Auto-Match: In Aztec Scholarships, auto-match scholarships are opportunities that students are automatically applied to based on their general application answers, financial aid, and student information system data, including major, GPA, class level, and special programs. These scholarships do not require additional steps from the students to apply, as the system matches them with eligible opportunities seamlessly. As a result, auto-match scholarships are not visible to applicants.

Recommended/Apply-To Scholarships: Recommended opportunities are scholarships the system suggests to students after they submit their general application. Unlike auto-match scholarships, recommended opportunities require students to submit additional materials to be in the applicant pool. Recommended opportunities streamline the scholarship application process by excluding any options for which the basic eligibility criteria has not been met.

• Applicants need to review the criteria carefully and, if eligible, submit the necessary documents by the specified deadline for their application to be complete. Students should only apply for the scholarships for which all eligibility requirements are met.
• Students should not be concerned if they do not receive a list of recommended scholarships or if their list is short, as most of the scholarships in Aztec Scholarships are auto-match.

Although we have a number of scholarships that are available only to students who have financial need as determined by the SDSU Financial Aid Office, the majority of Aztec Scholarships do not have a need component.

If you wish to be considered for any scholarships that do require financial need, you are required to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the California Dream Act Application and have a complete financial aid file on record by the scholarship's posted deadline.

If the scholarship you are applying to requires a letter of recommendation or reference, please give your recommenders ample time (two weeks or more) to complete this task. Remember, the deadline to submit a letter of recommendation or reference letter is the same as the scholarship deadline, and late submissions will not be considered.

Please note that references cannot log into Aztec Scholarships until you submit your application. However, you can continue to make edits and adjustments to your application even after submission up until the: scholarship's posted deadline.

Yes, students planning to study abroad at any point between summer 2025 and spring 2026 can apply for Aztec Scholarships, and should indicate so on questions related to study abroad of the general application. The SDSU Global Education Office can help you choose a study abroad program that is eligible for financial aid and scholarship consideration.

You will still need to follow the same requirements and deadlines as students studying at SDSU main campus. Please click on “SDSU Scholarships and Study Abroad” to be directed to more information.

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If you need help with your SDSU email address or password, please contact SDSU Information Technology: https://it.sdsu.edu/get-help.

If you are experiencing technical issues not related to your SDSU email address, please reach out to the Scholarship Office at [email protected].

If you didn't find the answer to your question on our website, we're here to lend a hand. Please reach out to us at [email protected]. Include your full name and RedID on all correspondence to ensure a personalized response.

An email confirmation sent to your SDSU email verifying that your application was successfully submitted and received.

If selected for an award, a notification to your SDSU email with a link to Aztec Scholarships to review and agree to understanding the scholarship's requirements, accept the scholarship offer, and complete a thank you note.

Once the thank you note is completed and approved, the scholarship will be posted in your my.SDSU account.

Scholarship notifications will generally occur between mid-April through November. A large number of scholarship awards are announced between mid-September to mid-October.

Incoming students will generally hear about the status of award decisions during the fall semester.

Study abroad and internship scholarship awards are announced between mid-November to early-December.

If you are not selected for an award, regret notifications are sent to SDSU emails typically in mid - late November.

Yes, scholarship recipients must submit a thank you note for each scholarship awarded by San Diego State University. The thank you note must be submitted within 14 calendar days from the day of official award notification. The note is submitted electronically in Aztec Scholarships.

Deadlines are strictly enforced. If the thank you note is not received by the deadline, the scholarship award is at risk of being rescinded and awarded to an alternate. Please click on the “thank you note” link above to be directed to more information about thank you notes and examples.

Login to the Aztec Scholarships Portal, click on “My Applications,” scroll down to the section titled “Current,” then click on the name of the scholarship (which has a link that will take you to a new page), select the scholarship name a second time to be presented with the scholarship requirements.

Yes, scholarship offers and disbursements are contingent upon the recipient meeting all eligibility and enrollment requirements throughout the academic year. If all requirements are not met, a scholarship may be canceled. Be sure to review the eligibility requirements for the scholarship(s) you are receiving.

The SDSU Scholarship Office tracks changes to recipients' major, GPA, and class level throughout the award year. Any change to academic or other qualifications may result in cancelation if scholarship requirements are no longer met.

The SDSU Scholarship Office follows official University Policy to confirm scholarship enrollment requirements are met. For graduate students, policy states full-time enrollment is nine units of coursework per semester or enrollment in 799A, 897, 899, or 894; part-time enrollment is five units of coursework per semester or enrollment in 799B or 799C. For undergraduates, full-time enrollment is 12 units per semester; part-time enrollment is six units per semester.

Please note that departmental policies related to enrollment are not followed when determining eligibility.

Please refer to the "Application and Awarding Policies" document available in the SDSU Aztec Scholarships tab located above regarding policies related to eligibility and enrollment requirements. 

Enrollment Requirements

Like financial aid, scholarship disbursements start one week before the first week of the semester and are applied to any outstanding direct university charges first. Any remaining funds will be sent via direct deposit or mailed to an address on file.

If the semester has already begun and you are awarded a scholarship, disbursement should occur within approximately two weeks of the day you submit the required thank you note. Students with outstanding financial aid documents or other holds may experience delays to this timeline.

1. Click the following link to access Aztec Scholarships

2. Switch from the "Applicants and Administrators" tab to the "References and Reviewers" tab

3. Non-SDSU affiliates who have been selected as a reference must sign in with a Blackbaud ID (BBID). To access your Reference or Reviewer account, sign in with your BBID using the email address where you received your invitation.

• If you don’t have a BBID, click Continue with Blackbaud ID, then select Sign Up and follow the steps to create one. Signing up is a one-time process. Once you have signed up, you will be able to sign in with your new Blackbaud ID.
• If you need to recover your password or you have not yet received an email confirming your account, see trouble signing in.
• If you are trying to setup multi-factor authentication, please follow these instructions.

• SDSU First-Gen Achievement Scholarship
• SDSU Merit Scholarship
• SDSU Presidential Scholarship
• SDSU OOS Academic Award Scholarship
• SDSU International First-Year Student Advantage Scholarship

Yes. Recipients of these scholarships will receive a contract from the Office of Admissions outlining all eligibility requirements. In general, recipients must enroll in at least 15 units each semester and maintain a specified cumulative GPA. 

If you are not currently meeting the requirements listed on your contract and are waiting for your scholarship to disburse, please contact the Office of Admissions for assistance.

Note: Unless the scholarship is processed through Aztec Scholarships, a thank you note is generally not required.

Maybe. We adhere to the donor’s instructions regarding the terms of disbursement. If the donor’s documentation specifies that the scholarship funds should be divided between the fall and spring semesters, we will split the funds evenly. If you’d like the full amount applied to one semester, please ask the donor to email the Scholarship Office ([email protected]) confirming that the entire award may be disbursed in one semester only. 

If the donor does not indicate that the funds are tied to a specific semester, and all requirements are met, we can apply the full scholarship to one semester only. By default, scholarship amounts over $500 are split evenly between the fall and spring semesters.

If you’re experiencing an immediate food, housing, or financial emergency that is affecting your ability to succeed academically, SDSU’s Economic Crisis Response Team (ECRT) may be able to help. ECRT connects students with emergency funding, food assistance, and other essential resources to support their well-being and academic success.

Visit the ECRT website to learn more and/or request assistance.