Scholarships
Spalding Scholarships
Scholarships are financial gifts to students that do not need to be repaid. While scholarships can be awarded for a variety of reasons, grants are awarded based on financial need. Often, students are eligible for both scholarships and grants, so Spalding University encourages all students to consider a range of resources for reducing their out-of-pocket costs.
Spalding students may be eligible for a variety of scholarships. Eligibility may be determined based on academic achievements, financial need or other qualifiers.
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Undergraduate Scholarships
Students entering Spalding University in the fall of 2026 with less than 24 attempted credit hours and no prior bachelor’s degree may be eligible for the following scholarships.
Undergraduate Academic Scholarships
| Base Award | High School GPA |
|---|---|
| $7,000 | Up to 2.49 |
| $10,000 | 2.50 – 2.99 |
| $13,000 | 3.00 – 3.49 |
| $15,000 | 3.50 – 3.99 |
| $16,000 | 4.0 and above |
| Test Award: $1,800+ | Students with at least an 18 ACT composite score (or an equivalent SAT score) receive their score X $100 |
Need-Based & Other Scholarships for Undergraduate Students
The Pell Promise Scholarship is for Federal Pell Grant eligible students. It will pay up to the cost of full-time tuition after all other grants and gift aid. This does not include housing and food. The award is renewable each year upon filing the FAFSA.
To receive the Pell Promise Scholarship, students must be:
- 2023 or later high school graduates
- Residents of Kentucky
- Admitted to Spalding University as a first-time, full-time undergraduate student
- Maintain full-time enrollment and maintain satisfactory academic progress
- File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than March 30th prior to the award year. For example, to apply for the Pell Promise Scholarship for the 2026-2027 academic year, applicants must have their FAFSA filed by March 30, 2026.
- Qualified for the Federal Pell Grants
We award the Catherine Spalding Spirit Award to undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need, have completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and maintain full-time enrollment status.
Spalding awards a one-time $500 award to first-time undergraduate and transfer students who complete an official campus visit and enroll full time in on-campus classes. Eligible students must be working towards their first bachelor’s degree and visit before January 1, 2026.
Spalding’s Faithful Forward Tuition Award guarantees that students who graduate from a Kentucky private or Catholic high school will not pay more in tuition at Spalding than they paid at their high school. This award reflects our commitment to making a values-based college education affordable and accessible for students continuing their faith-centered learning journey.
This award is for incoming first-year students who live off campus, designed to help them stay connected and fully engaged in campus life. This award encourages commuter students to participate in student activities, athletics, and community events so they can experience the full Spalding Golden Eagle community — even without living in the residence halls.
This is an award for first-year students coming from out of state who choose to make Spalding their new home. This award helps ease the cost of leaving their home state and encourages students to immerse themselves in Kentucky’s rich culture, Spalding’s vibrant campus life, and the Golden Eagle community from day one.
Our endowed and named scholarships are funded by gifts from alumni, friends and faculty of Spalding. Scholarships are awarded annually based on the donor criteria. Completed application for admission and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are required. Award amounts and qualifications vary by scholarship, but funding is available to students across academic programs.
Many national organizations offer financial assistance to students. For these outside scholarships, we’ve gathered links to help you in your search. Local organizations may also be a resource for you. If you are a high school student, your guidance counselor may have a list available to you.
As students become aware of outside awards that they will have while at Spalding, they can send that information to financialaid@spalding.edu. Terms of outside awards are determined by the person/organization awarding the funds. Spalding does not provide students with any personal information about a scholarship donor.
The Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES) can be applied to tuition at any eligible post-secondary institution in Kentucky. This scholarship is based on a student’s yearly high school GPA and highest ACT or SAT score. For more information on KEES or to check your award online, please visit www.kheaa.com.
Additional Spalding-Funded Scholarships
| Award | Eligibility |
|---|---|
| Kentucky Governor Scholarships | $2,500 to first-time, full-time undergraduate students who were Governor’s Scholars Program (GSP), Governor’s School for the Arts (GSA), or Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE) awardees in high school and maintain good academic standing. Documentation of GSP, GSA, or GSE participation is required. |
| Dual Credit scholarship | $1,000 to awardees who have taken a class through Spalding’s dual credit program as a high school student through the KHEAA dual credit and/or work-ready program |
| Rotary Match scholarship | Up to $2,500 scholarship match for recipients of the Rotary Unsung Hero award |
| Alumni or sibling discount | 10% discount on net tuition for siblings, children or grandchildren of Spalding graduates. |
Most Spalding-funded scholarships are renewable for up to four (4) years if you maintain full-time enrollment and good academic standing. Please note, merit awards will not be reduced but other institutional scholarships in combination with other grants, scholarships and gift aid cannot exceed the cost of tuition and University room & board charges.
Transfer Scholarships
If you are transferring to Spalding in or after the fall of 2025-2026 with more than 24 attempted credit hours and this is your first bachelor’s degree, you may be eligible for the following scholarships:
Academic Transfer Scholarships
We award academic (or merit-based) scholarships to transfer students, who pay our undergraduate daytime tuition rate. A completed application for admission is required, and the minimum academic requirements are as follows:
| Base Award | High School GPA |
|---|---|
| $7,000 | Up to 2.49 |
| $10,000 | 2.50 – 2.99 |
| $13,000 | 3.00 – 3.49 |
| $15,000 | 3.50 – 3.99 |
| $16,000 | 4.0 and above |
Additional Transfer Scholarships
Spalding awards a one-time $500 award to first-time undergraduate and transfer students who complete an official campus visit and enroll full time in on-campus classes. Eligible students must be working towards their first bachelor’s degree and visit before January 1, 2026.
Online Student Scholarships
Because of Spalding’s low-cost online tuition, we do not offer Spalding-funded scholarships to our online undergraduate students. However, if this is your first bachelor’s degree and you are completing a program that is offered entirely online, you may be eligible for the scholarships below.
If you are a graduate student, please check with your graduate program of interest to see if there are scholarships available to you.
Our endowed and named scholarships are funded by gifts from alumni, friends and faculty of Spalding. Scholarships are awarded annually based on the donor criteria. Completed application for admission and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are required. Award amounts and qualifications vary by scholarship, but funding is available to students across academic programs.
Many national organizations offer financial assistance to students. For these outside scholarships, we’ve gathered links to help you in your search. Local organizations may also be a resource for you. If you are a high school student, your guidance counselor may have a list available to you.
As students become aware of outside awards that they will have while at Spalding, they can send that information to financialaid@spalding.edu. Terms of outside awards are determined by the person/organization awarding the funds. Spalding does not provide students with any personal information about a scholarship donor.
Graduate Student Scholarships
If you’ve been admitted to one of our master’s or doctoral level programs, you may be eligible for the following scholarships.
Our endowed and named scholarships are funded by gifts from alumni, friends and faculty of Spalding. Scholarships are awarded annually based on the donor criteria. Completed application for admission and Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are required. Award amounts and qualifications vary by scholarship, but funding is available to students across academic programs.
Spalding graduates with a bachelors or masters degree may qualify for a 10% discount on tuition. Please review our Alumni Association Benefits for more information.
Many national organizations offer financial assistance to students. For these outside scholarships, we’ve gathered links to help you in your search. Local organizations may also be a resource for you. If you are a high school student, your guidance counselor may have a list available to you.
As students become aware of outside awards that they will have while at Spalding, they can send that information to financialaid@spalding.edu. Terms of outside awards are determined by the person/organization awarding the funds. Spalding does not provide students with any personal information about a scholarship donor.
Writing Scholarships
The Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing offers scholarships to incoming students. The following five scholarships are available to incoming students in any School of Writing program:
- Alumni Select: Scholarships of $2,000 are awarded to incoming students who are referred by alumni.
- Faculty Select: Scholarships of $2,000 are awarded to incoming students who are referred by faculty.
- Appalachian Writer: Scholarships of $2,000 are awarded to incoming students from Appalachia.
- Kentucky Teachers Scholarship: Scholarships of $1,000-$1,500 for Kentucky teachers of any subject and at any level, K through university.
In addition to the above scholarships, the following scholarships are available only to MFA students:
- Sena Jeter Naslund – Karen Mann Endowed Scholarship: This scholarship, named in honor of the Spalding MFA program’s founders, is offered to incoming students, based on need.
- J. Terry Price Scholarship: Each year, an incoming student in fiction is awarded a scholarship from this fund, based on need.
- Audrey Wasson and Carol Leseure Endowed Scholarship in Poetry: Each year, an incoming student in poetry is awarded a scholarship from this fund, based on need.
- Diana M. Raab Scholarship in Creative Nonfiction: A $250 scholarship for an incoming creative nonfiction student. This scholarship can be renewed each semester as long as the student returns the following semester and remains in good standing in the program. This scholarship is generally awarded to an incoming student every two years.
- Eileen Spinelli Writing for Children Scholarship: Each semester, an incoming student in writing for children and young adults is awarded a scholarship of $250, based on need.
- Primwatee Groover Scholarship in Writing for Children and Young Adults: This scholarship in memory of Primwatee Groover, Class of 2020, supports MFA students in their third or fourth semester with a concentration in writing for children and young adults.
- Mann-Driskell Scholarship: This scholarship is for current female students who work in long-form fiction. Up to two scholarships of $500 are awarded each academic year.
As a newly accepted student, you may apply for a scholarship by emailing Kathleen Driskell, Chair of the Naslund-Mann Graduate School of Writing, using the subject line “Scholarship Request.” The email should describe the need and state the desire to be considered for a scholarship.
Deadline for scholarship application is April 1 for the spring or summer semester and October 1 for the fall semester.
Contact Us
As you navigate the financial aid process, you’re bound to have questions. Please do not hesitate to reach out to a member of our team!
