Institutional Aid

Institutional Aid Grants and Scholarships are awards that are funded by the university to help students meet the challenge of funding his or her education at Soka University of America.  All Grants and Scholarships listed on this page are awards that are gifted to the student and do not need to be paid back to SUA. These awards may be merit based or need based and carry with them specific criteria and terms and conditions of renewal.

Soka University is very fortunate to have had the opportunity this year to provide one hundred percent of our freshmen class with at least one institutional grant or scholarship.  One hundred percent of our continuing students who were eligible for need based financial assistance received a need-based scholarship or grant. Students may combine more than one institutional scholarship to cover costs up to the cost of attendance.

In order to maintain fairness and equity across our institutional grants and scholarships, all opportunities on this page are available to both international and domestic students. Unless noted, institutional scholarships and grants are available to incoming students.

Need Based Aid

Soka Opportunity Scholarship (SOS)

$7,000-$27,950 annually │ Renewable for 8 semesters

In an effort to promote greater diversity and access to higher education, all admitted students to the BA in Liberal Arts program whose annual earned family income is $60,000 or less, and who have neither graduated from college nor completed more than 3/4 of their required coursework towards their first undergraduate degree (e.g., BA/BS) at the time of application to SUA, will receive free tuition (room and board fees will still apply).  Soka also provides prorated awards for students who come from families with higher income levels.

Students who receive any combination of Pell, SEOG, Cal Grant A and Soka Opportunity Scholarship funds will see a reduction in the actual Soka Opportunity Scholarship award by the amount(s) awarded through Pell, SEOG and Cal Grant A. SUA's policy is to apply these funds, towards tuition charges before awarding the Soka Opportunity Scholarship.  The end result is that the tuition will be fully covered by the combination of these funds.

Eligibility for the SOS is determined by your financial aid application.  Domestic students should complete the FAFSA and international students should complete the International Financial Aid Application.

Merit Based Aid

Global Merit Scholarship

Full Ride ($42,076 - $43,076) annually │ Renewable up to 8 semesters

SUA offers a select number of full ride scholarships to the top students of each entering class.  The scholarship covers the entire “Cost of Attendance” which includes not only the direct costs to the university such as tuition, room and board, but also the indirect costs like travel, personal expenses, books and supplies.

Eligibility is determined by taking into consideration materials submitted in the admissions application.  All admitted students are given equal and automatic consideration for this award.

Soka Merit Scholarship

$3,000-$20,000 annually│ Renewable up to 8 semesters

Students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements are awarded Merit Scholarships upon entrance to Soka University.

Eligibility is determined by taking into consideration materials submitted in the admissions application.

Makaguchi Scholarship

Full Ride (At least $43,076) annually │ Renewable up to 8 semesters

Each year an SUA Makiguchi Scholarship for Global Citizens award will be given to one international applicant, who has graduated from high school in an African nation, is outstanding both in character and academic standing, and who has difficulty studying at SUA due to financial reasons.

Eligibility for this award is determined by information submitted on the admissions and financial aid applications.

Athletic Scholarships

$1,000-$25,000 annually │ Renewable at the discretion of the Director of Athletics

Gifted student athletes participating in one of the below sports may be offered an athletic scholarship to draw on in conjunction with other institutional, state or federal aid.

• Men’s and Women’s Soccer                                      
• Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
• Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving                  
• Men’s and Women’s Track and Field

Awards are offered and renewed at the discretion of the Director of Athletics and the Directors of each sport.  Students wishing to enquire about an athletic scholarship should contact the director of the sport he/she is interested in.

Student Employment

$1,000-$4,000 annually │ Dependent on application and job availability

While SUA does participate in the Federal Work Study Program which is outlined in the “Federal Aid” section, the university also makes jobs available to students who are not eligible for the Federal program.   All student employment jobs are open to all students.

Eligibility is determined by application for the specific job posting and usually requires a résumé and interview.

Awards for Continuing Students

A growing number of merit based scholarships are reserved for students already enrolled at SUA and exist to inspire talented  freshmen, sophomores, and juniors to continue to push themselves in their academic and personal endeavors.  

Ikeda Scholarship

Full Ride ($42,076 - $43,076) │ Single year

The Ikeda Scholarship is the most prestigious scholarship program at Soka University of America. This scholarship provides students with all expenses paid, including tuition, room and board, books, and incidental expenses for the academic year. Ikeda Scholarships are awarded annually in May to one student going into the Sophomore class, the Junior class and the Senior class for a total of three scholarships per year.

Eligibility is determined on merit alone, primarily academic accomplishment with experiences in leadership and service also taken into account.  SUA’s Dean of Faculty and Dean of Students act as the selection committee, making final recommendations to the University President who announces the recipients in the Spring of each academic year.

Soka Academic Merit Scholarship

$10,000 │ Single year

Each year the Scholarship Committee selects the top five academic students from SUA's freshman, sophomore, and junior classes to receive merit scholarships for the following academic year. Although the Soka Academic Merit Awards are given only for a single year, awardees can be selected again in subsequent years. In cases where recipients are already receiving financial aid, the Soka Academic Merit Awards will be used to reduce the amount of the student loan within their financial aid for that year.

Selection is based on outstanding academic performance for that year and not on cumulative performance. A selection committee is formed each year making final recommendations to the University President who announces the recipients of the Academic Merit scholarships in the fall of each academic year.

Other Opportunities

Soka also administrates other opportunities available to current and graduating students. These awards are employed for extended learning opportunities.

Makiguchi Memorial Scholarship Fund, Graduate School Scholarship

$10,000 │ One-time award for use at a graduate school, 15 awards available each year

Any graduating senior who has been accepted for graduate studies next academic year may apply for this $10,000 Merit Scholarship.  The scholarship must be used toward the first year of graduate studies. Applicants who have been accepted to graduate school and have demonstrated a high level of academic performance and strong commitment to the university as demonstrated through participation in student clubs and organizations will be considered for the scholarship.

Summer Internship Grant

$2,000 - $4,000 │ One-time award

The Summer Internship Grant has been set up to encourage students planning to pursue a career immediately after SUA to jump start their career preparation by obtaining concrete work experience in their field of interest by undertaking a summer internship.

In order to be eligible, students should have secured a paid or unpaid summer internship and be able to demonstrate, through an essay, a current career development plan and how the proposed internship will fit into that plan.