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The UC Merced Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships presents, "Scholarships 101".
Scholarships are gift funds that are awarded on the basis of merit, academic achievement,
special talents, interests, or qualities, or other criteria defined by the sponsoring
organization or donor. Some scholarships are also awarded on the basis of need. Today we
will discuss two main sources of scholarships: UC Scholarships and Outside Scholarships.
The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships administers a variety of institutional scholarships
that recognize superior academic achievement, leadership qualities and potential to contribute
to the scholarly community of the university. In order to apply, you must first fill out
the FAFSA. New students must have at least a 3.25 GPA to be eligible for institutional
scholarships. Continuing students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA to maintain eligibility
every year. Continuing students should complete the Continuing Student Scholarship Application
which can be found at the OFAS Application website: finaiadapps.ucmerced.edu. Many agencies
not affiliated with UC Merced also award scholarships. Applying for these scholarships may require
the student to complete more steps than institutional scholarships. As the UC Merced Office of Financial
Aid and Scholarships becomes aware of outside scholarship opportunities, we will post them
on our website or on UC Merced's Outside Agency Scholarship List Serve. When applying for
outside scholarships, students should review all scholarship information carefully, especially
before submitting an application fee of any kind. If you receive an outside agency scholarship,
please notify the OFAS. While in your myUCMerced Portal, go to "MyFinancialAid" and then click
on "Accept/Decline Awards". Select the aid year of the scholarship. Click the "Resources/Additional
Information" tab, and report them at the bottom of the page. Here are some helpful links that
will give you even more information about the institutional and outside scholarships
that are available. If you need even more information about applying for scholarships,
contact us today!