When paying for college, always explore scholarship opportunities before considering federal or student loans. College scholarships cover tuition and you don’t need to pay it back. There’s no limit to the amount of scholarships you can apply for - so apply for as many as you can.
When applying for scholarships follow these quick tips:
- Start early. The sooner you can start applying for scholarships, the more you can apply for.
- Apply for both big and small scholarships - any amount of money for school is free money!
- Look beyond your grades. Many scholarships don't require 4.0 GPAs. Do you have a special talent or skill? Use it!
At the Maricopa Community Colleges, we offer multiple types of scholarships, including publicly funded (district-specific) and privately funded (Foundation):
District-specific Scholarships
Publicly funded scholarships are available to students that meet the required criteria such as GPA. Public scholarships cycle throughout the year with varying deadlines. Completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an essential part of applying for scholarships through the Maricopa Community College (Publicly Funded) District Scholarship Program.
It is important to note that you must complete the general scholarship application to be considered for opportunities that match you. We encourage you to apply for as many scholarships as you believe best fits your academic achievements, your goals, your volunteer history and other attributes.
View all district-specific scholarships.
Foundation-specific Scholarships
The privately funded scholarships are made possible by supporters of the Maricopa Community College Foundation as well as departments and programs throughout the ten Maricopa Community Colleges. The Foundation has two main scholarship cycles of each year - Spring and Fall. Special scholarship opportunities may come available throughout the year. Students can complete one application to be considered for a variety of scholarships each academic year. Each Foundation scholarship has specific criteria and 98% of our privately funded scholarships are available to students regardless of their national origin. Anyone interested in attending one of the ten Maricopa Community Colleges can (and should) complete a Foundation scholarship application.
We make it easy to apply for Foundation scholarships. Once you complete the General Application online, you will be matched with scholarships for which you immediately qualify – no further action is required. Apply for hundreds of Foundation applications with one application. Additional scholarships that are currently “open” may also be recommended to you if you meet the basic criteria. To see a list of these scholarships, search “Recommended” under “Opportunities.” You must click on “Apply to” and complete any additional requirements in order to be considered for these scholarships.
View all Foundation-specific scholarships.
If you have questions during the process, call the Maricopa Financial Aid Answer Center at 1-888-994-4433 or email our scholarship administrators:
District-specific scholarship questions: scholarships@domail.maricopa.edu
Foundation-specific scholarship questions: foundation.scholarships@domail.maricopa.edu