We believe a college education should provide lifelong benefits — not lifelong debt. From scholarships and grants to student loans, there are many ways to pay for college. We’re here to guide you every step of the way.
Please review the entire page for A2O, internal and external scholarship opportunities for incoming freshman, transfer and current students.

Learn more about Guild Education Partnership Tuition Assistance programs.

SCHEDULE A MEETING WITH FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Schedule an appointment with a Financial Assistance counselor to discuss the UCF Financial Aid application process or your financial aid status. Due to the limited number of appointments available, appointments should be reserved to gather information not accessible through myUCF or available on the UCF student Financial Assistance website. Appointments are available for booking up to 2 weeks in advance.

Note:  Financial Assistance counselors can only address questions pertaining to Financial Assistance and briefly address any general questions regarding tuition payments.

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT NOW!

Financial Aid Information

For specific questions regarding your family’s financial aid package, please contact the UCF Office of Student Financial Assistance at finaid@ucf.edu or call 407-823-2827.  For a list of financial aid FAQs, visit https://www.ucf.edu/financial-aid/faq/

FAFSA information: Opens Oct 1. Complete by December 1. www.fafsa.gov ; UCF School Code 003954

For questions relating to third-party billing and tuition payments, including Florida Prepaid, please contact UCF Student Account Services at tpbilling@ucf.edu or visit www.studentaccounts.ucf.edu.

Rosen College Scholarship Opportunities

Rosen College awards more than $225,000 in scholarships each year. New/Incoming and current students may apply for scholarships. The scholarship application period is open January 31 to March 31 through the A2O system. Please click the image to apply for Rosen College Scholarships through the A2O system.

The Rosen College Scholarship Committee is responsible for the application process, reviewing applications and awarding scholarships. Students in all majors are eligible.

Scholarships are also available to students in the Master’s and Ph.D. programs, though they are limited. Both domestic and international students may apply for these scholarships.

Scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic criteria as well as any combination of financial need, campus/community activities, leadership positions and work experience.

For questions relating to merit scholarships, please contact the UCF Office of Undergraduate Admissions Scholarship Committee at scholarships@ucf.edu.

External Scholarship Opportunities

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF)

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Educational Foundation (FRLAEF) scholarship application is now available.  CLICK HERE for the application.

In order to be eligible for this scholarship the applicant must:

• Be enrolled at a post-secondary institution
• Be entering or continuing in a culinary or hospitality post-secondary program – Summer/Fall 2024 term
• Return a transcript to FRLAEF by application deadline

The scholarship amount is based on investment returns and award amounts fluctuate from year to year. Approximately three $1,000-$2,000 scholarships will be awarded. This is a one-time, non-renewable award.

Application deadline: Friday, May 17, 2024

Applicants notified award status by: May 24, 2024

Transcripts should be mailed to:

FRLAEF
PO Box 1779
Tallahassee, FL 32302
Some schools have the capability to email transcripts. Those should be sent to Amy Parker at: aparker@FRLA.org. Students may contact the FRLAEF with any questions at 850-224-2250 Ext. 250 or at the email address above.

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International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE) Scholarships

Students who are pursuing a career in exhibition and event management may be eligible for these opportunities: https://www.iaee.com/grants-scholarships/

• Helen Brett Scholarship– Scholarships are awarded competitively based upon pursuit of a degreed major focusing on exhibition and/or event management. The scholarship includes up to $5000 in tuition assistance and consideration for potential candidates to have an internship experience at the Expo! Expo! IAEE’s Annual Meeting & Exhibition. Applications are open and will close on May 1^st, 2024.
• Bob Dallmeyer Grant: Helping to create educational experiences and fund continuing education for professionals pursuing a career in exhibitions and events. There are two review periods each year. All applications, including required attachments, must be received by July 1 (recipients will be notified by August 14) or September 1 (recipients notified by October 15).

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NEWH Sunshine Chapter Scholarships:

• NEWH, Inc. and its chapters fundraise to provide scholarships to students pursuing a career within Hospitality related fields.
• For more information, visit: About Scholarships – NEWH

Get Connected:

Web: https://newh.org/chapters/sunshine
Facebook: NEWH/Sunshine @newhinc   @NEWHScholarships
Twitter: @NEWHinc
Instagram: @newhinc

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UCF Scholarship Opportunities

*No paper applications will be accepted. Scholarship applications are only available online through the A2O portal. You will only see scholarships for which you meet the basic eligibility requirements.

IMPORTANT! Please read each scholarship application carefully to make sure you meet ALL of the specific criteria required for each scholarship before applying. Criteria used to determine eligibility includes, but is not limited to: GPA, class standing, academic program and campus involvement.

Scholarship Tips

• Maximize Scholarship Opportunities

  Here are a few tips to maximize your scholarship opportunities:

  • Apply early. The peak time to apply for scholarships is January through May for the upcoming school year. Remember the early bird gets the worm!
  • Check for scholarships frequently. Check your department, college, and the UCF Scholarship Listing Page for updates to scholarships.
  • Get Involved. While some scholarships do not require involvement, it does help showcase who you are as a person. Also, being involved helps identify your involvement within your community i.e. campus, local, church, sports.
  • Complete Your FAFSA. Some scholarships do not require the FAFSA, however, it is recommended for consideration of scholarships that require completing the FAFSA.

• Write an Award-Winning Scholarship Essay

  Students many times do not apply for scholarships that involve writing essays. However, scholarships that require essays do not usually have many applicants which may increase your chances of earning a scholarship.

  Here are a few tips to write your award-winning essay:

  • Tailor your essay for your intended audience. While writing your essay, it is important to stay focused on the topic and specifically address the essay question.
  • Target your audience by using keywords. Identify the goals of the donor as well as identifying why you should be selected for the scholarship.
  • Stand out. Make the committee interested in who you are by grabbing their attention. Give the committee something different, so brainstorming will be very important before you begin writing your essay. Grab the reader’s attention with your essay and make the reader want to learn more about you.
  • Introduce yourself. Explain who you are, what your goals are, and how receiving the scholarship will help you accomplish your educational objectives. Scholarship committees often make decisions on awarding scholarships and want to know more about you, so using the essay is a good way to introduce yourself to the committee. Examples also include campus and community involvement, and hobbies.
  • Avoid negative messages. When writing your essay, avoid negative messages such as tear-jerker. Many use this method in hopes of being selected for a scholarship. However, it may have the opposite impact and not accomplish the intended message.
  • Write positive messages. In keeping with the theme of tailoring and targeting your audience, it is important to do so with positive messages. Positive messages are important when discussing negative situations. It gives great insight to you as a person, i.e., how you have overcome difficult situations.
  • Proofread. Essays should be proofread several times over to ensure that there are no typing or grammatical errors. Utilize your resources such as the UCF Writing Center or having a financial aid advisor review your essay.

• Manage Your Scholarship Award

  Most students entering college encounter their first real-world situations with large amounts of money. We’ve compiled information on budgeting your money, as well as other financial literacy tips.

• Avoid Scholarship Scams

  • Do not pay for scholarship searches. You have many options for free scholarship search engines as well as campus resources.
  • Avoid Scholarship Guarantees. Be wary of scholarship organizations that guarantee you will receive a scholarship based upon a small application fee. No one can guarantee you will receive a scholarship by paying an application fee.
  • Avoid Giving Personal Information. Do not provide personal information such as bank account numbers, and credit card numbers.
  • Money-Back Guarantee. Avoid scholarships that promise your money is guaranteed to be refunded if you do not receive a scholarship.

  If you believe you have encountered a fraudulent scholarship, visit the Federal Trade Commission website for help.

• Write a Thank You Letter

  Letters of appreciation from scholars encourage our donors to continue funding deserving students like you. We ask that you prepare a brief letter describing how their contribution will help you reach your educational and personal goals.

  Here are some other suggestions for your thank you letter:

  • Make sure your letter is legible. If your handwriting is hard to read, you should type the letter instead.
  • Be sure to address the donor of the scholarship and not the scholarship committee.
  • Letters should be proofread and you should have someone else proofread it as well.
  • A store-bought card can be nice but be sure to write your own thoughts.
  • You should let the donor(s) know something about yourself and the impact their generosity has had on your education and life. You should also indicate what your future goals may be.

   

  Feel free to come into the Office of Student Financial Assistance if you have trouble writing your thank you letter and a staff member will assist you. You can also visit the Writing Center for assistance.

We believe a college education should provide lifelong benefits — not lifelong debt. Rosen College awards more than $225,000 in scholarships each year to deserving students, through the generous gifts provided by our donors. Our students also have access to more than $100,000 in external scholarships, provided by industry partners.

Four UCF Rosen College students, Jida Awa, Karen Bodden. Nadya Jatoft and Elizabeth Rutkovsky, say thank you to our donors for their support and on behalf of the hundreds of students who benefit from scholarships each year.