Scholarships

Scholarships are available for transfer students who demonstrate academic achievement at their previous undergraduate institution or community college.

Performance Scholarships are available to talented students in art & design, dance, e-sports (contact Coach Chris Gaumond at gaumondcm@alma.edu for more information), music (both vocal and instrumental), theatre and Scottish Arts.

Students demonstrating exemplary performance in any of these areas may be eligible for Distinguished awards, earning up to full tuition. All funds are awarded at the discretion of the fine and performing arts faculty, and the students’ intended major or minor is not a consideration.

Students are only eligible to receive one scholarship per year in this category. If students are offered an award from more than one department, they must select one. Students may continue to participate in multiple areas regardless of their scholarship selection. If offered a distinguished award it will replace standard performance awards previously offered.

Need a little help funding your dream research project or study abroad experience? Various programs are available to help you take your learning to the next level.

Currie Scholars Program

A generous grant from Eleanor H. Currie has enabled the College to establish a Currie Scholars program beginning in fiscal year 2001. Qualified sophomores and juniors may apply for this program, which will provide a stipend of $2,500 plus waiver of room charges for the summer (if work is done on campus) to support scholarly or creative projects in collaboration with a faculty mentor.

For more information, contact Carla Jensen at jensencr@alma.edu

David B. Kinney Scholarship Program

Supported by a generous gift from the family of attorney and social activist David B. Kinney, class of 1943, Alma College is pleased to offer a grant of up to $2,500 to support student research related to, in Mr. Kinney’s words, “independent and original study of any items, persons or societal trends relating to the birth or endurance of our precious Bill of Rights.” Proposals which clearly cross-disciplinary boundaries and/or require travel to research sites are strongly encouraged.

For more information, contact Carla Jensen at jensencr@alma.edu

Posey Global Leadership Fellows Program

The Posey Global Leadership Fellows Program seeks to cultivate the next generation of global leaders by promoting innovative experiential and research opportunities anywhere in the world.

Contact Derick “Sandy” Hulme with questions at (989) 463-7387.

Alma Venture Program

The Alma Venture Program provides recipients with financial support for applied learning experiences such as Spring Term, research projects, off-campus study, internships and more. Check out some recent experiences and see what the Alma Venture Program can do for you!

For more information, contact Carla Jensen at jensencr@alma.edu

Available for students meeting specific criteria or those interested in specific areas of study. Please note that some of these scholarships are automatically awarded based on set criteria, while others require an application and have a deadline. These are only awarded to incoming first year and transfer students. Most of these awards are renewable in future years if all scholarship, award, or grant requirements are still being met. Follow the links that are provided for more information.

Scottish Hospitality Scholarship

We offer a variety of visit options and are excited to help plan your Alma College experience. Head to alma.edu/visit to schedule your trip to Alma – we have options Monday through Friday and select Saturdays. Just by visiting campus, you’ll earn a $2,000 scholarship so it’s worth the trip to see us! This scholarship is renewable for up to a total of $8,000 over four years.

*Excludes College Game Day Saturday Visits and while multiple visits are encouraged, you can only be awarded one scholarship.

FAFSA Filing Scholarship

File your FAFSA and earn $1,000 renewable for a total of up to $4,000 over four years.

Alma College Community Engagement (ACE) Scholarship

The Alma College Community Engagement (ACE) Scholarship program was created to offer access and affordability to Gratiot County’s most engaged students who desire to pursue a life-changing, liberal arts education. The program will offer up to 10 full-tuition awards annually to graduating high school seniors. Full tuition is covered using Alma College, State, and Federal Aid sources and is renewable for 4 years.

Kim Kaye Scholarship

The Kim Kaye Scholarship is an opportunity open to students that participate in cheer to receive up to $16,000 in their four years to attend Alma College. During each camp session of the summer, up to five athletes will receive this scholarship. Winners will be announced during “Final Day Fun” on the last day of your respective session. All high school athletes can be nominated however, a cheerleader can only win once during his or her time at Champion. (Example: A freshman is nominated and wins their first year at Champion. They cannot win again in the sophomore, junior, or senior year).

Coaches: Athlete(s) must attend a Champion overnight camp the summer they are your athlete and the reference and application must be completed in the same school year. If your athlete does not receive a scholarship this year, they may re-apply each year he or she attends Champion.

How To Nominate

Step 1: The coach will need to fill out the Champion Referral Form.
Step 2: The athlete(s) needs to fill out the application for the scholarship.
The Breakdown

Coach refers athlete to attend Alma College by completing the Champion Referral Form
Athlete wins the Kim Kaye Scholarship and attends Alma College: $4,000 per year for up to 4 years totaling $16,000

Alma College offers up to 15 Detroit Future Scholarships each year to qualified students from select schools in the city of Detroit. The Detroit Future Scholarship assists substantially with financial need making a private education affordable with minimal out-of-pocket expense. The Detroit Future Scholarship currently has a 95% retention rate among participants with coordination of programming from the Diversity and Inclusion Office.

Scholarship amount varies depending on financial need — Alma College will maximize the dollar amount students can receive.

Scholarship Details & Requirements

1. Students must live or attend high school in the city of Detroit.
2. Students must apply for admission (essay is required), be accepted and have a cumulative GPA of 3.00.  Students who do not meet the 3.0 GPA requirement are looked at on an individual basis and should work with their admissions representative to learn more.
3. Students are required to be accepted to the college and submit their FAFSA with priority for students who complete these steps by January 15.
4. Students are required to add Alma College as a school of interest when the FAFSA opens October 1. All forms required by the Alma College Financial Aid Office must be turned in to be considered for the Detroit Future Scholarship.

The Selection Process

The admissions and financial aid team will notify eligible students of their Detroit Futures Scholarship with a personalized award offer which will be mailed home and also emailed to their preferred email address. For more information or questions, contact admissions@alma.edu.

The Detroit Promise offers a tuition-free path to trade, two-year and four-year credentials at 26 Michigan colleges. Many seniors who both live in Detroit and attend any high school in Detroit are already eligible.

The Kalamazoo Promise was announced by Dr. Janice Brown in 2005 with the declaration that students who graduate from the Kalamazoo Public Schools and meet the basic requirements will receive up to 100% of tuition and mandatory fees paid for at any in-state public community college or university.

Students who graduate from high school in Michigan with a diploma or certificate of completion or achieved a high school equivalency certificate in 2023 or after will be eligible for more financial aid from the State of Michigan:

• Up to $2,000 if they attend an eligible private training provider in Michigan, per year, up to two years
• Up to $2,750 if they attend a Michigan community college, per year, up to three years
• Up to $4,000 if they attend a Michigan private college or university, per year, up to five years
• Up to $5,500 if they attend a Michigan public university, per year, up to five years

The Michigan Competitive Scholarship (MCS) provides renewable scholarships for undergraduate students attending eligible Michigan postsecondary institutions. Awards are based on both academic merit and financial need. To apply for MCS, a student must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)