FGCU Foundation Scholarships

Through the generosity of many individuals, alumni, local philanthropists, nonprofit organizations and corporations, the Florida Gulf Coast University Foundation has established academic merit and financial need-based scholarships for FGCU students. The Foundation provided over $6 million dollars in scholarships this past year.

You may access the application by going to FGCU.edu/scholarships and clicking on the Foundation Scholarship Tile at the top of the page.

Incoming freshmen and transfer students who have applied to the university and all currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate FGCU students. Non-degree and certificate students are not eligible for scholarships.

No; prospective students do not need to wait until they are accepted to apply. UIN’s (University ID Numbers) are assigned to prospective students upon submission of an admissions application. Once you receive your UIN from the Office of Admissions, you may complete the application.

No; after you have completed your General Application, you will automatically be considered for all scholarships you meet the eligibility criteria for based on the information you provided. 

Yes; students must complete a yearly scholarship application to be considered for funding.

Absolutely, you should consider reapplying for scholarships even if you didn't receive one in the previous year. Remember, the scholarship selection process is competitive, and there are various factors that can influence the decisions. Persistence, continuous improvement, and a proactive approach can increase your chances of success.

Yes; if you apply by the priority deadline, you will automatically be considered for admissions merit awards. If you complete the Foundation Scholarship application, you will also be considered for foundation awards.

The FGCU Foundation Scholarship Application is available annually from October 1st until May 1st. Students who apply by March 1st of each year will be given priority consideration.

Through the generosity of donors and matching dollars from the state of Florida, the First Generation Matching Grant (FGMG) is awarded to degree-seeking, resident, undergraduate students who demonstrate substantial financial need. Recipients must be the first generation in their family to attain a college bachelor’s degree (students whose siblings have attained or are pursuing a degree are also eligible).

First generation students can apply for consideration for the various First-Generation Matching Grants by completing the Foundation Scholarship application.

Some Foundation scholarships require students to have demonstrated financial need. Need is determined based on the information submitted in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Awards that are need based cannot be posted to your account if you do not have financial need as determined by the FAFSA. All students are encouraged to complete a FAFSA for the most current academic year to broaden their scholarship eligibility as much as possible.

Foundation scholarships are awarded on an on-going basis throughout the academic year. The majority of scholarships are awarded in the spring and summer. This allows students to receive notification of their status prior to the start of the academic year, helping them plan and prepare for their education financially.

The selection process is competitive. Applicants are evaluated based on various criteria set by the donor such as academic performance, extracurricular involvement, leadership qualities, financial need, and alignment with the goals of the scholarship. As a result, not all students who apply will be selected for a scholarship.

Students selected for a Foundation scholarship will receive an email sent to their Eagle email account. The email will include information on the scholarship for which they’ve been selected and a link to submit required post-acceptance scholarship materials needed to process the award.

Additional documents needed to process the award must be submitted within 10 days of receipt of the scholarship award notification. Failing to meet the deadline may result in a delay or forfeiture of the scholarship award.

Yes; if determined that you no longer meet the specific criteria for the scholarship, your scholarship could be cancelled.  Below are some examples that could affect a student’s eligibility:

• Degree change
• GPA falling below the minimum criteria of the scholarship
• Less than full-time status (12 credit hours) if the scholarship requires a student to be full time
• Graduated with degree and no longer meets the criteria