Undergraduate Scholarships

A college education is a big investment, and scholarships can be an excellent way to make your college experience more affordable!  A scholarship is a type of financial aid that you do not have to pay back.

Every scholarship can have different deadlines and terms and conditions that determine initial and continuing, so it is important that you read scholarship descriptions carefully.

You aren’t automatically considered for every scholarship at Mizzou. To be considered for general and departmental scholarships from Mizzou, log into ScholarshipUniverse to answer a series of matching questions. Then complete individual applications for even more scholarships.

If you are an incoming freshmen or first-time college student you’ll access ScholarshipUniverse via your Application Status Page after you submit the application for admission. Apply to Mizzou by Nov. 15 to meet the scholarship priority deadline.

Transfer students and continuing students should apply to Mizzou by Dec. 15 to meet the transfer scholarship priority deadline.

Most Mizzou scholarships are available to incoming freshmen and other first-time college students. As a continuing student, many of these scholarships can be renewed each year by meeting the minimum renewal requirements established (see “Automatic Scholarships” below).

Other Mizzou scholarships (both internal and external) may require you to login to ScholarshipUniverse to apply.

Automatic scholarships

Award amount:

  • High school students considering Mizzou: visit the Admissions website for the most current award amounts for incoming freshmen.
  • If you are a current Mizzou student and a Missouri resident, you will continue to receive the same award amount you were initially awarded at the time of admission. Award amounts can vary between different class years and are not subject to change.
  • If you are a current Mizzou student and a non-Missouri resident, you will continue to receive the same award amount you were initially awarded at the time of admission and are not subject to change unless you gain Missouri residency. Nonresident students who establish residency become eligible for in-state tuition rates but are no longer eligible for the automatic or competitive scholarships received on admission. Learn more about the benefits of gaining residency in the “Missouri residency and impacts on financial aid” section of our terms and conditions page.

How to apply: You don’t need to re-apply for automatic scholarships each year. See renewal criteria for maintaining your eligibility for any automatic scholarships you were awarded on admission to Mizzou.

Renewal Criteria: Full-time enrollment (12 or more credit hours per semester); complete at least 24 credit hours per academic year; no breaks in enrollment for fall and spring terms; meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP); maintain the minimum cumulative GPA required for the scholarship. Note: The amount you are awarded will remain the same for each term, even if the scholarship changes for incoming students. See Terms & Conditions for more information.

Updates Regarding Diversity Awards & George C. Brooks Award

Regulatory changes have required Mizzou to discontinue offering these awards to future students, but we will honor our commitment to students who were awarded these scholarships prior to those changes. You will continue to receive your scholarship each semester as long as you continue to meet the renewal criteria. View our renewal criteria page for diversity-based awards for information regarding the Diversity Award and George C. Brooks Award.

Mizzou Alumni Scholars Program

Award amount: $500 – $5,000 per year (fall and spring only; does not apply to summer terms)

How to apply:  The Mizzou Alumni Association uses  ScholarshipUniverse to award all incoming freshmen, transfer students, and continuing students. Log into ScholarshipUniverse and answer a series of matching questions. Once you have been matched to your scholarships, you can search for those offered by the Mizzou Alumni Association organization and complete the applications provided. Incoming students must submit their applications for Alumni scholarships by the December 1 deadline; transfer and continuing students must complete their applications by the January 1 deadline.

Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Scholarships

Award amount: varies

How to apply: Learn about ROTC scholarships on the programs’ websites.

Bright Flight Program

Award amount: varies depending on ACT or SAT scores

How to apply: The Bright Flight Program is a scholarship that is a Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (DHEWD) merit-based program that encourages top-ranked high school seniors to attend an approved Missouri college or university. For more information on the criteria and award amounts for this program please visit the Bright Flight Program DHEWD website.

UM MOST Scholarships

How to apply: Complete the online application.

Minimum Qualifications: For application deadlines, information on the award amount, and minimum qualifications visit the University of Missouri MOST Scholarships website.

Osher Scholarship

Award Amount: Up to $5,000 Scholarship funds may be applied only toward the cost of tuition and course fees. Several types of financial aid may affect the Osher Scholarship amount. Unused funds will be returned to the Osher scholarship fund for reallocation.

How to apply: ScholarshipUniverse

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Must be a Mizzou student working toward your first bachelor’s degree;
  • Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
  • Have experienced a cumulative five-year interruption in your studies. The interruption does not have to be consecutive, and may include a gap between graduating high school and entering college;
  • Plan to participate in the workforce after graduation;
  • Have financial need, but not necessarily have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);
  • Students who meet the criteria who are taking 50 percent or more of their courses in a traditional classroom setting during the period covered by the Reentry scholarship can be considered eligible to apply.[/expand]
Tuition Settlement Scholarships

Minimum qualifications: Tuition Settlement Agreement revised scholarship criteria

Additional information: Tuition Settlement Scholarships

Deadlines: Feb. 15 for fall and summer semesters; Aug. 16 for spring semesters

Financial aid maximum limits and other terms and conditions of scholarships

All scholarships, grants, and financial resources you receive are subject to being reduced if the combined total reaches your maximum Cost of Attendance. If you feel that you have additional educational costs that exceed your standard Cost of Attendance (COA) then you can contact the Student Financial Aid office to see if there is an opportunity to appeal to increase your COA. Keep in mind, that even if your COA is able to be increased it does not mean that all of your financial aid scholarships, grants, or other resources can be increased.

All Mizzou scholarships are not transferable among other campuses of the University of Missouri System unless specifically indicated. Mizzou scholarships are only available in the fall and spring semesters (i.e., you will not receive the scholarships in the summer term).

View scholarships for transfer students here.

All scholarships listed below are funded by (and eligibility is determined by) the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development (MDHEWD) and are subject to change annually based on annual state funding. Initial Mizzou aid offer notifications will have an estimated state scholarship amount if you qualify, but this amount is subject to change based upon final amounts as determined by MDHEWD.

Want to know if you are eligible? Click on each of the links below to access the eligibility criteria on the MDHEWD’s website:

For additional questions and information, review MDHEWD’s website, or contact them by email at info@dhewd.mo.gov or phone at (800) 473-6757, option 4.

A private, external or outside scholarship is a great way to help you fund your education debt-free! This scholarship is money received from a source other than Mizzou or a federal or state government.

ScholarshipUniverse is a scholarship-matching tool that simplifies the process of finding and applying for scholarships from Mizzou and from more than 10,000 private, external or outside sources, including private foundations, religious organizations, corporate, professional, civic or service organizations, the military, and others.

Below are some popular search tools with resources to assist you with your search for scholarships or other financial aid options. Be wary of scams: we do not recommend companies that offer scholarship services for a fee. It is up to you to complete any required applications and meet eligibility criteria for private scholarships.

Important Dates

For the 2024-2025 academic year

Dec. 1, 2023 - Scholarship deadline for first-time college students

Feb. 1, 2024 - Scholarship deadline for current & transfer students

March. 1, 2024 - MU's recommended FAFSA submission date

Apr. 1, 2024 - FAFSA submission deadline

More dates

Resources & Information

Review the following pages for clear understanding of the financial aid programs and ensure maximum aid eligibility from year to year.