Scholarships

Admission-based awards (no separate application)

First-year and transfer applicants admitted by the February 1 priority date are automatically reviewed for Porter's merit and access scholarships — academic, leadership, and program-specific awards — using the admission file. There is nothing extra to submit. Most are renewable for up to four years (eight semesters) as long as you stay enrolled full-time and keep a stated GPA, usually between 2.75 and 3.25 depending on the award; the renewal terms are in your award letter.

If your GPA dips below the renewal line, the award is typically suspended for a term with one chance to earn it back, not cancelled outright — contact the Scholarships Office rather than assuming it is gone.

The Foundation scholarship application

One online application each year (open roughly December through early March) matches continuing and incoming students to more than 180 donor-funded awards based on major, county of residence, financial need, first-generation status, activities, and short essay responses. You fill it out once and are considered for everything you qualify for. It takes about an hour; students who skip it leave real money unclaimed. Decisions arrive over the spring and summer and apply to the following year.

Outside and departmental awards

Scholarships from employers, community foundations, service clubs, and professional associations are common and worth actively searching for — free databases and the aid office's list are the place to start; never pay a fee to apply. An outside award is sent to Porter and posted to your student account, usually split across two terms. You must report outside scholarships to Financial Aid: by federal rule they become part of your aid package, and the office will reduce loans or work-study before touching any grant. Many departments also award their own scholarships in the spring — ask your adviser or the department office how to be considered.

Keeping and stacking awards

You can generally hold a Porter award, a Foundation award, and outside scholarships at the same time, up to your total cost of attendance. Watch the conditions: full-time enrollment, the renewal GPA, and sometimes a specific major or continued financial need. Study abroad, co-op terms, and a lighter final semester can affect eligibility — check with the Scholarships Office before you make the change, not after.