Merit Scholarships

FIU awards merit-based scholarships to admitted first-time-in-college (FTIC) students. FIU will automatically consider students for these merit-based scholarships when they submit and complete the freshman admissions application for Early Fall/Fall 2025 by:
  • Florida Residents -November 1, 2024
  • Non-Florida Residents-December 3, 2024

Students should submit a complete application for admission, including the application fee/waiver, official SAT, ACT or CLT test scores by these dates for scholarship consideration. Applicants must have their scores sent directly to FIU when they register for tests so the scores can be received by the university in time for admission for scholarship consideration. Recommended last test dates for scholarship consideration are:

  • ACT - September 14, 2024
  • CLT - September 21, 2024
  • SAT - October 5, 2024
To be eligible students must be a citizen of the United States, a U.S. lawful permanent resident or an international student with intention of receiving the F-1 visa to study in the United States (or another eligible visa).

Consideration for merit awards is based on the same academic records used for admission and residency status. No additional applications are required. Scholarship funding is limited for both First Year students and Transfer students. The Scholarship Office reviews admitted FTIC students until all scholarship funding has been allocated.

First Year Students

  • Presidential Merit Scholarship

    Benefits

    • Guaranteed admission to the Honors College
    • Access to the Honors College Early Assurance Programs for the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine
    • Priority registration when choosing classes

    Award

    Florida Resident-100% Undergraduate tuition and fees, plus a book stipend

    Non-Resident- Out-of-state, merit-based tuition reduction. Out-of-state reduction awards are disbursed as waivers or scholarships that decrease the total cost of attendance but only apply toward out-of-state tuition. If a student's residency is updated to in-state for tuition purposes after enrollment, the merit-based tuition waiver will no longer apply, the award will be canceled. It may be replaced by a Florida resident award based on student eligibility and funding availability.

    Please note: Out-of-state, merit-based tuition reduction waivers cannot be combined with another tuition-wavier scholarship (Grandparent Waiver) since both scholarships waive the same portion of non-resident tuition.

  • Gold and Blue Scholarship

    Award

    Gold and Blue Scholarships are awarded to entering students to recognize outstanding academic performance. Awards are distributed over four years and range from:

    • $1,000 to $12,000 for Florida residents
    • $4,000 to $24,000 for non-Florida residents

    Gold and Blue scholarships cannot be stacked with other forms of FIU merit aid.

  • FIU National Merit Finalist

    Are you a National Merit® Finalist?

    Award

    Florida Residents: 

    Florida Resident National Merit Finalists are funded by the State Benaquisto Award which covers:

    Cost of Attendance - Bright Futures - any National Merit Scholarship. On average $9,000 a semester. Awards will vary.

    Non-Florida Residents: 

    Non-Florida Residents National Merit Finalists Students are funded by FIU.

    • 100% Undergraduate tuition and fees, plus a book stipend
    • 100% on campus housing with meal plan

    Academic Benefits Include

    • Guaranteed admission to the Honors College
    • Access to the Honors College Early Assurance Programs for the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine 
    • Priority registration when choosing classes
    • Guaranteed research opportunities and mentorship

    Requirements

    · Selecting FIU as your #1 choice university on the National Merit Scholarship corporation website prior to May 1, 2025

    If you are a National Merit Semi-Finalist and want to visit campus or ask for more information about FIU, please email admissions at nationalmerit@fiu.edu to learn more!

  • FIU College Board Recognition Program Scholarship

    Award

    Florida Resident-100% Undergraduate tuition and fees, plus a book stipend and $1,000 meal stipend

    Non-Resident- Out-of-state, merit-based tuition reduction plus, a book stipend and $1,000 meal stipend. Out-of-state reduction awards are disbursed as waivers that decrease the total cost of attendance but only apply toward out-of-state tuition. If a student's residency is updated to in-state for tuition purposes after enrollment, the merit-based tuition waiver will no longer apply, the award will be canceled, and it will not replaced by a Florida resident award.

    Please note: Out-of-state, merit-based tuition reduction waivers cannot be combined with another tuition-wavier scholarship (Grandparent Waiver) since both scholarships waive the same portion of non-resident tuition.

    Academic Benefits Include

    • Guaranteed admission to the Honors College
    • Access to the Honors College Early Assurance Programs for the Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine 
    • Priority registration when choosing classes
    • Guaranteed research opportunities and mentorship

    Requirements

    · Awarded one of the recognition awards below from the College Board

    1. African American Recognition
    2. Hispanic Recognition
    3. Indigenous Recognition
    4. Rural and Small-Town Recognition
    5. First-Generation

    · E-mail your Recognition Certificate from College Board to scholarships@fiu.edu by November 1, 2024.

  • Raise.Me Micro-Scholarships

    Raise.Me is a micro-scholarship program for high school students. Sign up for Raise.Me and you could earn scholarships for achievements like participating in extracurricular activities and getting good grades. You could earn up to $2,500 per academic year. Raise.me represents the minimum scholarships offer you will receive from FIU. Raise.me cannot be stacked with other FIU merit scholarships. 

    Requirements

    • Must be a Florida or DC resident
    • Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
    • Must have at least a 3.2 as calculated when student enters grades in Raise.Me (GPA is verified by FIU)
    • Completed FIU Admissions Application by November 1, 2024
    • Completed RaiseMe profile by December 1, 2024

Transfer Students 

  • Gold and Blue Scholarship

    Gold and Blue Scholarships are awarded to entering in Early Fall/Fall 2025 students, to recognize outstanding academic performance.  

    • $1,000 to $2,000 for Florida residents . To be considered, students must apply to FIU by May 2, 2025.
    • $2,000 to $4,000 for non-Florida residents. To be considered, students must apply to FIU by February 25, 2025.

    Gold and Blue scholarships cannot be stacked with other forms of FIU merit aid. 

  • Transfer Raise.Me Micro-Scholarships

    Transfer Requirements:

    • Transfer student entering in Early Fall/Fall 2025
    • Must complete AA or AS degree from a Florida Community College by the time of transfer to redeem scholarship earnings
    • Minimum Credit-Hours required to earn on RaiseMe - 45
    • Be a citizen of the United States, or a U.S. lawful permanent resident
    • Florida resident
    • 3.5 GPA
    • Apply to FIU by May 2, 2025
    • Completed RaiseMe profile by May 2, 2025
    • Follow FIU on Raise.ME
    • Visit Raise.Me to apply
    • Completed high school RaiseMe earnings are not eligible for Transfer students

*FIU recalculates GPA based on your courses taken. Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Dual Enrollment, AICE and Honors courses are all taken into consideration in your FIU weighted GPA. 

Renewal & Appeal

Students should review the renewal and appeal to maintain their merit scholarship aid.

Need Help?

We're happy to guide students on the right path to finding the scholarship that is right for them.