First Year Scholarships and Grants

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: PLU first year applicants who have demonstrated significant leadership and service based on the activities section of Common App or the supplement provided to them after completing the Automatic Admission or Niche Direct Admission Acceptance Form, 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 will be considered.

Amount: Variable. These awards will be in addition to any merit scholarships students receive.

Awarding: Students selected for Presidential Scholarships will be notified by mid-January

Application: Students must apply for admission to PLU by the Early Action II deadline of December 1. No additional application materials needed for Common App applicants. A supplement outlining leadership and service during high school will be needed for students using the Automatic Admission or Niche Direct Admission acceptance form.

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 11, 2025. For more information, visit the College of Professional Studies website.

Eligibility: Any incoming first-year student for the 2025-2026 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. 253 PLU Bound, tuition exchange, etc.)* cannot receive the PLU 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 3.0 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.

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: 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: $500 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, 2025, will be matched.

Application: A PLU Matching Scholarship application must be completed by the student and the awarding church by August 15, 2025.

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

Amount: Up to $1,700 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, 2025.

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 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 have attended an official Admission-sponsored on-campus visit between May 1 and December 1, 2024 for a 2025 spring semester start, or between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025 for a fall semester 2025 start will automatically be awarded our Visit Scholarship.

Eligibility: Awarded to full-time students based on financial need. Q Club is a group of more than 2,000 friends and alumni committed to making PLU accessible to students with financial need.

Amount: Varies, depending on FAFSA calculated need.

Application: No separate application required. FAFSA required each year.

Eligibility: Awarded to full-time students based on financial need.

Amount: Varies, depending on FAFSA calculated need.

Application: No separate application required. FAFSA required each year.

Eligibility: Based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA.

Amount: Ranges from $740 to $7,395 per year for full time enrollment; prorated for less than full-time enrollment.  Enrollment status is established on the census date (10th day of class for the semester).

Application: FAFSA required each year.

Eligibility: Based on financial need as determined by the FAFSA.

Amount: Up to $1,000 per year for full time enrollment; prorated for less than full-time enrollment.  Enrollment status is established on the census date (10th day of class for the semester).

Application: FAFSA required each year.

Eligibility: Washington residents who demonstrate financial need.

Amount: Subject to state funding.

Application: FAFSA or WASFA required each year. Terms & Conditions of the grant can be found on our website.

Eligibility: Washington residents who demonstrate financial need.

Amount: Subject to state funding.

Application: FAFSA or WASFA required each year.

Eligibility: Undergraduates students who are residents of WA state, majoring in Science, Technology, Engineering, mathematics, or health care programs of study whose family income is at or below 125% of the Washington median family income. A minimum cumulative GPA is also required. Separate application is required at www.waopportunityscholarship.org.

Amount: $2,500 per year for the first two years of study, $5,000 and $7,500 per year for  the third and fourth years.

Application: FAFSA required each year to establish income eligibility.

SAGE Scholars program

PLU is a participating school in the SAGE Scholar Tuition Rewards program.  The exact amount of funding and how those funds are labeled will depend on the level of tuition rewards points earned at the time the student begins their enrollment at the university, and whether PLU can offer a higher amount using its own scholarship guidelines than is required by the SAGE agreement.  Students are offered the award that will result in the higher dollar value, not the sum of both.  For instance, if the student has been awarded an annual $20,000 PLU academic scholarship, but has only $10,000 in tuition rewards points, the university’s “matching” requirement will already have been met (and exceeded) by the $20,000 academic scholarship;  thus, there will be no additional award offered, labeled as a “SAGE Scholar Tuition Reward”.

Eligibility: Tuition remission is a university employee benefit that covers 90% of tuition or up to 75% of tuition for their dependent undergraduate. The application is made with Human Resources. Recipients of tuition remission who are also awarded PLU merit or PLU need-based gift awards will have the sum of their tuition remission and PLU gift aid capped at the full cost of tuition. This full tuition cap also applies to students bringing a tuition exchange benefit to PLU from another university.

A scholarship search site that doesn’t require you to login or register.  Scholarships can be filtered by your state, student type, academic area, degree type, and other extra curricula activities. Additional information is provided on writing scholarship essays and thank you letters,  and other saving tips.

Search their database for scholarships that might apply to you. Or sign-up for their newsletter and receive information right to your e-mail.

The College Board’s online Scholarship Search. After a brief questionnaire, the site brings up a listing of scholarships for which you might be eligible.