How to apply for the $5,000 doctoral scholarship
Applying for a Capella Progress Reward scholarship is simple. Follow these steps.
Apply to Capella
To take advantage of the Capella Progress Reward scholarship, you need to be a Capella student and meet eligibility requirements. After you complete an enrollment application you will gain access to the scholarship application.
Complete the scholarship application
Review the scholarship eligibility rules and exclusions. If you believe you are eligible, apply before 11:59 p.m. Central Time the day courses begin. You can always ask your enrollment counselor if you have questions.
Enroll in your program courses
After you have enrolled and submitted your completed scholarship application, work with your enrollment counselor to enroll in your courses.
$5,000 doctoral scholarship details
When you invest in your future, we invest in you by offering Capella Progress Reward scholarships for a variety of doctoral programs. Choose your program and learn about eligibility, disbursement and other details.
Capella Progress Reward scholarships help us support our students by recognizing the hard work it takes to earn a degree. This scholarship is not need-based – just meet these eligibility requirements and apply.
Student eligibility and enrollment requirements
- Must meet Capella University admission requirements.
- Must be a new student or former student reapplying to the university, accepted into and enrolled in an eligible program in the GuidedPath learning format starting on Aug. 4, Sept. 8, Oct. 6, Nov. 3, Dec. 1, 2025, or Jan 12, 2026. Student must complete and submit the scholarship application form before 11:59 p.m. Central Time the day courses begin.
- Recipients who do not remain enrolled through the first two weeks of the quarter forfeit the award for that quarter.
- Recipients who change to an ineligible program, graduate, are dismissed from the university or are inactive from the university for four consecutive quarters for any reason will have all future disbursements canceled.
Additional eligibility requirements for former Capella students
To be considered a former student reapplying to the university and eligible for this offer, the student must not be currently enrolled in the university when reapplying, and must meet one of the four following criteria:
- Graduate of a Capella certificate or a bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree program in the GuidedPath or FlexPath learning format.
- Inactive from the university for at least four consecutive quarters.
- Program of prior admittance to the university has been restaged or retired.
- Applying to a program at a different degree level than program of prior admittance.
Faculty and staff of Capella University, Strategic Education, Inc., and Strategic Education, Inc. subsidiaries and affiliates, as well as their spouses, domestic partners and dependent children, are not eligible for the scholarship.
The terms and conditions of all scholarships and each subsequent renewal are subject to change and will be governed by university scholarship policies. Capella University reserves the right to cancel or modify any scholarship funded by the university at any time.
Refer to details below for further information regarding disbursement schedule, academic standards and impacts to program costs.
- PhD in Psychology
The Capella Progress Reward scholarship can be applied only to an eligible doctoral program in the GuidedPath learning format. The $5,000 will be applied to your Capella account during the third week of the quarter, disbursed equally over three consecutive quarters ($1,667 per quarter).
| Start date | Date of first disbursement | |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 4 or Sept. 8, 2025 | July 2027 | |
| Oct. 6 or Nov. 3 or Dec. 1, 2025 | October 2027 | |
| Jan. 12, 2026 | January 2028 |
For students to continue to receive our scholarship benefits, they must remain in good academic standing. Read the details below.
- Students must adhere to all applicable Capella University policies, including but not limited to academic standing (3.01.04 Academic Standing) and financial aid satisfactory academic progress (3.01.05 FASAP).
- Students must successfully pass first course upon first attempt. Returning students must pass first course taken upon readmission to Capella.
How can the $5,000 scholarship affect education costs? Here’s what you need to know.
- The Capella Progress Reward scholarship is intended to address the cost of attendance, including but not limited to, tuition. Books, course materials, supplies, equipment and other fees apply. Travel expenses for residencies, practicum, etc., are not covered by the scholarship.
- The Capella Progress Reward scholarship may decrease the amount of funding that can be offered from other sources, such as federal financial aid.
- In some circumstances, Capella quarterly tuition may be lower than a quarterly disbursement. In other cases, recipients may complete their programs before they receive all quarterly disbursements. Under no circumstances will recipients be eligible for cash payment or other compensation for the value of unused disbursements.
- Recipients of the Capella Progress Reward scholarship are not eligible for other Capella grants or scholarships, or discounts in excess of 15%, unless otherwise noted in the eligibility requirements of the additional applicable scholarship. This includes the Capella Tuition Cap. For eligible programs that have the Capella Tuition Cap available, upon completing the Capella Tuition Cap acknowledgment, if a recipient applies for this Capella Progress Reward scholarship, such application will supersede the Capella Tuition Cap and recipient will forfeit tuition cap eligibility.
Other ways to reduce tuition
Transfer credits
You may be able to transfer your credits* from another accredited university to your Capella degree program. Capella University helps make credit transfer a straightforward process.
Employer tuition assistance
See if you qualify for exclusive tuition discounts for eligible employees of partner organizations. Eligibility rules and exclusions apply. Connect with us for details.
*All transfer and credit for prior learning must be completed prior to starting any program in the FlexPath format. Any professional certification or external courses taken concurrently with FlexPath enrollment cannot be recognized in the Capella degree program.