Navigating Scholarships at the University of Kentucky: A Comprehensive Guide

The University of Kentucky (UK) offers a multitude of scholarship opportunities to support students in their academic pursuits. Scholarship Universe (SU) is an online platform that matches students with both external and internal scholarship opportunities. This article provides a detailed overview of the various scholarship programs available at UK, eligibility requirements, application processes, and important policies to help students successfully navigate the scholarship landscape.

Understanding Scholarship Universe (SU)

Scholarship Universe (SU) serves as a central hub for students seeking financial aid. It is an online platform designed to connect students with relevant, vetted external scholarship opportunities, as well as internal scholarships offered by the university. SU is available to both currently enrolled UK students and admitted prospective students who have a UK linkblue account. By logging in and completing a student profile, students can search for and apply for a wide range of scholarship opportunities.

For any technical difficulties encountered within the SU system, students are encouraged to use the Feedback tab in Scholarship Universe to submit a detailed description of the issue to the Scholarship Universe Support Team, including any applicable error codes.

Types of Scholarships at UK

UK offers a variety of scholarships, including academic, competitive, and departmental scholarships.

Academic Scholarships

The University of Kentucky Academic Scholarship Program provides funds to outstanding students who demonstrate the potential for superior academic performance. Eligibility for academic scholarship consideration is based on the highest ACT composite or SAT total score from one test date. For academic and competitive scholarship consideration, an unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale is used to determine eligibility for awards.

Read also: Navigating Pima Scholarships

Freshman applicants may choose to apply for academic-based scholarships as test-optional, where a higher unweighted high school GPA can be submitted for scholarship consideration without a test score. Test-optional applicants must have a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 4.0. Students must meet both the minimum ACT/SAT score and unweighted GPA requirement to be considered for that level of scholarship if applying with traditional criteria.

To be considered for academic and competitive scholarships, incoming freshmen students must be admitted and have all supporting documents on file, including a high school transcript, by December 1.

Competitive Academic Scholarships

Students with a minimum test score of 31 ACT or 1390 SAT and a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.50 are encouraged to apply for the University of Kentucky's competitive academic scholarships. To apply, students must complete the competitive academic scholarship section of the undergraduate admission application by December 1. Prior to December 1, students that have previously submitted the Undergraduate Admission application without completing the competitive academic scholarship section may still apply by completing a Lewis Honors College and Competitive Academic Scholarship supplement, which is available upon request from the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Selection of competitive scholarship recipients is highly competitive, and applicant information is reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, students are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Departmental Scholarships

Several colleges and departments within the University administer their own scholarship programs. Students who have chosen a major are encouraged to contact the department or college in their major area of study regarding scholarship opportunities. Requirements vary, and some UK colleges now utilize Scholarship Universe for departmental scholarship applications. However, students should check with their respective college regarding their specific scholarship procedures and deadlines.

External Scholarships and Fellowships

External scholarships and fellowships are funded by sources outside the University of Kentucky, such as non-government foundations or government agencies. These awards honor exceptional students across the nation, and UK students have received many of these awards. Scholarships supported by the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships involve both undergraduate and graduate study and provide support for tuition, fees, travel (if applicable), and often a stipend.

Specific Scholarship Programs

Felix E. Martin, Jr. Scholarship: This scholarship awards financial support to academically outstanding students of Muhlenberg County, and alternatively Hopkins County, to attend the University of Kentucky. Applicants must be graduates of a Muhlenberg County (Kentucky) high school and must show potential for academic success by having a GPA of 3.0 or higher and earning at least a 24 composite score on their ACT.
Rogers Scholars Program Scholarship: The University of Kentucky provides a $1,000 per year, 4-year renewable scholarship to Rogers Scholars, provided the student applies for admission with the Office of Undergraduate Admission by December 1, 2025. Recipients must meet admission criteria at the time of application and enroll full-time each semester beginning in the fall term after high school graduation.
Richard 'Van' Florence Committee of 101 Scholarship: The Committee of 101, a UK athletic boosters and fan organization, seeks to support undergraduate students through this scholarship. The University of Kentucky awards multiple $1,000 scholarships to outstanding UK students who have earned a 2.5 or greater GPA and demonstrated a commitment to excellence and community service.
Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES): Governor Paul E. Patton and the 1998 General Assembly provided Kentucky high school students this opportunity. The KEES program is administered by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). Students who study hard and make good grades (C+ and above) can earn scholarships for college or technical school.

Read also: Scholarship Opportunities at NAU
William C. Parker Scholarship: This scholarship is awarded based on a holistic review of the student’s application for admission with the goal of supporting student success. All incoming first-time freshmen with a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 2.50 will be considered. No additional steps are required to apply for the Parker Scholarship.

Eligibility and Application Process

General Eligibility

Institutional awards are not guaranteed. All students are considered based on the timing of application, meeting requirements for admission, and doing so by established deadlines.

Application Process

To apply for scholarships, students typically need to complete an application form, which may include questions about their academic achievements, extracurricular activities, and personal essays. The application can be saved and continued prior to submitting, but once submitted, changes cannot be made.

Once admitted, students must activate their linkblue account before accessing certain scholarship applications.

Key Deadlines

Eligible students who apply by the December 1 Early Action deadline will be considered for scholarships. For academic and competitive scholarship consideration, incoming freshmen students must be admitted and have all supporting documents on file, including a high school transcript, by December 1. Test scores and unweighted GPA may be updated through December 1 for competitive and academic scholarship consideration.

Scholarship Policies and Renewal Criteria

Scholarship Combinations

Incoming freshmen students may receive only one academic-based scholarship through the Academic Scholarship Program. However, students may receive Legacy Tuition funding in addition to an academic-based scholarship, such as the Bluegrass Spirit Scholarship. The $1,000 per year Rogers Scholars Scholarship can be received in addition to the Provost Scholarship. If the recipient receives a scholarship of equal or higher value through another program, that scholarship will replace the Provost and Rogers Scholars Scholarships.

Residency Status

A change in residency status with the university can affect a student's scholarship offer. Several scholarship opportunities at the university are tied to residency status, including incoming freshman and transfer scholarship opportunities. If there is a change in residency status, such as from non-resident to resident, the scholarship offer will be re-evaluated, and the student will be notified if a change is made to their offer.

Renewal Criteria

For four-year renewable academic scholarships, such as the Presidential, Bluegrass Spirit Scholarship, and Provost Scholarships, students are required to maintain full-time status (minimum 12 hours each semester) and achieve a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Singletary Scholarship recipients are required to achieve a 3.40 cumulative GPA. Scholarship eligibility is checked at the end of each spring term.

Students receiving renewable academic-based scholarships are granted one semester of scholarship probation. Scholarship funds will not be provided during the probationary semester. A scholarship will be reinstated for a student on probation only if the student completes twelve (12) semester hours and earns a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or higher by the end of the probationary semester.

Renewable academic scholarships are available to students for a total of eight semesters, fall and spring, of undergraduate study. Funds may not be used for graduate school.

Over-Award Policy

The Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships is required to monitor and adjust students’ financial aid awards, including institutional scholarships, to eliminate over awards and/or overpayments in compliance with federal and state regulations and institutional policy. The monetary value of a scholarship may be adjusted if, in combination with any federal, state, or private need-based or non-need-based awards, the scholarship creates an over award. Additionally, the combination of tuition-based scholarships from all sources may not exceed the total cost of tuition.

Additional Financial Aid Resources

In addition to scholarships, students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to be considered for need-based aid through the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships. The Financial Aid Notification will list all need-based and non-need-based aid a student is eligible to receive at UK, including KEES, PELL, loan eligibility, grants, departmental scholarships, and academic-based scholarships.

For questions regarding the Financial Aid Notification, students can contact the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships at 859-257-3172.

Important Considerations

Test-Optional Policy: The University of Kentucky is committed to making scholarship opportunities available to students who qualify, whether they apply with or without test scores.
Financial Need: Financial need is not a factor in the academic-based scholarship process. However, financial need may be considered to determine scholarship recipients when there are equally qualified candidates for the Felix E. Martin, Jr. Scholarship.
Scholarship Deferral: A scholarship deferral decision is independent of an admission deferral. The granting of one does not guarantee the granting of the other.
Re-Awarding Scholarships: Academic scholarships are awarded on a yearly basis and are not offered to students who enter the university mid-year. The university does not re-award academic scholarships that are not accepted by their original recipient.
Matching Offers: The university is not able to match offers from other institutions. Students are encouraged to take into consideration the costs (tuition and other expenses) of the different schools when comparing scholarship offers, as a higher scholarship dollar value does not guarantee a lower net cost of attendance.

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