The Selective Scholarship Application (SSA) is an invitation-only application shared by a number of schools and programs at Indiana University to award merit-based scholarships to incoming first-year students who meet high academic standards. Incoming first-year students must have a complete application for admission on file by the November 1st Early Action non-binding deadline in order to be considered for an invitation to complete the SSA.

Yes. You must be admitted to Indiana University Bloomington before you will be considered for eligibility to apply for scholarships through the SSA. We do not provide SSA materials to students who have not yet been assigned the SSA.

If you are eligible to complete the SSA, you will receive an SSA invitation email from the Office of Scholarships approximately 5–7 days after you receive your admission email. Any school or program that will review your application will be listed in that email.

The renewal criteria for scholarships awarded through the SSA vary by awarding department and individual scholarship. If you are a recipient of a scholarship awarded through the SSA, the renewal criteria should be included in the scholarship notification.

Yes. You need to set up your One.IU account before you can access the SSA and other services available for admitted students. Directions for creating your account can be found here.

1. Create your IU computing account. You will need your 10-digit University ID number provided in your admission notification email to create this account. It may take up to 24 hours to activate your account. Do not log in using your guest account.
2. Once your account is activated, log into One.IU. Enter the keyword "scholarships" in the search bar.
3. Click on the "Scholarships" icon, a dollar sign ($) with a graduation cap.
4. Click Sign In With Your Network ID. You may be prompted to sign in using your IU credentials.
5. Complete all questions on the General Scholarship Application, then click Finish and Submit. This should be completed before the IU Bloomington SSA. Please ensure that you answer all questions thoroughly.
6. Complete the IU Bloomington SSA, then click “Finish and Submit.” The deadline to submit your SSA is February 1st by 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Only students who have been invited to complete the SSA will be able to see the IU Bloomington SSA when they log in through One.IU. If you have received an official invitation and do not see the IU Bloomington SSA, please verify that you are logging in with your official IU computing account (created after your admission using your 10-digit University ID number that begins with 000 or 200. Please refer to your admission notification email or letter for your University ID number). All IU students can complete the General Scholarship Application, and students invited to complete the SSA should submit the General Scholarship Application as the first step of the SSA.

For questions or technical issues related to the SSA, please contact the Office of Scholarships at iussa@iu.edu or 812-855-5779. If emailing, please include your full name and University ID. If calling, please have your University ID readily available. The 10-digit University ID number can be found in your Admission notification letter and begins with 000 or 200.

We are unable to assign SSAs for any student prior to admission to Indiana University Bloomington. The deadline to submit the SSA is February 1st by 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. It is your responsibility to ensure that all required materials are received by the deadline. 

Yes, you can upload your essay to the SSA in acceptable file formats like Microsoft Word and PDF. Please check your file first to ensure it opens correctly, and only use alpha-numeric characters in the file name.

No. Scholarships awarded through the SSA are competitive and all materials must be received on time. Your completed SSA must be submitted on or before February 1st at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

We encourage students to write a new essay that specifically addresses the questions in the SSA. 

Your application will contain the most recent admission application information we have on file for you. If you submit updated test scores after being assigned an SSA, your application will be updated to reflect the new scores. Once you submit your SSA, your application will continue to update with new SAT/ACT scores; however, we cannot guarantee that the reviewing department will consider any information that is updated after you submit your SSA.

All students who meet the November 1st Early Action non-binding deadline will continue to be assessed for additional SSA opportunities based on updated test scores through January 15th, at which time all SSA eligibility review stops to ensure adequate time for SSA completion.

Yes. Many of the schools and programs that utilize the SSA plan to offer potential direct admission and scholarship opportunities for students who apply test-optional. For any additional SSA criteria for each department for Fall 2024 applicants, students should contact the departments directly.