98% of Avila First-Year Students Received Scholarships or Financial Aid Last Year
Finding funds to pay for your education is necessary for most students and families. Most of these funds come from the Federal and State governments. If you’re like most families, you’ve rarely dealt with the Federal Government, Department of Education, outside scholarships, work-study, and the like. Don’t worry. We’re here to help. We’ll provide guidance and support to you and your families, throughout the process.
2021-2022 FAFSA
File Now.
The 2021-2022 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opened on October 1, 2020. To file you will use your 2019 tax information and you should NOT update it with 2020 information. For more information on the changes or to apply visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Contact
Financial Aid Office, SSC in Hodes
11901 Wornall Road / Kansas City, MO 64145 / 816.501.3600 f: 816.501.2462
Looking for your 1098T Form? Here’s where you’ll find it.
Your first step, fill out the FAFSA
- Fill out your FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Your FAFSA application is where all financial aid begins. The earlier you fill out your FAFSA the better. You’ll need to update your FAFSA each year.
- With your FAFSA, we can help you look for grants — money awards that you don’t have to repay! With the exception of the TEACH Grant, all grants are awarded to undergraduate students only. The most common grant awarded to Avila University students is the Federal Pell Grant, a need-based grant, awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or a professional degree. Below is a list of federal and state grants you may qualify for, click to explore your options.
Federal Grants
- Federal Pell Grant – – – – Pell Lifetime Eligibility
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
- Federal TEACH Grant* (Graduate Students may qualify)
State Grants
3. Next, let’s find you an Avila scholarship. Academic. Athletic. Faith-based. Performance-driven. There’s an Avila scholarship for just about everyone — 98% of our first-year students received a scholarship or financial aid last year.
Avila Scholarships for First-Year Students
| Scholarship | Amount Awarded | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential Scholarship | $12,000 | Must have a minimum of a 27 ACT and 3.85 GPA (This scholarship cannot be combined with any other Avila aid.) |
| Avila Achievement Scholarship | $7,000 – $10,000 | Based on cumulative GPA and ACT scores. |
| Avila A+ Recognition Scholarship | $500 | Students must show proof of completion of the Missouri A+ Program. |
| Engagement Grant | Amount varies | Requires active involvement in one of the following on-campus student organizations: Student Senate, Student Activities Planning Committee, Admissions Ambassadors, Campus Ministry, and/or Community Service. Limited to one activity per scholarship. |
| Performance Grant | Amount varies | May be awarded to students demonstrating talent or interest in the following majors: advertising, art, communications, English, film & digital media, music, and theatre. |
| Avila Mission Grant | Up to $500 | Students must either be: dependents of Avila Alumni or siblings of an Avila student (or alumni) |
| Athletic Scholarships | Amount varies | For students who plan to participate in athletics your Avila University award is done differently. All prospective athletes must file the FAFSA and work individually with the coach to determine your total award. The award determined by your coach combines your academic and your athletic award in one scholarship. We know you are both a student and an athlete and want to award you as one! Visit Avila Athletics to find out more. |
| Margaret Hernandez Daley ’62 Scholarship | $1,000 (renewable) | In order to receive this scholarship, students must be of Mexican heritage. A limited number of scholarships are available. |
Other Avila Scholarships
Graduating from a Catholic High School?
Avila University will award graduates of Catholic high schools a CSJ Scholarship of $1,000 in addition to all other academic, athletic, and performance awards you earn. Contact the Office of Admission to learn more!
Transferring from another college or university?
The below awards are not stackable with an Avila University athletic scholarship.
| Transfer Presidential Scholarship* | $7,000 – $9,000 | GPA 2.0-2.99 = $7,000 GPA 3.0-3.49 = $8,000 GPA 3.5-4.0 = $9,000 |
| Transfer Achievement Scholarship | $7,000 – $8,000 | GPA 2.0-2.99 = $7,000 GPA 3.0-3.49 = $8,000 |
| Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Award** | $500 | Annual |
| Avila A+ Continuation Grant^ | $250 | Annual |
| Avila Mission Grant^^ | up to $500 | Annual |
| Performance Grant~ | Amount Varies |
Will you be playing a sport at Avila?
Athletic Scholarships: For students who plan to participate in athletics your Avila University award is done differently. All prospective athletes must file the FAFSA and work individually with the coach to determine the total award. The award determined by your coach combines your academic and your athletic award in one scholarship. We know you are both a student and an athlete and want to award you as one! Visit Avila Athletics to find out more.
The value of an academic merit scholarship is determined at the time of a student’s admission to the University.
Avila University financial aid awards become official when a student has been admitted, completed the FAFSA, received a comprehensive financial aid award letter, and returned a signed copy of that letter to the Office of Financial Aid. All Avila financial aid is renewable as long as a student is enrolled full-time, meets renewal criteria, and/or continues to demonstrate financial need. All scholarships and grants are based on available funding.
Outside Scholarships
Outside scholarships include any funding from sources outside of Avila University, the State of Missouri, or the federal government. Awards from companies, foundations, civic and religious organizations, and employer tuition benefits are common examples of outside scholarships. Outside scholarships can affect a student’s aid eligibility, so they must be reported to the Financial Aid Office. Outside scholarships help meet a student’s college costs, so we are required to take these awards into account when determining eligibility for other aid programs. If we have to adjust other sources of aid — which may be required under state and federal regulations — we always reduce need-based loans or work-study before reducing any gift aid, like need-based scholarships or grants.
Where to mail outside scholarships
If you have received a scholarship from an outside donor, please use the following address:
Avila University
Business Office/Outside Scholarship
11901 Wornall Rd. Kansas City, MO 64145
Please request that outside scholarship checks are made payable to Avila University
Be sure to give your donor your student identification number and ask them to include it with your award. It’s helpful if the donor includes a letter explaining the award terms when they send the award check to campus.
Avoid Scams
Every year students and their families lose money to scam artists posing as true scholarship funding agencies. To avoid being defrauded, be cautious about suspicious offers.
It might be a scam if:
- You have to spend money to get money. Legitimate providers don’t charge application fees, “redemption” fees, or up-front taxes; nor do they ask students to make investments.
- They want a bank account or credit card information. Trustworthy donors won’t ask for a credit card number to “hold” your award.
- It’s guaranteed. No one can guarantee that you’ll receive a scholarship, and any promise of a money-back guarantee is a red flag.
- You can’t find the information anywhere else. Scholarship agencies don’t keep information secret; they want to award scholarships. If a service promises to provide funds no one else knows about, be suspicious.
- You win a contest you don’t remember entering. If you receive a message saying you’ve been selected for an award or you’re a finalist in a competition you’ve never heard of, it might be a scam.
- It sounds too good to be true. Trust your instincts. If you’re suspicious about an offer, you probably have a good reason.
Will you need a Student Loan?
While there are a lot of scholarships, many students will need to take out a student loan from either the Federal government (Federal Direct Loans) or from private sources such as a bank or financial institution. Before you take out a loan, make sure you understand who is making the loan and the terms and conditions of the loan, as loans must be repaid. Click here for more student loan information and resources.