100% of Avila First-Year Students Received Scholarships or Financial Aid
Most students and families must find funds to pay for their education. 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, the 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.
2024-25 FAFSA is open.
File Now.
If you are a student who is looking to begin college in 2024-25 school year, the new FAFSA is now open. There are changes from years past, so for more information on the changes or to apply, visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Contact
Financial Aid Office, Blasco Hall, Lower level
11901 Wornall Road / Kansas City, MO 64145 / 816.501.3600 f: 816.501.2462
E: sfs
Looking for your 1098T Form? Here’s where you’ll find it.
2024-2025 Avila Scholarships for First-Year Students*
*These scholarships are for traditional undergraduate and traditional transfer programs. If you are interested in one of Avila’s online programs, accelerated programs or applying for one of the hybrid programs, contact financial aid to learn what you may be eligible for.
Scholarship Info: KC Scholars – Scholarship opportunities are available to low- and modest-income students living in Cass, Clay, Jackson and Platte counties in Missouri, and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. This scholarship awards 11th graders up to $10,000 per year, up to five years, and is awarded directly to the college or university of enrollment. Students must maintain a cumulative 2.5 high school GPA and enroll full-time in college the semester immediately following high school graduation.
| 2024 – 2025 Scholarship | Amount Awarded | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential Scholarship | $30,000 | Must have a minimum of a 30 ACT or 3.75 GPA (This scholarship is NOT stackable with any other Avila awards.) |
| Avila Achievement Scholarship | $21,000 – $29,000 | Based on cumulative GPA and ACT scores. |
| Engagement Grant | Amount varies | May be awarded and 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. |
| 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. |
First things first, 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! Except for 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
- https://www.avila.edu/avila-life/center-for-student-excellence/student-financial-services/financial-aid-office/financial-aid-for-first-year-and-transfer-students/
- 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.
The FAFSA process can seem daunting, but a little preparation and a little time filling out the form can mean more scholarship money.
Other Avila Scholarships
Transferring from another college or university?
The below awards are not stackable with an Avila University athletic scholarship.
| Transfer Presidential Scholarship* | $25,000 | GPA 3.6+ |
| Transfer Achievement Scholarship | $21,000 – $24,000 | Based on cumulative GPA |
| Phi Theta Kappa | $500 | |
| Avila Mission Grant^^ | $1,000 | Annual |
| Performance / Engagement Grant~ | Amount Varies | May be awarded |
Not all grants and scholarships are stackable with academic and athletic awards. See your admission rep or the financial aid office for details.
Transferring from MCCKC?
Full tuition scholarships* will be granted to income-eligible MCCKC transfers.
*Offered exclusively to traditional day-time, on campus students. Scholarships are not available for online adult students, but with high need students (again OEFC), federal and state aid would cover tuition for MO residents filing FAFSA before the Feb 1st deadline.
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 funding from sources outside 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 must consider these awards 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 be 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 the 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.