Admissions Scholarships & Waivers

High school graduates who receive recognition as a National Merit® Scholar can earn an award that covers the total cost of attendance* for an in-state student — including tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books and other expenses. An initial application is not required. Get Details

• FGCU is pleased to offer the following scholarships to National Merit Scholars, National Achievement Scholars, and National Hispanic Scholars.
• To be eligible, students must receive designation as a National Merit Finalist, a National Achievement Finalist or a National Hispanic Scholar and enroll at FGCU no later than the Fall semester immediately following high school graduation.
• Students must provide a copy of the award certificate or letter to the Undergraduate Admissions. 
• Students must be a US citizen or meet the requirements of an eligible non-citizen as defined by the Federal Student Aid Program.

Scholarships

Florida Resident

• Eligible students will receive an award equal to the full cost of attendance minus the sum of Bright Futures Award and the President’s Gold or Silver Merit Scholarship, if awarded.
• The Cost of Attendance is the total amount of the cost to attend college full-time each term and may include tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books, supplies, travel, and miscellaneous expenses.

Non-Florida Resident 

• Eligible students will receive a $10,000 scholarship per year
• Students applying before November 1st will also be considered for the Blue & Green Scholars or Director’s Scholarship.
  • A Finalist/Scholar, if awarded the Blue & Green Scholars award, would receive $10,000 plus $15,000 per year, for up to four (4) years.

Criteria for Renewal

• Students must maintain full time academic enrollment at FGCU in the terms that the scholarship is awarded
• Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative FGCU grade point average and earn a minimum of 30 credits at FGCU each academic year towards their chosen degree program.
• Scholarships can be renewed for up to four (4) years (8 semesters) or up until the student completes his/her first Bachelor’s degree or until student’s earned and attempted credits reaches the required number of credits for his/her chosen degree program, whichever comes first.

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The Scholarship Program follows the State of Florida Benacquisto Scholarship (formerly the Florida Incentive Scholarship) as described on the Florida Student Scholarship & Grant Programs website.

High school graduates who receive recognition as a National Merit® Scholar can earn an award that covers the total cost of attendance* for an in-state student — including tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books and other expenses. An initial application is not required. Get Details

NO SPECIFIC SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION REQUIRED. STUDENTS WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY CONSIDERED FOR THESE MERIT AWARDS WHEN THEY APPLY FOR ADMISSION BEFORE NOVEMBER 1. 

STUDENTS ARE PERMITTED TO RETEST FOR MERIT AWARD CONSIDERATION BY MARCH. TESTS TAKEN AFTER MARCH WILL NOT BE USED.

Freshman Scholarships

Florida Resident: Must be classified as in-state for tuition purposes.
Non-Florida Resident: Must be classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes

Eligibility

• Be a US citizen or meet the requirements of an eligible non-citizen as defined by the Federal Student Aid program.
• Must be classified as in-state or out-of-state (depending on the award) for tuition purposes.
• Freshman merit scholarships are competitive and not guaranteed. Preference is given to students who apply by the early action date of Nov. 1st.

Note: Applications received after these deadlines will be processed on a space-available basis.

Criteria for Renewal

• Students must maintain fulltime academic enrollment at FGCU in the terms that the scholarship is awarded

• Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative FGCU grade point average and complete/earn a minimum of 30 credits each academic year at FGCU towards their chosen degree program.
• Scholarship can be renewed for up to four (4) years (8 semesters) or up until the student completes his/her first Bachelor’s degree or until student’s earned and attempted credits reaches the required number of credits for his/her chosen degree program, whichever comes first.

Bright Futures Scholarship

This state-funded scholarship is based on high school academic achievement and is awarded to students enrolled in an eligible Florida public or private post-secondary educational institution within two (2) years of graduation from a Florida high school. For additional information, visit Bright Futures or contact your high school counselor or call the Florida Department of Education at 1-888-827-2004 (toll free) or visit Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

Transfer Scholarships & Waivers

Florida Resident: Must be classified as in-state for tuition purposes.

Non-Florida Resident: Must be classified as out-of-state for tuition purposes. 

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Eagle Transfer Gold 

Scholarship Deadlines:

Eligibility

• Must have received an Associate of Arts degree from a Florida college.
• Must have a minimum of a 3.5 GPA.
• Must be classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.
• Automatically awarded to students who meet requirements.

Renewal

Students will need to maintain:

• A cumulative GPA 3.0.
• Full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credit hours) each Fall and Spring Semester.
• Must successfully complete 30 credit hours within the first year.
• This scholarship is renewed for four (4) semesters only.   

Contact

Tuition Waiver Committee
Undergraduate Admissions
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565
ugtuitionwaivers@fgcu.edu

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Eagle Transfer

Scholarship Deadlines:

Eligibility

• Have a minimum transfer GPA of 3.0.
• Have completed an AA or AS degree from an accredited Florida State or Community College.
• Have submitted a completed FAFSA form to the U. S. Department of Education by the published deadline.  Recipients are awarded on the basis of financial need as determined by the results of the FAFSA application.
• Must be classified as a Florida resident for tuition purposes.
• Students must enroll in a minimum of 12 credit hours and maintain full-time status for the Fall and Spring semesters.

Renewal

• Students must maintain their full-time status for each term of award and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better for the award to be continued a second year.
• All recipients will be reviewed at the end of the first year for renewal eligibility.

Award Process

• Each recipient will be sent an email detailing the award and under which conditions it will be applied and renewed.

Contact

Tuition Waiver Committee
Undergraduate Admissions
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565
ugtuitionwaivers@fgcu.edu

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Out-of-State Waiver  

Scholarship Deadlines:

Out-of-State Waivers are based on the University's established key selection criteria of recruitment, retention, diversity and service and awarded to students who are classified as out-of-state residents. Out-of-state waivers are based on funding allocation and may not be awarded every term.

Eligibility

• Must be classified as Non-Florida Resident for tuition purposes.
• Must meet the published waiver application deadlines.
• This is primarily an admissions merit based waiver program and priority will be given to newly admitted TRANSFER students
• Minimum transfer GPA of 3.4.
• All applicants will be reviewed and ranked according to GPA. The review committee will also take into consideration other factors as presented on the application; these factors may include: outstanding leadership, civic engagement, demonstrated talents or other activities critical to the FGCU mission.
• The Out-of-State Waiver covers the difference in tuition between out-of-state and in-state tuition. For more information, please visit the Office of the Bursar website.
• This waiver will cover nine (9) credit hours per semester for the Fall and Spring semesters only.

Renewal

Renewal will be automatic every semester until the student earns his/her first Bachelor’s degree or has earned the requisite number of credit hours for the chosen degree program. Credits taken for a second major and/or minors will not normally be covered by this waiver. In addition, students must:

• Maintain a cumulative FGCU GPA 3.0
• Earn credit in 80% of attempted hours
• Full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credit hours) each Fall and Spring Semester.
• Meet the criteria after each semester for which they received the award
• Semester GPA cannot fall below 2.75

Be ready to apply

Below is the necessary information in order to make your application easy.

• UIN (University Identification Number). This number is sent to all applicants upon submission of the admission application. For further information, contact the Undergraduate Admissions Office at (239) 590-7915.
• You will need to answer three (3) essay questions, with 250 words maximum. Below are the questions. (Please type your answers in a Word document and then copy and paste your answers into the application, as time is limited.)
  • Please list scholastic achievements, community awards or recognitions, leadership roles, and volunteer activity hours.
  • Please tell us about your future plans and career goals.
  • Please describe any extraordinary challenges, personal circumstances or additional information you would like to have taken into consideration.

APPLY NOW

Contact

Tuition Waiver Committee
Undergraduate Admissions
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565
ugtuitionwaivers@fgcu.edu

International Scholarships For Freshman and Transfer

Other Opportunities: Florida Linkage Institute Program (Details)

Latin American Caribbean Scholarship

This scholarship program has been developed to provide scholarships to international students from designated Latin American and Caribbean countries or territories that would then allow FGCU to classify these recipients as special residents for tuition and fee purposes; in accordance with Section 1009.21 (10)(e) Florida Statutes.

Criteria for Awards

• Student must submit the application to the Undergraduate Admissions by the published deadline.
• Student must be admitted as an undergraduate degree seeking student.
• Student must maintain full-time enrollment status, 12 hours for the Spring and Fall semesters.
• Students who are enrolled as distance learning only are not eligible for this program.
• Student must be approved to study in the United States with an F-1 Visa, except for students from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Student must be a citizen or legal resident of one of the countries or territories listed in Appendix I (below).
• Student must satisfy one of the following:

1. GPA of 3.5 or
2. rSAT of 1130 or
3. ACT of 23 or
4. Students who have demonstrated special talents, for example, in fields such as music or fine arts.

Scholarship

• The scholarship award is $500 per semester. Normally the award will be for the Fall and Spring terms only. Summer awards may be considered depending on fund availability.
• Once awarded, the student will be classified as a special in-state resident for tuition purposes and will be charged the standard in-state tuition rate.
• Scholarships must be awarded for each and every semester in order for the student to qualify for in-state residency.
• The scholarship will continue until such time as the student has earned or attempted the requisite number of credit hours for his or her designated degree program. Changing degree programs and or taking excess hours not counting towards a degree program may disqualify the student from this scholarship.
• Students must maintain their full-time status for each term of award and must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 for the award to be continued. Students who graduate and subsequently enter a new degree program must re-apply for the scholarship.
• Students who lose their scholarship for any reason will revert to out-of-state resident for tuition purposes classification.
• All recipients will be reviewed each semester for renewal eligibility.
• Each scholarship recipient will be sent a letter detailing the award and under which conditions it will be applied and renewed.

 Application Process

Please complete the Latin American Caribbean Scholarship Online Application.  

APPLY NOW

Appendix

Students must be citizens of one of the following listed countries:

Contact Information

For additional information about LAC, contact Undergraduate Admissions.

Other Opportunities

Florida Linkage Institute Program

Florida Linkage Institutes have been created by the Florida Legislature to assist in the development of stronger economic and social ties between the State of Florida and strategic foreign countries. Each institute is affiliated with a university or community college and sponsors specific country or countries. Only international students from these countries may apply for the Linkage tuition waiver program. International students who are selected for this program receive the in-state tuition rate for course fees. Students who receive this award are required to return to their home country within three years after their tenure of graduate or undergraduate degree or may be required to pay back the equivalent amount waived. See websites:

• General Information  
• Eastern Europe Linkage Institute
• Canada Linkage Institute  
• Costa Rica Institute  
• West Africa Institute
• France Linkage Institute
• Israel Linkage Institute 
• Latin American & Caribbean Center   

For additional International Student Scholarship Resources, please View Document

Dual Enrollment Scholarships

Dual Enrolled Students at FGCU

In-State Tuition Waiver/Non-Resident Tuition Waiver

In-State Waiver

Scholarship Deadlines:

In-State Waivers are available to enhance campus diversity and academic quality in an ever increasing competitive student market. Waivers are based on the University's established key selection criteria of recruitment, retention, diversity and service and awarded to students who are classified as In-State residents and meet the eligibility requirements as listed below.

Eligibility

• Must be a Florida Resident.
• Must be admitted as a degree seeking student by March 15 of the semester of enrollment.
• Priority will be given to students who belong to one of these recognized outreach programs:
  • AVID
  • CROP
  • Immokalee Foundation
  • PSEP/Scholars Program
  • Take Stock in Children
  • TRIO
  • Grace Place for Children and Families
  • Boys and Girls Club of Collier County
  • Champions for Learning
  • Scholars Club
  • Eagle FSW Leaders
  • FSW Presidential Scholarships
  • Other (Specify program in application)
• The In-State Waiver will cover the tuition for 12 credit hours per semester for Fall and Spring semesters only.
• For more information about the tuition, please visit the Office of the Bursar website.

Renewal

Renew will be automatic every semester until reaching their degree requirements. Students will need to maintain:

• A cumulative GPA 3.0.
• Maintain a full time (minimum 12 credit hours) status every semester.
• Students must earn credit in 80% of attempted hours.
• Students must meet the criteria after each semester for which they received the award.

Be ready to apply

Below is the necessary information in order to make your application easy.

• UIN (University Identification Number). This number is sent to all applicants upon submission of the admission application. For further information contact the Undergraduate Office at 239-590-7915.
• Name of advisor of your Outreach Program: You will need to know the name of a contact person (advisor/coordinator) for this program at your school. If you don't have a name, please refer to your high school counselor who will help you.
• You will need to answer 3 essay questions, with 250 words maximum. Below are the questions. (Please type your answers in a Word document and then copy and paste your answers into the application, as time is limited.)
  • Please list scholastic achievements, community awards or recognitions, leadership roles, and volunteer activity hours.
  • Please tell us about your future plans and career goals.
  • Please describe any extraordinary challenges, personal circumstances or additional information you would like to have taken into consideration.

APPLY NOW

Contact:

Tuition Waiver Committee
Undergraduate Admissions
Florida Gulf Coast University
10501 FGCU Boulevard South
Fort Myers, FL 33965-6565
ugtuitionwaivers@fgcu.edu

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Non-Resident Tuition Waiver

This waiver is authorized for non-resident students who meet the eligibility requirements listed below. Undocumented students, including students who have received deferred action (DACA), may qualify for this waiver. The approval of this waiver does NOT imply eligibility to financial assistance from the University, the state, or the federal government nor does it constitute a permanent designation as a Florida Resident for tuition paying purposes and does NOT qualify the student for such designation in the future. 

Once awarded, the out-of-state portion of tuition and fees will be waived.  The student will be responsible for the instate tuition and fees.

Eligibility

 Students who meet the following conditions are eligible: 

• Attended a secondary school in this state for three (3) consecutive years immediately before graduating from a high school in this state;
• Apply for enrollment in an institution of higher education within 24 months after high school graduation; and
• Submit an official Florida high school transcript as evidence of attendance and graduation. 

Additional Information Regarding Waiver

Know your Rights Brochure

Know your Rights Brochure (Spanish)

FAQ

FAQ (Spanish) 

Renewal

The waiver will be applicable for 110 percent of the required credit hours of the degree or certificate program for which the student is enrolled. The degree program is defined as the first bachelor’s degree awarded and does not included hours towards dual major or minors.

Students do not need to reapply for the waiver each semester and there are no GPA or earned credit minimums.
 

Application 

To receive this waiver, view/print document to complete the paper application and return it to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. After the information is verified the form will be sent to the Cashiers Office for processing. 

This waiver will appear as a payment for the respective term on your Account Activity screen in the Bill & Payment Center.  Listed below is an approximate posting timeframe for the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. 

Please Note: In order to assure timely posting, applications must be received no later than 30 days prior to the start of term.

Grandparent Out-of-State Tuition Waiver

Students who receive the Grandparent Waiver will be treated as Florida residents and will only be charged fees charged to resident students. Beginning with out-of-state undergraduate first-year students admitted for the 2022-23 academic year, students with grandparents residing in Florida may be eligible for a waiver of the Non-Resident (out-of-state) fee.

Eligibility 

Students must meet the following requirements to eligible for the grandparent waiver:

• Have a grandparent who is a legal resident of Florida.
  • The term “grandparent” means a person who has a legal relationship to a student’s parent as the natural or adopted parent or legal guardian of the student’s parent.
  • The following documents will be considered acceptable for determining grandparent’s residency and relationship to student.
    • A Grandparent Waiver Application 
    • Documentation that a grandparent provides to demonstrate Florida residency. (See application)
• Earn a high school diploma comparable to a Florida standard high school diploma, or its equivalent, or completes a home education program.
• Achieve an SAT combined score of 1340 or greater, or an ACT composite score of 29 or greater, or a CLT combined score of 96 or greater (taken July 1, 2023, or later). 
• Enroll as a full-time undergraduate student in the summer or fall term immediately following high school graduation and continuously enroll full-time every fall and spring term until the requirements for the bachelor’s degree have been completed.
  • The student must be enrolled full-time (minimum 12 credits) at the end of add/drop in each term to maintain eligibility.
  • Summer enrollment is not required.
  • If a student enrolls part-time, grandparent waiver eligibility will be lost.
• It is the student’s responsibility to apply for this waiver and submit all necessary documentation in accordance with university deadlines.
• If a student transfers to another institution, they must apply for the waiver at the new institution for consideration.
• Students who receive the Grandparent Waiver will be treated as Florida residents and will only be charged fees charged to resident students.
• The Grandparent Waiver is applicable for up to 110 percent of the number of required credit hours (i.e., total degree hours) of the degree program for which the student is enrolled. 

Awarding

The Grandparent Waiver will be awarded according to the following guidance.

• FGCU has been allocated 14 Grandparent Waivers for the 2024-25 incoming first-year class.
• Admitted Students will be “eligible” for Grandparent Waivers as determined by date student has submitted all necessary documentation.
• “Eligible” students will be “awarded” a Grandparent Waiver on a first-come, first-served basis up to the maximum allocation of 14 based on the date a student submits the $200 Admissions deposit or submits a deposit fee waiver.
• The waiver may not be applied retroactively.
• Scholarships awarded by the Admissions Office are not stackable (can’t be combined with other Admissions merit based scholarships) with the Grandparent Waiver.

Apply Now

Renewal

The waiver will be applicable for 110 percent of the required credit hours of the degree or certificate program for which the student is enrolled. The degree program is defined as the first bachelor’s degree awarded and does not included hours towards dual major or minors.

Students do not need to reapply for the waiver each semester and there are no GPA or earned credit minimums.