Undergraduate Residential and Commuter Merit Scholarships 

Academic Scholarships

You’ve worked hard in your classes, and MBU wants to invest in your future with an academic scholarship.

Mary Baldwin University offers academic scholarships to new full-time undergraduate residential and commuter applicants (first year and transfer) based on academic achievement.

All applicants for admission are considered automatically and there is no separate application process.  Standardized test scores are not required for these scholarships. 

Undergraduate residential and commuter students (first-year and transfer) who are accepted for admission to MBU will be considered for an academic scholarship of up to $20,000 annually, and up to $80,000 in total over a four-year period. 

Students are notified of eligibility for academic scholarships at the time of admission, and the information will be reflected in their financial aid award letter. The combination of Mary Baldwin Scholarship and Grant funds cannot exceed tuition in any given year. The award is renewable each year for four years or until the student satisfies the degree requirements, whichever comes first, provided the student remains in good academic standing and maintains satisfactory academic progress with the university. 

Civic Engagement Scholarships

Sullivan Foundation Fellows Program

The Sullivan Fellows Program is a unique four-year scholarship and training experience that equips and supports emerging leaders who want to positively impact their campus and community. Applicants are selected based on their interest in social innovation, leadership, and community impact.

The program is open to four freshmen each year. Applications begin during the spring before enrollment and selections are made before the start of freshman year. Fellows are awarded a $2,000 scholarship per academic year if they continue to meet the requirements of Sullivan Fellows.

Fellows are provided leadership tools and training through the support of an on-campus cohort, funding to attend Sullivan retreats and workshops, and faculty and peer mentors. Sullivan fellows are expected to attend and participate in the fellowship’s programming, in addition to the curation of a capstone project during their senior year.

Prospective Student Engagement Awards

Earn funding as you complete your MBU application, submit your FAFSA, and visit campus!

Application Priority Filing Award

Students submitting applications for undergraduate residential and commuter admissions on or before one of our priority deadlines (December 15, February 15, and March 15) will receive a renewable $1,000 award.

MBU Campus Visit/Virtual Event Award

Students who participate in one or more MBU-hosted campus visits or virtual events for undergraduate residential and commuter admissions will receive a renewable $1,000 award.

FAFSA Filing Award

Students who complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit the FAFSA to MBU prior to enrollment will receive a renewable $1,000 award. The FAFSA form must be completed each year to be awarded these funds.

Special Populations

Check out additional opportunities to earn funding from MBU, if you’re a part of the following groups.

MBU Sibling Award

Undergraduate residential and commuter students who have a sibling currently attending MBU will receive a $1,000 award.

Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Award (Transfer Students Only)

Transfer residential and commuter students who are Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Scholars will receive a $1,500 renewable award.

Virginia Women’s Institute Leadership (VWIL) Award

Undergraduate residential and commuter students who are admitted to the Virginia Women’s Institute Leadership (VWIL) program will receive a renewable $2,500 award. Please note that this scholarship requires completion of an additional VWIL admission application.

Military Veterans & Dependents Scholarship

Undergraduate residential and commuter students who are veterans, or spouses or dependents of veterans, of the U.S. military will receive a renewable $1,000 award. Eligibility is verified by the student providing a DD-214 of their military service, or their parent/spouse’s military service, with honorable discharge.

MBU-ROTC Supplemental Award

MBU provides additional funding to students who are recipients of the three and four-year ROTC national scholarships. ROTC national scholarships are awarded independently through the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.

MBU is committed to cover the cost of attendance, including housing (room) and food (board), for ROTC National Scholarship recipients through an MBU-ROTC Supplemental Award.

This is an annual award. To keep the scholarship each semester, cadets must continue to demonstrate eligibility for their ROTC National Scholarship. This award is not stackable with any other MBU awards/grants. MBU-ROTC Supplemental Award funding, combined with ROTC and any other external scholarships, cannot exceed cost of attendance. Documentation of the ROTC National Scholarship needs to be forwarded to the Mary Baldwin University Office of Financial Aid to qualify for the MBU-ROTC Supplemental Award. The ROTC Supplemental Award is only available to undergraduate residential students. Students who live off campus or commute from home are not eligible to receive the MBU-ROTC Supplemental Award.

Undergraduate Residential and Commuter Need-Based Institutional Aid

MBU is committed to keeping a college education within reach for our students and their families. You can receive funding from MBU based on financial need, through the following programs!

Access MBU

Access MBU offers zero-cost tuition to all first-year Virginia residents whose FAFSA demonstrates a family income of $60,000 or less per year. Eligibility is determined upon completion of the FAFSA and an MBU application. No separate application is required, and there is no GPA requirement. Access MBU covers full tuition, not including housing, meal plans, or fees.

MBU Grant Awards

The Mary Baldwin University Grant is awarded to students who demonstrate financial need. The FAFSA form must be completed each year to be considered for these funds.

Undergraduate Residential and Commuter Need-Based, State and Federal Aid

Federal Pell Grants

Students who demonstrate exceptional financial need, and who are earning their first undergraduate degree or a postgraduate teaching certificate, may be eligible for a Federal Pell Grant of up to $7,395 per year. Eligibility is determined using the FAFSA.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)

Students who display exceptional financial need may be eligible for the FSEOG program. Eligibility is determined based on the FAFSA.

Federal Work Study

Students may be able to finance part of their education through part-time employment at MBU. MBU’s work study program currently offers student positions on campus. The first step toward determining your eligibility for work study is to submit the FAFSA. Relevant paperwork including tax forms must be submitted to the student employment coordinator in the Financial Aid Office. Work study eligibility does not guarantee employment through the Student Employment Program.

Federal TEACH Grant

Students who are planning to become teachers in low-income areas may be eligible for Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grants of up to $4,000.

Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants

Students whose parents or guardians were members of the US Armed Forces and died as a result of military service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after the events of 9/11 may qualify for federal service grants, even if they do not meet the eligibility requirements for the Pell Grant. Students must have been under 24 years old and enrolled in college at least part-time at the time of their parent or guardian’s death.

Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)

Tuition Assistance Grant Program (VTAG) is designed to assist Virginia residents who attend accredited private, nonprofit colleges and universities in Virginia for other than religious training or theological education. MBU is one of these institutions. Eligible Virginia residents can receive a tuition assistance grant of up to $5,000 for the academic year. Completed applications must be submitted to the financial aid office of the institution on, or before, July 31 prior to the fall semester of enrollment. Applications submitted after July 31, but no later than December 1, will be considered for an award only if funds are available.

Virginia Two-Year College Transfer Grant (CTG) 

Established in 2007, the Two-Year College Transfer Grant Program (CTG) provides an incentive for students to first complete an associate degree at a Virginia public two-year college before transferring to a participating Virginia four-year college or university as a means to reduce the overall cost towards completing a bachelor’s degree. 

Eligible students who have completed an associate’s degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher and demonstrate financial need may be eligible for this $1,000 annual grant from the Commonwealth of Virginia. An additional $1,000 bonus award is offered for students in science, teaching, mathematics, or nursing.