Baylor University is a private, Baptist-run university in Texas that has been around since 1845. It’s located along the famous Brazos River. The campus is about 1,000 acres and has around 17,000 students enrolled. Among these students, 14,000 are undergraduates, and 3,000 are graduate and professional level. The majority of the students at about 65% come from Texas with about 35% coming from all over the country and the rest of the world. In this article, we will be looking at scholarships and financial aid offered at Baylor University.
Cost of Attendance
To enroll at Baylor as an undergraduate, you need to pay the tuition of $42,000 every academic year. With general student fees and room and meals, the cost of attendance goes up to about $60,000.
These costs can be overwhelming to most students, that’s why Baylor has set up scholarships and grants that could help their prospective and current students out.
Baylor Scholarships
1. Baptist Scholarships
Being a Baptist University, the university offers scholarships for students from a Baptist Background
A. Baptist Church Matching Scholarship
Students are offered about $1,000 assistance per year, not including summer classes, from church-affiliated organizations. Just complete the Baptist Church Matching Certification Form to be assessed for financial assistance. The student must be enrolled full time and must have at least a 2.5 GPA.
B. Baptist Minister’s Dependent Scholarship
If your parents are Baptist ministers, active or retired, you only need to provide certification of this as proof and Baylor will provide $5,000 financial support every academic year. The student must maintain a GPA of 2.5 to renew this scholarship.
C. Baptist Missionaries’ Dependent Scholarship
If your parents are Baptist Missionaries who have served or are actively serving international Baptist mission agencies, then you only need to provide documentation or certification of this and Baylor will provide assistance of $5,000 every year. The student must maintain a GPA of 2.5 to renew this scholarship.
D. Ministry Scholarship
The Baptist General Convention of Texas provides financial assistance in cooperation with Baylor to Baptist students whose academic path will lead to vocational and church-based ministry. This scholarship is a financial assistance of 20% of the tuition.
2. Academic Scholarship
A. Freshman Academic Scholarships
Freshmen who are accepted automatically get assessed for a scholarship based on their test scores, class ranking, and GPA. There are four available scholarships that offer academic financial aid to freshman. These are Dean’s Gold Scholarship, Founder’s Gold Scholarship, Provost’s Gold Scholarship, and the President’s Gold Scholarship. The financial assistance range from $32,000 to $88,000 all throughout the 8 semesters the undergraduate student will be enrolled in their major. This works out to about $10,000 to $21,000 every academic year. Students accepted for these scholarships need to maintain at least a GPA of 3.0.
B. Departmental Scholarships
There are many scholarships available in Baylor through the different academic departments. All a student needs to do is to inquire from their respective departments for scholarship availability, eligibility, and requirements.
3. Need-Based Scholarships
Financial aid for students who are financially unable to support their studies can inquire about Baylor’s Need-Based Scholarships.
A. Endowed Scholarships
Baylor endows need-based scholarships to students based on the results of the individual evaluation. There are no fixed amounts being handed out to eligible students but the amount provided is instead based on specific needs as assessed. Students need only fill up the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS profile.
B. Living-Learning Center Scholarships
This is a scholarship that’s available for students who live in the Living-Learning Centers. The scholarship is contingent on the student continuing to live in these Living-Learning Centers. Once qualified for the scholarship, students can get $3,000 every year and can be renewed for three more years. Students need only fill up the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS profile.
C. Baylor Sibling Scholarship
Students who have a sibling that’s an enrolled incoming freshman can be eligible to the Baylor Sibling Scholarship. This is a scholarship awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The amount awarded is $3,000 per student. To be assessed for eligibility students need to fill up the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS profile. Renewal is possible if the siblings’ GPAs are maintained at a minimum of 2.5 and if there is still a need for financial assistance. To be reviewed for eligibility, email scholarships@baylor.edu with the sibling’s names and id numbers with the “Sibling Scholarship” as the subject.
D. Athletic Scholarships
For students who are interested in athletic scholarship in any sport, they must call Baylor Athletics at (254) 710 1234. Interested students will be redirected to the contact person for each sport.
E. Student Foundation Scholarship
Every year, students can apply the Student Foundation Scholarship to receive $3,000 per year. The foundation awards the scholarship to students who have 2.5 GPA and are members of the Student Foundation and participate in their reception and other activities.
F. Student Emergency Fund Scholarship
In cases where a genuine emergency hinders a student from completing schooling, they’ll be eligible for the Student Emergency Fund Scholarship. The scholarship is funded by parent-donors. Each student can be awarded $1,000 in a year.
Grants
1. Federal Pell Grant
Undergraduate students need to file a FAFSA to qualify. The amount that’s going to be awarded will depend on the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC).
2. Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
This is awarded to undergraduate students who have already been awarded the Pell Grant.
How to Apply for Scholarships and Grants
In order for students to be awarded scholarships and grants at Baylor, they have to complete the FAFSA process. Other scholarships are available, each with their own requirements depending on the type of scholarship being offered. These other requirements include academic ratings, being siblings with incoming freshmen, being dependents of Baptist ministers and missionaries and being hit with an emergency situation that hinders continuing education at Baylor. Students also need to apply through their specific departments to qualify for specific department scholarships.
Loan
If you prefer to go with student loans, you can get educational loans directly from the Department of Education. There are also other available loans from private lenders. There are also direct subsidized and direct unsubsidized loans available for undergraduate students. To learn more about available loans from Baylor, contact the Baylor University Accounting Service (UAS).
These are the available options for students already enrolled in Baylor or are still in the process of enrollment. If you’re looking for financial aid, always get the information you need and try to contact every available decision-maker or organization that offers them.
I hope that this article on Baylor University Scholarships and Financial Aid was helpful. If you are from Texas, you should visit Texas Scholarship Category because they have excellent universities offering great scholarships and financial aid to in-state students. If you are not, you should visit Authority Scholarships to see scholarships offered in your state!
