The application opens each year on October 1 and is available through the Madison Scholarship Hub located in your MyMadison. Note that you'll only have access to your MyMadison after submitting your application for admission to JMU. Upon submitting your admissions application, you'll receive an email with instructions to activate your MyMadison account, which may take a few days.

At JMU, a "first-generation" college student is defined as one whose parent(s) or guardian(s) did not complete a four-year college degree. However, the Centennial Scholars Program is open to any student with limited prior exposure to or knowledge of the college process as many non-first-gen students have similar experiences. We encourage all interested applicants to apply, regardless of whether they meet the technical definition of first-generation.

Current students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 to qualify. If you’re in your first semester at JMU (as a first-year or transfer student), your GPA won’t be available until after fall grades are posted. We recommend drafting your essays in a separate Word document for easy copying and pasting later. Once your grades are available, you’ll be able to submit your application.

Incoming first-year and transfer students: You will be notified by late February or early March. Please note that delays may happen if there are issues with the 2025–2026 FAFSA. Notifications will be sent to the email address provided in your JMU application. Check your inbox and spam/junk folder for emails from centscholarsselect@jmu.edu.

Current JMU students: You will be notified by late April via your JMU Dukes email.

Incoming first-year and transfer students should receive notification by mid-April, while current students should be notified by the end of May.

For further assistance, email centscholarsselect@jmu.edu or call (540) 568-2803. Include as much detail as possible, and attach screenshots if needed. Always provide your student ID number (found in your MyMadison) and use the email address you listed in your application for admission to JMU. Current students should use their JMU Dukes email.

Parents or guardians asking on behalf of a student should note that we can only respond to general questions. We recommend that students contact us directly for specific details regarding their application.

Once you accept your offer to the Centennial Scholars Program, our office will notify JMU Admissions on your behalf to confirm your enrollment and waive your enrollment deposit.

After that process is complete, you’ll receive an email at the address you used on your JMU application with instructions to activate your eID as a new student.

Once your eID is activated, you’ll be able to access the New Student Checklist and begin working through the JMU OneBook.

Centennial Scholars may live in any on-campus residence hall or in off-campus housing. However, JMU requires all first-year students to live on campus. As a Centennial Scholar, you will receive scholarship and grant assistance to coverage the average cost of on-campus housing. 

All incoming Centennial Scholars are expected to select the All Access meal plan. If you choose a more expensive plan (such as All Access Plus), you will be responsible for covering the additional cost.

Transfer students may receive up to four semesters of financial aid through the Centennial Scholars Program.

To be eligible to apply as a transfer student, you must have earned an associate degree or completed at least 60 credit hours at your previous institution.

• Meet the GPA requirement.
• Have a community partner you volunteer with.
• Meet with your mentor for one one-on-ones  
• Attend weekly small group. (first and second years)   
• Attend workshop events  
• Attend study hall hours if GPA < 3.0 

By the end of each academic year, scholars are expected to meet the cumulative GPA requirement of 3.0.

• Weekly one-on-one meetings if GPA is below 3.0  
• Bi-weekly one-on-one meetings if GPA is above 3.0  

Refund amount is dependent on multiple factors (pell grant amount, housing plan, meal plan), and refunds are normally received sometime in the beginning of each semester.

Not as a first-year student. After your first year, you can stay on-campus or live in off-campus housing.