Financial Aid

Your college education is one of the most significant investments you will ever make. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will help simplify and guide you through the financial aid process as you seek avenues to fund the cost of your college education. No matter your family income, you have the potential to afford the high-quality education JMU offers.

Our goal is to help meet these costs with funding available from federal, state and university sources. As a state-supported school, the majority of our grant assistance is allocated to Virginia residents. Resources for non-Virginia residents are primarily limited to student and parent loans. Scholarship opportunities are very competitive due to the caliber of students accepted by JMU. Acknowledging that our aid options are limited, the university has made a commitment to keep its costs reasonable, while providing a high-quality education.

To determine your eligibility for assistance, please complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA forms received by the Department of Education before our priority filing date of March 1 will receive first consideration. Our federal school code is 003721. JMU does not base admission decisions on financial aid.

Scholarships

Madison awards more than 400 one- to four-year scholarships each year to incoming students.

Thomas and Karyn Dingledine Scholarships

Early action freshman applicants are invited to apply for these merit-based awards. Five awards are granted annually in an amount equivalent to full in-state tuition for four years. An additional scholarship application is required. Read more »

Madison Achievement Scholarships

JMU academic colleges and departments award between $2,000-5,000 annually to students of great accomplishment and potential. No additional application is necessary. Read more »

Second Century Scholarships

Developed to lower the barrier of financing the cost of higher education for qualified under-represented students who would not be able to enroll at a four-year institution for financial reasons, these funds cover tuition, fees, room and board for a maximum of four years for freshmen and two years for transfer students and graduate students. Read more »

Scholarships for select interest areas

Some academic areas and departments offer scholarships to entering freshmen. Application requirements may differ from area to area. Check out our foundation scholarships and departmental scholarships.

Private Scholarships

You may want to explore opportunities from outside of JMU to assist with your educational expenses here. Private scholarships can originate from any non-JMU source. Read more »

View all prospective student scholarships »

Student Employment

Our Student Work Experience Center provides resources for locating part-time employment on and off campus.