Merit Scholarships

Financial Aid › Merit Scholarships

Florida Southern has a rich tradition of awarding scholarships to students of outstanding ability and talent.  We offer more than $15 million per year in college aid on the basis of academic merit, talent in athletics or fine arts, leadership, community service, and student need. 

The College also awards scholarships to students pursuing select areas of study, including business, nursing, music, English, theatre, art, and education.  In addition to this wide array of scholarships, a number of special awards are available to assist students of FSC alumni, students from Israel, ROTC students, scholar-athletes, and members of The United Methodist Church, to name a few.

While international students are not eligible for federal or state grants, loans, or other need-based aid, Florida Southern offers numerous merit scholarships to outstanding international students.

Presidential Scholarships Talent-based Scholarships Athletic Scholarships Special Interest Awards Transfer Students Family Awards Church and Faith-based Awards

Merit-based scholarships are automatically determined by the Admissions Office when you apply to Florida Southern.

Your scholarship award is just the initial part of your total financial awards package at Florida Southern.  Eligible FSC students also receive more than $14 million in federal and state aid, including grants, loans, work study, and scholarships.  Please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov after January 1 and before March 1 of your senior year in high school to have the best chance for need-based aid programs.

Presidential Scholarships

The scholarships below are available based upon GPA and SAT/ACT scores. No special application is required.

Hollingsworth Scholarship (Up to $10,000 per year)
Honors Joshua Hollingsworth, the founder and first president of Florida Southern College, appointed in 1886.  To be considered for this scholarship, a minimum GPA of 3.5 and 1270 on the SAT (Math & Critical Reading only) or 28 on the ACT is required.

Alderman Scholarship (Up to $9,000 per year)
Honors FSC president Rhenus Hoffard Alderman, who helped move the campus to Lakeland in 1922.

Spivey Scholarship (Up to $8,000 per year)
Honors Ludd Spivey, FSC president who worked with Frank Lloyd Wright on the construction of the Lakeland campus. Wright is considered our nation’s foremost architect, and Florida Southern comprises the world’s largest collection of his work.

Thrift Scholarship (Up to $6,000 per year)
Honors FSC's 14th president, Charles Thrift, a highly regarded Florida historian who served the College faithfully for 36 years.

Szabo Scholarship (Up to $4,000 per year)
Honors Frank Szabo, beloved alumnus and popular Dean of Men, who served FSC for 38 years.

Talent-based Scholarships

Music Scholarships
Music majors may receive awards based upon their skill level and area of concentration, and $500 per year will be awarded to members of an ensemble: band, chorale, orchestra (strings).

Auditions are required. Contact the Music Department at (863) 680-4229 for more information.

Art & Theatre Scholarships
Awards are based upon portfolio or audition.

Contact the Art Department at 863.680.4743 or Theatre Department at 863.680.4226 for more information.

Athletic Scholarships

Men: Baseball, Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Lacrosse, Soccer, Swimming, Track and Field, and Tennis

Women: Basketball, Cross Country, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, and Volleyball

Contact the Athletic Department at 863.680.4244 for more information.

Men and women interested in swimming, contact the swim coach at 863.680.6200.

Men and women interested in water skiing, contact the water-ski coach at 863.324.4341.

Special Interest Awards

Hollis Fellows in Education
Awarded to students majoring in education.

Valedictorian/Salutatorian Scholarships
$1,000 will be awarded to valedictorians and salutatorians of a graduating class larger than 50 students. Notify Admissions Office.

Hazel Haley Scholarships
Awarded to graduates of Lakeland High School with proven financial need.

ROTC Room and Board Scholarships
A supplemental grant is available in various amounts to ROTC students who live on campus.

Nina B. Hollis Nursing Scholarships
Awarded annually to undergraduate students with financial need who are pursuing the four-year bachelor of science in nursing degree.

Transfer Students

Transfer Academic Recognition Awards
The following amounts can be awarded to qualified students with a minimum 25 transferable credits: Up to $7,000 per year with minimum 3.6 GPA; up to $6,000 per year with 3.3-3.59 GPA; up to $5,000 per year with 3.0-3.29 GPA.

Phi Theta Kappa Awards
We offer a limited number of $2,000 scholarship awards to members of Phi Theta Kappa in addition to the standard transfer academic recognition awards.

Family Awards

To receive the following awards, simply complete the appropriate section on your application for admission.

Sibling Awards
$2,000 per year will be awarded to the younger sibling of any current FSC student while both students are enrolled full-time at Florida Southern.

Be sure to indicate your sibling's name on your financial aid application.

Legacy Awards
Children and grandchildren of FSC alumni will be awarded $1,000 in their first year; $1,250 in their second year; $1,500 in their third year; and $1,750 in their fourth year.

Church and Faith-based Awards

Contact the FSC Chaplain at (863) 680-4297 or visit the Church Relations Web site for more information about the scholarships below.

Advancing the Flame Scholarships
FSC will match United Methodist Church Scholarships of up to $1,000 offered to a church member. The deadline for applications is April 1st of each year.

Pre-Ministerial Awards
$5,000 per year will be awarded to pre-ministerial candidates in the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church and $3,000 awarded to all other Methodist candidates in a formal ministerial track.

Christian Service Awards
$2,000 per year will be awarded to first-year and transfer students preparing for careers in Christian education, ministry of music, and youth ministry.

Minister’s Child Awards
$2,000 per year will be awarded to children of a United Methodist minister. Be sure to complete this portion on your financial aid application. Note: Recipients are not eligible for Advancing the Flame matching scholarships.

United Methodist students!
The United Methodist Higher Education Foundation offers many scholarship opportunities. Be sure to visit its Web site at www.umhef.org.