Are you an incoming freshman or transfer student coming to Eastern for the Fall, Summer, or Spring 2024 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: Recipients must be admitted by June 1; transcripts can be updated through June 30 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 $300 per year over 4 years. Our Textbook Rental Program already saves students an average of $1200 compared to universities that require students to buy their textbooks. If you receive the Textbook Rental Grant, your total savings will be $1500, meaning your textbooks could be completely free!*
* The standard textbook rental fee is $9.95 per hour, so the Textbook Rental Grant will only cover the full cost of textbooks for one year if you take 15 credit hours or fewer for two semesters. Some classes may also require the purchase of workbooks, which could be an additional cost not covered by the Textbook Rental Grant.
To qualify, you must:
No separate application is required. When you are admitted to EIU, you will automatically be offered the Textbook Rental Grant of $300 if you qualify.
Yes, but transfer students receive the grant for 2 years instead of 4. See the section below, Transfer Textbook Rental Grant FAQ, for more information.
For most students, yes. You can be eligible for the grant 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 Textbook Rental Grant, you must submit a FAFSA at fafsa.gov. 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.
In addition to the qualifications listed above, to receive financial aid from the Textbook Rental Grant program, you must also meet the state’s AIM HIGH Grant eligible student requirements. You must:
| People in Household | Max Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $108,720 |
| 2 | $146,480 |
| 3 | $184,240 |
| 4 | $222,000 |
| 5 | $259,760 |
| 6 | $297,520 |
| 7 | $335,280 |
| 8 | $373,040 |
| 9+ | $37,760 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 Textbook Rental Grant is dependent on that grant and on state appropriation annually, although the grants 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 $300 per year over 2 years. Our Textbook Rental Program already saves students an average of $1200 compared to universities that require students to buy their textbooks. If you receive the Textbook Rental Grant, your total savings will be $1500, meaning your textbooks could be completely free!*
* The standard textbook rental fee is $9.95 per hour, so the Textbook Rental Grant will only cover the full cost of textbooks for one year if you take 15 credit hours or fewer for two semesters. Some classes may also require the purchase of workbooks, which could be an additional cost not covered by the Textbook Rental Grant.
To qualify, you must:
No separate application is required. When you are admitted to EIU, you will automatically be offered the Textbook Rental Grant of $300 if you qualify.
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 Textbook Rental Grant, you must submit a FAFSA at fafsa.gov. 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.
In addition to the qualifications listed above, to receive financial aid from the Textbook Rental Grant program, you must also meet the state’s AIM HIGH Grant eligible student requirements. You must:
| People in Household | Max Income |
|---|---|
| 1 | $108,720 |
| 2 | $146,480 |
| 3 | $184,240 |
| 4 | $222,000 |
| 5 | $259,760 |
| 6 | $297,520 |
| 7 | $335,280 |
| 8 | $373,040 |
| 9+ | $37,760 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 Textbook Rental Grant is dependent on that grant and on state appropriation annually, although the grants themselves are funded by EIU.
