Scholarships
Scholarships reduce the cost of attendance and allow you to focus on getting a great education. Students at Commonwealth University can take advantage of a variety of need-based and merit-based scholarships to help them achieve their academic goals.
First-Year Scholarships for Spring and Fall 2025
The Board of Governors for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education will meet in July 2024 to determine tuition for all PASSHE students for the Fall 2024 - Spring 2025 academic year. We will communicate our scholarship strategy to all new students after that meeting and after a thorough review of our budget for 2024-2025. Thank you for your patience as we work through this process. We are committed to providing the most affordable education possible and realize how important scholarships are for making a college education attainable.
Please note: Scholarship values are reviewed annually and subject to change.
Scholarship Renewal Criteria
- These funds are available for all new first-year full-time students and will be disbursed equally between the fall and spring semesters.
- These awards will be renewed annually (up to eight semesters total). For the first year, a student must maintain a 2.0 grade point average with 24 credits completed. For years two, three, and four, a student must maintain a 2.50 GPA with 24 credits completed per year.
Additional Information on Awards
- Scholarships are awarded on a first come, first served basis until available scholarship funding is exhausted.
- For military-affiliated students whose affiliation qualifies them for in-state tuition, any merit scholarship will also change to the in-state award amount.
- On-campus housing at the Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, Clearfield or Mansfield campuses, will be guaranteed for up to four (4) years of full-time student enrollment.
- Nursing, physician assistant, and other health professions programs remain selective and have additional requirements or capacities. For these programs, it is vital that students apply as early as possible to these majors to receive early consideration for admission.
- Partial tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific merit awards made through Commonwealth University may be combined, with tuition waiver employment benefits applied first, to cover up to 100% of tuition. Full tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific waivers or awards may not be stacked with institutional merit awards, and may not be used to cover fees or other costs for Commonwealth University.
Transfer Scholarships for Fall 2024
To guarantee scholarship eligibility for Fall 2024, be sure to complete your application and submit your transcript by 3/15/24 and pay your deposit by 8/1/24. Scholarships will be awarded based on cumulative GPA at the time of application.
Notices: Scholarship values are reviewed annually and subject to change. Scholarship funding is limited.
New Transfer Merit Scholarships: In-State
| GPA Range | Amount |
|---|---|
| 3.50 - 4.00 | $2,500 |
| 3.00 - 3.49 | $2,000 |
| 2.50 - 2.99 | $1,500 |
| 2.00 - 2.49 | $1,000 |
Students can only receive an In-State Transfer Scholarship or Community College Partner Transfer Scholarship – not both.
Partial tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific merit awards made through Commonwealth University may be combined, with tuition waiver employment benefits applied first, to cover up to 100% of tuition. Full tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific waivers or awards may not be stacked with institutional merit awards, and may not be used to cover fees or other costs for Commonwealth University.
New Transfer Merit Scholarships: Out-of-State
| GPA Range | Amount |
|---|---|
| 3.50 - 4.00 | $9,500 |
| 3.00 - 3.49 | $7,500 |
| 2.50 - 2.99 | $6,000 |
| 2.00 - 2.49 | $4,500 |
Partial tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific merit awards made through Commonwealth University may be combined, with tuition waiver employment benefits applied first, to cover up to 100% of tuition. Full tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific waivers or awards may not be stacked with institutional merit awards, and may not be used to cover fees or other costs for Commonwealth University.
New Transfer Merit Scholarships: Community College Partners
Commonwealth University’s guaranteed transfer admission agreement with Bucks County Community College, Harrisburg Area Community College, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Luzerne County Community College, Northern Pennsylvania Regional College, and Reading Area Community College means a seamless pathway for graduates to continue their education at one of our Commonwealth U campuses. Renewable transfer scholarships from $2,000 - $5,000 are guaranteed for qualified graduates, along with on-campus housing.
| GPA Range | Amount |
|---|---|
| 3.50 - 4.00 | $5,000 |
| 3.00 - 3.49 | $4,000 |
| 2.50 - 2.99 | $3,000 |
| 2.00 - 2.49 | $2,000 |
Students can only receive a Community College Partner Transfer Scholarship or an In-State Transfer Scholarship - not both.
Partial tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific merit awards made through Commonwealth University may be combined, with tuition waiver employment benefits applied first, to cover up to 100% of tuition. Full tuition waiver employment benefits and other institutional tuition-specific waivers or awards may not be stacked with institutional merit awards, and may not be used to cover fees or other costs for Commonwealth University.
- Transfer scholarships are good at any CU campus for up to 7 consecutive Fall and Spring semesters, or completion of an undergrad degree – whichever comes first.
- These funds are available for all new full-time transfer students and will be disbursed equally between the fall and spring semesters.
Additional Scholarships
The University Foundations provides scholarship funding to students each year thanks to support from generous donors.
Bloomsburg University Foundation Lock Haven University Foundation Mansfield Foundation
Various scholarships are available through the PASSHE Foundation.
The Ready to Succeed Scholarship (RTSS) is administered by PHEAA. With the exception of financial need, students must meet all other Pennsylvania State Grant eligibility requirements with three additions:
- Demonstration of outstanding academic achievement by attaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 as of the time that the student’s school checks academic progress for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program (Spring for Commonwealth University).
- Completion of at least one academic year—defined as having earned at least 24 credits or its equivalent—by the time that the student’s school checks academic progress for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program (Spring for Commonwealth University).
- Proof of total annual family income not in excess of $110,000.
There is no separate student application for the RTSS program. Students will be nominated for award eligibility by approved, participating institutions. In order to be eligible, students must have completed the FAFSA and Pennsylvania State Grant forms. If any additional information is needed, the student will be contacted by PHEAA.
Students may receive up to three years of full-time RTSS awards. This can occur in conjunction with the Pennsylvania State Grant award counter, meaning that a student eligible to receive up to four years of Pennsylvania State Grant funding may also receive up to three years of RTSS funding. The receipt of a RTSS award does not impact Pennsylvania State Grant eligibility. This means that a student who has exhausted the RTSS counter, but not the Pennsylvania State Grant counter, may still receive Pennsylvania State Grant funding so long as s/he meets Pennsylvania State Grant eligibility requirements. However, students who have exhausted their Pennsylvania State Grant counter are not eligible to receive RTSS funds. It should be noted that receipt of a bachelor’s degree automatically ends a student’s RTSS eligibility, even if their RTSS counter has not been fully exhausted.
The maximum combined annual award amount for RTSS and Pennsylvania State Grant is $2,000 for a full-time student. If that student receives more than $1,500 in Pennsylvania State Grant funds, they will not receive any RTSS funds. If, however, that full time student only receives $1,500 in Pennsylvania State Grant funding, they may be eligible to receive up to $500 in RTSS funds.
Learn more about our "Marching Into Success Band Scholarships" for new students attending one of the Commonwealth University campuses who also wish to participate in marching/concert bands.
The Army ROTC Scholarship is available on a competitive basis for two-year, three-year, and four-year periods. It pays tuition and fees and offers a semester stipend for materials and books, plus a monthly allowance for the duration of the scholarship. For more information, contact the Army ROTC Office.
The Air Force ROTC Scholarship program also offers financial aid opportunities.
Keystone Extraordinary Emergency Program (KEEP) – A one-time emergency grant that assists students who are experience an unexpected financial emergency. Eligibility requirements are: full-time undergraduate student, 2.0 GPA, complete FAFSA, and accepted all financial aid offerings. Student must be experiencing an unexpected financial emergency and be at risk of dropping out. KEEP may assist with food, off campus housing/utilities, travel expenses related to school and/or employment, books, laptops, medical expenses, childcare, costs associated with being the victim of a crime, and expenses related to a natural disaster. KEEP cannot cover tuition, legal fines or tickets, study abroad, health insurance, and any bill owed to the university. To apply visit https://thepafoundation.scholarships.ngwebsolutions.com/.
Bloomsburg Foundation– For Bloomsburg students who are confronted with an emergency financial need and have exhausted all financial aid options, including student loans. Please note: poor use of financial aid funding, credit card debit, and enrollment in summer/winter does not constitute an emergency. To apply for emergency funding please complete the online “I Need Help Paying” application at https://bloomu.scholarships.ngwebsolutions.com/.
Lock Haven Foundation - For Lock Haven students who are confronted with an emergency financial need and have exhausted all financial aid options, including student loans. Please contact Mike Hall, 570-484-2424, mhall@commonwealthu.edu. Please note funding is extremely limited.
Mansfield Foundation – For Mansfield students who are confronted with an emergency financial need and have exhausted all financial aid options, including student loans. Please submit a brief summary of your emergency situation to Amanda Kern at akern@commonwealthu.edu. Please note funding is extremely limited.
The Dean of Students office has additional resources such as Campus Cupboard, SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), and textbook assistance. More information can be found at https://www.commonwealthu.edu/offices-directory/dean-students.
Your high school guidance office personnel are often very knowledgeable about scholarships though local sources such as service and fraternal clubs, industry, religious organizations, teachers' associations, foundation, PTAs and more. We encourage you to explore the myriad of scholarship opportunities available from your high school, as well as religious, civic, and community organizations.
Already received a scholarship? Congratulations! Make sure to let us know and submit your scholarship checks and award letters to the:
Student Billing Office
336 Arts & Administration Building
400 East Second Street
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
Contact
- University-wide
- Bloomsburg
- Lock Haven
- Mansfield
