Scholarships 101

Let's review how scholarships work

Scholarships provide financial support for your education—unlocking opportunities that might not have been possible otherwise. The Office of Scholarships administers only some of the scholarships available to Indiana University Bloomington students. This site includes several scholarship opportunities and funding resources that we don’t oversee, such as IU school and departmental scholarships and non-IU scholarships opportunities.

All students who apply by the November 1 Early Action (non-binding) deadline will receive the highest scholarship consideration, regardless of whether or not they choose to have test scores considered as part of their application.

An overview of the process

Here are some of the key steps in the IU Bloomington scholarship process:

  • All students who submit a complete application for admission by the early action (non-binding) deadline of November 1, 2023 will receive the highest amount of IU scholarship consideration. 
  • IU Academic Scholarship recipients will be notified via email starting mid-December, followed with a letter in the mail.
  • Incoming students who receive their admissions decision before February 1, 2024 will have the opportunity to submit their General Scholarship Application for IU scholarship opportunities. This application has a deadline of February 1, 2024 for incoming students, so applying by the early action deadline is important to ensure you receive your admissions decision in time to submit this application. 
  • Students who apply by November 1 will also be considered for receiving an invitation from a participating IU Bloomington department to submit a Selective Scholarship Application (SSA), which also has a deadline of February 1, 2024 for incoming students.
  • Incoming students will know by March 15, 2024 if they have received a scholarship(s) from Indiana University. Students should base their enrollment decisions based on the amount shown in their Financial Aid Summary following March 15, 2024.

We encourage all admitted students to seek out scholarships to help cover the cost of college, whether you’re a first-year student, a student transferring to IU, a nontraditional student, or even a current Hoosier.

Carson Billingsley

At IU, scholarships give you even more than money. The Office of Scholarships provides a supportive scholar community and valuable resources for all aspects of student life.

Carson Billingsley, Class of 2023, College of Arts + Sciences

72% of IU Bloomington undergraduates received grant or scholarship aid in 2021–22 (National Center for Education Statistics)

Keep searching

In your scholarship search, we encourage you to leave no stone unturned. You may be eligible for external scholarships - some of which are listed in Non-IU Scholarships. You may also find opportunities through the following:

We’re here to guide you