Transfer Student Scholarships

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Scholarships are available to students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences.

The scholarships can range from $4,000 to $20,000 per academic year. Undergraduate scholarships are awarded on a need and merit basis and many are renewed yearly.

Discover more about the following scholarship opportunities, including:

  • Merit-Based Scholarships
  • Community College Partnership
  • Veterans and Dependants Benefits
  • Alumni Legacy Scholarship, and others

Apply for Need-Based grants

Typically, students receive a combination of state and federal grants, Saint Mary's grants, and need-based and non-need-based government and private loans. Those are all in addition to the many merit-based scholarships from noteworthy academic performance and specific department honors. Many find the best combination of these resources, making the average Saint Mary's financial aid offer approximately $36,780 for the 2020-21 academic year.

These need-based grants depend on student demonstrated financial need as determined by the FAFSA. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have additional questions.

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Merit-Based Scholarships

First-Year, Transfer and International Student scholarships are determined and awarded at the time of acceptance. These scholarships will be automatically applied to each of consecutive full-time undergraduate study.

Additional Scholarships

Transfer students entering directly from any of the 116 California community colleges will receive a $5,000 grant, which will be added to any other scholarships received. Scholarships are determined and awarded at the time of acceptance, no additional forms are required to be considered for these merit-based grants. The scholarship will automatically be applied each year, for a maximum of three years, of consecutive full-time undergraduate study -- toward your first bachelor's degree -- at Saint Mary's College.

You may contact Craig Means, Director of Transfer Admissions at cmeans@stmarys-ca.edu if you have any questions.

Eligible Phi Theta Kappa members will receive this $5,000 award, which will be added to any other SMC scholarships received. Eligibility is based upon the following criteria:

  • Acceptance to Saint Mary's College
  • Documentation of the Phi Theta Kappa membership on the Common Application and or college transcript
  • Demonstration of academic and leadership achievements 

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transfer honor roll 2024

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society named Saint Mary's College of California to its 2024 Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the effective pathways to support community college transfer students.

Eligible Alpha Gamma Sigma members will receive this $5,000 award, which will be added to any other SMC scholarships received. Eligibility is based upon the following criteria:

  • Acceptance to Saint Mary's College
  • Documentation of the Alpha Gamma Sigma membership on the Common Application and or college transcript
  • Demonstration of academic and leadership achievements

Students are selected to receive scholarships based on their level of commitment to the Macken team, their competitive potential and contributions, and their academic standing. To apply students must complete and submit the following items.

  • You will need to apply for admission to Saint Mary’s College
  • Complete the Macken Collegiate Forensics application
  • Available to incoming first-year, transfers, and currently enrolled SMC students
  • Scholarships range from $2,500 - $5,000 annually

Apply for the Macken Collegiate Forensics Scholarship HERE!

This scholarship in Journalism and Communication offered to one eligible entering first-year student and one transferring or continuing junior each year. This merit-based award is for Communication majors or those with a demonstrable commitment to journalism. To apply students must complete and submit the following items. 

  • You will need to apply for admission to Saint Mary’s College
  • Complete Scholarship Application
  • Provide a brief (500 words) statement of interest
  • Provide proof of a 3.0+ GPA
  • Your Portfolio of work on journalism (broadly defined)
  • One letter of reference
  • The scholarship amount is $6,000 per year

Apply for the Robert W. Summers Scholarship HERE!

The Alumni Legacy Scholarship valued at $2,000 is available to new first-year and transfer students who are admitted for the upcoming Fall or Spring term, and who are the immediate children or grandchildren of Saint Mary’s College alumni. Qualification as an 'alumni' constitutes successful completion of an Undergraduate (B.A. or B.S.) or Graduate (M.A., M.S., MBA, MFA, M.Ed, Ed.D) degree from the college. The scholarship amount of $2,000 is awarded for four years of consecutive full-time undergraduate study and is contingent upon satisfactory academic progress. 

To apply: Eligible legacy applicants will be automatically awarded upon contingent acceptance to the college.

A Note about the Legacy Scholarship: This award may be combined with other Saint Mary’s College Scholarships for up to a maximum of three separate awards, which may not exceed the cost of tuition. These awards will be applied against any financial need that you may demonstrate through the filing of the Free Application of Federal Student Aid. Please note that should you later prove eligible for any Pell and or California Grant aid, the maximum amount of gift aid that you will be awarded will not exceed the cost of tuition. 

Veterans & Dependents Benefits

Saint Mary's is committed to providing our veteran students and their dependents access to all of the benefits they may be eligible for, in addition to the other financial aid options such as federal, state, and/or institutional grants, loans, and scholarships.