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Leah Bittner

“The SMSU RN to BSN Program does not have you take a set amount of credits each semester. This flexible scheduling was perfect for me as it allowed me to vary the amount of credits I took each semester. I would have struggled without that flexibility as I am a non-traditional student who is also a wife, mother of four, and worked full time while completing my degree. This program is designed to fit into your life, whether you want to be a full-time or part-time student.”

Leah Bittner, '22 Alum
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Transfer Student Scholarships

2027–2028 Academic Year

All dates on this page are in 2027 unless a different year is shown.

The college credits you have already earned can count toward a scholarship at SMSU. Apply for admission and send transcripts from every college and university you have attended. SMSU uses those transcripts to figure out your cumulative transfer GPA, how many of your credits transfer, and which scholarships you qualify for.

Mustang Transfer Scholarship

Your cumulative college GPA may qualify you for an automatic Mustang Transfer Scholarship. As an eligible transfer student entering SMSU during the 2027–2028 academic year, you may receive $1,000 or $1,500 for your first academic year. Students must be enrolled full-time in an on-campus program and have 24 transferable college credits to qualify.

Mustang Transfer Scholarship Awards

Cumulative Transfer GPA Award for One Academic Year
3.50 or Higher $1,500
3.00–3.49 $1,000

These amounts apply if you transfer to SMSU during the 2027–2028 academic year. The Mustang Transfer Scholarship is not renewable. Each amount covers one academic year and is split in half – one half in the fall semester, one half in the spring.

Scholarship Requirements

No separate Mustang Transfer Scholarship application is required. The Office of Admission awards it automatically based on the college transcripts you send with your admission materials.

  1. Apply for admission to SMSU.

    Apply for Admission

  2. Send transcripts from every college or university you have attended. SMSU uses your transcripts to calculate your cumulative transfer GPA and figure out how many of your credits transfer. If you are transferring from another Minnesota State college or university, SMSU may be able to pull your transcripts electronically.

    Questions about transcripts? Admission@SMSU.edu

  3. Send an updated transcript if your GPA improves. A higher cumulative GPA may increase your award amount if SMSU receives your new transcript by:
  • June 1: Apply for admission to SMSU if you are starting in the fall 2028 semester.
  • December 1: Apply for admission to SMSU if you are starting in the spring semester.

Eligibility Requirements

The Mustang Transfer Scholarship is available to eligible incoming transfer students whose cumulative transfer GPA falls within one of the award ranges shown in the table above.

  • At least 24 transferable college credits. Credits earned through PSEO or concurrent enrollment while in high school count toward the 24-credit requirement. The Office of Admission decides which credits transfer when it reviews transcripts.
  • Full-time enrollment at SMSU.

Mustang Transfer Scholarship Details

Award Amount

Your award is $1,000 or $1,500, depending on which GPA range you land in. SMSU splits it in half — one half applied in the fall semester, one half in the spring.

How Awards Work

The Office of Admission reads the transcripts from every college you have attended and works out two numbers: your cumulative transfer GPA and how many of your credits transfer to SMSU. Your GPA sets the award amount. Your total credits determine whether you qualify at all. A higher GPA means a higher award.

Application

The Office of Admission awards the Mustang Transfer Scholarship automatically, so an application for admission is all that is required. There's no separate scholarship application. Sending transcripts from every college and university attended gives the Office of Admission what it needs to confirm GPA and credits.

Renewal

The Mustang Transfer Scholarship covers one academic year and does not renew. For your second year and beyond, apply through the SMSU Scholarship Application and check with your academic department, which may offer awards in your major.

Enrollment

You must enroll full-time at SMSU to receive the Mustang Transfer Scholarship. Students enrolled part-time are not eligible. Students in a fully online undergraduate program are not eligible either. Taking some of your courses online as part of a full-time schedule does not affect your eligibility.

Scholarships You Can Combine With This Award

  • SMSU Partner Transfer Scholarship
  • SMSU Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship
  • Athletic scholarships
  • Eligible donor-funded SMSU Foundation awards

Scholarships not listed here cannot be combined with this award. If you qualify for a larger scholarship that can’t be combined with the Mustang Transfer Scholarship, the larger award will replace it rather than being added to it.

Build on the progress you have already made. Your Mustang Transfer Scholarship may be only one part of your SMSU financial aid offer. Review the additional opportunities below to see which scholarships or tuition programs may also apply to you.

Additional Transfer Scholarships at SMSU

Review each scholarship’s requirements and details to see which opportunities you may qualify for and what action, if any, you need to take. Some transfer scholarships are awarded automatically, while others require an application. Some awards require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Some require the Minnesota state financial aid application. Some require you to contact an office at SMSU directly.

SMSU Partner Transfer Scholarship

Scholarship Details

Award Amount

This scholarship pays $500 during your first semester at SMSU. It can be combined with the Mustang Transfer Scholarship, so if you qualify for both, you receive both.

How Awards Work

You earn this scholarship by finishing a two-year degree at one of three partner colleges before you transfer: Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Ridgewater College, or Alexandria Technical and Community College. You also need to enroll full-time at SMSU.

Application

The Office of Admission awards the SMSU Partner Transfer Scholarship automatically, so an application for admission is all that is required. There's no separate scholarship application required. Transcripts showing completion of a two-year degree confirm eligibility.

Award Duration

This is a one-time award. It covers your first semester at SMSU only.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, you must:

  • Complete a two-year degree from one of the following SMSU partner colleges:
    • Minnesota West Community & Technical College
    • Ridgewater College
    • Alexandria Technical & Community College
  • Apply for admission to SMSU by the applicable deadline.
  • Submit the college transcripts needed to verify your completed two-year degree.
  • Enroll full-time at SMSU.

Admission and Award Process

  1. Apply for admission to SMSU and be admitted.
  2. Submit transcripts from your partner college as part of the admission process.
  3. SMSU reviews your admission information to confirm your completed two-year degree and scholarship eligibility.
  4. If you are eligible, SMSU awards the scholarship automatically. There is no separate application.
  5. The $500 scholarship is awarded during your first semester at SMSU.
Admission Deadlines
  • June 1: Apply for admission and be admitted to SMSU if you are starting in the fall semester
  • December 1: Apply for admission and be admitted to SMSU if you are starting in the spring semester

SMSU Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship

Scholarship Details

Award Amount

The Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship pays $1,000. It can be combined with the Mustang Transfer Scholarship, so neither replaces the other.

How Awards Work

Phi Theta Kappa recognizes strong academic and leadership work at community colleges, and SMSU rewards that record at transfer. You qualify if you are a Phi Theta Kappa member at a community college and you transfer to SMSU. You also need to enroll full-time in SMSU undergraduate courses during your first semester.

Application

This scholarship has its own application, separate from your admission application. You also need to file a FAFSA for the matching award year, list SMSU on it, and complete it before the semester your award covers begins.

Award Duration

The Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship is a one-time award of $1,000.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify, you must:

  • Be an incoming transfer student at SMSU.
  • Be a Phi Theta Kappa member at a community college before transferring to SMSU.
  • Complete the SMSU Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship application by the applicable deadline.
  • File the current-year FAFSA, list SMSU on the application, and complete it before your first semester begins.
  • Enroll full-time during your first semester at SMSU.

Application and Award Process

  1. Apply for admission and be admitted to SMSU
  2. Complete and submit the SMSU Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship application.
  3. File the current-year FAFSA and include SMSU so the university can receive your financial aid information.
  4. SMSU reviews your application, Phi Theta Kappa membership, FAFSA status, and enrollment eligibility.
  5. If you meet all the requirements, you receive the $1,000 scholarship.
Application Deadlines
  • June 1: Apply for admission and be admitted to SMSU. Submit your SMSU Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship application if you are starting in the fall semester
  • December 1: Apply for admission and be admitted to SMSU. Submit your SMSU Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship application if you are starting in the spring semester

Workforce Development Scholarship

Scholarship Details

Award Amount

The Workforce Development Scholarship pays $2,500, split into two payments of $1,250 per semester over one academic year. The Minnesota Legislature funds this grant assistance for students entering high-demand career fields.

How Awards Work

If you received a Minnesota Workforce Development Scholarship at a Minnesota State community college, you may be able to keep it at SMSU. You need to complete your two-year associate degree and enroll in an SMSU program in a high-demand career field. SMSU checks whether your program qualifies before the scholarship continues.

Verification

This scholarship carries over from your community college award, so SMSU needs to know you have one. Tell SMSU that you received a Workforce Development Scholarship at a Minnesota State community college, and name the SMSU program you plan to enter. SMSU may ask for details about your earlier award and your completed associate degree.

Award Duration

The Workforce Development Scholarship can continue for up to two more academic years at SMSU. Renewal for the second year depends on staying enrolled in an approved high-demand program.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for continued scholarship assistance at SMSU, you must:

  • Have received a Minnesota Workforce Development Scholarship at a Minnesota State community college.
  • Earn a two-year associate degree.
  • Enroll in an eligible SMSU academic program.

Continuation Process

  1. Tell the SMSU Financial Aid and Scholarships Office that you received a Workforce Development Scholarship at your Minnesota State community college.
  2. Provide information about your previous scholarship and completed associate degree if requested by SMSU.
  3. Identify the SMSU academic program in which you plan to enroll.
  4. SMSU verifies whether your intended academic program is eligible for continued Workforce Development Scholarship assistance.
  5. If the eligibility requirements are met, you may receive up to $2,500 in one academic year. You'll need to enroll in 9 or more credits each term and keep a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0.

Donor-Funded SMSU Foundation Awards

Scholarship Details

Award Amount

Amounts vary from one Foundation scholarship to the next because each donor sets the size of the award they fund. One application puts you in front of the scholarships you qualify for, and if you match several, you may receive more than one.

How Awards Work

Donors who establish these scholarships also set the criteria. Some look at academic record, some at a field of study, and others at a hometown, a background, or an activity. The SMSU Foundation matches each applicant against the criteria for every award and considers them for the ones that fit.

Application

Foundation scholarships are processed through a single application in AwardSpring. Filing it once puts you in the pool for the donor-funded awards you match. Some scholarships ask for extra questions, essays, or documents. Finish those, or your application for that award stops there.

Availability

You can qualify for donor-funded awards starting with your first semester at SMSU. Foundation awards can be combined with the Mustang Transfer Scholarship, so one does not cost you the other.

Eligibility Requirements

Each donor-funded SMSU Foundation scholarship has its own eligibility requirements. To be considered, you must:

  • Be an incoming or current SMSU student.
  • Complete the general SMSU Foundation scholarship application in AwardSpring.
  • Provide the information requested in the application so AwardSpring can match you with scholarships for which you may qualify.
  • Meet the individual requirements of each matched scholarship.

Application and Scholarship-Matching Process

  1. Open the SMSU Foundation scholarship application in AwardSpring beginning October 1.
  2. Complete and submit the general scholarship application.
  3. AwardSpring compares the information in your application with the eligibility requirements of available donor-funded scholarships.
  4. Your application is matched with the scholarships for which you may qualify. You do not need to submit a separate general application for each matched award.
  5. SMSU Foundation scholarship recipients are selected according to the requirements and selection process for each individual award.

Apply for Scholarships

  1. Complete the Application for Admission

  2. Send Official College Transcript(s) to Admission@SMSU.edu

  3. Submit a $20 Non-Refundable Application Fee (or eligible Promo Code).

  4. Transfer Admission Process and Requirements

Last Modified: 8/18/26 11:10 AM | Website Feedback