Franklin University Scholarship Opportunities

Undergraduate Applicants:

To be eligible for COF scholarship consideration at the undergraduate level, applicants must: 

• Be an Ohio resident (current resident of at least one year or graduate of an Ohio high school).
• Be a new student to Franklin University actively seeking an approved undergraduate credential (certificate, AAS, AS, or BS degree) in a COF-eligible program of study or a current student who is switching to a COF-eligible program of study.*
• Have a high school GPA of 3.0 or a cumulative GPA of 3.0 through other institutions, ACT score of 25 or higher, or SAT score of 1200 or higher.
• Not participate in a U-LEARN partnership.
• Have a commitment to completing COF program requirements, including completion of a work-based learning experience, participation in University-sponsored COF Scholar events, etc.

Undergraduate Recipients:

If awarded a COF scholarship at the undergraduate level, recipients must:

• Maintain an overall 3.0 GPA (good academic standing).
• Maintain enrollment in an approved undergraduate credential (certificate, AAS, AS, or BS degree) in a COF-eligible program of study.*
• Maintain at least half-time status (6 credit hours) in Franklin University coursework for at least 2 trimesters per year.
• Meet with their assigned faculty mentor at least once per trimester.
• Make continued progress in PF 500: Proposal Planning for Choose Ohio First Scholars, including completion of an approved proposal at least 4 trimesters prior to their intended graduation trimester.
• Enroll in PF 500: Experiential Learning for Choose Ohio First Scholars and complete 1 work-based learning experience** at least 1 trimester prior to their intended graduation trimester.
• Not participate in a U-LEARN partnership.
• Maintain state of Ohio residency and provide periodic proof if requested by the COF Scholarship Program.
• Abide by the Franklin University community standards, including the student code of conduct and academic integrity policy.
• Participate in any other COF-sponsored activities (surveys, progress checks, etc.).

As long as all program requirements and scholarship eligibility requirements are maintained, the COF Scholarship is renewable for up to 11 consecutive*** trimesters following the initial trimester of awarding, or graduation (whichever applies).

*The Choose Ohio First program is only for students pursuing a first-time undergraduate (bachelor’s) degree. Post-baccalaureate students are not eligible for this program.
**The work-based learning (WBL) experience is a structured, career-connected experience that allows scholars to apply knowledge and skills gained through coursework in a real-world or professional setting. Scholars will identify, develop and complete their own WBL experience with the support of the planning tools available through the COF Scholarship Program.
***Regardless of whether coursework was completed in a given trimester.

Graduate Applicants:

To be eligible for a COF scholarship at the graduate level, applicants must: 

• Be an Ohio resident (current resident of at least one year).
• Be a new student to Franklin University actively seeking an approved graduate credential (certificate or MS degree) in a COF-eligible program of study or a current student who is switching to a COF-eligible program of study.
• Have a cumulative 3.0 undergraduate GPA.
• Not participate in an Earn + Learn partnership.
• Have a commitment to completing COF program requirements, including completion of a work-based learning experience, participation in University-sponsored COF Scholar events, etc.

Graduate Recipients:

If awarded a COF scholarship at the graduate level, recipients must:

• Maintain an overall 3.0 GPA (good academic standing).
• Maintain enrollment in an approved graduate credential (certificate or MS degree) in a COF-eligible program of study.
• Maintain at least half-time status (3 credit hours) in Franklin University coursework for at least 2 trimesters per year.
• Meet with their assigned faculty mentor at least once per trimester.
• Make continued progress in PF 500: Proposal Planning for Choose Ohio First Scholars, including completion of an approved proposal at least 4 trimesters prior to their intended graduation trimester.
• Enroll in PF 500: Experiential Learning for Choose Ohio First Scholars and complete 1 work-based learning experience* at least 1 trimester prior to their intended graduation trimester.
• Not participate in an Earn + Learn partnership.
• Maintain state of Ohio residency and provide periodic proof if requested by the COF Scholarship Program.
• Abide by the Franklin University community standards, including the student code of conduct and academic integrity policy.
• Participate in any other COF-sponsored activities (surveys, progress checks, etc.).

As long as all program requirements and scholarship eligibility requirements are maintained, the COF Scholarship is renewable for up to 11 consecutive** trimesters following the initial trimester of awarding, or graduation (whichever applies).

*The work-based learning (WBL) experience is a structured, career-connected experience that allows scholars to apply knowledge and skills gained through coursework in a real-world or professional setting. Scholars will identify, develop and complete their own WBL experience with the support of the planning tools available through the COF Scholarship Program.
**Regardless of whether coursework was completed in a given trimester.
 

Certificates

Nurse Practitioner: Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Post-Graduate Certificate
Data Analytics Graduate Certificate
Cyber Defense Graduate Certificate
Cyber Governance Graduate Certificate
Nurse Practitioner: Family Nurse Practitioner Post-Graduate Certificate 
Nurse Educator Graduate Certificate
Nurse Practitioner: Psychiatric Mental Health Post-Graduate Certificate 

Associate Degrees

AS Computer Science
AS Cybersecurity 
AS Health Services
AS Information Technology 

Bachelor's Degrees

BS Analytics
BS Cloud Computing
BS Computer Science
BS Cybersecurity
BS Public Health
BS Healthcare Administration
BS Information Systems
BS Information Technology
BS Management Science
RN-BSN

Master's Degrees

MS Business Analytics
MS Business Psychology
MS Computer Science
MS Cybersecurity
MS Data Analytics
MS Health Informatics
MS Healthcare Administration
MS Information Systems
MS Information Technology
MS Nursing-Generalist
Ms Nursing-Adult Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
MS Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner
MS Nursing-Nurse Administrator
MS Nursing-Nurse Educator
MS Nursing-Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
MS Psychology

How much support does a Choose Ohio First scholarship provide? 
At Franklin University, COF scholarship awards are $2,500 per term (Summer, Fall, Spring), totaling up to $7,500 per academic year.   

Can a Choose Ohio First scholarship be combined with other partnership, grant, scholarship or award programs?  
COF scholarships may be combined with other partnership, grant, scholarship or award programs. Earn + Learn and U-Learn partnership programs are not eligible. Combinable benefits include, but are not limited to, employer-sponsored benefits, free books and fee waivers. Scholarship awards supersede any tuition discount. The ability to combine COF with other funding sources may be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. For more information, please consult Student Financial Services.

What requirements must be maintained to remain eligible for a Choose Ohio First scholarship? 
Scholarship recipients must maintain the requirements above, broken down into undergraduate and graduate requirements. Failure to do so may affect the awarding of scholarship funds and result in termination from the scholarship program. 

What is the work-based learning (WBL) experience requirement?
All COF scholars are required to complete a work-based learning (WBL) experience as part of the scholarship program. This student-driven WBL is a structured, career-connected experience that allows scholars to apply knowledge and skills gained through coursework in a real-world or professional setting. WBL experiences must be distinct, complementary and supplementary to regular coursework and result in documented learning outcomes.

Examples of acceptable WBL experiences include: job shadowing, internships, clinicals/practicums (only available to programs that require them), career-related informational interviews, on-the-job training and more. In addition to an assigned Faculty Mentor who provides one-on-one guidance, scholars will identify, develop and complete their own WBL experience with the support of the planning tools available through the COF Scholarship Program. 

How long can a student receive a Choose Ohio First scholarship?
A COF scholarship is renewable, as long as program and eligibility requirements continue to be met until graduation or up to 11 consecutive* trimesters following the initial trimester of awarding (whichever applies). Because scholarship funds are provided by the State of Ohio, they are subject to the availability of funds and can be impacted by state-level budget decisions. As a result, scholarship award amounts are subject to change and may be reduced or canceled at any time. 
*regardless of whether coursework was completed in a given trimester.

When are scholarship awards disbursed each trimester?
Scholars will be notified of the requirements that require their immediate action at the start of each trimester, following verification of scholarship eligibility requirements completed by the COF Scholarship Program. Scholarship awards are viewable in Self-Service and are disbursed* once these requirements have been completed.
*For Summer trimesters, funds cannot be disbursed until the State of Ohio approves the budget for that year. The COF Scholarship Program works with Student Financial Services to help ensure the delay in disbursement does not cause any account issues.