Scholarships and Financial Aid Resources

The Morrill Scholarship Program (MSP) offers scholarships and educational enrichment opportunities to academically talented students who are actively engaged in diversity-based leadership, social justice and service. The scholarship has three levels, Distinction (the value of the cost of attendance), Prominence (the value of in-state tuition plus the nonresident surcharge for nonresidents), and Excellence (the value of in-state tuition for Ohio residents) and is awarded on a competitive basis to students admitted to the Columbus campus for the autumn semester following high school graduation.

The STEM Emerging Leaders Fellows (SELF) program is cultivating the next generation of STEM leaders by strengthening pipelines through and into careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics for students who have experience living or working in diverse environments or who have overcome substantial educational challenges. SELF Scholars receive full tuition scholarships throughout their four years to degree completion. They join a community of 30 STEM scholars who are committed to participating in structured programming activities to help them succeed.

Congressionally mandated in 1991, the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program is named after Louis Stokes, a congressman from Cleveland, Ohio. LSAMP assists universities and colleges in their efforts to increase underrepresented minority student recruitment, retention, persistence, and attainment of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) degrees.

The Ohio State University Office of Diversity and Inclusion Young Scholars Program (YSP) is a comprehensive pre-collegiate and collegiate student success program designed to enhance the academic, personal, and career development of its Scholars.

The Young Scholars Program accepts applications from prospective 8th-grade students annually from the following Ohio public-school districts: Akron, Canton, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Lorain, Toledo, and Youngstown.

Ohio State has simplified the process of discovering and applying for college funding through ScholarshipUniverse. This comprehensive platform serves as a centralized hub for both Ohio State and external scholarships, utilizing self-reported information to efficiently connect you with scholarship opportunities tailored to your profile.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, in collaboration with Student Financial Aid, offers many donor scholarships with a wide variety of eligibility criteria. The value of the awards varies per scholarship.

To apply, submit the FAFSA and the ScholarshipUniverse Application each year by the priority date, typically set for February 1.

The Freshman Foundation Program (FFP) is a renewable, university funded grant offered to undergraduate students attending the Columbus campus the autumn semester following their senior year of high school. Eligibility is determined by demonstrated financial need, diversity, academics, and Ohio county of residence. Financial need is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which must be submitted by the university’s priority due date of February 1.

Numerous colleges and academic departments offer individual scholarship applications, which can be filled out alongside ScholarshipUniverse and the FAFSA. Discover additional department and college scholarship applications by clicking on the title. The scholarship priority deadlines may differ from the ScholarshipUniverse. 

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion, in collaboration with Student Financial Aid, offers many donor scholarships with a wide variety of eligibility criteria. The value of the awards varies per scholarship.

To apply, submit the FAFSA and the ScholarshipUniverse Application each year by the priority date, typically set for February 1.

CareerOneStop Scholarships is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Through this site, you will be able to search for scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid award opportunities. There are nearly 9,000 scholarships available! 

The College Board is a non-profit organization that provides various services and programs primarily aimed at assisting students in their journey from high school to college. They have information about financial aid options and also offer the CSS Profile, a financial aid application used by some colleges and universities.

Fastweb is a destination for scholarship searches, linking students to a wide array of opportunities, including college scholarships, trade school scholarships, and essential financial aid resources.

Founded in 1988, I Know I Can believes that every student deserves the opportunity to achieve their post-secondary dreams. They are a college access program in Columbus and one of the largest and most successful in the nation. Students who attended a Columbus City School may be eligible to apply for I Know I Can Scholarships and Grants.