Merit-Based Awards
At
Other Scholarships and Grants
Do you excel in science? Sing, play an instrument, act or dance like nobody else? We have several scholarships for specific interests and talents. Please note the deadlines for each application and follow the links to the appropriate parts of
The TEACH Program
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year in grants for graduate and undergraduate students who intend to teach full-time in high-need subject areas for at least four years at schools that serve students from low-income families.
** PLEASE NOTE: The TEACH Grant is not available for Elementary Education majors at Alma College.
Merit-Based Awards
Distinguished Scholar Award (full tuition)
The combination of the Distinguished Scholar Award and the State of Michigan grants for which a National Merit, National Achievement, or National Hispanic Scholarship Finalist qualifies for will equal full tuition at Alma College. Additionally, the first fifteen National Merit, Achievement or Hispanic Scholarships Finalists to commit to Alma College will receive full tuition, room and board.
Trustee Honors Scholarship ($14,000)
The average profile of a Trustee Honors recipient consists of a HS GPA of 3.8 and an ACT average of 30/SAT 1330*. The value of this award over four years is $56,000.
Presidential Scholarship ($13,000)
The average profile of a Presidential recipient consists of a HS GPA of 3.6 and an ACT average of 28/SAT 1250*. The value of this award over four years is $52,000.
Dean's Scholarship ($12,000)
The average profile of a Dean's recipient consists of a HS GPA of 3.4 and an ACT average of 25/ SAT 1150*. The value of this award over four years is $48,000.
Tartan Scholars Award ($10,000)
The average profile of a Tartan Award recipient consists of a HS GPA of 3.2 and an ACT average of 22/SAT 1040*. The value of this award over four years is $40,000.
Achievement Award ($8,000)
The average profile of an Achievement Award recipient consists of a HS GPA of 3.0 and an ACT average of 20/SAT 950*. The value of this award over four years is $32,000.
*Only the Critical Reading and Math SAT scores are used to determine scholarship eligibility. Please subtract the Essay score from your composite when estimating your scholarship amount.
Can getting a better score on the ACT or improving my GPA increase my scholarship?
Yes. If you retake the ACT on any national testing date before March 1, we will reevaluate your scholarship level to see if your scholarship will increase. We will always consider your best ACT composite score when determining your merit-based scholarship.
If the national ACT testing dates are not convenient for you, you may retake the ACT residually at
If you are accepted to
If your GPA improves, please be sure to send the Admissions Office an updated copy of your official transcript at the end of your seventh semester of high school. We will make any necessary adjustments and notify you if a change occurs.
Other Scholarships and Grants
Alma Alumni Scholarship ($1,000)
Automatically awarded to dependents, siblings or grandchildren of Alma alumni at the time of application. The value of this award over four years is $4,000.
Performance Scholarships (up to $1,000)
Awarded to students with a demonstrated high level of accomplishment in art and design, dance, vocal or instrumental music, or theatre regardless of intended major. Applicants must be accepted to Alma College and audition or submit a portfolio by March 1. The value of these awards over four years is variable.
Art and Design - The Department of Art & Design awards scholarships to talented artists in any medium via portfolio submission.
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The portfolio should contain 8-10 original works (not copies) in any medium. Be sure your name is on each work. Clear photographs in black and white or color or color slides are acceptable where sending the original work is impractical.
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One assigned work is required of all applicants. The subject is a self-portrait without showing your face. This may be done in any medium and any style, but it must be included in your portfolio.
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Also included in the portfolio should be a cover letter describing your particular areas of interest in art and plans for continuing your study of art at the college level.
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Please contact the Art and Design Department with other questions - parks@alma.edu
Dance - The Dance Department awards scholarships to talented dancers through a group or individual audition process. The 2008-2009 audition dates are November 19, January 21 and March 4.
Music - The Music Department awards scholarships to both instrumentalists and vocalists through an audition process. Auditions are scheduled on an individual basis by contacting the Music Department.
Theatre - The Theatre Department awards acting scholarships through an audition process and technical theatre scholarships via portfolio submission. Auditions are scheduled on an individual basis by contacting the Theatre Department.
Distinguished Performance Scholarship (up to full tuition)
Awarded to students demonstrating exemplary performance in art and design, dance, music or theatre regardless of intended major who audition or present a portfolio by March 1. Distinguished Performance Scholarship recipients are chosen from Performance Scholarship recipients. The value of these awards over four years is variable.
Scottish Arts Scholarships (up to $500)
Awarded to students with a demonstrated high level of skills in Highland dancing or piping who audition by March 1. Students interested in Highland dancing should contact the Dance Department; those interested in piping should contact the Music Department. The value of these awards over four years is variable.
Distinguished Scottish Arts Scholarships (up to full tuition)
Awarded to students demonstrating exemplary performance in Highland dancing or piping who audition by March 1. Distinguished Scottish Arts Scholarship recipients are chosen from Scottish Arts Scholarship recipients. The value of these awards over four years is variable.
Pre-Law Scholarship (up to $2,000)
A competitive scholarship awarded to students planning careers in law. Applicants must complete the application process by February 1. The value of this award over four years is variable.
Religious Leadership Award ($1,000)
Awarded to students of any denomination based on ranking in an essay competition. Applications are available on the Chapel website beginning in December, and the application deadline is March 1. The value of this award over four years is $4,000.
National Presbyterian Scholarship (up to $1,400)
Awarded to students who are members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) based on academic record and financial need. Applications are available from churches and online at http://www.pcusa.org/financialaid. The application deadline is January 31. Dependents of Presbyterian Ministers automatically receive one-third tuition in a combination of Alma scholarships and/or grants.
Heritage Need-Based Grant (Variable)
Awarded to students with demonstrated financial need.
Alma College FAFSA Filing Award ($500)
Awarded to students who, by March 1, file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), include Alma's school code on their FAFSA (002236) and visit campus. This award is renewable each year for four years - for a total of $2,000 - as long as students continue to file the FAFSA yearly.
Alma Opportunity Award ($2,000)
Awarded to students who are non-Michigan residents, are members of underrepresented groups or non-U.S. citizens. The value of this award over four years is $8,000.
Alma Transfer Scholarship ($8,000-$10,000)
Awarded to transfer students who demonstrate superior academic achievement at their previous undergraduate or community colleges.
Phi Theta Kappa Transfer Scholarship ($2,000)
Awarded to transfer students who have been selected as Phi Theta Kappa Scholars at their current institutions.
The TEACH Program
What is the TEACH Grant Program?
The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides up to $4,000 per year in grants for graduate and undergraduate students who intend to teach full-time in high-need subject areas for at least four years at schools that serve students from low-income families.
Students may receive up to $16,000 for undergraduate study.
If you fail to complete the four-year teaching obligation,
you will have to repay the grant as a loan with interest applied.
What majors are eligible for a TEACH Grant?
You must be enrolled in one of the following majors at Alma College to be eligible for the TEACH grant:
- Biology, Secondary Teaching Major
- Chemistry, Secondary Teaching Major
- Math, Secondary Teaching Major
- Physics, Secondary Teaching Major
** Students pursuing a second Bachelor degree or certification are not eligible.
To receive a TEACH Grant you must:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), although you do not have to demonstrate financial need.
- Meet the eligibility requirements for federal student aid.
- Be enrolled in a program of study designated by Alma College as TEACH Grant-eligible. Eligible programs are those that prepare a student to teach in a high-need area and are listed above.
- Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 (on a 4.0 scale) on your college coursework to receive a grant for each subsequent term
- Complete TEACH Grant Entrance Counseling.
- Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve (ATS) and respond to requests by the U.S. Department of Education confirming your continuing intention to meet the teaching obligation. The ATS is online at https://teach-ats.ed.gov.
- When you leave school, or if you change programs you are required to complete TEACH exit counseling.
How do I renew the TEACH Grant ?
Each year you receive a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and Promise to Pay (service agreement) that will be available electronically on a Department of Education Web site. The TEACH Grant service agreement specifies the conditions under which the grant will be awarded, the teaching service requirements, and includes an acknowledgment by you that you understand that if you do not meet the teaching service requirements you must repay the grant as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, with interest accrued from the date the grant funds were first disbursed.
What is my teaching obligation after graduation?
To avoid repaying the TEACH Grant as a loan with interest you must be a highly-qualified, full-time teacher in a high-need subject area for at least four years at a school serving low-income students. You must complete the four years of teaching within eight years of finishing the program for which you received the grant. You incur a four-year teaching obligation for each educational program for which you received TEACH Grant funds, although you may work off multiple four-year obligations simultaneously under certain circumstances.
Specific definitions of these terms are below:
Highly-Qualified Teacher: You must perform the teaching service as a highly-qualified teacher, which is defined in federal law. The definition can be found online.
Full-Time Teacher: You must meet the state’s definition of a full time teacher and spend the majority (at least 51 percent) of your time teaching one of the high-need subject areas.
High-Need Subject Areas Offered at Alma College:
• Biology, Secondary Teaching Major
• Chemistry, Secondary Teaching Major
• Math, Secondary Teaching Major
• Physics, Secondary Teaching Major
Schools Serving Low-Income Students: Schools serving low-income students include any elementary or secondary school that is listed in the Department of Education’s Annual Directory of Designated Low-Income Schools for Teacher Cancellation Benefits.
What are the documentation requirements?
You must respond promptly to any requests for information or documentation from the U.S. Department of Education, even if they seem repetitive. These requests will be sent to you while you are still in school as well as once you are out of school. You will be asked regularly to confirm that you either still intend to teach or that you are teaching as required. You must provide documentation to the U.S. Department of Education at the end of each year of teaching.
If you temporarily cease enrollment in your program of study or if you encounter situations that affect your ability to begin or continue teaching, you will need to stay in touch with the U.S. Department of Education to avoid your grants being converted to loans before you are able to complete your teaching obligation.
If you receive a TEACH Grant but do not complete the required teaching service, as explained above, you will be required to repay the grants as a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.
All final award amounts from
All Alma College Scholarships and grants are awarded for a maximum of four years (eight semesters). Students with bachelor’s degrees do not receive
Students living off campus are subject to a 25% reduction in institutional grant and scholarship aid. Probation for any reason, academic or disciplinary, shall be considered justifiable cause for withdrawal of scholarships and/or need-based awards.
Non-U.S. citizens are only eligible to receive the Alma Opportunity Award.
