Financial Aid

The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office administers three types of scholarships: SJSU campus based, department based, and private. Students should apply for as many scholarships as possible to lessen the need for loans or part-time work to attend school.

SJSU Campus Based Scholarships

Current SJSU students who have completed at least one semester of full-time units (12 undergraduate or 8 graduate) at SJSU are eligible to apply via the Spartan Scholarship application.

Awards are generally based on scholastic achievement and/or financial need ranging from $100 to $2,500 per year. Students are encouraged to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the California Dream Act Application by March 2.

International students will only be eligible for the scholarships that are merit-based. Need-based scholarships are part of financial aid, which is unavailable to international students. View International Students for additional information.

Department Based Scholarships

Various academic departments on campus manage their own scholarships. Students are strongly encouraged to stay in touch with their major department for scholarship information. These scholarships have their own specific criteria, deadlines, and application instructions. Students should contact their department directly for additional information.

Private Scholarships

Scholarships come from a number of sources. It can take some time and effort on your behalf to research them all. There are businesses that offer to do this work for you for a fee, but SJSU does not recommend these services. View Scholarship Resources for available scholarship databases.

Click on the following link for a listing of private scholarship notice(s).

Do remember that when you apply for a scholarship, the application and other materials you submit represent you to the scholarship committee. It is important that you spend time on your application to do the best job you can. For some helpful hints on applying for scholarships, see our Tips on Applying for Scholarships.

Step 1

Check out all the JMC School Scholarships offered to see which ones are applicable to you.

Step 2

After reviewing the offers, JMC School students must APPLY ONLINE by the deadline announced by the school. Then, students need to log in and complete the general application, using the same username and password as for MYSJSU account. It is recommended that students include a letter of recommendation, reference contact information, or upload a file. Once the general application is complete, students can apply for specific scholarships offered by their department.

Step 3

Students should follow the guidelines of each scholarship they wish to apply to. The second tab on the top left corner labeled, "Opportunities" allows students to search for scholarships that are recommended to them based on their major, within San José State and outside the university.

If you have any questions, contact the staff in the Journalism School Office in Dwight Bentel Hall, room 105.