The CMU Foundation administers over $4,000,000 in private scholarships to over 1,500 students each year. These scholarships are awarded based on a variety of criteria and range from a cash stipend to full tuition and fees.
Applying for CMU Scholarships
The annual scholarship application opens October 1 the year prior with applications being accepted until the priority deadline of the second Monday in February. Any applications submitted after this date may be considered for later opportunities.
The 2025-2026 Academic Year Application Is Open
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Applications completed prior to the October 1 will need to be updated in order to be considered for the current scholarship cycle.
All students must complete the scholarship application through MAVzone by midnight MST on the second Monday in February to receive priority consideration for CMU scholarships unless otherwise noted by the scholarship. Any submissions received after this date may be considered for later opportunities.
In addition to completing the required fields, students are encouraged to complete the application to the fullest extent to maximize scholarship consideration.
In some cases, scholarships require additional information specific to individual scholarships. Students are encouraged to review the suggested list of these Recommended Opportunities and provide any information requested to receive further consideration for those scholarships.
Awarding of scholarships begins March 1st. The majority of scholarships are awarded at this time.
Students selected to receive a scholarship will receive an email with instructions for next steps to accept their scholarship online. Almost all scholarships require thank you letters and the directions for doing so will be included in the email. A well-written thank you letter lets the donor of your scholarship know how much you appreciate the award and their generosity. For an example of a thank you letter please see below.
All scholarship recipients must accept their award and submit a thank you letter within 30 days of the initial award. Failure to do so could result in the loss of your scholarship.
Scholarships are applied as credits on the student’s university billing account on a semester basis. In compliance with federal guidelines, financial aid and scholarships cannot physically disburse on the student's billing account prior to a maximum of 10 days before each semester begins. If at any time credits on the bill exceed university charges (i.e. tuition, fees, on-campus housing), a refund can be issued for the difference. Refunds are issued in the form of a check or as direct deposits to the checking or savings account of the student's choice, which can be set up through the student’s MAVzone account.