Current Students Financial Aid & Scholarships
Even as a current student, the financial aid process must be completed every year. Remember to file your FAFSA before April 15 and follow the important dates below to ensure that your financial aid will be ready again next year.
We get it—financial aid has tons of acronyms and lots of jargon to sift through. Review commonly-used phrases and their definitions with our Financial Aid Glossary of Terms.
Merit and Talent Awards
Butler awards merit and talent awards to incoming students with the commitment to continue if renewal criteria are met. While renewal criteria and GPA requirements may vary for each program, all Butler merit and talent awards:
- Apply to fall and spring semester enrollments only, with half of the annual value crediting to the student account each semester.
- Are available for continuous full-time undergraduate enrollment.
- Are subject to review and adjustment if you change your major.
- Are for tuition-only, unless otherwise noted.
- Cannot exceed the cost of tuition in an academic year when combined with other tuition-specific awards.
- Cannot exceed the cost of attendance when combined with all awards, including outside scholarships.
- May be used in the full amount for overseas study in an approved exchange program. An approved non-exchange program is limited to 50 percent of the award amount for the first semester of overseas study and 25 percent of the award amount for the second semester of overseas study. This award is only eligible for two semesters of overseas study.
- May be reserved if you leave the University for personal reasons and request a leave of absence from the Office of Financial Aid. The written request must be submitted prior to the 10th day of the semester for which the leave is requested. If the Office of Financial Aid approves the leave of absence, the scholarship may be reserved for a maximum of two semesters. Personal reasons may include medical, financial and experiential; however, attendance at another university or college may not qualify.
- Are reviewed at the end of each spring semester for renewal eligibility.
Renewal criteria and GPA requirements for each program were outlined with original scholarship offer. Please refer to these terms and conditions for specific requirements unique to the program.
Butler University Grant
The Butler Grant is awarded based on academic strength and financial aid eligibility as determined by the FAFSA. Families must complete the FAFSA each year by April 15 to be reviewed for priority consideration. If your financial and family situation on the FAFSA remains about the same, then the Butler Grant should remain about the same year to year.
Like Butler’s merit and talent awards, the Butler Grant:
- Applies to fall and spring semester enrollments only, with half of the annual value crediting to the student account each semester.
- Is available for continuous full-time undergraduate enrollment.
- Is for tuition-only.
- Cannot exceed the cost of tuition in an academic year when combined with other tuition-specific awards.
- Cannot exceed the cost of attendance when combined with all awards, including outside scholarships.
- May be used in the full amount for overseas study in an approved exchange program. An approved non-exchange program is limited to 50 percent of the award amount for the first semester of overseas study and 25 percent of the award amount for the second semester of overseas study. This award is only eligible for two semesters of overseas study.
Endowed and annual scholarships are named awards that have been established by donors to Butler University. Most are used to underwrite existing aid programs and cannot be applied for separately. Students may be recognized with a named award that will not result in additional gift assistance. A limited number of endowed or annual scholarships are awarded in addition to current gift assistance by the academic departments.
Butler encourages students to look for outside scholarships. Outside scholarships are awards from sources other than federal, state, and University aid programs. Outside scholarship may be found through the following channels:
- Free online scholarship searches
- Community foundations
- Employers
- Churches
- Civic organizations
Please note: you should not have to pay to search for outside scholarships.
Read about reporting an outside scholarship and incorporating it into your financial aid package.