Scholarships

St. Francis taught us to respect, care for, and serve one another. More than a mere ideal, this lesson lives at the heart of our university. It is a core value that is practiced, modeled, and taught — and it served as the impetus for our scholarship program.

Pay It Forward Scholarship

At the University of Saint Francis, we believe that serving others makes the world a better place. Do you? If so, tell us how you have paid it forward to someone else in life.

How to Apply: Apply to USF for fall 2024. Once accepted, apply for Pay It Forward.

Apply – Pay It Forward Scholarship

Deadline to apply: November 1

The final three candidates for the full-tuition scholarship will be featured on WANE-TV. The full-scholarship winner will be revealed on a WANE-TV livestream in December.

Scholarship Awards: The University will award one full-tuition scholarship (tuition and fees) and two half-tuition scholarships (tuition and fees) starting for the 2024-25 academic year.

Pay It Forward Scholarships are renewable up to four years.

Eligibility:  First-time students seeking their first undergraduate degree at USF are eligible to apply. Students must apply to USF for admission for fall 2024 before applying for the scholarship and must be accepted by the scholarship deadline to be eligible. To receive this scholarship, students must attend USF full-time at the Fort Wayne or Crown Point location.

Full and half-tuition scholarships cannot be combined with other USF institutional scholarships.

Academic Scholarships

USF values your commitment to academic performance during your high school years and offers scholarships based on your high school grade point average and your scores on the ACT and SAT.

USF is test-optional, but submitting test scores could make you eligible for a higher academic scholarship.

2023-2024 and 2024-2025 Academic Scholarships
(Fall and Spring Semesters)

First-Time Students

Scholarship Amount GPA Only GPA plus Best Composite
SAT/ACT Test Score
President’s Scholarship $20,000 4.0+ 4.0+ and 1110 SAT/22 ACT
Trustee’s Scholarship $19,000 3.85-3.99 3.75-3.99 and 1040 SAT/20 ACT
Founder’s Scholarship $17,000 3.55-3.84 3.4-3.74 and 960 SAT/18 ACT
Dean’s Scholarship $16,000 3.15-3.54 3.0-3.39 and < 960 SAT/18 ACT
Achievement Scholarship $15,000 < 3.15 < 3.00 and < 960 SAT/18 ACT

Academic scholarships are renewable up to four years.

Transfer Students

Amount Cumulative College GPA
$10,000 3.5-4.0
$9,000 3.0-3.49
$8,000 2.1-2.99
$6,000 < 2.1

Additional Scholarships

Catholic Scholarships*

Renewable Catholic scholarships are available to full-time undergraduate students.

2023-24 Academic Year
(Fall and Spring Semesters)
Per Year
First-time students $4,000
Transfers $2,000
2024-25 Academic Year
(Fall and Spring Semesters)
Per Year
First-time students $2,000
Transfers $2,000

*This scholarship requires the student to provide proof of faith from their parish priest by the end of their first semester at Saint Francis.

Saint Francis Scholars

Being named a Saint Francis Scholar signifies academic commitment and excellence. This elite group of first-time students compete in the Saint Francis Scholarship Competition as high school seniors and are awarded one of the following scholarships: full-tuition, $28,000 or $1,000 per year. Attendees are invited to compete based on their high school GPA.

The Saint Francis Scholarship Competition for the 2024-2025 academic year will be held on Nov. 18, 2023 and Feb. 17, 2024 on campus. The competition consists of two breakout sessions: group interviews with faculty and an essay competition. Finalists will be announced after each event date, and the full-tuition winners will be announced in late February 2024.

Legacy Scholarship

For the 2023-24 and 2024-25 academic years, first-time students receive a $500 scholarship (up to four years) for continuing the family tradition. If your parent, sibling, grandparent, aunt or uncle, or cousin graduated from the University of Saint Francis, you are eligible for this scholarship.

Antoinette Murray Scholarship

First-time and current USF students majoring in education or science, who have completed 20 hours of volunteer service per year at a verifiable non-profit organization and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are eligible to apply. The scholarship is valued up to $5,000. Contact the Office of Financial Aid to apply. Candidates must reapply annually for consideration.

Creative Arts Talent Scholarships

Current high school seniors and transfer students have the opportunity to submit a portfolio for review and/or audition for scholarship consideration in music technology, dance, studio art, graphic design, art education, animation, pre-art therapy, and choir.

Awarded scholarships are renewable for eight semesters if the required grade point average is maintained, in addition to any academic scholarships or needs-based grants a student might also receive.

To schedule an audition or portfolio review, call 260-399-8064 or email [email protected].

The University of Saint Francis is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). Founded in 1944, NASAD establishes national standards for art and design undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials.

Endowed Scholarships

The University of Saint Francis has many donors who generously provide endowed scholarships for undergraduate students with varying criteria.

  • Agnes Hake Seyfert Memorial Scholarship
  • David C. Menzie Scholarship
  • Sister Lucia Dos Santos O.C.D. Scholarship
  • Franciscan Alliance Scholarship
  • Catholic Teacher Scholarship

Outside Scholarships

Outside scholarships are also awarded, which are opportunities from quality organizations outside of USF. Each organization has their own criteria. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

In certain circumstances, other financial aid you receive may result in your offer being reduced. All financial aid you receive, when combined with scholarships, cannot exceed the total cost of tuition and fees.

Scholarship Resources

  • Fastweb – Fastweb is your connection to scholarships, financial aid and more.
  • Scholarship America – Scholarship America is here to help you break down barriers, open doors and access scholarships that help you succeed in life.
  • Scholarships.com – Scholarships.com matches you with scholarships. With millions of scholarships available, our algorithm does the work for you.
  • Sallie Mae – Scholarship Search is the free way to get access to more than 6 million college scholarships worth up to $30 billion.
  • Student Scholarships – Student Scholarships is the largest collection of scholarships on the web. New scholarships are added daily.