Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for Boise State scholarships?

New freshmen or transfer students will be considered for most scholarships if all admission application materials are received by the February 15th deadline. To be considered for need-based scholarships, the FAFSA(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) must be submitted by February 15th. If you meet the specific criteria listed on the Supplemental Scholarship Form this too must be submitted by February 15th.

Academic departments also offer scholarships at Boise State. Award recipients are chosen by each academic discipline. Some departments require additional information so you should check our Departmental/College scholarship page for application and deadline information. Please note that not all departments or colleges award first year students.

Continuing students should submit the FAFSA(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) by March 15th and refer to our Departmental/College scholarship page for departmental scholarship information. If applicable, the Supplemental Scholarship Form should be submitted to our office by March 15th.

What is the Idaho Promise B Scholarship?

The Idaho Promise Category B Scholarship will provide up to $300 per semester for the 2008-2009 academic year. It is limited to four semesters and to first-time freshmen students with a 3.0 high school GPA and/or an ACT score of 20, SAT score of 950. Students must also be younger than 22 years of age as of July 1 of the year in which they are applying. To remain eligible for this scholarship students must successfully complete at least 12 credits per semester and maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.

Once you are admitted to Boise State, you will be awarded this scholarship if you meet the qualifications. You may also review information provided by the Idaho State Board of Educationto answer your questions about the Idaho Promise and other state scholarships.

What is the Education Incentive Loan Forgiveness program?

The Education Incentive Loan Forgiveness program encourages graduates of Idaho high schools to pursue teaching or professional nursing careers at an Idaho college or university and to work in Idaho. To qualify for the scholarship, a student must meet all of the following criteria:

Must be an Idaho student
Will maintain full-time student status and shall maintain a grad point average of 3.0 or better in the first two (2) semesters
Enroll as a full-time student at an Idaho College or university, pursuing a program of study toward an Idaho teaching certificate or licensure by the Board of Nursing as a registered nurse
Pursue a teaching or nursing career within the state of Idaho for a minimum of two years.

The Boise State Scholarship Committee will determine the Teaching Loan Forgiveness awards. These awards are based upon applying for admission to Boise State. There is not a separate scholarship application, you merely need to be admitted to Boise State.

The Nursing Department Scholarship Committee will determine the Nursing Loan Forgiveness awards based upon your scholarship application with the Nursing Department. See Nursing Department Scholarships for this application.

You may also review information provided by the Idaho State Board of Educationto answer your questions about this program and other state scholarships.

Is my scholarship renewable?

The renewal status varies with each scholarship and this information will be included with your scholarship award letter and/or on your BroncoWeb account. Attached to each scholarship will be an award message. The award message will be printed on your paper award letter. In BroncoWeb the award message can be found by clicking on the name of the scholarship on the page where you accept the award. The award message gives you important information about the renewal criteria for your scholarship.

Renewable Boise State Scholarships awarded by the Boise State Scholarship Committee:

Idaho Minority & At-Risk Scholarships
Education Loan Forgiveness Award
Nursing Loan Forgiveness Award
Laura Moore Cunningham Scholarship
National Merit Scholars/Langroise Distinguished Scholar Scholarship
Capital Scholars Award (awarded junior year in high school)
President Civic Leadership Blue and Orange Circle Awards
Gem Scholarship (nonresidnet waiver)
GEM High Tech (HT)Scholarship (nonresident waiver)
Western Undergraduate Exchange Award (partial nonresident waiver)

I need to defer my attendance at Boise State for a medical reasons, military deployment, church service, or other selected reasons. What will happen to my scholarships?

Boise State University will defer a student’s scholarship(s) if a student's attendance at Boise State is interrupted for medical reasons, military deployment, church service, or other selected reasons, provided that a student meets certain criteria. For a student’s scholarship(s) to be deferred, the student must attend at least one full-time semester prior to his or her departure and meet the minimum criteria for renewal of his or her scholarship(s) during the semester(s) he or she attends prior to leaving. To request a deferral, a student should submit a deferral, prior to leaving Boise State, requesting the scholarship be held for a specified period of time. The letter must include when the student is leaving, when he or she plans to return, and the reason for the deferment request. Our general policy is that scholarships can be held for up to two years. The letter should be submitted to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office in the Administration Building Room 113 or via FAQuest@boisestate.edu.

I have a high GPA and am involved in many activities. I wasn’t awarded a scholarship. Why?

Boise State has more qualified individuals than scholarship awards so the selection is a competitive process. Our Boise State Scholarship Committee uses a combination of GPA, test scores (ACT/SAT), and other admission information to award scholarships. For those scholarships with a financial need component, the results of your FAFSA are also considered. Each academic department is responsible for awarding scholarships and will consider GPA among other factors.

What happens if I miss the priority filing date of February 15th for new student scholarships or March 15th for continuing student scholarships? Will I still be considered for scholarships?

Boise State gives priority to students that have met the deadline. Boise State awards scholarships on a space available basis and those students admitted after February 15th will not have priority consideration. The sooner you are able to submit all admission information the better chance you will have to be considered.

As for need based scholarships, if you miss the priority deadline of February 15th and March 15th for completing the FAFSA you will not be considered for the need based awards.

What if I miss the supplemental scholarship application deadline?

The Supplemental Scholarship Form must be received by February 15th (new students) or March 15th (continuing students). This form is only used for a small handful of scholarship selections. If you miss the deadline, you will not be eligible for these particular scholarships. If you miss a department's scholarship deadline, speak with your academic department about your options. Scholarships are advertised on our web site with varying deadlines so be sure to check all opportunities.

Do I have to apply for scholarships every school year?

You should check our How to Apply page each year to learn about the different scholarship options. Each year, the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office will provide information to academic departments about students with a 3.0 GPA or better. You must declare your major with the Registrar’s Office to make sure your name appears on your academic department's list. For need-based scholarships, you must submit a FAFSA(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year. Many scholarship decisions will be made based on this information, however some departments require a separate scholarship application form. Please refer to our Departmental/College page for more information.

Should I pay someone to search for scholarships for me?

No. You should never pay money to find a scholarship. Free web searches are your best option. Please refer to our National Scholarship Search.

Where should information about outside or private scholarships be sent?

Scholarship checks or communication should be sent to the following address:
Financial Aid and Scholarships Office
Attention: Scholarship Department
Boise State University
1910 University Drive
Boise, ID 83725-1315

Are international students eligible for scholarships?

Yes, international students are eligible for some Nonresident Tuition Assistance Programs and Departmental/College scholarships. You should follow the same procedures as other students when applying for Admissions and review our How to Apply page. For more information, new international students should contact Sally Pittman in International Admissions at (208) 426-1757 or spittman@boisestate.edu. Continuing international students should go to the International Programs Web page.

Does Boise State offer scholarships for study abroad programs?

Yes, you will find information regarding different methods of payment through our Boise State Studies Abroad program and with the International Programs Office Scholarship Application.You may contact Corrine Henke directly (208)426-3652 or visit the Studies Abroad web site. You may also review the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship site.

What types of awards are available to nonresident students?

All students (undergraduate or graduate) who possess an outstanding academic record and who are not residents of Idaho and who submit all admission materials by February 15th will be considered for a Gem and GEM HT Scholarship at the time of admissions. These scholarships cover the full cost of nonresident tuition at Boise State University, a value of over $8,500 per year. Recipients of Gem and Gem HT Scholarships can qualify to have their award automatically renewed as long as they continue to meet GPA, credit requirements, and continue in an eligible program.

Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a competitive merit-based program. It allows undergraduate students from participating states to attend Boise State at a reduced out-of-state tuition rate. You will be considered when admitted to Boise State if you have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA, and are a resident of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington or Wyoming. Please refer to our Nonresident Tuition Assistance Program page for more information.

What types of awards are available to graduate students?

Graduate students are eligible for Nonresident Tuition Assistance Programs such as the Gem HT Grad scholarship as well as certain Departmental/College scholarships. Not all departments award scholarships to graduate students, therefore we advise students to contact their department to discuss scholarship options.