Scholarships from Outside Sources

Scholarships from Outside Sources

Gift aid (grants and scholarships, or "free money") from outside (an external provider) sources can be a great way to help pay for your education. There are plenty of opportunities to earn free money for college—you just have to be patient and persistent! 

P.S. Don't be afraid to apply for the lower amounts of outside resources for $500 - $2,000 (in addition to the bigger awards worth $5,000+). Every dollar counts, and even small scholarships add up!

How to Find Outside Scholarships

Be on the lookout for scholarships from foundations, businesses, clubs and organizations, associations, religious affiliations, and more. It’s helpful to be specific in your searches, so you can find scholarships that match your exact qualifications—like “Pennsylvania women in STEM scholarships” or “study abroad in Australia scholarships.” Remember that deadlines and application procedures vary widely so you should never stop researching external scholarship sources.

Here are a few search engines that we recommend: 

Here are a few specific scholarship opportunities that we recommend you apply for: 

  • Amy and Rose Scholarship 2024 - $750 (unspecificed POE). Deadline: 4/15/2024
  • Annual Sustainable Business Scholarship - $1000 (unspecified POE). Deadline: 5/1/2024
  • Complete Web Resource Academic Scholarship - $1,000. Deadline: 5/1/2024
  • RBT Exam Practice Test - $1,000. Deadline: 5/10/24
  • Stand Up to Distracted Driving Scholarship - $1,000. Deadline: 5/29/2024
  • There's Space for Everyone - $3,000. Deadline: 5/31/24
  • Innovation in Education Scholarship - $500. Deadline: the 20th of every month
  • Pride Foundation - various amounts. Deadline: rolling
  • Social Work Scholarships - various amounts. Deadline: rolling
  • Completing the Dream Scholarships - The Sallie Mae Fund and Thurgood Marshall College Fund offers the Completing the Dream Scholarship Program as a way to help under-resourced and underrepresented students and those from historically underserved communities who face financial challenges complete their post-secondary education. Two hundred sixty (260) students will be selected to receive a gap scholarship of $2,500 for the 2023-2024 academic year. Applications are currently being accepted from now through June 28, 2024 or until all scholarship dollars have been awarded. Eligibility requirements and application instructions are available here. 
  • Phyllis G. Kreider Education & Care Fund - the Phyllis G. Kreider Education & Care Fund offers one (1) $8,000 scholarship to a Moravian University student from Lancaster County that is renewable so long as a minimum 2.5 GPA (on a four point scale) is maintained. Interested applicants must be admitted to Moravian University. Once admitted, they should request that the Office of Admission and Financial Aid Services forward your approved application to the Phyllis G. Kreider Education and Care Fund, administered at the Faithful Journey Foundation (1722 Oregon Pike, Suite 201, Lancaster, PA 17601). To apply, please write a short cover letter describing our educational and career goals and why you would be a fit with the principles Phyllis promotes.
  • Andrew Budraitis Foundation Scholarships - one (1) $7,500 Lehigh Valley Veterans Scholarship and one (1) $7,500 Lehigh Valley High School Graduate Scholarship will be awarded annually to students who meet the individual scholarship criteria and attend a college in the Greater Lehigh Valley Area. 

Graduate Students: you may find that there are some additional outside scholarship opportunities worth looking into here. 

Reporting Your Award

Because financial need is the basis for much of the financial aid awarded by Moravian University, you are required, as a condition of your financial aid offer, to inform the Office of Financial Aid Services of any grants, scholarships, tuition benefits, and/or additional financial aid resources that you receive from a source that is not already listed on your financial aid offer. To alert us about additional funding earned, please email finaid@moravian.edu. 

Policies

Any amount of outside grants, scholarships, and/or tuition benefits that a student earns will be awarded to meet any existing unmet financial need.

It is important to keep in mind that:

  • Your total financial aid from all sources (including educational loans and outside resources) cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance (COA) determined by the university. In the event that your total aid exceeds your COA, a reduction may be necessary. 
  • In the event that any outside resources earned causes your total need-based aid to exceed your demonstrated financial need, a reduction to your need-based loans (e.g. Subsidized Federal Direct Loan) and/or work-study may be necessary, per federal regulations.
  • In all cases of additional scholarships earned, our office will prioritize the award that is most beneficial to the student. Any reductions to other aid sources will be done with this philosophy in mind, and in accordance with federal regulations. Please contact us if you have any questions about this practice.