First Year Scholarships

Each year, we award more than $63 million in PLU-funded scholarships and grants. Our scholarships recognize your academic achievement, talent, leadership, and service, as well as your potential to continue all of those things as a Lute.
Take a look below to see the scholarships for which you could be eligible and should apply for!

Eligibility: All first-year applicants are considered for PLU Academic Scholarships.

Amount: $8,000-$32,000 per year, renewable for an additional three years of undergraduate study.

Number: Scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit, primarily high school GPA.

Awarding: Students are notified of the range of academic scholarship they can expect upon admission to the university. Scholarship amounts along with other aid sources will be included in a Financial Aid Offer.

Application: Students must complete the PLU application for admission.  No other application is required.

Eligibility: High school seniors who have demonstrated significant leadership and service, and have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.8 (weighted), OR scored 1310 or higher on the SAT (math and evidence-based reading and writing only), OR scored 28 or higher on the ACT.

Amount: $34,000 per year, renewable for an additional three years of undergraduate study.

Number: 120 President’s Scholars are selected each year, from an applicant pool of over 500.

Awarding: Students selected for the President’s Scholarship will be notified in mid-January, and invited to interview with faculty to compete for the Harstad Founder’s and Regents’ Scholarships February 23-24, 2024.

*Please note: The President’s Scholarship will replace any PLU academic scholarship previously awarded.

Application: Students must apply for admission to PLU by December 1 and complete the Presidential Scholarships application by December 15.

Eligibility: Students who have been selected for the President’s Scholarship only.

Amount: $40,000 per year, renewable for an additional three years of undergraduate study.

Number: 10 Harstad Founder’s Scholars are selected from the 120 President’s Scholars after an on-campus competitive faculty interview process.

Awarding: Students are notified within two weeks after the interview process, February 23-24, 2024.

*Please note: The Harstad Founder’s Scholarship will replace the previously awarded President’s Scholarship.

Application: Students must apply for admission to PLU by December 1 and complete the Presidential Scholarships application by December 15.

Eligibility: Students who have been selected for the President’s Scholarship only.

Amount: Full tuition, renewable for an additional three years of undergraduate study.

Number: 5 Regents’ Scholars are selected from the 120 President’s Scholars after an on-campus competitive faculty interview process.

Awarding: Students are notified within two weeks after the interview process February 23-24, 2024.

*Please note: The Regents’ Scholarship will replace the previously awarded President’s Scholarship or Harstad Founder’s Scholarship.

Application: Students must apply for admission to PLU by December 1 and complete the Presidential Scholarships application by December 15.

Eligibility: Exceptional ability in the fields of art & design, dance, media, music, and theatre (acting & technical).  Students are eligible to apply and audition for awards in multiple fields.

Amount: $1,000-$7,500 per year, renewable for up to an additional three years of undergraduate study. These awards will be in addition to any merit scholarships students receive.

Number: Varies for each department.

Awarding: Varies for each department.

Application: Students must complete applications for scholarships by February 15, 2024. For more information, visit the College of Professional Studies website.

Eligibility: Any incoming first-year student for the 2024-2025 academic year who lives on campus.

Amount: $2,500 per year toward tuition costs, renewable for every year while living on campus.

Please note that students who have tuition fully covered through other scholarships (i.e. Regents’ Scholarship, Act Six, tuition exchange, etc.)* cannot receive the PLU Housing Grant.

*The exception is the 253 PLU Bound Scholarship. 253 PLU Bound Scholars will receive a $1,500 Housing Grant.

Number: Unlimited.

Awarding: Students who indicate they will be living on campus will automatically receive the PLU Housing Grant. The grant is renewable for up to an additional three years of undergraduate study as long as the student continues to live in on-campus housing.

Eligibility: Students must be College Bound Scholarship eligible, attend a Washington state high school, and have a 3.3 or higher weighted cumulative GPA. Visit plu.edu/253 for further details.

Amount: Full tuition, from a combination of PLU, federal, state, and College Bound scholarship and grant. 253 PLU Bound Scholars will also receive an additional $1,000 Supporting Success Scholarship and $1,500 Housing Grant.

Number: Unlimited.

Awarding: If the student fulfills all eligibility requirements, the 253 PLU Bound Scholarship is guaranteed. The scholarship is renewable for up to an additional three years of undergraduate study as long as the student remains College Bound eligible and maintains satisfactory academic progress while at PLU.

Application: Students must complete the PLU application and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or (if an undocumented Washington state resident) the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) to determine College Bound scholarship eligibility.

Eligibility: PLU partners with Act Six to select high school seniors from the Tacoma-Seattle and Yakima Valley areas who are passionate about their communities, eager to foster intercultural relationships, committed to service and leadership, and want to use their college education to make a difference on campus and in their communities at home.

Amount: Full tuition. Scholars with need beyond tuition will receive additional grant and work study to fully meet that need.

Number: PLU selects a cadre of seven Act Six Scholars from Tacoma-Seattle and five Act Six Scholars from Yakima Valley each year.

Awarding: Students who have been selected by Act Six to be semi-finalists will be invited in January to interview with faculty and administration.  Act Six finalists will be selected and notified within three weeks of the interview process.

Application: Students must complete the Act Six Scholarship application, found at www.actsix.org, by the November 28, 2023 deadline.  The scholarship application will also serve as the admission application to PLU.

Eligibility: For students who have a parent or legal guardian who is a nurse or K-12 educator. Students themselves do not need to major in Nursing or Education.

Amount: At least HALF of tuition will be covered by PLU-funded scholarships and grants.

Awarding: The commitment is not a named scholarship, but rather will include any PLU-funded merit or need-based scholarships a student receives. This includes, but is not limited to, Academic, Presidential, Artistic Achievement, Alumni and/or Clergy Dependent, 253 PLU Bound, Act Six, and Housing Scholarships, as well as PLU Grants.

Application: No separate application is needed to be considered. Our application for admission includes questions about the occupations of parents/guardians. If a student does not complete that section of the application, they can instead complete this Nurse/Educator Parent Occupation Form (note: you will first have to log-in to your student applicant portal in order to access this form)

Eligibility: Students who have been confirmed in any ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America) congregation. A church official (i.e. pastor, youth pastor or leader, church secretary/administrator, etc.) from their congregation must complete and submit the online Confirmation Scholarship Form.

Amount: $1,500 per year.

Eligibility: Students who have been referred by a PLU alumnus through our Alumni Referral Scholarship Form by December 1 of the student’s senior year of high school will receive the Alumni Referral Scholarship.

Find more information and FAQs on the Alumni Referral Scholarship webpage.

Please note: Students whose parents attended PLU cannot receive the Alumni Referral Scholarship, but will instead be awarded our $1,000 per year Legacy Scholarship. More information can be found on the Alumni Referral Scholarship webpage.

Amount: $1,000 per year

Eligibility: Students receiving scholarships of $100 or more from any church congregation.

Amount: PLU matches a church scholarship, dollar for dollar, up to $1,000 per year.

Number: Dependent upon number of applicants.

Awarding: PLUMS is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Only funds received by October 1, 2024, will be matched.

Application: A PLU Matching Scholarship application must be completed by the student and the awarding church by August 15, 2024.

Eligibility: Students of any ethnic background who demonstrate interest and leadership in promoting racial and ethnic diversity, and social justice.

Amount: Between $1,000-$1,500 per year, renewable for up to an additional three years of undergraduate study.

Number: Varies.

Awarding: Recipients will be awarded and notified by PLU’s Center for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability.

Application: Students must complete a Rieke Scholarship application, which can be found on the PLU Center for Diversity, Justice, and Sustainability website, by March 15, 2024.

Eligibility: Click here for further information.

Amount: Up to full tuition plus room and board, book allowance and living stipend.

Awarding & Application: Please contact the Army ROTC Career Counselor at rotc@plu.edu or 253-535-8740 to ask for step-by-step instructions on how to apply for the ROTC Scholarship.

Eligibility: Qualified veterans or their dependents. For further information, please visit www.plu.edu/yellowribbon.

Amount: Full tuition

Awarding & Application: Please contact PLU’s Veterans Benefits Coordinator Neshell Henkel Chabot at 253-535-7161 or henkelnd@plu.edu for details on applying.

Eligibility: Students who are dependents of PLU alumni (this includes step-parents)

Amount: $1,000 per year

Eligibility: Students who are dependents of clergy, from any religious denomination

Amount: $1,000 per year

Eligibility: Students who have attended an official Admission-sponsored on-campus visit between June 1- May 31 of their senior year of high school will automatically be awarded our Visit Scholarship.

Please note: The Visit Scholarship cannot be combined with a full-tuition scholarship such as the Regents’ Scholarship, tuition exchange, 253 PLU Bound Scholarship or Act Six Scholarship.

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