Key Grant

National University (“NU”) is proud to offer the Key Grant.  This is a competitive needs-based grant and the award amount will be dependent on the recipient’s program.  If recipients maintain eligibility requirements, the grant funding will be available throughout their degree programs. As of September 12, 2024, new doctoral students are not eligible to be awarded the Key Grant.

NU reserves the right to modify, revise, or update these Terms and Conditions from time to time, as necessary.  Although NU may attempt to notify prospective and current applicants when such changes are made to these Terms and Conditions, applicants should periodically review the most up-to-date version found at https://www.nu.edu/50key-grant-terms-and-conditions/. NU may, in its sole discretion, change or discontinue this grant opportunity at any time. Applicants’ submissions serve as acknowledgment and acceptance to these Terms and Conditions, including any subsequent modifications, as stated.  Nothing in the Terms and Conditions shall be deemed to confer any third-party rights or benefits.

Eligibility

To be considered for the Key Grant, applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • Be pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree at NU. 
  • Meet all admissions requirements of NU.
  • Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in advance of submitting a scholarship application.
  • Have a financial need as determined by the FAFSA and Key Grant application.
  • Once enrolled, a grant recipient must not receive or be eligible to receive a total of 50% or more tuition reimbursement from any source(s) including but not limited to: corporate reimbursement, preferred tuition rate, other grants, and/or scholarships, except for Veterans Administration GI benefits, Veterans Administration Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits, military tuition assistance and Title IV financial aid funding (“Financial Eligibility”). 
  • Students who have previously completed courses at NU entering the same degree level must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for bachelor’s programs and 3.0 for master’s programs.
  • NU will verify applicants’ Financial Eligibility before confirming final awards.

Application

The application is available at https://www.nu.edu/key-grant/. By applying to the Key Grant, an applicant: (i) agrees to be bound by these terms and conditions, as may be modified, revised, updated, or terminated by NU in its sole discretion, and (ii) represents and warrants that the information provided is accurate at the time of submission.

Selection Process

  • The recipient of this grant will be selected by the NU grant selection committee, consisting of representatives from National University and according to the processes and procedures used in connection with the selection of grant recipients for all NU grants, as such are updated from time to time. Non-faculty members may assist in the selection committee process on a case-by-case basis and in NU’s sole discretion. 
  • It is the applicant’s responsibility to submit a completed application along with all the supporting documentation, which must be received on or before the deadline.  NU and the grant committee accept no responsibility for incomplete applications, applications not in proper form, lost applications, or any other submission in exception to the instructions.
  • The grant award will be based on the selection committee’s review of submitted application responses in the first instance, followed by confirmation of the selected applicant’s Financial Eligibility. Current and previous students applying will also have academic records reviewed in consideration.
  • Grant selection shall not be made regarding race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.
  • The decision of the grant selection committee is final and not subject to a review process.

Additional Grant Details and Releases

  • Any necessary determination, or clarification, as to the interpretation or to the application of a particular term shall be made by NU in its sole discretion. NU reserves the right in its sole discretion to terminate, suspend or make any changes or modifications to these Terms and Conditions of the Key Grant, including, but not limited to, the eligibility criteria, the selection process, the deadline dates, and the award.
  • By applying to the Key Grant, an applicant agrees:
  • To release, indemnify and hold harmless NU and its employees, officers, trustees, affiliates, agents, representatives, assigns, licensees, designees, and all persons acting under NU’s permission or authority (collectively, “NU Parties”), from any and all claims, liabilities, losses and damages of any kind arising in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, including without limitation court costs, attorneys’ fees, and any expenses and damages that may be incurred from (i) their application materials, which includes but is not limited to infringement upon or other violations of the copyright, trademark, privacy, reputational, publicity, or proprietary rights of any third party, defamation, rights of publicity or invasion of privacy, or (ii) acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of the Key Grant award, participation in the application process and/or representations made by the applicant or recipient.
  • To grant NU a sole, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, irrevocable, sublicensable, transferable right to use, display, print, publish, reproduce, distribute, modify, transmit, create derivative works from, promote and provide access to your name, application materials, photograph, likeness, voice, prize information, statements and/or biographical information for publicity, promotional, and educational purposes, in any media now known or hereafter invented, without compensation or notification, except as prohibited by law.
  • To waive all moral rights in the application materials.
  • To waive all claims to any compensation by the NU Parties.
  • NU and its employees, officers, trustees, affiliates, agents, and representatives are not responsible for any typographical or other errors in the offer or administration of this grant, including, but not limited to, errors in any printing or posting of these Terms and Conditions, the selection and announcement of any winner, or the distribution of any Key Grant. NU may correct any such errors at its sole discretion.
  • NU makes no warranties of any kind, express or implied, with respect to the Key Grant. Acceptance, participation in and/or use of the Key Grant is at an applicant’s sole risk and NU is not responsible for any damages whatsoever including special, indirect, or consequential damages arising out of or in connection with the use and/or misuse of the Key Grant.
  • NU is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, or unintelligible entries, including entries not received because of interrupted or unavailable network services, failed communications networks or equipment, computer hardware or software, or other errors or malfunctions, whether human, mechanical or electronic.
  • Should NU, in its sole discretion, determine that the Key Grant submission, selection, or any other process has been compromised by virus, bugs, tampering, disruptions, hackers, or other causes beyond its control, NU reserves the right to void suspect entries, disqualify applicants suspected to be involved, and/or terminate such selection or other process and choose the awardees in a fair and reasonable manner from among all eligible entries submitted prior to such termination. All decisions of NU are final.
  • Regardless of any action taken by NU pursuant to these Terms and Conditions, nothing shall prohibit NU from seeking any other lawful remedies to which NU may be entitled in the event any representations or releases made by the Grant applicant or recipient are false.
  • Award Use
    • Grants that are awarded to the recipients may only be credited to their accounts and used to assist with the payment of their tuition in an eligible program and are not redeemable in cash.
    • No student will receive more than one Key Grant.
    • Grants will be awarded in the following amounts:
      • $625 per course for students in 4- and 8-week courses.
      • For programs that do not charge course-by-course, 38% of tuition will be awarded for the academic term.
  • No student will receive more than one offer of assistance from NU, such as other scholarships, grants, discounts, or technology awards.
  • Any grant funds that are awarded may not be used for the purchase of books, any fees that may be applicable to their degree program, room and board, or outside materials (computers, internet service etc.).
  • Grant funding not be back awarded and will only apply to the current term in which an eligible student applies and is awarded and future terms.
  • Selected recipients must begin coursework within 60 days of being awarded.
  • For applicants using Federal Financial Aid (FFA), the applicant understands that a grant award is financial assistance and counts toward the student’s cost of attendance. As such, the amount of FFA available to the student may be impacted. The Student Financial Services team will conduct a financial review of all Grant winners and articulate any changes needed to the respective recipients.
  • Any courses accepted as transfer from another school to an NU degree plan will only reduce the necessary coursework required to complete a degree at NU and will not result in any additional unused grant funds.
  • Courses taken under the Grant may be recorded against the student’s calendar year 1098-T.

Maintaining Eligibility

  • All existing student policies located in the NU Catalog, these Terms and Conditions, and any other NU policies must be adhered to while the recipient is a student at NU.
  • For the duration of the award, students must be succeeding in their degree program. The student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for undergraduate students and 3.0 for graduate students. Should a recipient fail to meet GPA requirements, they will be entered into a non-funded probationary period of 60 days. If maintenance requirements are not regained within that 60-day period, the scholarship is permanently suspended.
  • Should a Grant recipient withdraw or be dismissed from NU prior to disbursement of all grant funds awarded to them, the balance of the tuition funds awarded, but not disbursed, will be terminated and will not be available to the student for future courses.
  • Students must not take a break in between courses greater than 90 days (measured from the last day of the last completed class) unless on an authorized leave of absence.
  • If a grant recipient withdraws from a course or receives a non-passing grade, the cost to retake the course later will not be discounted by the Key Grant.
  • Grant funds may only be applied to courses in the recipient’s original academic program following award of the grant, except as follows: (1) the recipient opts to transfer to a new academic program prior to completion of 33% or more of the courses in the original academic program, or (2) the recipient opts to transfer to a new specialization within the original academic program prior to completion of 33% or more of the courses in the original specialization. Grant funds are not otherwise transferable. NU reserves the right to waive grant transferability to a new academic program on a case-by-case basis.