Scholarships - Ridgewater College

Scholarships title with image of students accepting their scholarships below.

The Ridgewater College Foundation uses a universal online scholarship application! One application works for ALL scholarship opportunities. Our system will automatically match you to scholarships based on eligibility criteria set up in the system.

Fall 2021 scholarship awards have been awarded!
- Scholarship award notifications were sent to students via their Ridgewater College email on Friday, May 28, 2021. If awarded, please read the notification email in detail for the next steps on accepting your award.
The Annual Scholarship Award Celebration was not held as a live event this year. Please join us in exploring various videos and presentations on a dedicated Scholarship Celebration webpage.
Spring 2022 scholarship application will open in September 2021. The scholarship application deadline will be October 15, 2021.

Scholarship Eligibility Requirements

You can apply for Ridgewater College scholarships if…

You have been accepted to Ridgewater College
You have an active StarID and password
You are not a Post-Secondary Enrollment Option (PSEO) student for the upcoming semester
You plan to enroll in at least 6 credits for the upcoming semester
You are in good academic standing (2.0 GPA or above, not suspended and not on warning)

Criteria for each scholarship will vary. The eligibility requirements above are the minimum requirements to apply for any Ridgewater College scholarship.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I view my scholarship awards?

You can view your scholarship awards in e-Services under the “Financial Aid” tab then under the “Awards” tab.

Why aren't my awards applied to my tuition balance yet?

When a scholarship is placed on your student account it will not automatically subtract from your tuition balance due. You can view your balance due by going to: e-Services, then “Bills and Payment”. You will need to calculate your total balance due by subtracting your Financial Aid and Scholarship Awards from your tuition balance. The amount remaining is what you owe. There are four ways you can pay your tuition.

For example:

You go under the “Financial Aid” tab then under “Awards” and see you have a $1,000 scholarship and $500 in financial aid. Your total awards = $1,500. Then you go under “Bills and Payments” and see your tuition Balance is $2,000.

$2,000 Balance – $1,500 Awards = $500 Due

After paying the $500 due, you will still have a tuition balance due of $1,500 until aid applies. Once aid applies on the tenth day of the semester your tuition balance due should be $0.

Financial aid and scholarships are disbursed after the last day to add/drop classes each semester. You will see your awards applied to your tuition balance at this time.

What should I do with a scholarship check I received outside of Ridgewater? (External Scholarships)

The Ridgewater College Foundation can help apply external scholarships to your student account. If you have an external scholarship check please include the following information before mailing or delivering your check to campus:

Information to include with the check – this can be written on a separate piece of paper:
- Your student Tech ID (8-digit number)
- Your full name
- Any documents that came with the check
- Is the check “payable” to you (the student)?
  - If yes, sign the back of the check.
Deliver the check in one of two ways
- Mail the check to:
  Ridgewater College
  Attn: Foundation Office
  2101 15th Ave NW
  Willmar, MN 5620
- Deliver the check to the Campus Dropbox located:
  - on the Willmar Campus – outside the Student Services Building
  - on the Hutchinson Campus – outside the main doors

More Important Information & Resources

Important Scholarship Information

Note the scholarship application is separate from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which offers state and federal grants, loans, and work study awards. These scholarships are administrated by the Ridgewater College Foundation and are offered in both the spring and fall. This page is updated each semester.

Available Foundation Scholarships [PDF]
Scholarship Brochure [PDF]
How Scholarships Applications are Scored [PDF]
External Scholarship Opportunities [PDF]
Scholarship Acceptance Terms [PDF]

Prepare Your Application

Scholarship Application Outline [PDF]
Scholarship Application User Guide [PDF]

Contact Information

Stephenie Sommerfeld, Scholarship & Data Coordinator, Staff Photo