Scholarships for Transfer Students
Automatic Scholarships
Academically talented students entering Eastern Illinois University will automatically be offered the Transfer Academic Excellence Scholarship at the time of application to the university. This scholarship is automatically renewable for a total of 2 years (4 semesters). Eligible students are required to maintain full-time consecutive undergraduate enrollment in fall and spring semesters, and maintain specific GPA requirements noted below.
Regularly admitted, new full-time transfers within all majors at EIU are eligible for this scholarship.
|
Cumulative GPA |
Award |
Tier One |
3.5 - 4.0 |
$5,000* ($2,500 Annually) |
Tier Two |
3.0 - 3.49 |
$3,000* ($1,500 Annually) |
Must have at least 15 credit hours transferred from an accredited college or university. |
*Renewable up to 4 consecutive fall and spring semesters if renewal criteria is met. |
NOTE: Transcripts can be updated through the first day of classes to either qualify or go up a scholarship level. If you took only one semester at a community college or another university, you may qualify for the freshman merit scholarships for four years instead of the transfer merit scholarships for two years.
Renewal Criteria: Student must maintain the following cumulative GPA at Eastern Illinois University, with continuous full-time enrollment of 12+ hours.
- Tier One: 3.0 GPA
- Tier Two: 2.75 GPA
Competitive Scholarships
Eastern Illinois University offers over 600 scholarship opportunities to new and continuing students. Below are just a few of the many scholarships that are available.
Scholarship Name |
Award Amount |
Criteria |
Renewable |
Renewal Criteria |
Honors Transfer Student Scholarship |
$1,500 |
Participation in honors program at prior institution, GPA of 3.5 for at least 18 credits worth of courses. |
One-time award. |
N/A |
Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship |
Varies |
Transferring from a community college with an Associate’s Degree and have a GPA of 3.50 (on a 4.0 scale). |
One-time award. |
N/A |
Success and Engagement Award
Students who do not meet the GPA requirements for the Transfer Academic Excellence Scholarships but showcase leadership and involvement can receive $2,000 ($1,000 annually). Student must be enrolled full-time (12+ hours) and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to receive this award.
Students can apply for annual renewal contingent upon earning a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 and the submission of a narrative describing continued involvement within EIU’s campus community.
Panther Promise Tuition Waiver
Award Amount |
Criteria |
Renewable |
Renewal Criteria |
Up to $2,500 |
File the FAFSA and possess a household income between $55,000 and $100,000. |
Up to 4 years, 8 semesters total. |
Maintain full-time, consecutive undergraduate enrollment in both fall and spring semesters, meet Satisfactory Academic Progress and cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. |
EIU Promise
Household income-based program that can reduce the cost of your remaining tuition and required fees to $0 if you're a qualified Illinois student.
Phi Theta Kappa
- One-time award worth $1,000.
- Fall admission only.
- Associate degree required.
- Minimum GPA of 3.50.
- Application deadline: early February.
- Contact: Office of Admissions.
- Application available at https://eiu.academicworks.com.
Additional Scholarships
Sign up for our EIU scholarship search for admitted students. The system will automatically match you to all scholarships for which you are eligible based on the information you provide. It's easy to sign up!
- Go to https://eiu.academicworks.com.
- Sign in with your EIU NetID and password.
- Create your "general application" profile - this only takes a couple of minutes and may qualify you for some automatic scholarships.
- The system will automatically match you to scholarships for which you are eligible to apply.
- Additional scholarships can become available, so check your Academic Works page frequently throughout your EIU enrollment.