Seattle Pacific University Scholarships for International Students: A Comprehensive Guide

For international students aspiring to study at Seattle Pacific University (SPU), understanding the available scholarships and financial aid options is crucial. This article provides a detailed overview of the various scholarships, eligibility criteria, and application processes to help international students navigate their funding options at SPU.

Understanding Financial Aid for International Students at SPU

It is important to note that SPU does not offer need-based financial aid to international students. However, international students are eligible for merit-based scholarships, which are awarded based on academic achievements and other talents. While SPU's merit scholarships are generous, they do not cover 100% of a student's educational costs.

Application Fee Waiver

An application fee waiver is available to international applicants.

Financial Documentation

SPU does not require financial documentation or bank statements as part of your application for admission. However, if you are offered admission to SPU, you will then be asked for proof of financial resources. The Department of State requires that international students show evidence of sufficient funds to cover the estimated total cost of their educational and living expenses for one year.

Types of Scholarships Available

SPU offers a range of scholarships to recognize academic excellence and other achievements. These scholarships can significantly reduce the cost of tuition, making education more accessible for international students.

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Merit-Based Scholarships

These scholarships are awarded based on a student's academic performance, GPA, and a holistic review of their application. Scholarships are determined based on your GPA, your academic performance, and a holistic review of your application. Unless otherwise noted on our scholarship page, all scholarships are renewable for up to four years.

Eligibility and Application

International students are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships when they apply for admission to SPU. There are no deadlines for the majority of these scholarships, as students do not need to submit a separate application for most of them (unless noted in the description of the scholarship). As long as you apply by the regular admission deadline, you will meet the deadline for scholarship consideration.

Special Scholarships

SPU also offers a few special scholarships that require a separate application, such as the Fine Arts Scholarships.

Scholarships for Domestic Students (Limited Eligibility for International Students)

Some scholarships, such as those funded by state or federal money, are exclusively for U.S. citizens or permanent residents. There are a few scholarships for which international students are not eligible, because those are scholarships funded by state or federal money.

External Scholarships

International students can also explore external scholarship opportunities offered by organizations and foundations outside of SPU. Seattle Colleges Foundation, for example, accepts scholarship applications for future and current international students. Awards are up to US$5,000. All future and current international students are encouraged to apply. The Seattle Colleges Foundation is able to support hundreds of students at North, Central, and South Seattle Colleges each year. Foundation Scholarship applications can be completed online from mid-January to mid-March every year. Results are announced in late May and funds are applied to students' accounts in the fall.

Additional Scholarship Opportunities

Alumni Legacy Scholarship

Awarded to first-year and transfer students who indicate that a family member graduated from SPU in their application. Qualifying family members: Parents, legal guardians, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, great-grandparents, and great-great-grandparents.

Church Match Scholarship

SPU matches up to $500 of a scholarship awarded from an organized Christian church in the USA or Canada. Administered by SPU’s Student Financial Services, the University currently matches scholarships up to $500 provided by Christian churches for SPU students. This means that if your church were to provide a $500 scholarship toward your seminary tuition costs, SPU would match it up to $500 for the academic year.

Engineering Scholarship (Deffenbaugh or Burwell)

For incoming freshmen who plan to major in an engineering discipline.

Summit Seeker’s Scholarship

For a domestic student whose parent(s) are current or former missionaries in a developing country.

Visit Scholarship

Students who attend two qualifying virtual visit events are eligible for $500. Students who attend one in-person qualifying visit are eligible for $1,000. All visits, virtual and in-person, must take place between September 1 and May 1 of a student’s senior year to qualify for up to $1,500 in Visit Scholarships!

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Conditional Admission and English Proficiency

For international students who apply to SPU without completing the requirement for English proficiency, SPU offers the option to have your application reviewed for conditional admission.

Options to Convert Conditional Admission to Full Admission:

Submit an approved test of English proficiency that meets our minimum required score.
Enroll in English language classes in Seattle at SPU's partner language institute, ALPS Language School.

After you satisfy one of the options above to convert your conditional admission offer into full admission, you can enroll at SPU in the next available academic quarter. The scholarships that you are eligible for will be based on the scholarship guidelines of your future quarter of enrollment once you are approved for full admission.

English Proficiency Requirements and Waivers

International students are generally required to submit results from a test of English Proficiency. However, there are circumstances where this requirement may be waived.

Waivers Based on Test Scores

If you are a first-year applicant and have taken either exam, you are encouraged to submit your scores as additional evidence of your academic ability. Sufficiently high reading and writing scores may exempt you from the English proficiency test requirement.

SAT: SPU will consider the English proficiency requirement met for students who have earned a score of 550 or higher on the evidence-based Reading and Writing (EBRW) section.
ACT: SPU will consider the English proficiency requirement met for students who have earned a score of 20 or higher on the Reading and English section.

Remember: To be considered official, your scores must be sent by the testing agency, or be included on an official high school transcript. When taking the SAT, you can identify your request to have your scores sent to SPU by including SPU’s test code 4694. When taking the ACT, the code for SPU is 4476.

Waivers Based on Native Language and Coursework

Depending on your country of citizenship or standardized coursework you have completed (such as IB or I/GCSE), you may be eligible to have your requirement for English proficiency waived.

Conditional Admission through ALPS Language School

SPU partners with ALPS Language School to offer ESL (English as a Second Language) classes to international students as a way of establishing their English proficiency for admission to SPU. If you are a current student at ALPS but have not yet completed level 5, you can apply for conditional admission to SPU according to the guidelines above. After you complete the required level, you are eligible to apply for full admission to Seattle Pacific University. If you have already completed level 5 at ALPS and want to apply for admission to SPU, please provide a copy of your ALPS enrollment letter and verification that you have completed the required level with your application.

Application Process and Requirements

To be considered for admission and scholarships, international students must complete the application process and submit all required documents.

Transcripts

If you are a first-year applicant, please arrange to have your official transcripts sent to SPU from each high school or secondary school attended for grades 9, 10, 11, and 12 (if available), or the equivalent years in your country.

Credential Evaluation

If you are offered admission to SPU, you will be asked to submit an official course-by-course credential evaluation of your transcripts in order to transfer your credits to SPU. Official credential evaluations must be submitted from a credential service that is recognized by AICE or NACES. Acceptable credential services include, but are not limited to, World Education Services (WES) and Foundation for International Services (FIS).

Translation of Records

We recognize that every country has its own unique educational system. We cannot accept copies of records that were issued to the applicant. *If your records have already been translated by the issuing school, or translated and notarized by a translation service, that translation is acceptable. If not, contact our international admissions counselor for assistance locating professional translating services.

Essays

Your essay will help the Admissions Committee better understand you. It is important that the essays be written by you, without editing assistance from others. We do not expect non-native speakers' writing to be "perfect" and free of grammatical errors. All this information gives us a picture of who you are as a unique individual, and whether you are prepared for Seattle Pacific University.

Completing the Application

Be sure to fill out the application completely. Answer every question and give us as much information as possible about yourself. This is not the time to be shy. If there are unique circumstances in your background that are not evident in your application, an interview can be a good way to bring them to our attention.

SAT and ACT Scores

Seattle Pacific University does not require the SAT or ACT for international student applicants. However, if you are a first-year applicant and have taken either exam, you are encouraged to submit your scores as additional evidence of your academic ability. If you are a first-year applicant and a native speaker of English, you are strongly encouraged to submit SAT or ACT scores.

Additional Information for International Students

Diversity at SPU

SPU has a small but active international population - currently approximately about 180 undergraduate students and 60 graduate students.

Faith and Community

SPU does not require that students be Christian. Students of all faith backgrounds (and no faith background) are welcome here! However, we want to be sure that you are aware that this is a Christian university, and that is a central part of who we are as a community. There is certainly not any expectation that you become Christian yourself - you are absolutely welcome here as a person of another faith, or of no particular faith.

Enrollment Quarters

International students are welcome to apply for admission to being at SPU in Autumn, Winter, or Spring quarters.

Tuition and Costs

Seattle Pacific University's tuition is $44,367. Compared with the national average cost of tuition of $47,097, Seattle Pacific University is cheaper. These figures include both tuition and fees, also referred to as the sticker price. Fees differ by institution and may fund library services, student gym facilities, student centers, technology resources and campus health centers. At Seattle Pacific University, the total cost is $61,446.

Addressing Common Concerns

Can I appeal for different scholarships than what I was awarded?

Talk to your admissions counselor! We are happy to discuss the scholarships you have been awarded.

What if my financial situation has changed dramatically?

If your financial situation has dramatically shifted from when you applied to SPU, talk to your admissions counselor!

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