Finlandia University is awarding a new, one-time $500 scholarship for Fall 2022 to students who submit their transcripts to Finlandia Admissions by Jan. 1, 2022. The Early Bird Scholarship is awarded to the student upon acceptance to the university.

“All prospective students applying for admission to Finlandia University are required to submit their transcripts; they can’t be officially accepted to FinnU without taking this step. Offering the $500 Early Bird Scholarship as a way to incentivize students to get their transcripts to us as soon as possible will really help to speed up their admissions process,” Enrollment Counselor Jason Dart said. “We have ‘rolling admissions’ here at FinnU, which means that we are able to make acceptance decisions for students as soon as we have all their information, rather than waiting until late winter or early spring like many other universities that have a more traditional admissions process.”

“Students who submit their transcripts early will experience two great benefits,” Dart continued. “First, they will earn a $500 scholarship simply for doing something that they were going to have to do anyway. Second, they will know their admissions status very quickly; this will help them make an informed decision right away, which offers peace of mind in what can often be a stressful process for both students and their families.”

For the best chance at maximizing your eligibility for student financial aid, Michigan.gov states that you should file your FAFSA as soon as possible, and no later than March 1 if you want to be considered for state aid. According to the Federal Student Aid office, students are also encouraged to file their FAFSA by their earliest due date for the best chance at receiving financial aid.

Finlandia’s Director of Student Financial Services, Sandra Turnquist, explains what this means for Finlandia’s new Early Bird Scholarship and how students can also learn more.

“Although filing your FAFSA is not a requirement for this scholarship, we at Finlandia encourage you to do so. This may grant you federal and state aid to help you with your educational costs. Our staff is very knowledgeable in the process should you have any questions. We welcome you to reach out to us at any time.”

If a student plans to attend FinnU, Finlandia University must be listed on their FAFSA using Federal School Code 002322. To be considered for state aid at Finlandia, students must list FinnU first on their FAFSA form.

To learn more about Finlandia’s application or financial aid process, visit finlandia.edu/apply or finlandia.edu/financialaid.