principles they are looking for in a candidate, and emphasize these in your application.
It’s also important to fine-tune your essays in order to maximize your chances. We can help you through this process with a collection of guides on assembling scholarship applications. These include guides on how to write a winning scholarship essay, how to write about yourself, and how to tailor your writing to 250 or 500 word limits. We can also walk you through the steps of making a scholarship resume, and give you tutorials on answering some of the most common scholarship prompts.
You should also be sure to contact the financial aid and admissions offices at schools you are considering transferring to, in order to see if they offer any scholarships for incoming transfers. Finally, don’t forget about local scholarships! Local scholarships have a much lower number of applicants, so you have a higher chance of winning. Try looking at some local community organizations to see if they offer any opportunities.
Resources for transfer students & students considering transferring
The process of transferring schools can be complicated and involves a lot of choices. Luckily, we have some guides to help you through. Check out our guides on how to transfer colleges, how to transfer from a community college to a four-year university, and how to write a transfer essay. It’s important to use a different focus in your transfer essays than you did in your initial admissions essay, and this guide will help you with those differences. Finally, don’t forget to fill out the FAFSA and/or CSS Profile for your prospective school!
Also see: Can you transfer into an ivy league school?
Transfer scholarships from honor societies
There are several academic honor societies out there that offer transfer scholarships to students. If you are a member in any of the organizations or are considering membership, these scholarships can be a great opportunity.
Phi Theta Kappa
Phi Theta Kappa is a national honor society with over 3.8 million members. They offer a whole host of transfer scholarships for members, which you can access through their PTK Connect portal. Some are based on GPA whereas others may depend more on financial need and other extracurricular achievement.
Tau Sigma
Tau Sigma is a national honor society exclusively for transfer students. They run several scholarship programs, including ones for international students who are transferring schools. If you are looking to pursue your bachelor’s degree at a different college, don’t forget to check out Tau Sigma!
How does transferring affect financial aid?
When considering whether to transfer schools, it’s important to investigate how the decision would affect your financial aid. You will have to go through the financial aid process with your new school and see how much money they can offer you. Remember, institutional need-based and merit-based financial aid will not transfer with you.
Transferring does not affect your Pell Grant or federal loans, but all other forms of institutional aid will change, and some renewable private scholarships may not transfer. So, if you already are on a private scholarship, make sure to be in touch with the servicers to ensure that the scholarship awards would transfer to your new school.
Frequently asked questions about scholarships for transfer students
Can transfer students get full merit scholarships?
How do transfer scholarships work?
Do transfers get financial aid?
Do transfer students who are transferring from community colleges qualify for scholarships or financial aid?
What colleges give transfer scholarships?
Can transfer students receive Pell Grants?
Should transfer students use the FAFSA?
When should I apply for scholarships as a transfer student?
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