Faculty/Staff Information
Frequently asked questions
What date do scholarship cycles open/close?
Scholarships are set to open up on October 1st and close on November 30th.
*There may be a scholarship that requires a different date for specific, pre-approved reasons.*
Who edits, uploads, changes the criteria for a scholarship or who do I go to if I have questions?
Jack Moore, Assistant Director - Scholarships and Financial Aid
moore25j@cmich.edu
Can students see how much is awarded from a scholarship?
No, the student sees "Varies."
We can have it show a specific amount if Faculty/Staff prefer.
What happens if a scholarship rotates between departments?
We can create 2 different scholarships; the department awarding the scholarship that year would open up the scholarship, and we would leave the other departments closed.
How do we review applicants?
We can give Scholarship Universe access to any Faculty/Staff member and put them on a committee to review certain scholarships, where they can score and make comments about certain applicants who applied.
How can we add a committee member?
Provide name and CMU ID via email to Jack Moore (moore25j@cmich.edu).
Do we have to contact financial aid in order to see financial need?
No, Scholarship Universe has a feature when reviewing the applicants that shows what type of financial need they have.
- When looking under the Candidates tab, you can scroll over and see what it says under Financial Need 27FY.
- You can also use a tool called SmartRank, which is a tool where you can filter the candidates list by Financial Need, CMU Cumulative GPA, or both.
What happens if a student does not enroll for the academic year but was awarded a scholarship?
The student will not have the scholarship disbursed, and it can then be given to someone else.
Does the student see whether or not the scholarship they have been awarded has a renewal component?
Yes, the student can see the renewal criteria and we can customize it to however many renewal years are required.
How do I see the candidates list for a certain scholarship?
Navigate to Plan > Scholarship, click on the Pencil Icon, and then go to the Candidates Tab.
Who do I contact if I need something updated or changed about a scholarship or a committee member needs different permissions? Ex: Criteria, award amounts, renewal info, donor updates, etc.
Jack Moore, Assistant Director - Scholarships and Financial Aid | Moore25j@cmich.edu
Will I have to send a spreadsheet to OSFA of the scholarships I am awarding once I am done awarding as I have done for previous years?
No, this is not necessary for 2026 AY and beyond.
Do students get notified by Scholarship Universe directly once they are awarded a scholarship?
Yes, once the award has been finalized and completed, Scholarship Universe sends an email to the student letting them know they have been awarded. The email is triggered by a direct action from the staff member when they click the "notify award" button.
When nominating a student for a scholarship, what do I input?
Input the student's CMU ID, but with four 0s first. Example: 0000123456
Can I see how much a student has already been awarded?
Yes, under the candidates tab, under the "award" column, you can see how much money in scholarships that student has been awarded so far.
Can I see the history of recipients in Scholarship Universe?
As long as the scholarship has been awarded through Scholarship Universe, you can see the past recipients. Follow: scholarships - find your scholarship - click the pencil "edit" - and click the history tab.
What data is directly pulled in from CMU information systems?
CMU GPA, High School GPA, DOB, Transfer GPA, Degree Level, Credits Completed, State of Residency, Admission Year, Financial Need are data for all students that are pulled in directly from CMU information sources. You can see this for any student if you search their CMU ID in the top right corner (make sure you search with four 0's before their actual ID).
How do thank-you letters work?
A student once awarded a scholarship that requires a thank-you will receive an award notification email. In that email, there will be a link to write the thank-you letter in Scholarship Universe. The student then submits, and we approve or deny the letter. (Denying is very unlikely for most letters).
Where do thank- you letters go if the donor has passed away?
Either the founding donor or a successor contact. If neither, the corresponding department becomes the primary contact.
Can a non-CMU employee be a reviewer?
Yes we can set up a non-CMU employee to be a reviewer.
What GPA is used in the review of applicants?
GPA data for currently enrolled students is transferred from SAP. If a student has not yet completed a semester at CMU, the GPA is self-reported. Once a student completes a full term at CMU (for example, a first-year student after the fall semester), the official CMU cumulative GPA is transferred from SAP and replaces the self-reported GPA.