Outside Scholarships

When, Where and How to Apply for Outside Scholarships

• Click here for a tip sheet on Exploring Outside Scholarships.
• Explore this extensive scholarship guide provided by the Office of Student Persistence: Scholarship Tips
• Seattle U students can also search for opportunities on ScholarshipUniverse, a new resource for both institutional and outside scholarships.

What To Do If You Have Received an Outside Scholarship 

Outside scholarships are scholarships students bring with them to Seattle University. On the award letter these scholarships are labeled "Private Outside Scholarship."

If the student has received a scholarship from an outside donor that is not included on their award letter, they should notify the Student Financial Services Office as soon as possible so it will be considered when determining eligibility for other financial aid and revising the award if necessary. 

If the Student Financial Services Offices receives a check from an outside scholarship's donor that requires the recipient's endorsement, an email will be sent to the student's SU e-mail address telling them to come to Student Financial Services to sign the check.

The following information may be helpful for students and scholarship donors:

• Report the amount of the scholarship for the entire 9-month academic year, even if it will be sent in separate, quarterly payments.
• Unless the donor specifies otherwise, scholarships are disbursed equally over all three quarters: fall, winter and spring.
• Scholarship checks should be made payable to "Seattle University," with the student's name and SU ID # clearly noted, and mailed to Student Financial Services.
• If the scholarship check is sent to the student rather than to Seattle University, they should notify the Office of Student Financial Services of the amount of the scholarship as soon as it is known.  
• If the donor requires enrollment verification, the student may obtain an Enrollment Verification document from SU online by navigating to the 'Students Menu' and under 'Academic Profile section selecting 'Enrollment Verification'.  Be sure to then select 'Real Time Verification' to view a document that student can save as PDF or print. 

If the donor requires that Seattle University bill them prior to releasing the scholarship funds, please provide:

• The student's written permission for Student Financial Services to provide the requested billing;
• The name of the donor and/or contact person;
• The address where the invoice should be mailed;
• Any instructions the donor has given about what should be included on the invoice; and
• Whether the donor needs quarterly invoices or a single invoice for the entire year.