We are here to help you afford Boise State
There are many different options to fill in the gap between the funding a student has, and what they need. Our Student Financials Money Matters guide and Bottom Line Estimator can help families better understand the cost to attend.
Federal Aid and Financial Support Options at Boise State
Federal Aid
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid allows students to apply for aid like Pell Grants, work-study and federal student loans. We recommend that all students start here.
Scholarships
If you are looking for scholarship options, we recommend starting by reviewing our Scholarships page. All Boise State specific scholarships have deadlines. Merit scholarships, or admissions scholarships, have different deadlines based on your residency status. The deadline for non-resident admissions scholarships (Ridgeline, Summit, and WUE) is December 15th for students starting the following Fall semester. For Idaho residents, the deadline for admissions scholarships (True Blue Promise, Dean’s, and Presidential) is February 15th.
Boise State’s Scholarship Application is open each year from late November to February 15th, with award notifications being sent via BroncoMail in May. The general questionnaire that you fill out as part of this application will automatically match you to any opportunities that you will be eligible for. If there are any additional opportunities that you could qualify for that require extra steps, like a letter or essay, they will be recommended to you.
Idaho residents can also look into scholarship options through the State of Idaho. We recommend starting by reviewing the Next Steps Idaho Scholarship page. This page will list all of the State of Idaho scholarship options, eligibility requirements, and deadlines. Most of the State of Idaho scholarship application deadlines will be in early Spring each year.
For additional scholarship resources, we recommend exploring private scholarships and national scholarship options that are outside of Boise State. These applications will have varying eligibility criteria, funding, and deadlines. These will be the best places to look for scholarship opportunities after Boise State’s Scholarship Application and State of Idaho scholarship applications have closed for the year.
Student Employment
Working on campus can help you earn money to support yourself through your education. Boise State uses Handshake to promote job opportunities and internships that are available on campus. Most on campus jobs available to students will be part-time positions, and scheduling is often flexible to accommodate your class schedule.
Some on campus part-time jobs will be specifically offered to students who are eligible for work-study funding. Work-Study is available to students who demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA. Being offered work-study funding doesn’t guarantee a position on campus — you will still need to be hired into a work-study eligible position to utilize the funding. Work-study funding is still paid bi-weekly through a paycheck that you earn like a normal part-time job; the main difference is that you will be paid using federal or state funds rather than being paid through departmental or institutional funds.
If you are interested in work-study funding, you or your supervisor can complete the Work-Study Funding Request form. Please be aware that completing this form does not guarantee work-study funding, as there is limited work-study funding that we are allocated to award each year. Also keep in mind that work-study funding is not a requirement to be able to work on campus!
If you have questions about finding student employment, we recommend reaching out to Boise State Career Services at (208) 426-1747 or career@boisestate.edu.
PLUS Loans
PLUS Loans can be used by parents of a dependent undergraduate student or graduate students. These are offered through the federal government and payments can be deferred as long as the student is enrolled at least half-time. There is a minor credit-check performed on this application. Dependent students can request additional unsubsidized loans if their parent is denied.
- Starting in 2026-27: New parent PLUS borrowers will be limited to borrowing $20,000 per year per dependent student ($65,000 aggregate/total limit per dependent student). Existing Parent PLUS borrowers may qualify for legacy provisions that allow additional borrowing based on the prior regulations, if the dependent student is continuously enrolled and is not enrolled beyond the expected time for program completion (typically 4 years).
- Starting in 2026-27: The Graduate PLUS loan is no longer available to new graduate student borrowers. Existing Graduate PLUS borrowers may qualify for legacy provisions that allow additional borrowing based on the prior regulations, if continuously enrolled and not enrolled beyond the expected time for program completion (typically 2 years).
Alternative Student Loans
Alternative loans are loans from private companies that specialize in student loans. The terms and conditions of these loans can vary from lender to lender and we recommend shopping around if going this route. While Boise State does not endorse any specific loan, ELMSelect can help narrow down the loan type you are looking for.
These loans often require a credit check, but students or parents can apply. These loans may be received on top of any other aid up to the student’s Cost of Attendance. Each lender specifies their criteria, including whether students must be enrolled in a certain number of credits, be degree-seeking, or comply with federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. We encourage you to borrow responsibly and be mindful of the student debt burden when applying for any supplementary loans.
Money Matters
Money Matters is a service offered by the Financial Wellness team in the Student Financial Services office. They can provide one-on-one guidance to discuss your financial situation, budgeting, and planning. If you are interested in setting up a Money Matters appointment, you can schedule an appointment through the Money Matters webpage.
Payment Plans
The Student Financial Services office also offers payment plan options to help break your charges down into smaller payments across the course of the semester. They have instructions on how to enroll in a payment plan on their website if needed.
If you have any questions about payment plans, the Student Financial Services office can be contacted at (208) 426-1212 or sfinfo@boisestate.edu.