Scholarships

Academic Awards

Your Common Application or Hope College Application also serves as your application for academic scholarships at Hope. Academic scholarships are based on your cumulative GPA, SAT, ACT, or CLT scores, and course selection (based on what’s available at your school). Be sure to submit any new academic information for consideration by February 1 of your senior year.

We will superscore applicant test score submissions, including individual subject tests taken through the ACT, and you may qualify for one of the following academic awards.

Learn more about costs & financial aid

Scholarship Criteria

(for first-year students entering Fall 2023)

Outside scholarships information 

Each of these scholarships is guaranteed through your sophomore year and renewable for your two remaining years if you maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (Presidential and higher awards) or cumulative GPA of 2.75 (Distinguished Scholar Award and lower).

Distinguished Artist Awards

Hope honors talented artists in the areas of creative writing, dance, music, theater and the visual arts. You’ll need to audition or submit a portfolio. Most awards are $3,000 per year, renewable for four years. Most Distinguished Artist Awards (DAAs) can be combined with an academic scholarship.

Request DAA Information

Creative Writing

Apply for the DAA in Creative Writing by submitting:

• The application form, including:
  • A short essay about your reading and writing
  • A sample of your creative writing (fiction, poetry and/or creative nonfiction) — 10 typed pages
  • A letter of recommendation from someone who knows you as a student and/or as a writer

Applications for the Distinguished Artist Awards in Creative Writing must be received by midnight, January 29, 2023. Scholarship recipients will be notified in early March 2023.

To keep this scholarship, you’ll need to maintain a 2.6 GPA at Hope and declare a creative writing major or minor.

To apply for a Distinguished Artist Award in Creative Writing, you’ll also need to submit a completed application for admission to Hope College.

Scholarship Coordinator

Michelle VanDenend
616.395.7620
vandenend@hope.edu

For more information, please visit the Department of English website.

Dance

To apply for the DAA in Dance, you will need to submit the application form, including:

• Head shot (hair in bun)
• A letter of recommendation from a current dance instructor
• A one-page essay answering the question: “What is it about the dance program at Hope that interests and excites you?”

 For more information, please visit the Department of Dance website.

To apply for a Distinguished Artist Award in Dance, you’ll also need to submit a completed application for admission to Hope College.

Music

Apply for the DAA in music by completing the application form.

Applications and auditions for the Distinguished Artist Awards in Music are due February 10, 2023. 

To keep this scholarship, you’ll need to be involved with the Department of Music while a student at Hope.

To apply for a Distinguished Artist Award in Music, you’ll also need to submit a completed application for admission to Hope College.

Scholarship Coordinator

Kathy Waterstone
616.395.7650
waterstone@hope.edu

For more information, please visit the Department of Music website.

Theatre

Apply for the DAA in theatre by completing the application form. 

The deadline for submitting the application and resume is February 21, 2023, for our DAA Day on February 24. The deadline for submissions for an alternate date is one week prior to the scheduled date.

To keep this scholarship, you’ll need to major or minor in theatre.

To be awarded a Distinguished Artist Award in Theatre, you’ll also need to submit a completed application for admission to Hope College.

Scholarship Coordinator

Prof. Michelle Bombe
616.395.7600
bombe@hope.edu

For more information, please visit the Department of Theatre website.

Visual Arts

You can apply for the DAA in the Visual Arts by submitting:

• The application form, including your portfolio of digital slides/images

Applications for the Distinguished Artist Award are due February 1, 2023.

To keep this scholarship, you’ll need to maintain a 2.60 GPA and declare a major or minor in an Art & Art History Department program.

To apply for a Distinguished Artist Award in the Visual Arts, you’ll also need to submit a completed application for admission to Hope College.

Scholarship Coordinator

Nicole Wetzel
616.395.7500
art@hope.edu

For more information, please visit the Department of Art & Art History website.