Freshmen Scholarships
Below you will find enrollment and renewal requirements for first-year scholarships. To learn about scholarship criteria for incoming first-year students, visit our First-Year Scholarship Opportunities page.
Emerald Scholarship
- Award: amounts vary
- Requires full-time enrollment (at least 12 credits per semester)
- Must maintain a cumulative EMU GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at Eastern Michigan University
- Renewable for three additional consecutive years
- Eligible students must be traditional (under the age of 21) first year students
Eagle Guarantee
Available to incoming first-year students
- Award Amount: The Eagle Guarantee combines with a student’s federal Pell grant, Michigan Achievement, and Emerald Scholarship to cover the cost of tuition up to 16 credit hours per semester for up to 8 consecutive fall/winter semesters. It also provides $2000 to help with on-campus housing.
- Requires 15 Credit Hours of enrollment each fall/winter semester
- Must maintain a cumulative EMU GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at Eastern Michigan University
- Must demonstrate Pell Grant eligibility with household assets less than $60,000 as determined by the FAFSA each year
- Must file FAFSA each year by April 1
- Must be a Michigan Resident
- Must be eligible for the Michigan Achievement Scholarship
- Renewable for three additional consecutive years
- Specific details are provided in a welcome letter mailed to all recipients prior to their first semester at EMU
Eastern Tuition Advantage (ETA)
Awarded to students admitted Fall 2023 and Fall 2024 Only
- Award: Block Tuition minus federal aid
- Requires 15 credits hours of enrollment each fall/winter semester
- Must maintain a cumulative EMU GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at Eastern Michigan University
- Must demonstrate federal Pell grant eligibility as determined by the FAFSA each year
- Must file FAFSA each year by April 1
- Renewable for three additional consecutive years
- Specific details were provided in a welcome letter mailed to all recipients prior to their first semester at EMU
Education First Opportunity Scholarship (EFOS)
Awarded to students admitted prior to Fall 2023
- Award: Tuition minus federal aid
- Requires 12 or 15 credits hours of enrollment each fall/winter semester (see last bullet)
- Must maintain a cumulative EMU GPA of 2.75 or higher
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at Eastern Michigan University
- Must demonstrate federal Pell grant eligibility as determined by the FAFSA each year
- Must file FAFSA each year by April 1
- Renewable for three additional consecutive years
- Specific details, including enrollment requirements, are provided in a welcome letter mailed to all recipients prior to their first semester at EMU.
4WARD Graduation Scholarship
Available to incoming first-year students admitted Fall 2019 or later
- Award: Tuition only, years 3 and 4
- Requires full-time enrollment (at least 12 credits per semester) Students must complete 30 credits per academic year
- Must maintain a cumulative EMU GPA of 2.0 or higher
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at Eastern Michigan University Must live in an on-campus community for all four years
- Renewable for three additional consecutive years
- Students must Opt-In to participate and sign a 4WARD Term and Conditions Agreement
Presidential Scholarship (PRES)
- Award: Full tuition and Room & Board
- Requires 15 credit hours of enrollment each fall/winter semester Must maintain a cumulative EMU GPA of 3.3 or higher
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress at Eastern Michigan University
- Must live in an on-campus community for all four years
- Renewable for three additional consecutive years
- Terms and Conditions are outlined in a welcome letter mailed to all recipients prior to their first semester at EMU and recipients are required to sign a scholarship agreement.
Scholarship Policies and Disclosures
*Students are not able to receive more than one scholarship listed above.
*Renewal eligibility for each additional year is determined at the conclusion of the winter semester.
*Students are only eligible for these scholarships during the fall and winter semesters as an undergraduate student pursuing their first Bachelor’s degree at Eastern Michigan University.
*Residence hall awards require 12 credits of enrollment each semester and a cumulative EMU GPA of 2.75 or higher. Residence hall awards apply to traditional residence halls only. Brown/Munson, Cornell, Westview, and 601 West Forest are not traditional residence halls and are not eligible to use this funding.
*Annual award amounts must be split between the fall and winter semesters. The full annual award amount cannot be received in one semester.
*Eastern Michigan University must be the first institution attended following high school graduation.