DeSales Scholarships

This generous award provides full-tuition scholarships to two incoming first-year students who exhibit significant choral singing ability.

The award is automatically renewed for each of your four years at DeSales. This select group of 12 singers serves as the core members of all three DeSales University choirs. As a recipient of the award, you will also private weekly voice lessons. 

The Play it Forward Endowment presents an unique opportunity for CLM Scholars who complete the program to apply for a $2,500 cash award to “play it forward”—that is, to go forth and contribute to the musical life of their parishes, churches, schools, or communities.

Learn more about the CLMS program

Note: It is NOT required that you be a Catholic to receive this award—singers of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome in our choirs. Also, note that this scholarship represents the full funds you can receive from DeSales University and would supersede any other university award you may have received.

Awards are offered to graduates of Catholic high schools who are entering DeSales in the Fall.

Sorry, but graduates of Catholic Home Schooling agencies do not qualify for the Catholic Schools Grant.

Ranging from $1000 to $4000, recipients will receive this award each year for participation in the DeSales University Choirs. 

Through the generosity of Joseph F. Mullen '85 and Kelly J. (Conley) Mullen '87, DeSales is pleased to offer this needs-based scholarship for students interested in studying in the business or nursing disciplines. 

The selected student will receive this scholarship for four (4) years, provided they continue to meet the following criteria:

• is a full-time undergraduate student at DSU
• has a demonstrated financial need
• is in good academic standing with University guidelines

The Mullens are very proud alumni of DeSales University and want to give back to future students to help with the recruitment and retention of quality individuals in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales.

Preference for this scholarship will be given to a student in Business or Nursing. The Associate VP for Enrollment Management and the Director of Financial Aid will select the student according to the criteria outlined above. DeSales University reserves the right to reinvest the amount of the award back into the corpus if there is no student matching the criteria.

This is your chance to earn one of six DeSales University full-tuition scholarships. The leadership scholarship is offered to six students who have shown outstanding leadership in their high school careers and who plan to continue to develop those skills at DeSales.

To be considered, complete a written essay: Tell us about your character and leadership experience by selecting one of the following leadership traits and writing an essay (500 words or less) on that selected trait:

• Gentleness
• Humility
• Gratitude
• Hospitality
• Wisdom

Scholarship finalists will be invited for an interview with student life staff to determine if you're one of our six Leadership Scholarship recipients!

Apply and submit your essay now

Guidelines

• You must be planning to enter DeSales University in Fall 2025 or Spring 2026 as a first-year, full-time, traditional day student.
• You must apply to DeSales University no later than December 1, 2024. Your completed scholarship application, essay, and resume must be returned by December 1, 2024.
• The scholarship is not transferable to any other institution and current students are not eligible.

DeSales University recognizes students' academic achievement in high school by awarding two categories of academic merit scholarships. Priority consideration is granted to students who have applied by December 1 of their senior year. A separate application is not required. Academic scholarships are available for up to eight semesters.

The selection process for these scholarships is competitive with awards going to top-ranking applicants based upon grade point average, class rank (if available), and SAT or ACT scores (if provided).

• Presidential Scholarships - $24,000 - $28,000
• Trustee Scholarships - $21,000 to $23,000

Scholarship notification

If you file your FAFSA prior to January 1: Notification of scholarships will be included in your financial aid package

If you file your FAFSA after January 1 (but prior to Feb 1 deadline): Notification will be sent independently of your financial aid package

Because we are an NCAA Division III institution, leadership in athletics cannot be considered in the awarding any scholarships or grants.

The Salesian Honors Program will shape the next generation of Christian humanists through a three-fold focus on deep intellectual and experiential engagement with the Catholic intellectual tradition, service to the community, and spiritual formation. Students who complete the Salesian Honors Program will earn a minor in Catholic Studies.

• Participation in the Honors Program is competitive, limited to 12-15 students in each academic class.
• Honors students receive $3,000 every 2 years to travel together to places like Italy, Greece, France, Spain, and the Holy Land
• The Honors Curriculum is an alternative to some General Education courses
• Honors Students get preferential housing and course registration each semester
• Honors students earn academic credit for Experiential Learning every month, such as taking field trips to Philadelphia and NYC, engaging in public academic debates, spending weekends with top scholars, and presenting research at academic conferences
• Honors students take their classes in cohorts, moving through the program with groups of friends
• Honors students can study and take classes in the Honors House, a quiet residential location on the edge of campus
• Honors students can come from almost any major in the university, including business and the sciences
• Students who complete the Honors Program receive a minor in Catholic Studies

Application Details

Incoming first-year students may apply for acceptance to the Salesian Honors Program as part of their Common Core application to DeSales University. Currently enrolled Freshmen (‘late applicants’) may apply to the Honors Program at the end of the Fall and Spring Semesters.  

To be considered for the Salesian Honors Program, prospective students or late applicants must do the following:

• Demonstrate high academic achievement on high school transcripts, including a 3.5 cumulative GPA from high school institution OR DeSales University
• Submit a resumé that includes biographical information, extracurricular activities and interests, and community service;
• Submit two short essays composed in response to prompts through the Common Core Application, OR prompts given by DeSales University
• A letter of recommendation from one of their high school academic instructors OR first year instructor/full-time faculty member discussing their fitness for the Honors Program.

Learn more and apply to the Salesian Honors program

Scholarships start at $21K

DSU automatically awards merit scholarships for transfer students with a qualifying GPA. Award amount is based on factors such as GPA, courses  and credits accumulated. DSU offers three levels of transfer scholarships:

• Aviat 1: $21,000/year
• Aviat 2: $22,000/year
• Aviat 3: $23,000/year

Additional opportunities:

Did you graduate from a Catholic High School? DSU offers a Catholic School Grant that is worth $3000/year. Graduates of the Allentown Diocesan High Schools and Oblate High Schools are offered $5,000 awards through the Tuition Incentive Program.

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship: Accepted students who are members of PTK will receive a $2,000/year PTK scholarship, in addition to any transfer scholarship the student qualifies for.

Graduates of Allentown Diocesan schools and Oblate high schools who are entering DeSales in the Fall are offered $5,000 awards.

Scholarship applications will be accepted until end of January.

Only accepted students who have secured their seat for the upcoming May cohort can apply. Scholarship money will be awarded and divided into four equal amounts to be disbursed over all four academic terms

How to Apply

1. Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA).
2. Submit an essay which includes the following:
   • Why you are applying for the Stabler/Hollschwandner Scholarship
   • Describe your financial need (including relocation or housing needs)
   • Provide any additional special circumstances that pertain to your need for a scholarship
   • Describe how this scholarship will impact your future endeavors in nursing

Send your completed essay as an attachment to:
Nursing@desales.edu
Subject line: ABSN Scholarships
Include the date of your FASFA submission in the email.

The Dr. Carolyn Hollshwandner Scholarship is primarily a need-based scholarship, although academic excellence may also be considered. Qualified recipients can receive up to $5,000. 

This scholarship is named for the founder and long-time nursing department chair at DeSales.

Scholarships from the Stabler Grant are a “debt of conscience” in that recipients are asked to “pay it forward” with future donations to the Stabler Grant endowment fund.

The Stabler Scholarship for DeSales Accelerated BSN students is primarily need-based, although academic excellence may also be considered. Qualified applicants can receive up to $5,000.

Donald B. and Dorothy L. Stabler founded this generous scholarship in recognition that many people might not be able to afford higher education without financial assistance. The Stablers believed that those receiving financial aid should recognize an obligation to reciprocate by aiding future students in the future.