End Cap

Financial Aid and
Scholarships Office
Admin Building, Rm 113
1910 University Drive
Boise, ID 83725-1315

Voice
(208) 426-1664

Fax
(208) 426-1305

Toll Free
(800) 824-7017

E-mail
FAQuest@boisestate.edu

Standard Hours
Monday - Friday
8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (MST)
Evening Services not available during the summer

last revised:

Scholarship Policies

  1. Boise State policy does not permit a student to receive institutional funds in conjunction with other outside funds in excess of that student’s Cost of Attendance (COA)
  2. Eligibility for renewable scholarships
  3. Deferring Scholarships
  4. Complete Withdraw Effect on Scholarships
  5. Scholarships while on Education Abroad
  6. Outside Scholarships
  7. Scholarship Criteria
  8. Donor Thank You Notes
  9. Student Athletes Receiving Scholarships
  10. Scholarship Acceptance Deadline
  11. Scholarship Notes/Disclaimer

Boise State policy does not permit a student to receive institutional funds in conjunction with other outside funds in excess of that student’s Cost of Attendance (COA)

Boise State scholarship recipients cannot exceed their Cost of Attendance in institutional funds. The combination of scholarships, federal aid, and outside assistance cannot exceed the COA figure. If a combination of all sources of aid exceeds the student’s COA, Boise State will reduce aid to keep the student within their COA. We will start by reducing federal financial aid, such as loans, but we may ultimately need to reduce institutional scholarships as well. (Scholarships have no impact on Pell Grant eligibility or amounts.) Institutional scholarships awarded above a student’s Cost of Attendance will be canceled and awarded to other deserving Boise State students. All Boise State students are provided an estimated Cost of Attendance. The Cost of Attendance is an estimated calculation of a student’s tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and personal expenses for the period of enrollment. The cost of attendance is reviewed each year. Students can request an increase to their cost of attendance by completing a budget increase form found on the financial aid web site under Printable Forms.

Eligibility for renewable scholarships

Students receiving renewable scholarships are evaluated at the end of each spring semester to determine if they are eligible for continuation of the scholarship into the next academic year. The Scholarship Committee will check to see if students met minimum criteria while receiving the award during the academic year. Students will need to review the award message attached to the scholarship award on their BroncoWeb Accept/Decline Financial Aid page to be familiar with the renewal criteria of their scholarship. In most cases students are required to maintain a certain GPA, complete a certain number of credits, and in some cases remain in an eligible major in order to renew their scholarship. Please note that repeated courses will not count toward meeting minimum credit requirements. If a student does not meet the minimum requirements to renew their scholarship, the scholarship will not be offered for the upcoming academic year. If a student has extenuating circumstances that impact his or her scholarship renewal eligibility, an appeal letter can be submitted to the Scholarship Committee which explains and documents those circumstances. The letter should be submitted to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office in the Administration Building Room 113 or by email to FAQuest@boisestate.edu.

Deferring 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. Enrollment at another College or University during the deferment period will result in an automatic cancellation of the scholarship. To request a deferral, a student should submit a letter, 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 academic years if approved. Enrollment at another College or University during the deferment period will result in an automatic cancellation of the scholarship. The letter should be submitted to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office in the Administration Building Room 113 or via FAQuest@boisestate.edu.

If a deferral is required for medical reasons, military deployment, church service, or other selected reasons prior to any Boise State attendance, a deferral request to hold those funds is also required. The letter must include when the student plans to return to Boise State and the reason for the deferment request. Our general policy is that scholarships can be held for up to two academic years and approval is dependent on the availability of remaining scholarship funds. Enrollment at another College or University during the deferment period will result in an automatic cancellation of the scholarship.  The letter should be submitted to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office in the Administration Building Room 113 or via FAQuest@boisestate.edu.

Complete Withdraw Effect on Scholarships

If a student completely withdraws from Boise State University prior to the 10th day of the semester, any Boise State scholarships will be canceled from the students account.  If the student received a refund that included the scholarships, they will be required to pay that refund back to Boise State.  If the student received a scholarship from an outside entity, we will notify the outside entity that the student has withdrawn from the university. If the outside entity would like to have their scholarship money back, they will need to work directly with the student in that process.

If a student completely withdraws from Boise State University after the 10th day of the semester, the student can still receive their scholarship to help cover any of the charges incurred for their time here at Boise State.  If the student’s fees are refunded or waived through a fee appeal, the scholarship will be canceled and the student will not be allowed a refund from the scholarship funds. If this results in a balance owing to Boise State, the student is required to pay that money back to the University.

Scholarships while on Education Abroad

If a student going on education abroad is currently receiving a scholarship from Boise State the Scholarship Committee at Boise State will evaluate if the scholarship can be used towards their education abroad or if a deferment is required while they are away from Boise State campus.  Prior to leaving Boise State the student needs to write a letter to the Scholarship Committee telling them they are going on exchange, where they are going on exchange, what type of exchange it is (direct, education abroad etc), what type of renewable scholarships they have, and when they plan to return.  The Scholarship Committee will decide if the scholarship can be used while on exchange. The letter should be submitted to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office in the Administration Building Room 113 or via FAQuest@boisestate.edu. A response will be sent to the student for their review.

Nonresident tuition waivers such as the GEM or WUE Scholarships are not eligible to be used while on some education abroad programs.   They can be used for direct exchange programs, but not other programs abroad.  Prior to going on exchange the student will need to write a request for deferral letter documenting why they need the scholarship held.  When the student returns from their exchange the Scholarship Office will check to make sure the student maintained the renewal requirements of the scholarship before it will be renewed on their student account. 

Outside Scholarships

If you are receiving a scholarship from a source other than Boise State, it must be processed through the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. Please direct your donor to send your scholarship check to the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office at 1910 University Dr, Boise, ID 83725-1315. Along with the check please ask your donor to give us instructions on rules and regulations required of the recipient in order to receive the scholarship. We can track these rules through our office to ensure the donor’s requests are being met. Once the check is received it will be processed and put on the student account in a timely manner. During our peak time (August and January) please allow 2 weeks to see the funds disburse to the student account. If this time frame causes any problems, please contact our office.

Scholarship Criteria

Most Boise State scholarships have criteria the recipient must meet in order to receive the scholarship. To find these criteria, navigate to the Accept/Decline Financial Aid page on your BroncoWeb account. The name of the scholarship is a link to the award message. The award message will give you the pertinent information for the scholarship. Please read this message carefully and be aware of the requirements to maintain the scholarship. If the scholarship requires the student to be in a certain major and they are not in that major, please notify our office so we can make adjustments to the scholarship.

Donor Thank You Notes

Most Boise State Scholarships are from funds provided generally by private donors. These donors are donating their money to help you fund your education. Please let these donors know how much you appreciate their donations to your education. Send your donor a thank you note! Please visit this site for more information on How to Thank Your Donor.

Student Athletes Receiving Scholarships

Student athletes who have been offered a scholarship should discuss the award with their coach to determine whether or not the student athlete can accept the award. Per NCAA regulations, student athletes are limited in the amount of institutional aid they can receive. Institutional aid includes both athletic scholarships AND institutional academic scholarships.

Scholarship Acceptance Deadline

All scholarships offered must be accepted on BroncoWeb within 28 days after the date posted on the award notification (email or letter). All awards not accepted by this deadline will be canceled and offered to another deserving Boise State student. To accept the awards go to BroncoWeb account and log in, then click on Student Center, Under Finances click on Accept/Decline Awards, and finally 2009. Follow the instructions listed.

Scholarship Notes/Disclaimer

New freshmen are students who enter Boise State University after completing coursework at a regionally accredited high school, a GED or a home school program.  Students who take concurrent college credit during high school are considered for new freshmen scholarships if they enter Boise State University immediately after high school completion.

Transfer students are students who have completed at least one college credit.  Students who take concurrent college credit during high school are considered transfer students if they do not enter Boise State University immediately after high school completion and apply to Boise State University at a later date.

All Boise State University scholarships require continuous enrollment at Boise State University.  The criteria for credit completion, GPA and award amounts of each scholarship are detailed in the scholarship award message. 

Some scholarships for new freshmen require enrollment at Boise State immediately following the completion of high school or its equivalent. Students who delay enrollment at Boise State for a semester or more will not be considered for these awards.

Unweighted high school GPA is used for all applicants from regionally accredited high schools for both Boise State University admission and scholarship awards.

Boise State University does not require or consider for admission or scholarships the writing section score of the ACT or SAT.

Transfer credits are evaluated based on a semester hour system.  All quarter credits are converted to a semester equivalent during the evaluation process.

Criteria and award amounts for Boise State University scholarships are subject to change each academic year.