Undergraduate Scholarships
SCHOLARSHIP REQUIREMENTS
APPLY FOR NAROPA SCHOLARSHIPS
- New students receive their MyNaropa username and password via email after submitting their Admissions Application.
- Students must be logged into access the application (with MyNaropa credentials).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
- Scholarships range from $500 to $10,000/academic year
- Receiving more than one institutional scholarship could affect your eligibility for, or the amounts of other forms of aid, including scholarship awards
Academic Scholarships
Academic scholarships are awarded to new, entering undergraduate students who will be enrolled full-time. Awards are based on a student’s cumulative GPA. No additional materials are required in order to be considered, however, the financial aid application (FAFSA or International Financial Aid Application) is required.
Academic scholarships offered are as follows:
- Academic Excellence-
- GPA of 3.5+ awards $10,000 per full academic year per student
- Academic Honors-
- GPA of 3.0–3.49 awards $7,500 per full academic year per student
- Academic Achievement-
- GPA of 2.75–2.99 awards $5,000 per full academic year per student
The scholarship will renew each academic year, as long as a student:
- Continues to be enrolled full-time
- Remain in good academic standing and make satisfactory progress toward a degree
- Maintains academic eligibility (cumulative 3.0 GPA).
- Completes a new aid application (FAFSA or International Student Aid application) each year
If you received a GED, have a narrative transcript, or a home-school transcript, please contact the Office of Admissions to determine your eligibility.
Transfer Scholarship
$5,000 per full academic year
To qualify you must have completed 12 or more semester credits post high school and have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better and have a completed aid application on file.
You may be eligible for a higher value academic scholarship dependent on GPA. The transfer scholarship cannot be combined with other academic scholarships.
The scholarship will renew each academic year, as long as a student:
- Continues to be enrolled in full-time (valid for up to seven semesters of study)
- Remain in good academic standing and make satisfactory progress toward a degree
- Completes a new aid application (FAFSA or International Student Aid application) each year
SCHOLARSHIPS REQUIRING APPLICATIONS
Students who meet the above listed scholarship requirements must submit a separate application and/or written materials to be considered for the following scholarships. Required materials will be detailed in the scholarship description of each award.
You must have received your Naropa log in credentials; email and password, prior to accessing the application.
This may mean that students who are accepted the week of the application deadline, may not have received log in credentials yet. To ensure that you have your log in in time, start the Admissions process early, it can take a few days to receive your credentials depending on the timing of your acceptance.
Bart Leonard Scholars Fund
Bart Leonard was a student of our Naropa Founder in 1976 and devoted himself to meditation practice. Bart was the Director of the Shambhala Center in New York City for several years and served on the Board of the D.C. Shambhala Center. Beginning in 2017, he served on the Naropa Board of Trustees with diligence, a vast heart, and disarming humor until his retirement in 2022.
The Bart Leonard Scholars Fund will be awarded to returning (Starting at least their second year) graduate or undergraduate students, who demonstrate significant financial need. The award is not renewable, although students may reapply for subsequent years. Students applying for this scholarship must have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (for undergraduate students) or a 3.5 GPA (for graduate students).
Applicants should submit a 1–2 page essay describing the student’s desire to continue their studies at Naropa and how this scholarship would help them pursue their program. Applications should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office and will be reviewed by a committee.
Charles B. Edison Jinpa Scholarship
Coburn Berry Scholarship
Friends of Thomas Coburn (Naropa President Emeritus) and Leigh Berry have made charitable gifts to this fund to support first generation college students with financial need.
One or two students per year are selected to receive all or part of the award. Students who wish to be considered for the scholarship should submit to the Financial Aid Office a brief essay (1–2 pages) describing the student’s eligibility for the award. Eligible applicants will be first generation undergraduate students (neither parent attended college), demonstrate financial need (through the FAFSA), be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Awards are not automatically renewable, although students may reapply for subsequent years.
Gerald Red Elk Scholarship
This scholarship was established to honor Gerald Red Elk and is awarded to one undergraduate or graduate student at a time, who identifies with or can demonstrate experience working with a Native American population (preference given to Native American groups within the United States). To qualify, the applicant must write an essay (no more than 3 pages in length) that documents past or current service to, or the impact of being part of, the Native American population, and explains the intended use of the degree in service to the tribe. Materials should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office, and student must meet all other criteria for financial aid. Native American students are strongly encouraged to apply.
Marvin I. Naiman Scholarship
W.E.B. Dubois Scholarship
APPLICATION & DEADLINE
2024/2025 Naropa Scholarship Application will open October 1st.
The scholarship deadline is April 1, unless otherwise noted. (The cycle has closed for the 2022/2023 year).
SUMMER WRITING PROGRAM
All Summer Writing Program Scholarships
Zora Neale Hurston Scholarship
The Zora Neale Hurston scholarship is awarded to selected students who identify as, or who have experience working with, people from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The award amount covers full tuition and housing costs for a shared room at Snow Lion Apartments (for out-of-state recipients) for one week of the Summer Writing Program (credit or noncredit). A total of three recipients, with one week scholarships will be awarded. Awards are based on exceptional literary merit and promise, as well as financial need. Students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
kari edwards Scholarship
The Summer Writing Program Scholarship in memory of kari edwards is offered annually to one credit or noncredit student accepted into Naropa University’s Summer Writing Program. Eligible applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and be involved in gender activism and writing experimental works..
The Institute of American Indian Arts Scholarship
The Institute of American Indian Arts Award is given annually to one current undergraduate student enrolled at the Institute of American Indian Arts, who will be attending the Summer Writing Program. The award covers full undergraduate tuition for the three weeks of the SWP and includes housing in Snow Lion at the shared room rate.
Amiri Baraka Scholarship
The Amiri Baraka Scholarship is offered to noncredit participants in Naropa’s 2018 Summer Writing Program. Each scholarship will cover one week of noncredit Summer Writing Program tuition and, if needed, a room in a shared apartment at Snow Lion Apartments for seven nights. Three or more recipients, with one week scholarships, will be awarded. Students do not need to complete a Financial Aid Application (FAFSA or International Aid Application) to be considered. Your personal essay should include your writing’s connection to the work and legacy of Amiri Baraka specifically, and the Black Arts movement in general.
- How does your work continue the Black Arts movement’s experiments in combining formal innovation and the dynamics of vernacular speech?
- How does it transcend genre?
- How does it speak for racial equality and revolutionary political commitments?
Students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Margaret Randall Scholarship in Memory of Mark Behr
The Margaret Randall Scholarship in Memory of Mark Behr is offered annually to two noncredit participants in Naropa’s Summer Writing Program. Each scholarship will cover, one week of noncredit Summer Writing Program tuition and, a room, if needed, in a shared apartment in Snow lion residence hall for seven nights. The scholarships will be awarded to writers of extraordinary talent and promise. Students do not need to complete a Financial Aid Application (FAFSA or International Aid Application) to be considered. To apply applicants will need to submit a personal essay, 500 to 700 words in length, addressing their recent accomplishments, current projects, or publications of their work; and 5–10 pages of poetry, prose, or translation.
Students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
Apply for Summer Writing Program Scholarships
- New students receive their MyNaropa username and password via email after submitting their Application to the program.
- Students must log in to their MyNaropa account with their username (Student ID) and password.
- Click HERE to be directed to the SWP Scholarship Application under “Public Registration” on MyNaropa.
All scholarship applications are due by April 1. All applicants will be notified of scholarship decisions no later than June 1.
SCHOLARSHIPS BY NOMINATION
Students who meet the above listed scholarship requirements are automatically considered for the following awards.
No separate application or materials are required to be considered.
Non-Program Specific Awards
Non-program specific awards are awards that students can be recommended for by Naropa staff and faculty each academic year.
Arbie Thalacker Scholarship
Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche Scholarship
Colin Wolcott Endowed Scholarship
International Student Scholarship
John W. Cobb Scholarship in Civic Engagement and Social Justice
Awarded to an undergraduate student who demonstrate exceptional academic promise; who are actively involved as campus leaders and who exhibit demonstrated to civic engagement, social justice, and educational diversity.
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Scholarship
Nancy Ashman Memorial Scholarship
SUN Student Leader Scholarship
Environmental Studies
Frances Harwood Scholarship
Martin Janowitz Scholarship
Awarded annually to an undergraduate in Environmental Studies or to a graduate student in Resilient Leadership. No separate application is required.
Taijiquan (T’ai Chi Ch’uan)
The Bataan Go Faigao and Jane G. Faigao Endowed Scholarship
Created in memory by the families of Naropa’s Traditional Eastern Arts program founders, Bataan and Jane Faigao, this scholarship supports undergraduate and/or graduate students who are enrolled to take any of the Taijiquan (T’ai Chi Ch’uan) classes at the University.
Wisdom Traditions
Stephen B Brooks Wisdom Traditions Annual Scholarship
EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES
External Scholarship Tips & Resources
Outside scholarships are those scholarships offered by organizations and individuals outside of Naropa. There is free money available for educational expenses. The challenge is dedicating one’s time and energy to investigating, locating, and applying to receive these funds.
Perseverance, dedication, and creativity are essential to a successful search. Here are some suggestions to help you with your scholarship search:
Note Deadlines
The best time to apply for outside scholarships for an upcoming academic year is typically during September through December. Requesting and compiling necessary information such as transcripts, essays and letters of reference can be time consuming. We recommend beginning the application process well before application deadlines.
Beware of Fees
Do not use any “scholarship search service” that requires a fee. Too often, these often turn out to be scams, have unrealistic requirements for the student, and/or produce dissatisfying results.
Cultivate Networks
Don’t underestimate the valuable scholarship resource pool available from home, school and work networks. For example, a large percentage of private scholarships come from parents’ employers. Friends, extended family members, administrators, professors, fellow student recipients, mentors and religious associates may also know of outside scholarship opportunities.
