Bellarmine Institutional Assistance

Merit awards recognize individual students for their academic talent, service, or leadership achievements. Award amounts are determined on an individual basis and celebrate students' strengths and achievements both in and out of the classroom. One hundred percent of incoming first-year students receive institutional gift-aid assistance, with Bellarmine investing more than $23 million for entering students.

Priority consideration is given to students who submit their admission application by stated deadlines. Institutional scholarships and grants may be used to pay Bellarmine tuition only (unless otherwise specified) and are awarded for a full academic year (fall and spring semesters only). Please note that Bellarmine scholarships may be reduced if you receive tuition-specific awards from outside sources.

Below are Bellarmine's merit scholarships in alphabetical order:



Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship

The Bellarmine University Alumni Board of Directors awards Alumni Legacy Scholarships to entering first-year legacy students based on the admissions application and financial need. A legacy student is defined as a child, grandchild, stepchild, or step-grandchild of a Bellarmine or Ursuline graduate. The deadline to apply is February 1. Students must maintain a 2.5 cumulative GPA and full-time enrollment status. Scholarship awards are a minimum of $4,000 ($1,000/year). Learn more on our Alumni site.


Bellarmine Need-Based Grants

Bellarmine offers Need-Based Grants to entering first-year students who have unmet financial need as determined by the FAFSA. These grants are determined and awarded by Bellarmine based on students' FAFSA data and eligibility for other financial aid programs. Available to cover tuition for full-time enrollment during fall and spring semesters. Students must file a FAFSA each year for continued eligibility. If you qualify, these awards will be reflected once your final comprehensive award is determined based on your FAFSA.


Bellarmine Scholars and Fellows Awards

The Bellarmine Scholars and Bellarmine Fellows awards are Bellarmine's most prestigious academic scholarships for entering first-year students. This award requires a completed application for admission and scholarship application. Please apply by December 1 to be considered for this award.



Career Pathways Scholarship Program

With a grant of nearly $1 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Bellarmine University offers a scholarship program to recruit high-achieving students into STEM disciplines including computer engineering, computer science, mathematics, and data science. The STEM Career Pathways Scholarship program awards annual scholarships of $7,200 each to two groups of 11 academically talented students for four years. You must apply separately for this scholarship by February 1st. Selected recipients will be notified directly.


Century Scholars Scholarship Program

Bellarmine has created a program to develop a pathway to Bellarmine for high-achieving college-bound students from eight local high schools: Butler Traditional High School, Central High School, Doss High School, Iroquois High School, Seneca High School, The Academy at Shawnee, Waggener High School, and Western High School. Available for a maximum of 8 semesters of full-time enrollment if a student maintains the scholarship program requirements. To be considered, submit your application to Bellarmine by the priority deadline of January 15th. For more information, contact Joshua O.D. Williams at 502.272.8136 or jwilliams4@bellarmine.edu.


Endowed Scholarships

Endowed scholarships are financial assistance provided to Bellarmine students by friends and alumni of the university.


Hope Kentucky Scholars

The HOPE Kentucky Scholars Program covers 100% of tuition and most fees – including textbooks – for traditional first-year and transfer students in Kentucky. The program’s funding is applied to any remaining costs after all other institutional, state, and federal funds (e.g., Pell, KEES, CAP, KTG, FSEOG) have been applied (loans and work-study are not included in the calculation). Tuition and comprehensive fees are covered and you will only need to pay course fees, the matriculation fee, meal plans, and housing fees. The funding is renewable for eight semesters, as long as you are admitted to Bellarmine and stay enrolled full time, file the FAFSA each year by April 1, and remain eligible for federal Pell grants and KY state aid (CAP and KTG).


Kentucky Governor Scholarships

Bellarmine awards Governor Scholars Scholarships to entering first-year students who completed the GSP, GSE, or GSA program. Available for full-time enrollment during fall and spring semesters and renewable with a 2.0 cumulative GPA. This award is based on your indication of participation in the GSP, GSE, or GSA programs; there is no separate application process. If you qualify, this award will be reflected in your initial scholarship offer upon admission.


Legacy Scholarship

Bellarmine offers an automatic $1,000 Legacy Scholarship to all incoming legacy students, good for all four years of undergraduate education (total of $4,000). During the application process, students can identify themselves as legacy students. Once legacy status is confirmed and the student is admitted, they will be awarded and notified. This scholarship is not retroactive and is only available to incoming students. Recipients will also be invited to apply for the competitive Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship.


Lincoln Foundation - Whitney M. Young Scholarship Program

Bellarmine University and the Lincoln Foundation's Whitney M. Young Scholars Program have partnered to offer The Whitney M. Young Scholars Award. This award combines with federal and state scholarships and grants (PELL, SEOG, CAP, KTG, and KEES) to cover full Bellarmine tuition (excluding room, board, and fees). Available for a maximum of 8 semesters of full-time enrollment with a minimum 2.0 GPA requirement. To be considered, submit your application to Bellarmine by the priority deadline of January 15th. For more information, contact Joshua O.D. Williams at 502.272.8136 or jwilliams4@bellarmine.edu.


Public Price Promise

For qualifying students (minimum 3.5 unweighted GPA), Bellarmine will match the current direct cost of your state's flagship university – typically your state's largest, oldest university. Learn more about qualifying here. Available for full-time enrollment during fall and spring semesters. Students must live on campus each year for continued eligibility. If you qualify, these awards will be reflected in your final comprehensive award.


Scarlet Scholarships

Bellarmine awards Scarlet Scholarships to entering first-year students based on the admissions application. There is no separate application process. The priority deadline is February 1. Scholarship amounts are determined by the strength of a student's application, with minimum credentials including a strong academic profile and extracurricular involvement. Students must maintain full-time enrollment status, and the award covers tuition costs during fall and spring semesters only. If you qualify, this award will be reflected in your initial scholarship offer upon admission.


Transfer: Silver Scholarship

Bellarmine awards transfer grants to students transferring from an accredited institution of higher education with a minimum 2.0 GPA. Awards are based on review of the admission application; there is no separate application process. If you qualify, this award will be reflected in your initial scholarship offer upon admission.


Trustee Scholarship

Bellarmine awards a $1,500 annual scholarship to incoming first-year students who complete an official campus visit and file their FAFSA before May 1st. This award is renewable for 4 years of undergraduate enrollment. To qualify, you must visit campus and file your FAFSA. This award will be reflected in your comprehensive award upon receipt of the FAFSA.

Other Bellarmine Scholarships

 Award
 Criteria
Art/Music/Theatre Scholarships    
Art: major in art; submit portfolio.
Music: major in music; entrance audition required. Pep Band stipend: audition required.
Theatre: major in theatre; audition required.
Pep Band/
Cheerleader Grants
Awarded to students who take part in the university Pep Band or cheerleading squad.
Athletic Grants
Athletic performance, as evaluated by college coach. Scholarship sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, track, field hockey, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, lacrosse, volleyball, swimming and wrestling.
ROTC Scholarships
U.S. citizenship; take SAT or ACT by November of year you apply for school, satisfactory GPA, participation in leadership, extracurricular, and/or athletic activities; be at least 17 years old before scholarship becomes effective.
Catholic High School Scholarship
Awarded to first-year students who graduated from a Catholic High School and achieved a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Outside Scholarships