If you're applying to college, worrying about how to pay for college can add stress to the process. Thankfully, at TCU, your application for admission serves as your academic scholarship application, too. We have a few tips for earning scholarships so that when you get to campus, you can focus on acing tests, competing on an intramural team, making new friends at fall concerts and studying abroad.

Academic Scholarships
When you apply to TCU, you're automatically considered for academic scholarships. These decisions will be released with your admission decision, so you'll be able to find any scholarships awards in your portal. For academic scholarships we review your grades in core subjects, how challenging your class schedule is and your test scores if submitted. TCU is test optional and for the past two years, we've awarded scholarships to two-thirds of admitted students who did not use test scores. While we offer general guidelines for first-year academic scholarship amounts, these aren't a guarantee.

Transfer awards are based on GPA and transferrable hours. Except for the Chancellor’s Scholarship, transfer awards are guaranteed if minimum scores and hours are met.

First-year and transfer applicants selected as finalists for the highly competitive Chancellor's Scholarship will receive an invitation to participate in on-campus interviews. Finalists who are not awarded the Chancellor's Scholarship will be awarded the Dean's Scholarship.

Performance-Based Scholarships
The College of Fine Arts offers scholarships in dance, theatre, graphic design, studio art and music based on an audition or portfolio. Students who participate in the marching band are also eligible for a $3,000 award per year.

Scholarships for Admitted Students
Once students are admitted to TCU, they can complete a general scholarship application to be matched with opportunities on Horned Frog Scholar Search. These scholarships are awarded through generous alumni and private donors and typically are awarded based on academic success, donor criteria and financial need. The general scholarship is open January to October, however we recommend you apply as soon as you find out you're admitted. Many scholarships have a March or April deadline.

Outside/Private Scholarships
If you're looking for scholarships from beyond TCU, you can check with your high school counselor for resources available in your community. You can also check online search platforms for opportunities. Outside scholarships do count in your total financial aid package, so you'll need to report these to the Office of Scholarships and Student Financial Aid.