Apply for Hawkeye and External Scholarships
Scholarships are available to help you pay for educational expenses and, unlike student loans, do not need to be repaid. Why not apply for as many as you can?
All scholarships you are awarded need to be reported to the Financial Aid office to be included in your financial aid award.
Applying for Hawkeye and External Scholarships with ScholarshipUniverse
ScholarshipUniverse is Hawkeye’s scholarship-matching tool that connects you to thousands of scholarship opportunities. ScholarshipUniverse simplifies the process of finding and applying for Hawkeye scholarships and external scholarships. Apply for scholarships.
Login to ScholarshipUniverse with your Hawkeye username and password.
The first time you log in to ScholarshipUniverse, you will start answering questions to match you to scholarships right away. Every time you log in after the first time, you will be taken to your Dashboard.
You do not have to be a current Hawkeye student to use ScholarshipUniverse, but you do need to have applied for admission and have been accepted to Hawkeye Community College. If you have not already done so, complete the online Admissions application.
Take a minute to familiarize yourself with your ScholarshipUniverse Dashboard. Here you will see an overview of your scholarship opportunities and action items for you to review.
Types of Action Items
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Matched Scholarships Expiring: Notifies you of scholarships that you matched to with an upcoming application deadline. Click the Take Action button to apply.
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Award Response Needed: Notifies you when a scholarship requires a Thank You letter. Click the Take Action button to send your Thank You letter.
ScholarshipUniverse uses your answers to questions about yourself to match you with scholarship opportunities that fit you. When you match a new scholarship opportunity, you will receive an email alert from ScholarshipUniverse notifying you of the match. The more questions you answer, the more scholarships you might be matched to now and in the future!
Simply click on the Questions menu item to answer as many Matching Questions and Answers as you can. Then click the Answer More Questions button to tell us more about yourself.
The first questions you are asked are for determining your eligibility for Hawkeye scholarships. Once you've answered all questions to determine your eligibility for Hawkeye scholarships, you will be asked if you'd like to continue answering questions to match you to scholarships, or browse the scholarships you already match to.
If you are unsure about a question, you can hover over the question mark icon, located at the end of the question, for additional help.
You can login to ScholarshipUniverse at any time to answer more questions and/or edit your answers.
As you begin to answer questions, you will see that some questions are already answered for you. Some of your information is uploaded directly into your student profile by Hawkeye. This information is accurate and up to date and cannot be edited in ScholarshipUniverse.
To Continue to Be Considered for Future Term Scholarships
After creating your profile in ScholarshipUniverse and applying for the first time for scholarships for a given term, in order to be matched to new scholarships for the following term, please follow these simple steps:
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Log into ScholarshipUniverse and review your Dashboard for new scholarship opportunities.
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Click on the Questions menu item to update previously answered questions and answer new questions to be considered for more scholarships.
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After you are done, click on the Scholarship menu item to view the potential scholarships you can apply for.
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If you have previously submitted an application you will have the option to resubmit the same application or to add new/updated information.
There are a variety of scholarships available through ScholarshipUniverse including scholarships provided to students by Hawkeye as well as external scholarships from sources outside of Hawkeye.
To view scholarships you may be matched to once additional questions are answered, click on Partial Matches from the Scholarships web page.
Hawkeye scholarships are offered each semester to deserving students on the basis of achievement, registered credits, and financial need as determined by your FAFSA application, to name a few. To receive awarded Hawkeye scholarships, you must be registered for classes by the first day of the semester.
Local Outside Scholarships will also be labeled with this icon.
External scholarships may be from local organizations, state organizations, and national organizations. All external scholarships are vetted to make sure they are legitimate before they are posted for students to apply.
Scholarship Status Tabs
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Matches: List of scholarships for which you match.
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Pinned: List of scholarships you have previously pinned to your account.
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Partial Matches: List of scholarships that you match with at least one requirement. Click on the scholarship and see specific questions you need to answer to possibly qualify for the scholarship. Click the edit icon to answer the additional questions.
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Application Submitted: List of scholarships for which you have applied.
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Awarded: List of scholarships you have been awarded.
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Non-Matches: List of scholarships to which you do not match.
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Not Interested: List of scholarships you have marked not being interesting in applying for.
ScholarshipUniverse continuously matches you to scholarships based on your answers to questions about yourself. When you match a new scholarship opportunity, you will receive an email alert from ScholarshipUniverse notifying you of the match.
Once you have been matched to, started, or completed a scholarship application, the application will appear on the Applications screen.
Applying for Hawkeye Scholarships
By completing the Hawkeye Scholarship application(s), you will be applying for dozens of scholarships awarded by the Hawkeye Foundation. You will need to apply for Hawkeye Scholarships each semester.
To apply, simply login to ScholarshipUniverse each semester to answer questions to qualify for Hawkeye scholarships. Click on the Questions menu item to answer as many Matching Questions and Answers as you can. Then click the Answer More Questions button to tell us more about yourself.
See Hawkeye Scholarship Dates and Deadlines below for application, FAFSA, and course registration deadlines.
Applying for External Scholarships
When applying for an external scholarship, a note will appear notifying you that you are leaving the ScholarshipUniverse website to apply on a third party website.
All external scholarships have been thoroughly vetted. Hawkeye has no affiliation with external scholarships.
Please contact the scholarship provider directly if you have any questions about their scholarship.
Completing the Scholarship Application
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Click on the Apply button.
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Review and verify eligibility for the scholarship.
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Select Edit to change any of your information.
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Verify that your information is correct, agree to provide any required documentation, check the box by “I Verify”, then click Continue.
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You can start your application, save it, and come back to finish it later. You will find scholarship applications you have started under the In Progress tab.
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Once all sections of the application have been completed, go through the application to review your information, essay, and documents, then click Submit. You cannot come back to make edits or changes to essays or documents once you've submit an application.
What should I write in my personal statement?
Your personal statement is your opportunity to share more information about yourself such as:
- Your academic and career goals
- School and community involvement
- Special recognitions or awards you have received
- Leadership roles you have held
- Volunteer or extra-curricular activities
- Life or educational experiences that have motivated you to overcome obstacles and challenges successfully in order to continue your education
Do I need to submit a FAFSA to qualify for scholarships?
Filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is not required to qualify for scholarships, but highly recommended.
Many scholarships are awarded on financial need determined by your FAFSA including need-based Hawkeye scholarships.
Application Status Tabs
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Ready to Start: Scholarship applications to which you have been matched.
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In Progress: Scholarship applications you have started, but have not yet submitted. These applications need to be completed and submitted to apply for the scholarship.
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Submitted: Scholarship applications you have completed and submitted. These applications cannot be edited or changed.
It is possible to receive multiple scholarships. However, you may not receive aid that exceeds your cost of attendance.
Hawkeye Scholarships are awarded prior to registration opening. If you are awarded a scholarship based on credits, this will be verified prior to the start of the semester. If you do not meet the registration requirements, your scholarship will be canceled.
On the My Docs screen you can add new documents and view documents you have uploaded or created in your account.
To Add Documents
- Click the “Add +” button.
- Enter the name of the new document in the “Field Name” text box. This name will be the display name for the document in ScholarshipUniverse.
- Select a “Document Type.”
- Add the document by one of the following methods: upload, compose, or link URL.
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Helpful Articles
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