Scholarships in the Academic Works System
Frequently Asked Questions
Scholarships listed in AcademicWorks are through the efforts of Eastern Illinois University Foundation who provide an array of scholarship opportunities provided by alumni, parents, friends, employees, and academic departments, as well as generous leaders of corporations and foundations, who believe deserving students should have a quality education with limited financial burden.
Scholarships listed in AcademicWorks have varied criteria, please carefully review the scholarship requirements to determine if you should submit an application.
Who can apply?
- Students who are admitted to EIU are eligible to apply for scholarships.
- Students must be in good academic standing to receive awarded scholarships.
How do I apply?
- To be able to apply, you must have an EIU Net ID and password. Go to eiu.academicworks.com. Click on sign-in. This will direct you to an EIU authentication page. Log-in using your Net ID and password. Once you are logged in, complete the general application. Once your general application is complete, you may browse the site for scholarships for which you may be qualified. There are two types of scholarships:
- Auto-match: these scholarships require only the information found in the general application and within your EIU student record. You don’t need to do anything other than complete the general application to qualify for these.
- Apply-to: these scholarships require that you answer questions or provide more information specific to this scholarship such as an essay, resume, letter of recommendation, or portfolio. An apply-to scholarship will have an Apply button next to it in the scholarship listing. When you click on Apply, you will see the questions you need to complete. Once you complete them, you can save and submit your answers. To be considered for apply-to scholarships, you must answer the additional questions.
Can I only apply for scholarships that are recommended to me?
- No, the system will suggest scholarships based on your general application, but it does not match your qualifications 100%. You must browse all scholarships to identify and apply to scholarships for which you may be qualified. If you rely solely on recommendations, you will miss out on opportunities!
Should I apply for scholarships every semester?
- Award deadlines vary and new application periods will open in Fall, Spring, and Summer. Award deadlines vary and new application periods will open in Fall, Spring, and Summer. We recommend completing your general application after November 1 each year and logging back in for future opportunities periodically.
How is financial need criteria determined if a scholarship requires financial need?
- Financial need is determined by the submission and results of a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application, which must be submitted and processed by the Office of Financial Aid.
How is my scholarship eligibility determined if I was home schooled, or graduated from a non-accredited or non-recognized high school?
- Graduates of high schools which are neither regionally accredited nor recognized may not be considered for admission unless they have passed the General Education Development (GED) Test and obtained a High School Equivalency Certificate, or have scored within the University’s accepted range on the ACT or SAT.
- For students who have been home schooled and do not present a recognized diploma, the GED requirement may be waived with an acceptable ACT or SAT score as determined by the Office of Admissions. Home-schooled students must also submit a transcript of all courses completed with grades and credits listed for each class.
- “Recognized” is defined to include secondary schools recognized by the Office of the Illinois State Superintendent of Instruction OR accredited by the Higher Learning Commission or one of the five other regional accrediting agencies.
How can I tell if my reference has submitted a recommendation letter?
- You may monitor the status of your reference request by signing in to Academic Works and clicking on the References tab. You may also send your reference a reminder as needed.
When is the deadline?
- While scholarship deadlines may vary through the year, most scholarships for the fall will end on March 15th. You may log in and see individual listings for specific deadlines at any time.
How will I know if I am a scholarship recipient?
- Scholarship recipients will be notified via email once reviews have been completed by the awarding departments and scholarship review committees. Most awards for Fall should be offered by May 1.
