Scholarships and Financial Aid
Many of the highest-paid college degrees are in engineering and computer science, but first you have to pay for college. That may not be as hard as you think, thanks to the enormous opportunities offered by UMKC, SCE and independent groups.
More than 88% of UMKC freshmen and 78% of transfer students receive some combination of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study jobs. The School of Computing and Engineering alone offers more than $150,000 in departmental scholarships! UMKC offers in-state tuition to all Kansas residents and the Heartland rate for residents from other Midwestern states.
UMKC Financial Aid and Scholarships
Learn about financial aid available for undergraduate and graduate students, including scholarships, loans, grants and work-study. Visit the UMKC Financial Aid and Scholarships page to complete your FAFSA, the first step in receiving financial support, and apply for university-wide scholarships.
SCE Scholarships
The School of Computing and Engineering offers more than 70 scholarships each year that are reserved just for our students. These scholarships are funded by technology and engineering businesses, alumni, faculty, staff and friends who designate their gifts to support your education. The application opens in October and closes on March 1. All current UMKC students and newly admitted students should apply!
External Scholarships
Hundreds of scholarship opportunities are available through external organizations. We do our best to maintain a running list of scholarships available from companies and nonprofits specifically for students in computing and engineering. Visit our online database and use the filter tools to sort for scholarships specific to your degree program.
Incoming freshmen can apply for scholarships through UMKC’s online scholarship application. You MUST be admitted to UMKC in order to apply for scholarships. The scholarship application opens on October 1 and closes on March 1. Please note some scholarships may have different deadlines.
SCE scholarships are awarded to students at all academic levels. As you progress as a student, several more scholarships may become available. Scholarships are awarded annually. Half of the award is applied in the Fall and the remainder is applied in Spring. Most SCE scholarships do not apply to summer enrollment.
By completing the online scholarship application, you are also eligible to be considered for university-wide scholarships.
All information is subject to change as scholarship funds become available.
Scholarships for Incoming Freshmen
SCE offers scholarship opportunities for incoming freshmen, including:
- Evergy Scholarship: Must apply by January 31, be an SCE student, have a 25 ACT composite. One scholarship is awarded each academic year to an incoming first year student and is renewable for up to four years.
- Dean’s High Achievement Award: Must apply by January 31, be an SCE student, have a 25 ACT composite. One scholarship is awarded each academic year to an incoming first year student and is renewable for up to four years.
- High School STEM Involvement Scholarship: Must apply by March 1; open to all majors in the School of Computing & Engineering; must be an incoming first-year student; participant in Project Lead the Way, FIRST Robotics, Vex Robotics, or other STEM activity. Scholarships are renewable for up to four years if students maintain a 3.0 UMKC GPA.
Application Process
All incoming Freshmen students must complete and submit the online application to be considered for SCE scholarships.
- Complete UMKC online scholarship application (opens October 1 and closes March 1). Be sure to complete the entire application.
- To be considered for the Evergy Scholarship and the Dean’s High Achievement award, the application must be submitted by January 31.
- Some scholarships require an interview. Students will be notified if they are selected for an interview.
Incoming transfer students can apply for scholarships through UMKC’s online scholarship application. You MUST be admitted to UMKC in order to apply for scholarships. The scholarship application opens on October 1 and closes on March 1. Please note some scholarships may have different deadlines.
SCE scholarships are awarded to students at all academic levels. As you progress as a student, several more scholarships may become available. Scholarships are awarded annually. Half of the award is applied in the Fall and the remainder is applied in Spring. Most SCE scholarships do not apply to summer enrollment.
By completing the online scholarship application, you are also eligible to be considered for university-wide scholarships. Some scholarships require additional information so you are encouraged to look through all the scholarships you are eligible for.
All information is subject to change as scholarship funds become available.
Additionally, UMKC offers some automatic Transfer Student scholarships which are offered based on your application for admission.
SCE awards more than 70 scholarships each year to our students.
Current SCE students are eligible for both SCE and UMKC scholarships. To apply for scholarships for the next academic year, you must complete the University’s online application by March 1.
Before you apply:
- All students currently receiving RENEWABLE scholarships from the School of Computing & Engineering MUST complete the online application to receive a scholarship in the next year.
- Any current SCE student who wants to be considered for scholarships for the next school year MUST complete the online application.
- The application requests a letter of recommendation to complete the scholarship application. To apply ONLY for SCE scholarships, students do not need to include a letter of recommendation; however, to be considered for UMKC scholarships, students must submit a letter of recommendation.
Things to know:
- The application site closes on MARCH 1. No late applications will be accepted.
- Questions about the online application should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships at 816-235-1154.
- Questions about the scholarships available in the School of Computing and Engineering should be directed to the SS&C Student Services Center at 816-235-2399 or sce@umkc.edu.
- Scholarships are awarded annually. Half of the award is applied in the fall semester and the remainder is applied in the spring semester. Most SCE scholarships do not apply to summer enrollment.
Incoming and current international students can apply for scholarships through UMKC’s online scholarship application. You MUST be admitted to UMKC in order to apply for scholarships. The scholarship application opens on October 1 and closes on March 1. Please note some scholarships may have different deadlines.
SCE scholarships are awarded to students at all academic levels. As you progress as a student, more scholarships may become available. Scholarships are awarded annually. Half of the award is applied in the Fall and the remainder is applied in Spring. Most SCE scholarships do not apply to summer enrollment.
By completing the online scholarship application, you are also eligible to be considered for university-wide scholarships. Some scholarships require additional information so you are encouraged to look through all the scholarships you are eligible for.
All information is subject to change as scholarship funds become available.
Dean’s International Scholar Award (DISA)
International students who are not externally sponsored may be awarded the DISA. This scholarship covers a large portion of the nonresident tuition rate and is awarded upon admission to SCE. No application is required and the scholarship is renewable.
DISA for Undergraduate Students: $4,250/semester
DISA for Master’s Students (Fully Admitted): $4,000/semester
DISA for Master’s Students (Provisionally Admitted): $2,000/semester
*The above amounts are for full-time enrollment. Students enrolled in less than full-time credits will receive a prorated DISA award.
Community College Leadership Award (CCLA)
The CCLA is arenewable scholarship recognizing international students who have completed at least one semester of coursework and taken on leadership roles at their community college. The award covers the difference between Missouri resident and nonresident tuition plus $1500/year. Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a full-time, degree-seeking student in the School of Computing & Engineering
- Minimum 3.0 GPA from a U.S. community college
- Proficiency in English (minimum 79 iBT TOEFL or 6.0 IELTS score)
- F-1 or J-1 visa holder
- Must be nominated by a community college official (i.e. international student advisor, faculty member, or student affairs officer)
Nomination letters should be sent via email to umkcisaoproc@umkc.edu. All materials must be submitted by July 1 to be considered for the Fall Award and by December 1 to be considered for the Spring award.