University-Wide Academic Scholarships

University of Minnesota academic scholarships are highly competitive. Admitted freshmen are considered for these scholarships based on an overall assessment of the application for freshman admission. Full consideration for academic scholarships is given to students who submit a complete application for freshman admission by either the Early Action (November 1) or Regular (January 1) application deadlines. No separate application is needed, though demonstration of financial need is required for certain academic scholarships. Recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or be eligible for the Minnesota Dream Act. Please note: there are a limited number of scholarships that are available for international students.

Scholarship recipients are notified by the end of March of their senior year.

Scholarship decisions are based on a very careful, overall assessment of each admitted student's academic preparation and performance, as well as the additional information provided in the admission application, based on the academic and context factors listed below.

Academic Factors

Because the greatest predictor of college success is academic preparation, the strongest consideration in the decision is given to a student's high school record. The following academic factors are considered:

Coursework through high school graduation.
(Admitted students typically exceed the University's high school requirements. See course requirements)
Grades in academic coursework
Class rank/Grade Point Average
Rigor of academic curriculum based on what is available in the high school (including enrollment in honors, AP, IB, or college-level courses when available)
ACT or SAT scores
(Submitting an ACT/SAT score is not required for 2021 applicants. All students, whether or not they submit a test score, will receive full consideration for admission, scholarships, and the University Honors Program.)
Applicant's academic interests
(We review a student's academic preparation related to the major/college for which they are seeking admission.)

Context Factors

Individual circumstances are also considered as part of the overall assessment of each application. Enrolling a diverse student body—with students bringing differing experiences, talents, and perspectives to their scholarly community—is essential to achieving the development outcomes of a University of Minnesota education. Our university community is strengthened by our students representing different races, economic backgrounds, geographic origins, genders, religions, ethnicities, sexualities, talents, and beliefs.

Our holistic review takes into consideration the individual circumstances that make each individual student unique. We consider the following context factors in our decision review.

Outstanding talent, achievement, or aptitude in a particular area
Strong commitment to community service and leadership
Military service
Contribution to the cultural, gender, age, economic, racial, or geographic diversity of the student body
Evidence of having overcome social, economic, or physical barriers to educational achievement
First-generation college student
Significant responsibility in a family, community, job, or activity
Family employment or attendance at the University of Minnesota
Personal or extenuating circumstances
Information received in open-ended questions

Award	Amount	Scholarship consideration is based on a holistic review of the primary and secondary factors listed above. Additional criteria are listed below by scholarship.
Maroon and Gold Leadership Award	$12,000 each year for four years	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act Note: This is a highly competitive scholarship, where most awardees are in the top 1-3% of a graduating class.
Gold Scholar Award	Amount varies, up to $10,000 each year for four years	Preference is given to National Merit Finalists Recipients must list the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as their first-choice college by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation deadline
Presidential Scholarship	$1,000 - $10,000 each year for four years
Bentson Family Scholarship	$24,000 over four years	Preference given to students of the Jewish faith
Minnesota Academic Excellence Scholarship	$6,500 each year for four years	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act Interested in English/creative writing, fine arts, foreign language, math, science, or social studies
Ethel Curry Scholarship	Amount varies, renewable up to four years	Must present written documentation of tribal enrollment by May 1 of your senior year
Iron Range Scholarship	$1,000-$3,000 each year for four years	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act Note: This is a highly competitive scholarship, where most awardees are in the top 10% of a graduating class.
Gopher State Scholarship	$1,000 each year for two years	North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wisconsin resident
National Scholarship	$2,500, $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 each year for four years	Resident of any state, excluding Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin
University of Minnesota Alumni Association Freshman Leadership Incentive Scholarship	$2,000 or $3,000 for one year	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act Preference given to first-generation college students Financial need considered
National Merit University of Minnesota Scholarship	$1,000 each year for four years	Eligible National Merit Finalists who list the University of Minnesota Twin Cities as their first-college choice by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation deadline
Ruby Hackett and Weldon Jones Scholarship	$5,000 each year for four years	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act
Calmenson Family San Diego Chapter Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of a high school in San Diego County or Riverside County, California
Robert & Gail Buuck Scholarship	$3,500 each year for four years	Provides support for students with physical disabilities. Physical disability is defined as a mobility, hearing, vision, or systemic disability that substantially limits at least one major life activity.
Sig Hagen Scholarship	$500 for one year	New York resident
Nils & Pat Hasselmo Undergraduate Scholarship	Amount varies
Kermit V. Haugan & Gladys Haugan Johnson Scholarship	Amount varies	Public high school graduate in Richfield, Minnesota, Two Harbors, Minnesota, North Branch, Minnesota or Horicon, Wisconsin
Irene Fraser Jackson Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to students interested in Library Sciences
John O. Kangas Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Moose Lake High School
Josephine L. Merriam Scholarship	Amount varies
Charles E. Merrill Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to descendants of maimed or wounded veterans
Edgar Morrill Scholarship	Amount varies
Carl & Eloise Pohlad Scholarship	Amount varies	Financial need considered
Gamma Omicron Beta Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to legacies of Gamma Omicron Beta Sorority
Kevin Herkenhoff Memorial Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota
University of Minnesota Alumni Association Scholarship	$2,000 for one year
Schott Family Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate from the Chicago area of Illinois
Harold Soine Memorial Scholarship	Amount varies
Richard Gary Stone Scholarship	Amount varies
Dr. Robert Mossefin Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Red Wing High School in Red Wing, Minnesota
Melvin Levin Scholarship	Amount varies
North Texas UMAA Chapter Scholarship	Amount varies	Resident of North Texas
TLD Scholarship	Amount varies	Support students who have lost a parent to cancer.
University Honors Program Scholarship	$2,000 each year for four years
Undergraduate Research Scholarship	$1,700 for one year	Interest in research
Harriet B. & Ester Snyder Merrill Scholarship	Amount varies
Dawn Christine Hanna Memorial Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Owatonna High School
Accenture Scholarship	Amount varies	Interest in business or technology
Judith and Patrick Henry Scholarship	Amount varies
Oelkers Scholarship	Amount varies	First generation college student, graduates from a MN high school located in school district 279 Preference for students enrolled in CLA
S.I. Marvin Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference for children or grandchildren of current or retired employees of Marvin Windows and Doors or its subsidiaries
Dan Roland Legacy Scholarship	Amount varies	Studying toward a degree in the area of business and/or entrepreneurship with a preference for students who have been accepted into the Carlson School of Management First generation college student, able to demonstrate leadership and hard work, and able to show evidence of engagement in student and professional activities and/or extracurricular activities. MN resident
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Need-Based Academic Scholarships Demonstration of financial need is required for the following academic scholarships. To be considered for these awards, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by March 1 of their senior year.
American Indian Environmental Leadership Scholarship	Amount varies	Commitment to the protection/understanding of natural resources and the environment Tribal enrollment Preference for students enrolled in CSE and from MN, ND, SD, or WI
Dave Larson Scholarship	$21,500 over four years	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act
Buuck Family Scholarship	$5,000 each year for four years	Commitment to volunteerism
Olseth Family Scholarship	$23,000 over four years	Academic performance & demonstrated leadership
Leslie Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Minnesota high schools in the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul Preference given to first generation students
Donovan O. Adamek Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of a public high school in Todd County, Minnesota
Harry F. Albert Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to residents of St. Paul, Minnesota
Bentson/Niblick Scholarship	$2,500 each year for four years	Preference given to National Merit Finalists
Arthur Barlow Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Sleepy Eye High School in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota and potential, leadership, and community involvement
Anna Rose and Lawrence Biever Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to students who participated in 4-H
Laura and Arthur Brecher Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to students who are enrolled or eligible for enrollment in the federally recognized tribe the Oglala Sioux Tribe/Oglala Lakota Nation Preference given to students studying in the areas of nursing, health, pre-med, or other health related fields.
Doepke Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to tribally enrolled students from Minnesota
Mary L. Edwards Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota Preference given to students who plan to major in science or engineering
Martha Enbody Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of a Hennepin County high school in Minnesota
S.I. Marvin Scholarship	Amount varies	Child or grandchild of current or retired employees of Hormel Foods Corporation or its subsidiaries
Mildred Hunter Evans Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to a resident of Lyon County, Minnesota
Leon & Ida Finkelstein Memorial Scholarship	Amount varies	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act Preference given to children of Jewish parents who have lost a parent due to divorce or death.
Morton S. Katz Scholarship	$1,000 each year for four years
Warren C. Locke Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of South High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jay & Rose Phillips Family Scholarship	$2,000 each year for two years	Minnesota resident or eligible for MN Dream Act Supports Presidential Scholarship recipients
Alvin B. and Bailie Sheehan Scholarship	Amount varies	Resident of Hennepin County, Minnesota
St. Paul Central Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of St. Paul Central High School in St. Paul, Minnesota Preference given to students with strong math aptitude
Harriet Snow Sutton Memorial Scholarship	$500 for one year
Germain J. Vigeant Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to graduates from Harding High School in St. Paul, Minnesota
Harold C. Wieman Scholarship	Amount varies for one year	Graduate of LeSueur-Henderson High School in Minnesota
Herbert E. Olson Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of Bemidji High School
Annexstad Family Foundation Leaders for Tomorrow Scholarship	$25,000 over four years	Preference given to Minnesota residents
Coca-Cola Scholarship	$5,000 for one year
Bay Area UMAA Scholarship	Amount varies	California resident Preference given to students from the eleven-county Bay Area
Vulcan Community Charities Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduate of a high school located in St. Paul, MN Commitment to community service
Power of One Scholarship	$5,000 for one year	Exceptional leadership
Bud and Norma Crewdson Scholarship	Amount varies
Yetka Family Scholarship	Amount varies
Barbara and Robert de la Vega Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to students majoring in the fields of math, engineering, and science.
Nicollet Chapter of AA Scholarship	Amount varies	Provide support to students who have directly been by alcoholism in their personal or family life.
UMAA Washington, D.C. Chapter Scholarship	Amount varies	Reside in Washington, D.C. the Commonwealth of Virginia, or the State of Maryland
Larry and Mary Laukka Scholarship	Amount varies
Wen Ping Pan Scholarship	Amount varies	Chinese-American descent or non-immigrant Chinese students Preference given to students who have attended Tsing Hua University in Beijing, China
Bill & Carol Riley Scholarship	Amount varies
Norbert and Eve Johnson Scholarship	Amount varies
Roger Young Opportunity Scholarship	Amount varies
Pass Family Scholarship	Amount varies
Immigrant Opportunity Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference for 1st or 2nd generation immigrants
Brian L. Fitterer	$5,000 each year for four years	Preference given to students majoring in the fields of Math, Applied Econ, Business, Medicine & Health, Engineering, Computer Science, or Accounting
Jack Schmidt Scholarship	Amount varies	Students who have been directly affected by addiction and/or depression and is a transfer student
Results Foundation Scholarship	Amount varies	Graduates of high schools in the cities of Minneapolis or St. Paul, MN and preference for those that have engaged in community based volunteerism
Tobin and Susan Jones Scholarship	Amount varies	Students who are enrolled or eligible for enrollment in a federally recognized tribe
Lotus Scholarship	$10,000 each year for four years	Preference for students participating in the University Honors Program
Marilyn Nanney Scholarship	Amount Varies	Preference for a first generation college student with an interest in public health, health care, or nutrition
Horatio Alger-Annexstad Scholarship	$25,000 over four years	Preference given to first generation students
Horatio Alger-Davis Scholarship	$25,000 over four years	Preference given to first generation students
Mindy Siebenaler Bopp and Alexander Bopp Scholarship	Amount varies	Preference given to first generation students Preference for a graduate from a MN public high school
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International Scholarships There are a limited number of scholarships that are available for international students. Visit Costs, Scholarships, and Visas for International Students for more information. Request information Return to Home Page Questions? z.umn.edu/contactadmissions Office of Admissions, a Division of the Office of Undergraduate Education • 240 Williamson Hall • 231 Pillsbury Drive S.E. • Minneapolis, MN 55455-0213 • P: 612-625-2008 or 1-800-752-1000 • Fax: 612-626-1693 The University of Minnesota is a proud member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), which values and is committed to practicing ethical behavior in college admissions. © 2014 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. • The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer • Privacy Statement • Title IX Last modified on Tuesday, January 5, 2021 at 14:43 Connect with Admissions on Facebook Keep up with Admissions on Twitter Visit Admissions on YouTube View our Instagram feed Visit Admissions on Tumblr