Scholarships & Grants

Joining an athletic team as a Charger means becoming part of a proud tradition of excellence, teamwork, and community. With 18 competitive athletic teams, Briar Cliff provides opportunities for students to pursue their passion for athletics while excelling academically.

Prospective Athlete Form

Pursuing fine arts at Briar Cliff means unlocking your creative potential while honing your skills in a supportive and inspiring environment. Whether your passion lies in visual arts, music, or theatre, you'll have opportunities to showcase your talents, collaborate with peers, and grow as an artist under the guidance of dedicated faculty.

Cliff Singers

Jazz Ensemble

Mariachi Band

The Presidential Scholarship is the highest honor and largest scholarship available at Briar Cliff University. Scholars awarded will receive compensation for the full cost of their Briar Cliff tuition for all four years (8 semesters). Each year, the scholarship is awarded to four incoming undergraduate students who have exemplified academic excellence, outstanding contributions to their community, and extraordinary leadership thus far in their education careers. We believe a demonstrated strong work ethic, along with a willingness to contribute and learn, is a positive indication of an individual’s ability to further develop leadership skills, while also contributing to our campus culture. Four additional “Gold” Scholarships are awarded following the interviews; each valued at $10,000 ($40,000/8 semesters) as well as four “Blue” Scholarships worth $7,000 ($28,000/8 semesters). All students who interview will receive a $1,000 scholarship and will be admitted into the BCU Honors Program.

Please read the requirements below to determine if you are eligible to apply for this unique opportunity

• Minimum high school GPA of 3.75 
• A resume that displays a history of academic effort, leadership experience, and volunteerism in the community. 
• Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation. The letters of recommendation should be from non-related individuals who can describe the applicant’s strengths, weaknesses, and characteristics. This will help the interview committee determine the applicant’s ability to succeed, contribute, and lead at Briar Cliff University.
• A video submission in which applicants introduce themselves and speak in detail about the activities in school, church, and community that they have taken part in as well as list any distinctive academic honors, awards or recognitions they have received.
• Applicants must maintain a 3.0 CGPA for the scholarship to be renewable. Presidential Scholarship Award winners will also be required to live on campus. 
• Applicants must apply by Monday, October 14^th, 2024 to be considered for the interview process that will take place on Friday, October 25^th, 2024. The spring deadline is Monday, January 20^th, 2025 with interviews taking place on Friday, January 31^st, 2025.

Each candidate must be a part of the in-person committee interview process in which our committee members finalize and select recipients for that given year. If you qualify to participate in the interview portion, the time and date will be communicated to you following your application. Applicants are only able to interview once for this scholarship. This scholarship will help future Chargers, who are promising leaders, continue to build on their successes and become ethical leaders in their future careers, communities, and the world.

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Undergraduate, full-Pell Grant eligible Iowa residents can receive a tuition-free education through the Iowa Commitment Scholarship.

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Catholic students will receive a minimum of a 60% tuition discount through the Catholic Connection Scholarship.

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As an additional incentive to families with a proven history of commitment to supporting our mission, Briar Cliff University started the Legacy Scholarship program. Legacy scholarships are awarded to future and current Chargers whose parents or siblings are current Briar Cliff students or proud BCU alumni. This scholarship is renewable every year, provided the scholar maintains a minimum CGPA of 2.0.

All future and current Chargers are encouraged apply for any outside or private scholarship opportunities available that could be applied to Briar Cliff University expenses. For your convenience, we maintain a compiled a list of known publicly available scholarships. 

View List

Bishop’s Scholarships at Briar Cliff University are awarded to graduating high school seniors who are members of a Catholic parish within the Diocese of Sioux City. Whether attending a Catholic or public high school in the Diocese, all eligible students are encouraged to apply. Ideal candidates will demonstrate leadership within their parish, school, and community, while also maintaining an active faith life, strong work ethic, and high academic achievement. These qualities are essential for developing future leaders who will embody the values of the Catholic Church throughout their lives, well beyond their college education.

The scholarship, valued at $30,000, is distributed over four years at $7,500 per year. One scholarship is specifically reserved for a student majoring in education, who plans to teach at a Catholic school within the Diocese of Sioux City and meets all scholarship requirements.

Bishop Walker Nickless is proud to support Briar Cliff University through these scholarships and looks forward to engaging with the recipients throughout their college journey.

To be eligible for the Bishop’s Scholarship, applicants must: 

1. Be a verified member of a parish in the Diocese of Sioux City.
2. Be a Catholic in good standing, attend Sunday Mass, uphold the moral and religious teachings of the Catholic Church, and live them out in your personal and public life. Participation in campus ministry, Knights of Columbus, and/or Catholic Daughters is strongly encouraged.
3. Have a minimum 3.0 GPA on 16 credits of core coursework.
4. Complete an application and essay question.
5. Provide a letter of reference from your pastor or a leader in your parish or Catholic school who has been instrumental in your faith formation
6. Apply by Monday, December 16, 2024
7. Meet with the Bishop’s interview committee on Wednesday, January 8, 2025. 

The BCUnited Emergency Fund is meant to be used as a last resort in helping students overcome unique, extraordinary, and unforeseen financial circumstances while attending Briar Cliff University. This grant opportunity is available to any full-time enrolled, degree-seeking undergraduate student at Briar Cliff University. Requests for BCUnited Emergency Assistance Funding must be used for school-related expenses, such as tuition, fees, course materials and program-specific supplies. BCUnited Emergency Assistance Funding cannot be used for regular household expenses such as rent/mortgage, cell phone, groceries, utilities, vehicle expenses or child care. To apply for emergency funds, each applicant must meet of the following criteria:

• Demonstrate financial hardship.
• Experience an emergency, accident, illness, or other unforeseen event.
• All other resources, including loans through the Office of Financial Aid, have been considered and are insufficient or not available in a timely manner.
• If you have an account balance at Briar Cliff University, before consideration to receive funding from the BCUnited Emergency Assistance fund, you must previously or currently have sought to address your student account balance.  
• Applicants must complete all application questions in full and submit supporting documentation as the situation allows.

Funds disbursed through the BCUnited Emergency Fund may affect the students’ aid package. The BCUnited Emergency Fund is not a substitute for financial aid. Students who are seeking emergency funding will be required to utilize all offered financial aid resources before being awarded emergency aid. The Office of Financial Aid will work directly with emergency aid applicants to determine the effect of the award, if any, on the aid.

The applications will be reviewed by a committee. Emergency funding may create a taxable event that could require reporting to the IRS by the recipient. Each grant will total  $500 or less depending on the situation and payment is generally applied to the student’s account at Briar Cliff University.

The Department of Social Work offers several scholarships to social work majors. The links below will provide the application form and information about submitting the application. Scholarship decisions are made each spring for the upcoming academic year.

Sister Sharon Sullivan Scholarship

This award is available to a woman who will be full-time sophomore or junior majoring in social work, theology, or education. The opportunity emphasizes peace, social justice, community or union organization. Download Application

Sylvia Kuennen Scholarship

This award is available to a full-time social work major who has an interest in social services and policy development that promote social work goals. Download Application

United Airlines (Flight 232) 

Scholarship After a tragic airline accident in Sioux City in 1989 the community responded to the emergency in a unified and helpful way. As a result, United Airlines established the United Airlines Scholarship for a full-time student whose permanent residence is within a 50 mile radius of the Sioux City metropolitan area. Recipients must be pursuing an education which will qualify them for a career in emergency rescue, nursing, medical care, counseling, social work, religious service, or law enforcement. Students demonstrating financial need will receive first consideration. However, lack of financial need shall not disqualify an applicant from receiving this scholarship. Download Application

Waitt Family Social Work Scholarship

This scholarship is awarded to a full-time sophomore or junior social work major with financial need. Download Application