Scholarships
Merit Scholarships
First-year merit scholarship candidates must present a rigorous course selection, including Honors, Advanced Placement and/or International Baccalaureate when available. Other factors considered include the personal essay and leadership in high school. Students who submit a portfolio in lieu of standardized test scores will be considered based on the minimum GPA requirements, strength of writing and the overall quality of their application.
Guilford College offers a select number of $20,000 Presidential Scholarships to first-year students. Candidates must have demonstrated a strong academic record as determined by unweighted GPA, course selection, and SAT/ACT results. In addition, Guilford College also offers a select number of $15,000 Thompson Scholarships to first-year students with candidates again demonstrating strong academic records. Additional scholarships of lower amounts are also awarded to first-year students at the discretion of the Office of Admission. Students who don’t qualify for the Presidential or Thompson awards may be considered for the Guilford College Achievement, Incentive or Performance awards at the discretion of the Office of Admission at the time of application review.
Accepted transfer applicants can earn scholarship funds for previous college work. A select number of scholarships of up to $20,000 will be awarded to students with a 3.5 GPA or above in 30 or more transferable college credits. On-campus residency may be required for these scholarships.
How to Apply
All students are automatically considered for merit scholarships based on their application. Priority will be given to students who submit completed applications by January 15. You will receive notification of your financial aid award by letter.
Need-Based Scholarships
Need-based scholarships are determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Families should complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 of each year. The FAFSA must be filed annually in order to reestablish need-based aid eligibility.
How to Apply
1. First-year students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1. Continuing and transfer students should submit the FAFSA by May 1. Guilford’s Federal Code Number for use on the FAFSA is 002931.
2. The Office of Student Financial Services will receive your information from the federal government. The information you must provide includes any family resources (parents’ and students’ income and assets) and all taxable and nontaxable income (Social Security, welfare, veteran’s benefits, etc.). Allowances are made for taxes and Social Security paid, and housekeeping if both parents are working. Other factors considered are family size, unusual expenses, employment expense, medical and dental expenses not covered by insurance, and the number of family members in college.
3. You will receive notification of your financial aid award by letter. This lists all funds that have been reserved for you by the College from institution, state and federal sources.
4. If you receive assistance from outside sources, it is your responsibility to notify the Office of Student Financial Services. Your award will be reviewed and adjusted as necessary to comply with federal rules. Outside aid is used first to meet any unmet need remaining after college, federal and state sources have been used. If the outside aid exceeds this unmet need, the remaining funds are first applied to reduce loan or work components of your financial aid package.
5. If your financial aid package resulted from an application for need-based aid, please notify the office of student financial services of any changes in circumstances that might affect your financial eligibility.
6. After reviewing your financial aid award and acceptance agreement, calculate what you will owe for tuition, fees, room, board and any other charges for the semester. Remember to exclude work study as a credit.
7. Any balance due to Guilford College after the crediting of financial aid funds is payable by July 15.
Bonner Scholars Program
The Bonner Scholars Program is an important part of Guilford’s Community Learning Program. Fifteen Bonner Scholars are selected each year based on their high financial need and their demonstrated commitment to serve during their high school careers. Accepted students receive scholarship funds and extensive training in return for their commitment to the four-year program. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible. Admissions decisions to the program are made on a rolling basis.
Funded by the Bonner Foundation in Princeton, N.J., the Bonner Scholars Program operates in 27 colleges and universities in the U.S. Each of our Bonner Scholars actively contribute to the wider community by performing 140 hours of service per semester and two summers of 280 hours. Students may receive internship credit for their work and are allowed to accept paid positions with non-profits for summer service.
How to Apply
Instructions for applying to the program are found on the Bonner Scholars Application. For more information, contact Elizabeth Balof-Bird, Bonner Scholars coordinator, at (336) 316-2452 or balofbirdte@guilford.edu.
Scholarships for Quaker Students
Guilford College offers an average of eight to ten Quaker Leadership Scholarships to first‑year students each year. Scholars are selected on the basis of interest in the Religious Society of Friends, leadership and academic potential. Students selected as Quaker Leadership Scholars receive financial awards renewable for four years.
How to Apply
Complete the Quaker Leadership Scholarship Program application and submit it to the Office of Admission no later than March 15. Notification of acceptance into the program will be made as soon after April 1 as possible. If financial need has not already been met by other awards, Guilford College provides a grant of up to $3,000 for QLSP participation. In addition, Guilford will match up to $500 of assistance provided by a student’s Meeting.
Important Terms
Cost of Attendance
This amount includes tuition, fees, room and board, medical insurance, plus estimates for books, transportation and miscellaneous living expenses. We use this number to calculate your eligibility for financial aid. Any increase or decrease in College charges will automatically be considered in determining or revising a student’s financial aid award.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
EFC is the amount the FAFSA determines what your family can pay for one year of education. This number is a constant, it does not change regardless of what institution you make application. Your EFC could change each year of college enrollment depending on your family’s financial situation (income, assets, liabilities all determined from the FAFSA).
Demonstrated Need
A student’s demonstrated need is determined by subtracting the expected family contribution from the cost of attendance. The EFC includes support from parents, savings from previous earnings, liquid assets and the public or private assistance that may be available to the student.
Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid Recipients
Guilford College seeks to provide a high quality educational experience for all those who choose to benefit from this opportunity and is committed to extending all possible resources in pursuit of this goal. However, students have responsibilities in regard to their educational pursuits. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the completion of course work in a reasonable time frame and a quality of performance that meets accepted grade point standards.
In compliance with appropriate federal regulations, Guilford shall adhere to the policies stated herein for determination of Satisfactory Academic Progress compliance relative to eligibility for financial aid. This includes federal, state and institutional funds. Certain academic awards and some endowed scholarships may require higher academic performance than this Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. Students must be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress before financial assistance can be awarded.
Default and Overpayment Status
Guilford College follows federal and state guidelines concerning students who are in default on previous student loans or in overpayment with the Department of Education. Institutional aid, as well as, Federal and State, will not be awarded until default and/or overpayment status is cleared.
Default is defined as being delinquent more than 270 to 360 days with payments for a loan that is currently in repayment status with the Department of Education.
Overpayment is defined as having received an excess of financial aid funds from the Department of Education.
In either case, the student should contact the Department of Education’s Default Resolution Group at 1-800-621-3115.
