Grants

Grants are a type of financial support that does not need to be repaid. Many grants are based on financial need alone, however, some grants also take academic performance, academic degree program, and/or residence status into consideration.

Grants are available at the federal and state level.

Private Loans

Private student loans are not funded or subsidized by the federal government; instead, they are funded by banks, credit unions, or other types of lenders.

The bank or lender – not the federal government – sets interest rates, loan limits, terms, and conditions of private student loans. Your ability to qualify for and borrow a private student loan may be based on numerous factors that can include your credit history, whether or not you choose to have a co-signer, your co-signer’s credit history, your choice of school, and your course of study. These loans do not offer the flexible repayment terms or borrower protections featured by federal student loans.

Employer Tuition Reimbursement

Employer tuition reimbursement includes a variety of employer-sponsored programs to help employees pay for college. In many cases, the funds received from these programs will be excluded from income and are tax-free.

Employee tuition reimbursement programs are typically governed by an employer’s human resources department. Employers may provide up to $5,250 per year in employer education assistance benefits for undergraduate or graduate courses.

Your employer may require you to attain a particular grade or to complete a program in order to obtain reimbursement. The employer may also require that you remain employed for a period of time after completing the course of study. Finally, your employer may require you to provide receipts or other substantiation of the educational expenses.

Military Benefits

For information on veteran and active duty military services and offerings, contact the EKU Office of Military and Veteran Affairs at 859.622.2345. EKU is repeatedly recognized by both Military Times and GI Jobs as a leader among Military Friendly® Schools and we look forward to helping you reach your goals.

Outside Scholarships

These scholarships are awarded by an organization other than the government or university. They are available from a number of groups, organizations, and entities nationwide. These scholarships can be general in nature or very specialized and tied to the type of work you would be doing after graduation.

If you receive an outside scholarship, you must notify your financial aid office so the award can be properly reported as part of your total aid package. Failure to report awards can result in the award not being accepted or a portion of the funds having to be repaid due to overpayment.

Departmental Scholarships

Departmental scholarships are awarded by specific EKU departments. The types, size, and criteria for these scholarships will vary by department.

If you receive a departmental scholarship, you must notify your financial aid office so the award can be properly reported as part of your total aid package. Failure to report awards can result in the award not being accepted or a portion of the funds having to be repaid due to overpayment.

Foundation Scholarships

EKU is fortunate to have hundreds of generous individuals and organizations that have donated scholarship money for current EKU students from a variety of backgrounds, situations, and interests. These are referred to as EKU Foundation Scholarships. Due to the number of these scholarships and the varying criteria for them, EKU has developed a single Foundation Scholarship application.

After completing the application, you will be considered for any foundation scholarship for which you are eligible. Criteria for these scholarships vary and can include academics, major, interests, place of residence, and more.