Are you an incoming freshman or transfer student coming to Eastern for the Fall 2022, or Summer or Spring 2023 semester? Check out our Merit Scholarship matrixes to see how much you could qualify for!
Current EIU students can check their PAWS account for information and eligibility requirements for the Merit Scholarship. International undergraduate students on current visas (F1, J1) are not eligible for freshman merit or transfer merit scholarships.
| GPA | Award | |
|---|---|---|
| Distinguished Merit Scholarship | 3.85 - 4.0 | $16,000* ($4,000 Annually) |
| High Achieving Merit Scholarship | 3.60 - 3.84 | $12,000* ($3,000 Annually) |
| Academic Merit Scholarship | 3.0 - 3.59 | $8,000* ($2,000 Annually) |
| *Renewable up to 8 consecutive fall and spring semesters if renewal criteria is met. | ||
NOTE: Transcripts can be updated through June 1 to qualify for the scholarship or qualify for a higher amount. 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.
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.
If you are an Illinois resident and you have a minimum of a 3.3/4.0 GPA, you will receive an additional $500 per year over 4 years.
To qualify, you must:
No separate application is required. When you are admitted to EIU, you will automatically be offered the highest AIM HIGH Bonus you qualify for based on your GPA, along with the bonus $500 per year if you are an Illinois resident. The scholarship is automatically renewable for a total of 4 years (8 semesters Fall and Spring).
Yes, but the scholarship and bonus for transfer students are different. See the section below, Transfer AIM HIGH Bonus FAQ, for more information.
For most students, yes. You can be eligible for the program for up to eight continuous semesters (Fall and Spring) at EIU, as long as you meet the renewal criteria. The program is dependent upon continued state appropriation of associated funds.
To remain qualified after your first year, you must:
Yes, to qualify for the AIM HIGH Bonus, you must submit a FAFSA at fafsa.gov. You can submit your FAFSA starting October 1 of the year before you intend to take classes at EIU. We recommend you file your FAFSA as soon as possible, and make sure to include EIU’s school code (001674) on your FAFSA so we receive your information. EIU’s priority deadline is December 15.
In addition to the qualifications listed above, to receive financial aid from the AIM HIGH Bonus program, you must also meet the state’s AIM HIGH Grant eligible student requirements. You must:
| People in Household | Max Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $77,280 |
| 2 | $104,520 |
| 3 | $131,760 |
| 4 | $159,000 |
| 5 | $186,240 |
| 6 | $213,480 |
| 7 | $240,720 |
| 8 | $267,960 |
| 9+ | $27,240 added for each additional person |
In Spring 2018, the Higher Education Working Group — a bipartisan group of Illinois legislators interested in finding common-ground and viable solutions — proposed and passed a new merit-based grant program. That program — the AIM HIGH Grant — was signed into law in August 2018. The AIM HIGH Bonus is dependent on that grant and on state appropriation annually, although the AIM HIGH bonuses themselves are funded by EIU.
You must be registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours by the published census date policy each semester. Full-time enrollment is assumed until census date.
If you are an Illinois resident and you have a minimum of a 3.3/4.0 GPA, you will receive an additional $500 per year over 2 years.
To qualify, you must:
No separate application is required. When you are admitted to EIU, you will automatically be offered the highest AIM HIGH Bonus you qualify for based on your GPA, along with the bonus $500 per year if you are an Illinois resident. The scholarship is automatically renewable for a total of 2 years (4 semesters Fall and Spring).
For most students, yes. You can be eligible for the program for up to four continuous semesters (Fall and Spring) at EIU, as long as you meet the renewal criteria. The program is dependent upon continued state appropriation of associated funds.
To remain qualified after your first year, you must:
Yes, to qualify for the AIM HIGH Bonus you must submit a FAFSA at fafsa.gov starting October 1 of the year before you intend to take classes at EIU. We recommend you file your FAFSA as soon as possible, and make sure to include EIU’s school code (001674) on your FAFSA so we receive your information. EIU’s priority deadline is December 15.
In addition to the qualifications listed above, to receive financial aid from the AIM HIGH Bonus program, you must also meet the state’s AIM HIGH Grant eligible student requirements. You must:
| People in Household | Max Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $77,280 |
| 2 | $104,520 |
| 3 | $131,760 |
| 4 | $159,000 |
| 5 | $186,240 |
| 6 | $213,480 |
| 7 | $240,720 |
| 8 | $267,960 |
| 9+ | $27,240 added for each additional person |
You must be registered for a minimum of 12 credit hours by the published census date each semester. Full-time enrollment is assumed until census date.
In Spring 2018, the Higher Education Working Group — a bipartisan group of Illinois legislators interested in finding common-ground and viable solutions — proposed and passed a new merit-based grant program. That program, the AIM HIGH Grant, was signed into law in August 2018. The AIM HIGH Bonus is dependent on that grant and on state appropriation annually, although the AIM HIGH Bonuses themselves are funded by EIU.