Financial Support
At CLA, students from a variety of backgrounds, interests, talents, financial need levels, and achievements are awarded scholarships.
The information on this page applies to students who will start in CLA as freshmen. For information about CLA scholarships for transfer students, go to this page.
Automatic Consideration for CLA Scholarships
Upon your admission to the College of Liberal Arts, you are automatically considered for CLA scholarships based on information from your application for admission to the University of Minnesota. There is no separate application for CLA scholarships for incoming freshmen.
Because most of CLA's scholarships are awarded on the basis of both merit and need, we strongly recommend completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) (code 003969).
CLA scholarships are separate from (but in some cases awarded along with) University of Minnesota scholarships and academic departments' scholarships. Full consideration for CLA scholarships is given to students who submit a complete application for freshman admission to the U of M by January 1. Students who apply for admission after that date will be considered for CLA scholarships on a funds-available basis.
CLA scholarship recipients are selected on a rolling basis as students are admitted. The Office of Admissions will notify you prior to May 1 (the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities enrollment confirmation deadline) if you have been offered a CLA scholarship. If you also applied for financial aid (via the FAFSA or equivalent), then you will receive a letter that outlines your complete financial aid package, including grants, scholarships, loans, expected parental contribution, etc.
Steps for accepting and keeping a CLA scholarship can be found at Instructions for CLA Scholarship Recipients.
Types of Scholarships Available
General CLA Scholarships: The typical freshman scholarship from CLA is a collegiate award of $1,000 to $7,000 per year, for up to four years. These scholarships are based on criteria established by the donors for each scholarship. For example, criteria may include scholastic achievement, consistency of academic record, extracurricular and leadership activities, major and career objectives, place of residence, financial need, etc.
Specialized CLA Scholarships: Scholarship offers are made to students who have been admitted, by invitation only, to two of CLA’s specialized programs: the CLA Dean’s First-Year Research and Creative Scholars (DFRACS) Program, and CLA’s President Emerging Scholars Program.
If you do not receive a CLA scholarship offer as an incoming freshman, once you are enrolled you become eligible for scholarships for current CLA students that could be applied to your account the following academic year.