Okay, so I’ve been accepted to UMBC, and I have enough federal loans from the FAFSA to cover most of my tuition, but how do I pay for the remainder? What scholarships are available for transfer students and how do I apply for them? What if I am only eligible for merit-based scholarships?
First stop: The UMBC office of Financial Aid and Scholarships!
Thankfully, UMBC offers the Scholarship Retriever service that performs scholarship searches based on the parameters you specify. You may target the search to incoming transfer student scholarships or even areas of study. The database searches both UMBC affiliated scholarships, such as departmental scholarships, as well as outside scholarships such as those from businesses.
Some scholarships require unofficial or official transcripts with their applications. Your unofficial transcript can be downloaded from your MyUMBC account. Click on Topics>Classes & Grades> Transcript (unofficial). If you need to request an official transcript, choose Transcript (official) from the same page and follow the prompts. Your official transcript can then be picked up from the Registrar's Office in the Academic Services Building next to the Commons. From prior experience, my previous institution’s courses appeared on my UMBC official transcript, but some scholarships may require transcripts from all institutions.
Some scholarships require unofficial or official transcripts with their applications. Your unofficial transcript can be downloaded from your MyUMBC account. Click on Topics>Classes & Grades> Transcript (unofficial). If you need to request an official transcript, choose Transcript (official) from the same page and follow the prompts. Your official transcript can then be picked up from the Registrar's Office in the Academic Services Building next to the Commons. From prior experience, my previous institution’s courses appeared on my UMBC official transcript, but some scholarships may require transcripts from all institutions.
Additionally, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships offers merit-based scholarships for incoming transfer students. They are listed under the transfer scholarships section. The scholarship requires a 3.5 minimum GPA and the completion of at least 35 credits prior to acceptance at UMBC.
If you are having particular difficulty finding any scholarships for which to apply, UMBC also compiled a list of outside databases of scholarships. Collegeboard.org offers a variety of scholarships to choose from, both with and without an essay section. These scholarships may be based on need or merit.
Lastly, keep an eye on your UMBC email for scholarship and job opportunities. Many professors forward bulletins to class lists. They can be very helpful when searching for departmental scholarships. Good luck!
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