Davenport’s here to help you secure financial aid for college
Whether you’re seeking college freshman scholarships or other forms of financial aid for college, Davenport is here for you.
If you’re like most students, receiving financial aid for college is vital to funding your education. At Davenport, 92% of our students receive some form of financial aid and scholarships. In fact, 92% of our students receive a scholarship or gift aid each year, which, unlike student loans, these funds do not have to be repaid. We award more than $30 million every year in DU scholarships, Michigan merit scholarships and Foundation scholarships. That includes the full-tuition Ford Scholarship in memory of late President Gerald Ford, who briefly taught and coached at Davenport.
If you need help navigating DU financial aid for college, reach out to our financial aid counseling team at financialaid@davenport.edu or by calling toll free at 866.774.0004.
Explore Davenport Scholarships
Select the student type that best describes you.
Incoming freshman
| Name of Scholarship | Award | Qualifications | Requirements | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gerald R. Ford Memorial Scholarship | The scholarship covers the cost of tuition, books, fees, a study abroad experience, on-campus housing and meal plans | 3.75 GPA | Application requirements Application deadline: March 14, 2025 | 3.60+ GPA |
| Martin Luther King Inherit the Dream Scholarship | Up to full tuition | 2.0+ GPA | Application requirements Application deadline: December 1, 2024 | Maintain Standards of Academic Progress |
| Si Se Puede Cesar E. Chavez Scholarship | Up to full tuition | 2.0+ GPA | Application requirements Application deadline: January 19, 2025 | Maintain Standards of Academic Progress |
| University President $10,000/yr Max | $10,000 Per semester: Full-time $5,000, 3/4 time $3,750, half-time $2,500 | 3.90+ GPA or 1400 SAT & 3.5 GPA or 30 ACT & 3.5 GPA | Application requirements
| Maintain Standards of Academic Progress |
| Excellence $8,000/yr Max | $8,000 Per semester: Full-time $4,000, 3/4 time $3,000, half-time $2,000 | 3.50+ GPA | Recent high school graduate | Maintain Standards of Academic Progress |
| Achievement $6,500/yr Max | $6,500 Per semester: Full-time $3,250, 3/4 time $2,438, half-time $1,625 | 3.0 to 3.49 GPA | Recent high school graduate | Maintain Standards of Academic Progress |
| Signature $5,000/yr Max | $5,000 Per semester: Full-time $2,500, 3/4 time $1,875, half-time $1,250 | Admitted but with an overall GPA less than 3.0 | Recent high school graduate | Maintain Standards of Academic Progress |
*The best option will be awarded to you based on qualifications.
Incoming transfer student
| Name of Scholarship | Award | Qualifications |
|---|---|---|
| Achievement $6,500/yr Max | $6,500 Per semester: Full-time $3,250, 3/4 time $2,438, half-time $1,625 | Accepted to Davenport University as a transfer student Transfer GPA: 3.0+ |
| Signature $5,000/yr Max | $5,000 Per semester: Full-time $2,500, 3/4 time $1,875, half-time $1,250 | Accepted to Davenport University as a transfer student Transfer GPA: Below 3.0 |
| Phi Theta Kappa Transfer $1,500 up to 24 credits | $1,500 Per semester: Full-time $750, 3/4 time $562, half-time $375 1/4 time $187 | Accepted to Davenport University as a transfer student Member of Phi Theta Kappa Cannot be combined with other transfer scholarships |
| Partner Tuition Grants | Varies based on the partnership agreement | Partner employee New transfer undergraduate student |
*The best option will be awarded to you based on qualifications.
Adult student (no prior college experience)
| Name of Scholarship | Award | Qualifications |
|---|---|---|
| Achievement $6,500/yr Max | $6,500 Per semester: Full-time $3,250, 3/4 time $2,438, half-time $1,625 | New adult student High School GPA: 3.0+ |
| Signature $5,000/yr Max | $5,000 Per semester: Full-time $2,500, 3/4 time $1,875, half-time $1,250 | New adult student High School GPA: Below 3.0 |
| Partner Tuition Grants | Varies based on the partnership agreement | Partner employee |
*The best option will be awarded to you based on qualifications.
Graduate Students
| Name of Scholarship | Award | Qualifications | Requirements | Renewal Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medallion $2,000/yr Max | $2,000 Per semester: Full-time $1,000, half-time $500 | 3.8 GPA | New Graduate student | 3.50 GPA |
| Scholars $1,500/yr Max | $1,500 Per semester: Full-time $750, half-time $375 | 3.5 GPA | New Graduate student | 3.20 GPA |
| Graduate $1,000/yr Max | $1,000 Per semester: Full-time $500, half-time $250 | 3.0 GPA | New Graduate student | 3.00 GPA |
| Partner Tuition Grants | Varies based on the partnership agreement | Partner employee | New Graduate student | Varies |
Additional scholarship opportunities and resources
DU Foundation Scholarships
Davenport University awards scholarships funded by private donations to the Davenport University Foundation. These scholarships are awarded based on campus location you attend and/or special requirements established by the donors.
You are invited to apply, and we hope you will. Once you've submitted the application and you meet the criteria, you will be considered for our Davenport University Foundation scholarships. If you are selected to receive one of our Davenport University Foundation awards, we will notify you!
Applications will be accepted throughout the academic year; however, scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to students enrolled half-time or more. Continuing students must have a minimum CGPA of 2.8. Primary consideration will be given to the earliest applicants meeting the scholarship criteria.
- Instructions
- Complete the FAFSA if you have not yet done so (DU FAFSA code: 002249). Data from the FAFSA is used in the awarding process for various scholarships.
- Submit your online foundation application
- Make sure you read each question carefully and complete all areas of the application.
- Completing this application does not guarantee scholarship funds.
- Some of the Foundation Scholarships require essays. To see the essay requirements and how to apply click here.
DU's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scholarships
- For incoming freshmen:
- For current students:
Outside and Community Scholarships
Davenport University has pulled together a list of outside and community scholarships. The scholarships are listed as categorical and general scholarships. To see what you may qualify for visit davenport.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/outside
Scholarship Search Engines
There are many scholarship search engines available for students to use. These search engines can pinpoint scholarships based on your particular major, interests, where you live and other demographics. The links provided are some of the most popular and useful search engines.
Helpful hints for online searches
- Do not pay for a scholarship search. The search options Davenport lists are free searches; however, we encourage students and parents to read carefully all the information.
- Do not pay to apply for a scholarship. Do not pay for any kind of "processing" fee. Scholarships offered from legitimate sources do not require any fees.
- Set up a separate email account through yahoo, google, hotmail or some other service. Use this separate email just for your scholarship searches. Some scholarship searches do send out advertisements, and using an email account separate from your personal account will better protect your personal account from unwanted emails.
- Research scholarships beyond just what the search engines provide.
- Be very careful about providing confidential information. You should never have to submit your social security number or anything similar to that. If in doubt, contact your Davenport financial aid counselor.
Next steps
- If you haven't done so already, apply now to Davenport.
- Apply early for the best scholarship opportunities.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Davenport's FAFSA code: 002249.
- Discover other financial aid options.
Understanding Your Scholarship
Davenport University provides institutional funding for student scholarships based on several factors that include but are not limited to the following: merit, financial need and/or other published scholarship criteria.
Keeping Your Scholarship
ALL SCHOLARSHIPS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
- Student must file a FAFSA (excluding international students).
- Student must meet specific criteria and deadline dates as required for each scholarship. Scholarships have limited funds; therefore, early application to the university is encouraged.
- Student must provide the University with all requested information before the scholarship can be awarded.
- Scholarships are awarded for the current semester going forward. We do not retroactively award scholarships.
- Student must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
- Student must demonstrate the academic excellence goals of Davenport University by meeting minimum CGPA as specified by the criteria of the scholarships.
- Student who fails to meet a required CGPA to maintain a scholarship, but meets the requirements of a different scholarship, will receive that new scholarship. Student who has extenuating circumstances can appeal to the Financial Aid Office.
- Student must be enrolled in classes at least half-time (minimum of 6 credit hours) except for the Study Abroad Scholarships.
- The award year for scholarships is defined as fall and winter semesters. Any unused funds for the award year may be used spring/summer (not to exceed the per semester maximum).
- Student must begin using the scholarship within the award year of selection.
- Student can receive only one DU academic scholarship within the award year. If a student qualifies for multiple scholarships, the student will receive the most beneficial scholarship.
- Students who are eligible for both a DU institutional scholarship and a tuition discount due to a Davenport partnership agreement will receive the more beneficial program.
- Scholarships will cover up to tuition, fees and books after all federal and state aid (excluding student loans and work study) has been applied. External scholarships (Ex: Rotary Clubs, churches, etc.) can be used to cover other University costs such as books or food and housing, but will not result in a refund to the student.
Additional resources
Sources:
DU Student Data, Fall 2023
Davenport Financial Aid data, 2022/2023