Merit Scholarships for Transfer Students

Families often assume that applying to college as a transfer student means fewer chances for scholarships. But that’s not necessarily true. Many colleges value transfer students and offer them generous scholarships, just as they do for first-year students.

Here are just a few colleges offering merit scholarships for transfer students in 2023:

• Willamette
• University of Oregon
• University of Tampa
• Loyola University Chicago
• Portland State University
• Temple University
• University of Miami (the one in Florida)
• Miami University (the one in Ohio)
• University of New Mexico
• University of North Texas
• Boston University
• Dickinson College
• University of Colorado, Boulder
• University of California, including Berkeley, UCLA, and UC San Diego
• St. Mary’s College of California
• Fordham
• Pace
  

And these are just a few! Check the colleges that interest you and see if they offer scholarships for transfer students. You might be surprised.

There are also private organizations that provide scholarships to students who did well at community college. See Phi Theta Kappa or Jack Kent Cooke for example.

Good luck on your scholarship search!

Jaime Smith Certified Educational Planner

Jaime Smith, M.A., MS.Ed., is a Certified Educational Planner with 25 years of experience working in education. As a college counselor, Jaime specializes in transfer admissions, homeschoolers, neurodiverse learners, and other non-traditional applicants. In 2023, she completed a Post-Master's Certificate in Transfer Leadership and Practice at the University of North Georgia in collaboration with the National Institute for the Study of Transfer Students. A California native and former homeschooling mom, Jaime now lives the empty nest life in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and pet rabbit.

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College Admissions Transfer Students College Transfer Common App Dual Enrollment