At Sunward, we know the last thing you want to be worried about is how you will pay for your next semester of college.

College student sitting in library, studying
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Sunward SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

Sunward members attending college in 2023 – 2024 are invited to enter our annual essay Scholarship Competition with a top award of $4,000! The competition is open to Sunward members in good standing* who:

Will be new or returning full-time students in the 2023 – 2024 academic year to a bachelor's or master's degree program at an accredited institution (Note: associate and doctoral degree candidates are not eligible to participate in Sunward's scholarship competition).

  • Are the primary account holder of a Sunward savings account (not a beneficiary of a custodial account).
  • Are U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents of the United States.
  • Are not employees or volunteers of Sunward.
  • Are not the child of an employee or volunteer of Sunward.

*Good standing is defined as a member who has not been denied services and/or who is not in arrears with the Credit Union.

Sunward will only consider applications that are received by the deadline – 11:59 p.m. MT, Wednesday, May 31, 2023. For more information on how to apply, please visit gosunward.org/essay-contest.

LOANS FOR CURRENT OR PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS

At Sunward, we know the last thing you want to be worried about is how you will pay for your next semester of college. We recommend taking advantage of any federal funding, scholarships, and grants if possible. We also understand that there are not always viable options for everyone, which is where Sunward comes in! That is why we offer up to $30,000 per year to use for tuition, books, room and board, computers, past-due tuition bills, and more.

To apply for a student loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school. Applying with a cosigner can increase your likelihood of approval, but it is not required. Payments on your loan principal and interest will be deferred until six months after graduation, after leaving school, or if dropping below a half-time enrollment status.

CONSOLIDATION LOANS FOR GRADS

Entering the workforce or realizing that college might not be for you right now can bring up some tricky questions. We’ve got you covered, whether you want to decrease your monthly student loan payments, manage debt, or simply want to combine all your student loans into one monthly payment. Sunward offers consolidation loans to help you after graduation or upon leaving school.

Student loan consolidation is available for private and government loans. Since many federal loans have benefits that Sunward student loans do not offer, it is important to review the terms of your federal loans carefully before choosing a Sunward loan. At Sunward, you can borrow as little as $7,500 or as much as $120,000 for undergraduate loans or up to $160,000 for a combination of undergraduate and graduate loans.

To learn more or apply, please visit gosunward.org/student-loans.